I left NYC on September 17th in search of home. Well, I’ve found it.
Yes, this Spanish Villa in Olot within the Pyrenees area was pulled from within the depths of my dreams to materialize into a place I am now sleeping for one more night but in which I’d like to stay. Forever. At night, colored lights sparkle in the trees and stars are visible overhead. The darkness of early morning turns into a golden, filtered light that seems to baptize one with warmth.
Girlhood dreams contained a life split between two places: a villa in the mountains and a home on the ocean. At least one dwelling was supposed to be close enough to a major city that I could still travel if I wanted to, further from my homes and between them each – of course.
This villa in the mountains is the home I saw when I left my reality and traveled to a new one.A plaque on the front wall tells me I am sitting and typing this from within a structure that was created in the Fourteenth Century. WHAT?! That’s so old it makes me head hurt, in a good way. Like a brain freeze after ice cream.
Mas Garganta would perhaps not satisfy many western travelers looking for luxury and bent-over-backwards attentive meeting of needs. Here, one is treated more as a family member. The owners are kind and welcoming, you are less a guest and more a treasured friend; yet one still needs to do some things for themselves, it’s far more come-and-go-as-you-please. Only a bar of soap denotes that some toiletries have been provided for you as a guest, no L’Occitane products here.
But for me, this is the height of my ideal home-away-from-home. This is my luxury. This is my Spanish Villa, to which I will one day return. Since cheap flights are always available to Spain, I don’t think my dream is so far fetched this time ’round.Many thanks to Costa Brava Tourism for fulfilling one of my dreams by bringing me to the Pyrenees region and Mas Garganta.
Ha Ha… You’ve done it! once you share your heaven with the world, the world will want to share it too.. In 12 months, there will be 10 mile queues and a McDonalds in Olot.. It does look great tho. x
Awh! Ha. That’s a sometimes side effect for sure of travel writing — but I know from the bit of time I did spend in Olot that isn’t actually as likely to happen. I heard a story while there, that a McDonald’s actually did open in that part of Spain….and then it closed because no one went to it!
nice photos!
Thank you so much!!
Beautiful photos. I can see why you wouldn’t want to leave.
Thank you! It was, indeed, a really beautiful place. And while I had to leave — I hope I’ll one day go back.
Nice photos…And yes the place is beautiful..If i visit the place in my life i surely gonna to see this villa. Moreover it reminds me of my stay in France villa in 1996.
Thank you! I’m glad you like the images. I hope you do get to visit.
Thank you for sharing your stunning photos. I first fell in love with Spain when I spent 8 months living in Andalucia in my mid-twenties. Now, in my mid-forties, I am finally realizing my dream of spending part of every year living in Spain. Looking forward to reading the rest of your posts.