Sun and Sand in Costa Brava!
July 15, 2024
Goooood Morning from beautiful Costa Brava!! We woke up to absolutely phenomenal weather and were all excited for a beach day! For breakfast we cooked up some delicious breakfast burritos! It was a team effort and everyone pitched in! Giselle, Channing, and Anna started by chopping everything up! Will, Liam, and Charlie were manning the grills and Izzy prepped all the fruit! It was such a nice morning getting to eat a huge breakfast, sit around and hangout, and sleep in a little bit! After breakfast everyone got ready to go to the beach! We walked down the windy path through the woods and ended up at a Mediterranean paradise! Most of the group bought floats and swapped time between hanging out in the water and laying out on the sand and bathing in the sun! We had a refreshing lunch at the beach front restaurant then continued our relaxing beach day. We headed back to camp and everyone got showered up before we cooked dinner! Burgers and watermelon was on the menu for the night and boy did they hit! Liam and Charlie grilled up the burgers while Will, Channing, and Giselle cut up some watermelon and pineapple! Izzy and Anna were in charge of toppings! After dinner we went down to the beach for the first annual CHAMONIX OLYMPICS!!!! We were the blue tribe (4B) and we faced off against the red tribe (4A)! Our first event was egg toss which blue tribe absolutely crushed! Shout out to Will and Liam for bringing that one home! The next event was a game called ‘Don’t touch my rock’! Once again the blue tribe won with flying colors with Izzy securing the final out against the red tribe! The 3rd event was a rock, paper, scissors tournament that the red tribe nearly won. The 4th event was ‘Find the worm’ and Anna was our elected representative! Despite her efforts, the blue tribe barely won, but at least Anna got gummy worms!! There was a tie during the watermelon eating contest that Liam headed for blue tribe and the final event was a 3-legged race which blue tribe absolutely CRUSHED to win the first annual CHAMONIX OLYMPICS!!!!! We ended our day with everyone running into the sea and having a joint moonup on the beach which was amazing! We got gelato on the way home and rested up for another big day!
Another perfect day in Costa Brava, Spain! We woke up to perfect weather once again and were so stoked for our first day of sea kayaking! We had delicious pastries from a local bakery for breakfast! Giselle loved the chocolate filled one and Izzy was obsessed with the apple cream filled croissants (my personal fav) We walked to the beach and loaded up our stuff into dry bags and hopped in our kayaks! The water was crystal blue and the weather was just amazing! We kayaked into various caves and around insane rock features before stopping at a beach for lunch! We had sandwiches and everyone took a little post lunch nap on the rocks by the sea! After our relaxing lunch and nap session we boated back to our beach and our LODs for the day, Charlie and Channing, decided we needed another afternoon at the beach! We all played some beach volleyball, swam, and got SO tan which was great! We headed back to camp to shower before our cooking class! The cooking class was SO GOOD! Izzy whipped up some amazing guacamole, Charlie made some authentic tomato bread, Will and Liam were in charge of the risotto, Anna and Channing made some delicious Parmesan lettuce bites, and Giselle made some phenomenal tuna tartare! The meal was exquisite and we all couldn’t move for half an hour after which was fine because we all sat around the dinner table and laughed and tried not to let ourselves fall asleep from all the food! We needed the night with moonup and of course an uno game back at camp!
Our last full day in Costa Brava 🙁 but it was a good one!! We started our day with a delicious breakfast before getting picked up to go kayaking on a local river instead of the sea due to weather! The river was soooo cool and we were so happy we were able to do it! Charlie manned a single kayak and showed off some skill by standing up and paddling around the river! We had a competition to see how many people we could get on a single kayak and 7 was our number! After kayaking the river we went to our favorite pizza spot for lunch before heading to the beach! We all took naps on the beach and enjoyed a break from the sun with a cool cloudy day as our forecast! We headed to the grocery store and got supplies for our Iron Chef matchup! On appetizers and sides we had Izzy, Giselle, and Charlie! On our main course we had Anna, Channing, Will, and Liam! The judges (Taylor and I) were absolutely blown away! The apps and sides crew whipped up guac, barata salad, and Mac n cheese! The main course was delicious quesadillas with cilantro lime rice! I think the winners were the judges because everything tasted AMAZING! We headed to the beach after dinner for ice cream while we watched the sunset and concluded our day with an extremely touching moonup on the beach! Up next…. CHAMONIX!
Until next time,
Nate & Taylor
Some words from your kiddos:
Will: Mom and Dad, Thank you so much for sending me on Chamonix, I having so much fun! Can’t wait to tell y’all all about it.
Channing: Hey guys! I’m having a sublime time here in Chamonix and can’t wait to see what’s next. I miss y’all so much, hope you all are having a good summer! Tell Abby and Owen I say hi too.
Giselle: Hey fam! Thank y’all so much for sending me on this trip; I am having a great time and the views are insane. I promise I will pay y’all back for everything I’m buying, but the credit card is the only method of payment that works for me here. Please tell Bennett I say hi. Miss and love y’all!
Liam: What’s up family! Thank y’all so much from sending me on this trip to Cham I am having a blast. The views here are incredible I miss and love y’all. See y’all home soon and I’ll get you something in Paris.
Anna: What’s up fam! I miss you so much! Chamonix has been absolutely incredible, thank you guys so much for sending me on this trip. I’m so stoked to see you guys!
Charlie: Hey Mom and Dad! Im having so much fun in Cham! The Pyrenees were incredible and I can’t wait to see what the rest of this trip holds! Can’t wait to see you soon!
Izzy: What’s up Fam!!!! I’m experiencing incredible memories and viewing such great heights in Europe! I’m so thankful to be sent on this amazing journey! I miss every single one of you at home so so much and I can’t wait to see you and tell you everything. I love and miss you more than words!!!
Hello from the Pyrenees!
July 8, 2024
Day 1
Travel day to Paris!
Day 2
Happy arrival day!! Today we welcomed all 8 members of our group at the Paris airport starting with our earliest arrival, Channing! Even though it was 6am, she popped off the plane with a budding smile and a positive attitude and we just knew this trip was off to a good start! We ate our first Parisian pastries and tried some airport coffee before going to a different terminal to meet the rest of the group! Slowly, but surely everyone started to trickle in and we even got to meet Will and Liam’s parents! Giselle got a little lost trying to find customs, but don’t fret because Taylor and Nate know the airport like the back of their hand and were able to FaceTime her through the whole process (with a little help from Liam).
Once we left the airport, we were greeted the French way with some live music from an accordion that had us all laughing and smiling. Later, we enjoyed a local pizza parlor where Nate did a lovely toast for our groups arrival and future success! We went around and played the name game and learned everyone’s shampoo scent, before heading over to catch our train to Luz! On the train, we caught up on some much needed sleep from a long travel day and Anna, Liam, Taylor and Izzy played the abc game and got really creative with stuff they could see from the train…U stands for users of the train and X stands for Xfinity WiFi!
After a day on the train, we settled into our Giete in the beautiful and quaint mountain town of Luz. For dinner, we had one last American meal at a local burger joint, which Charlie was particularly fond of!
Then we wrapped up our night, the same way we will wrap up every night, which is with Moonup. Nate and Taylor layed down some expectations for the group as well as asked everyone what they wanted to get out of their trip! To sum up the answers, I will use a quote from F Scott Fitzgerald that perfectly describes what Moondance aims to do:
“I hope you make the best of it. I hope you see things that startle you. I hope you feel things you’ve never felt before. I hope you meet people with a different point of view. I hope you live a life you’re proud of and if you find that you’re not, I hope you have the strength to start all over”
What a great way to kick off our trip!
Day 3
Bonjour from the most perfect morning in Luz! After sleeping off our jet leg, we woke up to the old church bells ringing next to our Giete and the smell of buttery croissants and freshly brewed coffee! We enjoyed a slow breakfast together and talked about all things French as we buttered our bread and indulged in a yummy breakfast.
On today’s schedule, we will be having a relaxing day exploring the town of Luz as we prepare for our first backpacking section in the Pyrenees to begin tomorrow! After breakfast, we decided to lace up our hiking boots and take a quick stroll over to the castle that rests on a cliffside overlooking the town! As Nate famously told us the night before, this is where King Louis was overthrown by his bodyguard Edgar in the fifteenth century.
After exploring the castle and getting a fantastic view of the whole town, we went down to peruse the local market. All the girls- Bradley, Channing, Anna, Izzy, and Giselle- bought jewelry while Will and Liam bought the finest cuts of meats and cheese. Later, we had a picnic in the park with delicious cuts of prosciutto and chorizo paired with the regions stinkiest cheeses! We topped our baggies high with pesto, meat and cheese, before topping it all off with some chocolate, Carmel pie squares! Talk about a delicious lunch!
In the afternoon, Nate taught a lesson on the duffle shuffle and how to pack your backpack for the Pyrenees! The group did a great job asking questions and making sure they were only bringing the necessary gear.
For dinner, we used the hotel kitchen and whipped up some mouth watering mexican food! Anna and Will chopped up all the veggies, Liam sautéed the veggies and cooked the chicken, and Giselle and Izzy made guac! We sat down for a family style meal, and laughed until we ate so much that it became complicated to move.
At the end of the night, Channing and Liam led us in our first student led moon up and Izzy closed by singing and playing guitar! What a treat for the whole group!
Day 4
Today is the day! We woke up with a fresh sense of excitement and thrill as we prepared for the day ahead! We fueled up on a hearty and healthy breakfast and then got ready as Taylor’s house music pounded throughout the hotel hallways! Once we were all ready, we loaded up in two vans and headed to our first Refugio in the Pyrenees!
Since today was our first day, we warmed up with a light day hike from our Refugio. Normally, we will carry all of our gear for each day on our back and trek on foot from Refugio to Refugio, but today we emptied our backpacks and did a beautiful hiking loop in the surrounding area.
At the hostel, we met our wonderful guide Mattiu, who Nate and I worked with the previous session and absolutely adored! As we bagan our hike, we had some subtle incline for the first few miles before we entered into the cirque or as Mattiu likes to call it, the circus! On the hike we frolicked through lush green fields of thick grass, crossed over little creeks and streams and took in our first view of the Pyrenees. From where we were standing in the cirque, it felt like we were standing in a stadium of grandiose mountains on all sides of us. Throughout the whole hike we were completely breathless (both figuratively and literally)!
At the front of the pack, Mattiu was teaching Charlie about all of the wildlife and flowers we were stumbling upon. In addition to all of the sheep, mountain beasts and flowers we encountered, we also saw a shepherd hut from the early 15th century. It was made entirely from stones in the region and had a grass patch on top of it. Mattiu opened the door and gave us a quick glance around the tiny hut and a history lesson on shepherd’s in the area.
After an incredible first day in the Pyrenees with some of the most majestic views we’ve seen in our lifetime, we retired back to our Refugio and enjoyed a warm, home cooked meal. After filling our bellies with protein, we headed to bed in the most unique sleeping arrangement yet- YURTS!
Day 5
Day two in the Pyrenees, and we’ve collectively decided there’s no better place to be! As we threw on our backpacks, they felt a little heavier than yesterday and our calves a little tighter, but our smiles were wider and our spirits were higher!
Today, our group will take on the daunting challenge of hiking up the pass to Espaguettes. Although it involves walking uphill for a large part of the day, Izzy, our little beacon of sunshine, reminded us to stay positive during even the toughest hikes. As we head out for the day, the enthusiasm was at an all time high and so was the trail talk! Nate, Liam, and Will got into a heated dissuasion as they had a draft for the best gas station snacks…which then lead to a draft for the best fast food restaurants, beverages, states, athletes and so much more! As the boys were deep into whose draft picks were superior, the girls were singing the climb led by none other than Anna.
As we began our ascent up through the pass, we were surrounded by 360 degree views of the Pyrenees with staggering mountains on all sides! Although the switchbacks felt never-ending, we could’ve taken on that view all day long! The sky was the perfect shade of blue with the snowy peaks reaching out towards the heavens. At the top of the pass, the group decided to eat an entire jar of peanut butter and Mr. Tom’s to celebrate before finally descending down to our Refugio for the night where we were greeted by donkeys! At a Refugio that high, the only way to get supplies is via helicopter or donkey, and it appears the Refugio had just gotten an order of fresh food!!
After a delicious and warm meal, we had moonup at the most scenic spot in all of my four years of leading for Moondance. As the sun began to lower behind the horizon, pink clouds painted the blue sky and the mountains turned a dark navy color. We wandered over to a grassy hill before circling up and watching as the sun slipped behind the mountain. After a wonderful moonup lead by Charlie and Izzy, we played a competitive game of UNO. Feelings were hurt, and bridges were burned but the game lives to see another day! As re retired to our Refugio for our mega sleepover, Nate sang us an unforgettable lullaby that had Liam snoring in seconds. (Also can confirm that Anna sleep talks in French)
Day 6
Ciao! Another beautiful morning spent eating breakfast together! The sun is high in the sky, and the vibes for the day are immaculate! After a difficult day yesterday, today we will descend into the lovely mountain town of Gavernie!
On the way to Gavernie, we wandered through a forest where we partook in a monk walk. This is where we all walk silently and use our senses to take in our surroundings. As a talkative and giggly group, this monk walk was surprisingly needed! We were able to hear the distant sound of cowbells ringing, the swooshing of our hiking boots on wet grass as well as the infamous sound of coocoo birds!
Also on this walk, we passed through a cave where our guide, Mathiu, brought out his flute which echoed off of the walls into the surrounding forest. Later, we also tried Raw Ants right off of the ant pile! Izzy and Charlie stated they tasted like salt and vinegar chips, while Giselle’s ant bit her tongue! Will, being the picky eater that he is, refused to try ants and watched in horror as the rest of the group snacked on the wild insects.
After a midday insect brunch, we continued our downward hike into the cirque de gavernie which is home to Europe’s 3rd highest waterfall! We eagerly suited up in our rain jackets, dropped our packs and ran towards the waterfall! Filled with adrenaline, we stood as close as w could without getting soaking wet! The waterfall was so powerful that even 20 feet away, we were getting splashed with the water from the raging falls! Afterwards, we dried out on hot rocks and ate lunch under the sun!
After a packed day in the sun, we went into town and had some of the world’s best gelato! Liam and Will added to their sugar rush with a cherry coke while the rest of us licked away on our ice cream! After cooling off with another refreshing treat, we headed to our Giete!
At our Giete, we had the coolest rooms yet! Both the girls room, and the boys room were two stories that included a loft! In the girls room, Anna, Channing, and Giselle slept in the loft and Charlie slept in the guys loft! After showering off, we went downstairs and enjoyed a five star dinner of salad followed by pasta and a tender roast baked in a peach sauce! With full bellies and tired legs, we headed off to bed and dreamed of the views to come!
Day 7:
Goood morning from France for the last time for a few days as today is the day we hike into Spain!! We woke up to a beautiful view of the Gavarnie Cirque out of our windows! The sun was shining, not a cloud in the sky, and the energy was high! We had a lovely breakfast of freshly baked bread and some homemade raspberry jam that Charlie thoroughly enjoyed! We packed our bags and walked through the quiet town of Gavarnie towards the trail. Before leaving town Anna, Giselle, and Channing stopped at a local bakery to get some fresh baguettes as a little trail snack! A few miles into the hike the group removed their hiking boots and hiked a small section around and into a creek which was surrounded by soft grass and wildflowers! It was such an amazing experience and we all felt so incredibly connected to nature and the mountains around us! Before starting our big accent over the pass into Spain, we stopped for lunch and had some fresh bread, sliced meats, and delicious cheese! Izzy combined everything we had into a sandwich and everyone quickly followed suite after seeing how delicious it looked! Will found a comfy spot on the grass and took a nice little cat nap after eating his lunch! We all slowly got up and moving after bathing in the sun and letting our food digest and starting our accent up the pass! It was a challenging hike but everyone had such a positive attitude and before we knew it we were at the top looking into beautiful Spain!! We descended down to our hostel, but before checking in we all stopped at a crystal blue river and did a cold plunge to celebrate completing a big day of trekking! We enjoyed an ice cold coke in the sun shortly after and shared stories and laughs about our big day! We had a lovely traditional Spanish dinner of barbecued meats and finished the night we an amazing moonup by the river while the sun set behind the mountains!
Day 8/9:
Buenas Días from Espana!! Feels good waking up in Spain! We had the best breakfast yet!! Liam and Will were EXTREMELY happy to see bacon being served! We all ate so much and fueled ourselves for the day ahead of us! Today is a pretty chill day as we hike to the old and quaint mountain town of Torla! Will and Giselle, our LODs, started our day off with an encouraging quote and our color of the day (today was purple!!) During our hike it started to rain and instead of complaining or getting down about it, everyone in the group embraced it! It was really cool, once the rain started everyone became silent and began thinking to themselves about different things as we hiked. After the rain stopped and we took a break for lunch and everyone talked about how relaxing it was to hike in the rain and reflect on different experiences we’ve had on our trip! We had lunch under a small cliff but enjoyed the sun coming out to say hello for the entirety of our lunch break! Shortly after lunch we arrived to Torla! We walked along the cobblestone streets and took in the breathtaking views of the towering faces of rock that surrounded the small town. We all explored the town for a while before dinner where Giselle found her favorite souvenir ever (a very small trout shaped pocket knife lol) and of course had to get a local sweet treat at a local diner after! We had an amazing dinner and thankfully had moonup under the stars since the weather cleared up!
The next day we had an early morning in order to make it to the trail head for our biggest trekking day yet!! Breakfast was quick but delicious! We all hopped on a local public bus that took us to the Odessa Canyon! Our LODs Izzy and Charlie got us super excited for the day and kept the spirits high throughout our physically challenging day with a super positive energy!! Our day started with a HUGE accent that paid off when we got to the top and had one of the most amazing views of all time! Liam, Anna, and Channing celebrated together with a chocolate granola bar they saved for a time like this! Everyone got together for lots of pictures and lots of staring at the amazing scenery! Will continued to add the comedic relief we needed throughout the hike until we made it to lunch! We had lunch in the most scenic spot in a canyon surround by rock with a raging waterfall right next to us in a meadow of wildflowers! During our hike back we stopped by different waterfalls as we descended deeper into the canyon we just hiked above! We got back to the trailhead and hopped on the bus back to Torla and everyone belly laughed to Anna’s hilarious stories! Once back in Torla we immediately headed to a homemade ice cream shop and relaxed so hard with some delicious ice cream! It was our last night with our guide, Mathiu, so we had a special moonup just for him and gave him a gift which we he appreciated so much and expressed his love for getting to know each and every one of us! We all got in bed exhausted and ready for a good nights rest before our lost day in the Pyrenees!
Day 10:
Our last day in the Pyrenees 🙁 BUT, today was a good one! We hiked the pass from Spain back into France and it was so rewarding! Everyone came together as a team and it was so obvious how close this group has become! Everyone had such a positive vibe during what we all thought was the hardest day of the whole trip! We had lunch at a beautiful alpine lake that Nate obviously had to take a cold plunge in! Will played some amazing relaxing music as we all laid in the grass. Once back up and on the trial, Channing and Giselle kept the group laughing with amazing trail talk! Anna got amazing shots of everyone on her camera and before we knew it we were at the pick up point getting our ride back to Luz! We had a well deserved dinner of massive burgers that we have been dreaming of for days! We had a cake for dessert (hand picked by the girls) and finished the night with a few intense games of uno!
As the days go on, Nate and I are overwhelmed with a sense of gratitude to be with this group in one of the world’s most majestic places! The trekking is without a doubt physically and mentally challenging, but our days have been filled with laughter, incredible views, moments of reflection and copious amounts of joy. This group has been exceptionally positive, lighthearted and curious. Through the valleys and peaks of the Pyrenees, their contagious enthusiasm has kept us going and inspired us to push for more! This journey has not only tested our limits but also strengthened our bonds, leaving us with unforgettable memories and a profound appreciation for the beauty that this adventure has brought into our lives. This group is something special and we can’t wait to relax on the beaches of Spain tomorrow and get some much needed rest and relaxation!
Until next time!!
-Taylor and Nate
Safe Arrival!
June 30, 2024
Hello Chamonix Families!
All students have landed safely and the trip is off to a great start! We can’t wait to share more updates from their adventure. Please remember our leaders and students will be unplugged during their trips, but we will be posting trip updates throughout the next two weeks! This will allow you to follow along with the trip. You can also follow us on Instagram, @moondanceadventures, to see more of what we are up to!
-Moondance HQ
