Escape to the Mountains

A few weekends ago, we visited the aforementioned Caterina at her Pyranees mountain refugio where she's working as a chef for the summer. The refuge, more like a mountain resort, is nestled high in these granite rock formations which are part of a national park. 

The only way to get up to the refugio is to hike up the mountain. Fortunately, the 6-hour hike abounds with breathtaking sites such as this waterfall...

 And these tranquil lakes....

We took several breaks to enjoy the views and learn how to snack on local flora:

Finally, after hours of hiking, we spotted the camouflaged Regufio Amitges:

And tasted some of Caterina's delicious food:

Here's the view from the kitchen window.

And that lake is where she hangs out during her off time. 

We tried to impress the staff with our dish-washing skills, but they told us they weren't looking to hire any extra help.

 We were sad to leave - thinking about spending time here with Caterina, cooking for hikers and becoming familiar with this beautiful mountain landscape would have been a ideal way to spend the summer.