While we were away hiking in the Waterville Valley of the White Mountain range, our younger son who when we were all many decades younger hiked with us there, was himself hiking about in Spain. He had travelled to Spain before, spending time in Barcelona, in small towns, and in various parts of the country. This time once again, he went to a city in northern Spain to attend a conference and to deliver a paper. When the conference, almost a week-long concluded, he remained for an additional three weeks, as he is wont to do when he travels abroad.

He didn't stay entirely in Spain, although he stayed awhile with a friend who lives in Barcelona. He decided to rent a car and drive to France, and then to Italy where he has also been before; Italy in particular representing his favourite part of Europe where he has also travelled on his own extensively. In Italy, again, he stayed for a short period of time with another friend.

He returned to Spain and spent time hiking in the Pyrenees. And he sent along photographs he took hiking in the Ordessa National Park; Cirque de Cotatuero. Like all the photographs he takes while hiking in mountain ranges wherever they happen to be, from Hawaii to British Columbia, Spain to Italy, the landscapes are immense, picturesque and breathtakingly daunting. Just as these are: