28 - 29 October - Tarragona

Tarragona is a fascinating place, at least the historic centre that we have got to know. On Sunday we spent the day wandering around, taking in most of the sites resplendent in their Roman ruins, plus walking along the waterfront adjacent to the marina. The ruins here are perhaps the oldest we have seen outside of Rome. They date from 200 BC, which was very early in the Roman Empire, certainly in Western Europe. The amphitheatre next door is particularly unusual because it has the remnants of a Gothic 13thC church in the centre of the old combat arena.

Tarragona Amphitheatre

The waterfront was just the opposite. Super modern and ridiculously luxurious cruisers and yachts were moored up, dwarfing everything else in the marina. The money that seemingly oozes out of them was pretty disgusting to be honest. One had a helicopter sitting on its back deck. However, I guess the multi-millions they must cost, plus huge running costs, is just par for the course for those in the world who are immensely well off.

Obscenity defined

By 1:30pm we were getting properly hungry, and failing to find a reasonable place to eat along the waterfront, headed back into town, where we had earlier spied a little place in one of the squares that would do the trick, though it was pretty cold to be sitting outside. However, on the way, we came across a small family-run restaurant, with a great menu board outside. We ducked inside, and what a great choice it was. We had a very tasty meal, our first real meat (albeit chicken) other than fish, in a long time. The husband and wife team were run off their feet. We arrived at 2:15pm, with most of the tables empty. By 2:30pm it was filling up fast. By 3pm people were queuing to wait for an empty table. The last ones to be seated arrived at 3:30pm. We never fail to be amazed by the eating times here in Spain. Wandering around town this morning, many of the tapas bars were full with people having a drink, perhaps with a little tapas, at 11am through to 2pm. After that is lunch-time. No-one was eating a meal before 2pm. Then, again tapas and drink at 7:30-10pm, then dinner. 

We were foot weary. Clocking up another 13km, we planned to have an easier day tomorrow. We've seen all the sights in Tarragona that we'd hoped to. It is another World Heritage Site (as was Elche) and has been a great place to visit. We really like the vibe, and prefer it immensely to Barcelona. It doesn't have the crowds of tourists, is wonderfully clean, with large amounts of money clearly put into public spaces, sculptures and signage. A wide promenade is currently being constructed around the water's edge. Wheelchair ramps and lifts already provide easy access between the historic centre and the waterfront below it.

So, on Monday we had  cruisy kick-off spending nearly 2 hrs on Skype with family was a great start to the day. We headed into town for a coffee and to find a few Roman ruins we had missed the day before, including the mausoleum of Jaume I. The latter is an incredible tomb, in the style of a vessel taking the king to the spiritual world.

Jaume I's tomb, very odd

We wandered around quite a bit, even though it was very cold, i.e. 9 degrees at 11am and with a cold wind. Our plan was to fill in time until the little restaurant we went to yesterday opened up for lunch at 1:30pm. No luck. Even though its website said it would be open, it wasn't. Plan B, very hungry and cold and on the lookout for a filling cheap meal. We found another place, not quite as nice but the hot bean soup 1st course was very good. Meat and frites next, but the hot chocolate to follow was the best. Like yesterday, we picked up a bread to nibble with bits for dinner. It took as a wee while to pack up our bags, ready for an early start the next day.

Tarragona cathedral. You can't beat a good set of cloisters.

Final thoughts on Tarragona - we really enjoyed our stay here. The locals appear generally a whole lot cheerier than our experience in other parts of Spain we know, and, though it's a bit city too, the small historic core has a lovely intimate feel to it. The Roman ruins are integral to everyday life, whether as part of current buildings or used for specific purposes, e.g. performances put on in the amphitheatre.

A Tarragona street, winter has arrived