Neither of us slept well, particularly me. I awoke feeling rather groggy. However, we both enjoyed a good breakfast and we were on the road before 10am. The trip planned for the day was to reach Tarragona, nearly 5 hours drive away.
The day before, on the route from Mojacar to Elche, we were driving through pretty arid country which was smothered with endless plastic-covered tunnel houses for growing tomatoes, peppers, and no doubt other fruit and vegetables as well. The weird rough conical hills that popped up irregularly on the landscape were really odd, no doubt remnants of hard rock, from which the surrounding soft rock had eroded over eons of time. The odd castle or fortification on a hilltop here and there, or caves dug into the hillside added to the intriguing scenery. It was a very enjoyable drive.
 |
| Rugged and harsh landscape |
 |
| Caves in the hillside |
By contrast, the route between Elche and Tarragona was rather greener, with vast hectares planted in orange and mandarin trees, the hillsides also terraced for orcharding, providing a much softer landscape. The weather had turned a little sour and it was cloudy and drizzly with the odd heavier shower of rain. The entire view was one of haze. We have encountered a lot of smoke in the air as we've driven through Spain, often having to turn off the air vent because it was so smoky or there was so much smell of fertiliser or whatever in the air. The drive to Tarragona was particularly hazy due to the low cloud, but it reinforced to us how unbelievably clear and blue the skies are in NZ. Needless to say, we are itching to see (or not see) clear air again.
After 3 hours on the road we pulled off at a roadside truckstop. These stops can generally be relied on to have top-notch local food, at very affordable prices. Our coffee was indeed wonderful, and much needed. I still didn't feel awake. We bought a baguette and went back to the car where we brought out a bit of cheese and tomato we still had in reserve, and made a few sandwiches, which we ate in the back seat. The weather was now really cold at 14 degrees and very windy. Really cold for us anyway - the coldest we've had since I don't know when.
Back on the road, it was just under 2 hours until we rolled into Tarragona. It was a bit hit and miss getting in contact with our Airbnb person, but he soon turned up and showed us into our accommodation for the next three nights. It is right on the waterfront, and right next to the old Roman amphitheatre. Wow. What a stunning view. For only 50E/night, including breakfast essentials, it is amazing. If the weather is rotten for the next few days we don't care. The sofabed in the living room looks directly out towards the ocean, so we could very happily watch the waves, people strolling along the beach and ships parked just off-shore for hours.
 |
| A wonderful view, complete with ships anchored offshore |
We enjoyed the drive here, though it was quite a long one. A few odd things appeared en route, including an airport with flash control tower and a radar array, but no runways at all! The place was obviously unfinished and now neglected. However, there are other new roads and highways going in all over the show, perhaps with the help of EU money. Spain seems to be coming right after the financial crisis.
After arriving here, and after a bit of a breather, we wandered towards town at 7:30pm-ish. The Roman amphitheatre 100m away is amazing, but there are plenty of other Roman structures not much further on. The pedestrianised historic centre appears very attractive, even in the dark, with unusually wide streets (which presumably allowed for Roman chariots and carts) and very old well-built buildings which are still in use.
 |
| Fun bollards |
 |
| Seriously large Roman-era stones |
 |
| Entrance to one of the old Roman Fora |
The centre is very clean and well looked after, with plenty of life and vitality from the locals wandering around. It was the hour of the traditional 'passeggiata', when Europeans typically go for a stroll before wining and dining. We found a tapas bar which was open before 8pm and sat down to enjoy a plate of extremely tasty Jamon Iberican (Iberian ham) and sliced bread covered in tomato and chopped grilled artichoke between us. In fact, that was enough for dinner because neither of us was feeling very hungry. We were keen on an early night to bed. Amusingly as we left, we were thanked with a merci. It's not the first time - perhaps our time in France has left us with a French accent when we speak Spanish!
No comments:
Post a Comment