Castellano abajo.
Finally, after months of angst and anguish, the weather cleared enough that I could take a flight down to the Catalonian Central Depression, an area of farmland that had eluded me since I came to Spain. Perpetually covered in haze, the place is substantially desert-like; yet, somehow managed to be fogged in for two straight months, producing some incredible imagery when I took a flight along the inversion to Montserrat a few months ago.
I learned my lesson from Wyoming: spring in semi-arid regions is the time to go flying. Vegetation has maximum texture, and the earth is on display as the seasons turn. While one season is prettier than another, it is not to say that one is not worth seeing. I have sat in front of my computer, time and time again, wishing I had flown to a certain destination in a different season, waxing poetically that it “must be fantastic when its green.”
This was a test run, to get a clue of what the spring around here would be like. As you can see, La Cerdanya was a wonderful shade of brown, while green did materialize down lower. This flight took place in March. Before one thinks the snow was over in the Pyrenees…..it snowed here until late April.
Finalmente, después que meses de angustia y dolor artística, el clima aclaró suficientemente para que estuvo posible volar sin inversión hasta la Depresión Central de Catalunya. Es lugar casi desierto, excepto fue cubierto en nieblas para meses, un fondo de frustración y raramente, un poco de belleza.
Aprendí en Wyoming, EUA que la primavera es estación muy importante para texturas y colores, porque los campos de agricultura cambian mucho en la progresión de verano. Es imposible decir que una temporada es inútil visitar en vez de otro (con la excepción de nieblas), pero es cierto que hay unos que son mejor que otros.
Este vuelo fue una prueba para averiguar lo que está pasando aquí en Catalunya, en preparación para las temporadas que vengan. Tardando con un montón de fotos, el vuelo pasó en Marzo, cuando La Cerdanya se mostró con falta de color. No te preocupes: recibimos nieve aquí hasta el fin de Abril!
Lower Cerdanya….clad in raiment brown.
Lower Cerdanya is pretty gnarly with terrain. Most of the time, I am 2,500 feet higher than this.
I had intended to clear La Seu’s airspace and wander down the river valley below, except they smugly ignored me. Back up to 6,000 feet we go to overfly terrain…
Spain: land of texture. There is no end to it.
Pantà d’Oliana (reservoir below) with a giant piece of rock.
Serra de Turp i Mora Condal-Valldaran
Serra de la Valldan
Getting lower, a bit hazier, and greener!
Some things can only be explained with alcohol. / Algunas cosas sólo pueden ser explicado a causa del alcohol.
Northeast edge of the Catalonian Central Depression.
Home on the range….Catalunya style.
Cervera
Chaotic order. There is a profound beauty to it.
Non-chaotic order.
Why live in farm country, when you can live here?
This has a distinct Kansas feel. Just add a tornado.
Near Selvanera.
I failed to see the potential in these textures at the time. They annoyed me as too cluttered. Some of the flights I have gotten recently are practically spiritual of features like this.
Wandering back toward home. Slightly higher terrain altitude. Note trees without leaves and field textures losing green.
Edge of the Pre-Pyrenees. Catalunya has more forests than I gave it credit for.
Serres de Busa-els Bastets-Lord (hill on the right), Pantà de la Llosa del Cavall (reservoir). Colors are real.
Serra del Verd (on the right).
El Pedraforca.
South side Cadí-Moixeró.
