What I did on my birthday

[rebness]

Gracias a todos for the birthday wishes!

I had a really nice day yesterday, despite now being decrepit and cranky. There was only one cure for the birthday evilness...

Yes!!1 Francia always makes things better. Except if you're a king, sheesh. Anyway, I went to France in the morning and visited a gorgeous little village to soothe my fragile 27-year-old soul, before returning to Barcelona for tapas with my friends.

I was going to go to Tarragona or Ripoll or summat, but I thought if I was going to sit on a train, it may as well be for something really neat, so I chose Latour de Carol and Enveitg on the French-Spanish border.



I began to doubt the awesomeness of my idea when the lovely Spanish sun gave way to snow and ice. It's colder up north! Who would've thought it? :p



 All was good, though. I am always so happy when I see ze French signs and know I have arrived in my favouritest place evah.

A memorial plaque for the Republicans who passed through Latour during the mass exodus of Catalonia after Franco's triumph.

Around Enveitg. I was a real nerd and listened to the OST to Howl's Moving Castle as I wandered about. Granted, it's not Alsace, but it still suited the music. :)

Why do trees and mountains make me so happy? I DUNT KNOW. But I love them. >:D

I want to live on this street! It's like a Hovis advert, except French.

The old church. Alas, it was shut.



O hay, a cemetery! I personally think spending one's birthday looking at graves is a healthy pastime. It was no Pere-Lachaise; most graves only dated back to the 1930s, but there was a civil war monument there..





Spain: To the victims of Nazi-Fascism, martyrs of freedom.





This was poignant because the mountains over in that direction are those of the Spanish border. This was the cost of standing up against Fascism, the cost of trying to protect what the Republicans held dear and yet so many people are rotting in unmarked graves around Spain, forgotten. Spain had (perhaps still has) a dirty pact, a policy of forgetting what happened because the scars of the civil war still run so deep and yet there are reminders dotted about in France, the UK, even America. This just struck me as a sad little place.



I made my way towards Latour de Carol after that, just taking it easy. I saw four people in all the time I was in that village, by the way. It was so quiet! I began speculating that this was what it would be like if zombies attacked and entertained myself by working out a zombie escape route just in case one of the undead decided to appear around the next corner.







Curious cow is curious.

I wandered about a bit more, had a crepe (moohahaa Ava, then went and sat and wrote by ze river.



So it turned 3pm while I was here, which meant it was 2pm in Angleterre (the time I was born in 1981) and therefore I was 100% 27. WOES. Except it was very peaceful and lovely and I had time to reflect and be thankful for what I have.



It was back to chaotic, crazy Barcelona after that. My night was rapidly more and more blurry and ended with pr0n shots of terrapins.

Yes. Terrapins.

Anyway, that was a pretty rad birthday! :D

Comments

[moon-chylde.livejournal.com]

Very nice shots.

I love cemeteries. There are two in my little town and they are my favorite places to walk the dogs.

[rebness.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

They're just so peaceful, such a strange and quiet way to connect with the past. I like walking my dogs in the cemetery back in England, too.

[avariecaita.livejournal.com]

Of course, I'm green with jealousy that you got to go to France for your birthday, but what a great way to spend it. Mulling over the past, writing (YAY!), and eating a crepe. Divine, mon amie, divine.

I don't want to talk about your terrapin pr0n, you sick sick girl.

[rebness.livejournal.com]

It was really nice. It was good to have an introspective day! Divine doesn't even begin to cover it.

(And it is fully you who is responsible for the writing, I'll have you know!!1)

I can't help it. The terrapins are all smooth and green. Mmm...

[sroit.livejournal.com]

Oh...le sigh. So nice.

[rebness.livejournal.com]

My reaction completely. Hee.

[zhonghua2000.livejournal.com]

Oh look. I'm in your other entry arguing with you (inaniceway) while I'm missing out on the spectacular photographs in this entry.

I'm so glad you had a most excellent birthday. <3

[rebness.livejournal.com]

I admit, I *was* wondering why you were ignoring them. Heehee.

Thanks! It was really good. I really appreciated having such a good day.

[airiddh1.livejournal.com]

what a great way to spend a birthday (even if I DO want to slap you for thinking YOU are old *ahem*). Wish I could just pop over th France for mine! Great pics as well - I'm so jealous on many different levels (one being that you ARE 27!!)

[rebness.livejournal.com]

I'd moan some more, but I think you really will slap me!

It is a gorgeous place though, isn't it!

[jaffacakequeen.livejournal.com]

a very interesting day , love the shots of the mountains, snow and sunshine combined with historical elements. Amaxing whats on your doorstop + train journey.

and as for " want to live on this street! It's like a Hovis advert, except French. " When was the last time you went to Yorkshire?

[rebness.livejournal.com]

I can't believe it took me so long to do something like that! Am asshat.

When was the last time you went to Yorkshire?

About two years ago... it was eventful and non-Hovisy... >:)

[jaffacakequeen.livejournal.com]

i later found out in a moment of boredom (im posting 1000 mailouts) hovis was filmed in dorset.

there you go! a bit of trivia. might be useful while playing trivial pursuit.

[pandorasblog]

:) Nice photos!

[rebness.livejournal.com]

Gracias, guapa! <3

[ladydaydream.livejournal.com]

Sounds like you had a great day! :D

Love the pics. :) Seeing the ones of the cemetry has reminded me - I must send you my pics of Paris.

[rebness.livejournal.com]

Aww, thank you!

Oh, please do send them!