CANTONIGROS, Spain _ Despite a 45-minute delay in boarding and another half hour to taxi and get off the ground, Continental managed to get us on the ground in Barcelona only about 15 minutes late.
It was rather uneventful. Everybody arrived and gathered at Newark International without any drama; nobody forgot their passport; check-in and the security check were relatively painless; and all boarded a Boeing 757-200 that was full front-to-back.
(Gathering at Newark Liberty International)
The only hitch was a carry-on bag left in the boarding area, quickly spied by Continental personnel, given to Paul who carried it on the plane and restored it to its rightful owner. Potential Crisis No. 1 averted.
Approximately seven hours later, a sunny and warm Barcelona greeted the Princeton 19. After a quick check through passport control and customs, all luggage was recovered (Potential Crisis No. 2 averted), Paul’s cousin Alex met the group and shepherded the gaggle onto a bus for the more than 90-minute hike to Cantonigros.
The route circumvented Barcelona, took the bus past the Circuit de Catalunya (site of the annual Spanish Grand Prix Formula One race), and over a narrow two-lane, seven-kilometer (5-mile) road up the mountainside (with more than a few blind, tight turns) to the ancestral home of Familia de Oliu, a rural village of about 300 permanent residents that looks like Anthony Quinn or Antonio Banderas should be walking out of the door of one of the buildings.
(View from Cabreres, Hostal de Muntanya)
The climate, which in Barcelona approximated New Jersey, 90-95 degrees (30-32 Celsius) with high humidity, was more comfortable in Catonigros, about 80 degrees with considerably less humidity and a mountain breeze.
Checking in at Cabreres, home for the next week, wasn’t complete until Paul was greeted by his two aunts who live across the street.
(View from Cabreres, Hostal de Muntanya)
(Sant Roc, Cantonigros’ local church)
(Cabreres, Hostal de Muntanya)
After lunch, the main meal of the day in Spain, it was time to check out the field and facilities at Unio Esportiva Cantonigros, a small but charming club with spectacular mountain vistas, and get in some small-sided pickup games.
(Small-sided pickup games at UE Cantonigros).
(View of Santuari de Cabrera from UE Cantonigros)
At 6 p.m. it was an informal futsal game before dinner at the local basketball court and lights out, which _ after only a few hours of sleep on a plane in the past 28 hours, was welcome by all (well, at least all of the old folks on the trip.) Sarge, aka Jorge, takes over tomorrow.
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