Good morning everyone and happy Monday!

I hope you all enjoyed a wonderful 4^th of July weekend!

I am writing you a quick note from the Spanish Pyrenees where I came to do a little mountain climbing with Fozzy. We’re staying in Oto, (population 108!) a short distance from Ordessa National Park. Every day we’ve been on a spectacular walk or climb in near isolation, surrounded by stunning views of waterfalls, streams, and mountains. It has been heaven.

“I strive to perfect myself physically and spiritually. In the presence of mountains, I attempt to understand my life, to exorcise vanity, greed and fear… I view my past, dream of the future, and with unusual acuteness I experience the present moment…On each journey I am reborn”
Anatoli Boukreev

The place we rented didn’t have much of a kitchen (although it did have a cave for a living room!), so we didn’t cook as much as we normally do. Instead we took the long walk to the next biggest town, Broto (population 560) for our daily meal of grilled vegetables, fresh fish, raciones of tapas and a relaxing glass of wine. One of our favorites was Patatas Bravas with aioli sauce. It’s light and satisfying and a great alternative to the American potato salad standard. I’ve included the recipe below. You can alter it by adding some avocado or a thread of saffron to give it a nice twist.

I’ll be back to my regular programming next week, but in the meantime, I hope you enjoy the recipe and a few pictures from my excursion. And if you love mountain climbing, I heartily recommend you find your way here. It is a deeply beautiful and soul-satisfying place!

Have a great week and stay well!
xo
B