Costa Brava--Lunch at the Seashore

REminds me of the southern Oregon coast

After leaving the Roman town of Peratellada, we drove to the coast for lunch.  My first glimpse of the Mediterranean's incredible blue elicited the same response from me that the view in Port Ordord, Oregon does to first time visitors.  I have seen the Med before, bet never in such a "wild" setting, through the trees high above and traveling through twisting, turning narrow back roads to reach it.  I was suitably impressed, believe me.

Blue and white stripes of Tamariu

We were lunching in Tamariu--a little cove spot on the beach barely larger than a hamlet.  But it's obvious that it's a destination for playing in the water and most of all, dining on fresh catch from the waters.  

Blue and white were the theme colors of the building, awnings, umbrellas.  There's a wide terrace, a very short boardwalk and steeply wooded hills on three sides.  The Med is the fourth, but the cove is so sheltered that it's hard to eve imagine it angry in this spot. Everyone there ws dining outside, and even though it was 3:00, late for lunch even by Spanish standards, we had to wait half an hour for a table.  

Dining in the sun

I took a little walk along the path that hugs the shore line.  The town fathers have placed ceramic-tiled benches that fairly insist that you stop, sit and reflect on the color of the water, the wildness of the hillsides, that wave crashing against the rocks, but un the cove, only lapping a tht sand.  Someon left an empty cigarette package on one of the benches, the warning "Smoking Kills" prominently in view.  The French and the Spanish don't beat around the bush about the dangers of smoking.  

Cigarette package warning

One of the Med's many blues

Art on one of the rocks along the shore lune path

By the time I returned to the restaurant, our tanle was ready....and a glass of sangris seemed just he thing to have on a sunny Catalonian afternoon at the beach.  We split an appetizer of chiparones, which are deep fried baby squid.  Barbaric as that might sound, they are nonetheless delicious.  Georges and Veronica had fresh fish--sea bream and turbot, respectively, while I had a typical Catalan of chorizo and roasted green peppers (all of which I gave away) over frites, topped with two perfectly runny-yolked eggs.  I was in heaven, it really hit the spot.  I have developed a taste for Catalan sausage and the chorizo was a tad spicy but delicious.  

Tamariu

We finished dinner as the sun was setting over the ridge and the temperature dropped noticeably. It was time to head home to the apartment. Dinner that night was bread and cheese--I could not possibly have managed more after that lunch.  

Little beach in front of the board walk

 One of the things I made sure to do while I was in Palamos was to check out bus service to these places from Girona.  There's plenty and it's regular, so a car is not absolutely necessary to enjoy this Costa Brava of Spain.  I cannot wait to return.

This could be Curry County, Oregon

Costa Brave--Perratellada

After descending the peak via a decidedly less twisty and turn-y road, we headed toward the sea.  Our next destination was Peratallada, a restored Roman town.  We hadn't much time, as our stomachs were announcing that lunch should be coming up soon.  My stomach hadn't gotten the message quite thoroughly that times for the midday meal in Spain are much later than it is accustomed to, even in Carcassonne.  Lunch times in Spain generally start after 2, and often run as late as 3 or 3:30.  Our lunch was waiting for us at the seashore, so we had just enough time to skedaddle through the town and get back on the road.

Narrow sunless streets

Stone upon stone

Humans have been living in Peratallada for millenia.  The first impressions are of stone--everything is built of the smallish stones pulled out of the soil, not quarried in blocks.  I think of the perseverance and the skill it would have taken to gather them, and then fit them into walls that have stood the test of 1000 years.  The Romans and the Greeks knew a good spot for a town when they saw it.  Of course, it has the ever-present encircling walls to keep out marauders who wanted to take things that did not belong to them.  

Hanging easrs of corn on one porch

Brick work arches

Mailbox in the side of a stone-walled building

Mediterranean blie 

the second impression was of immaculateness.  There was not a cigarette butt in sight, the paint was fresh in most cases and the  bougainvillea was blooming as if ordered to do so be a film director.  The place is charming, but I cannot imagine how slick and slippery everything would be in a downpour.  Some shops were open, some restaurants welcomed diners.  It was plenty warm in the sun, but cool in the very narrow alleys that didn't get much direct sun.  It always comes as a bit of a shock when I can stand in the middle of a "street" and just about touch the walls of the buildings on either side of me.  It just reminds me again of how small and slight a race of people are these Catalonians and how big I must seem to some of them.

Stone and local pottery

This guy found his sunny spot

There are people who do live and work inside the walls, maybe even more so than in Carcassonne.  I got the impression that it takes some serious money to live there and maintain your property to accepted standards.  Everything was in great repair--and there was some interesting non-Roman architecture.

This caughty my eye

I likes some of their Christmas decorations very much, especially the tree that had no ornaments.  Instead it had tag board messages for best wishes hand written and placed on the branches by prior visitors.  Such a nice way to leave a message, instead of spray-painting it on walls.

Greeting left by a previous visitor

Tied to the tree instead of lights and shiny ornaments

Shadow of the very simple municipal Christmas decorations

Veronica pointed out what she called Roman chariot ruts worn deep into one of the stone streets.  I don't know about chariots on such a narrow alley, but I am fully prepared to believe that those scars were made by years and years of carts.  As always, I wondered about how lived there, what their lives were like, what they dreamed of and how they viewed their world.  

Wagon ruts

And isn't that the purpose of these sites?

Bouganvillea

Cascading blooms

Laundry or curtains?

Costa Brave--Santuari dels Angels

View from the peak

Those who know me well know that I am a back roads kind of gal.  I much prefer taking the slow routes just to see where they lead.  We did just that when we left the train station at Girona.  Georges programed Fifi, the GPS navigator to take the scenic route to Palamos from Girona.  Actually, I think if you take the auto route, it's only about 29 kilometers from Girona to the coast, but we weren't really in a hurry and we did want to see some sights along the way.

We had not counted on just how twisty and turn-y the road would be.  For my Oregon friends, it was something like mile after mile of the worst parts of Carpenterville Road, or 199, through the canyon.  Georges did a great job of driving and avoiding the many cyclists coming down the mountain.  Many many pine trees surrounded us; and I saw my first cork trees.  Very interesting.  Technically we were crossing the Massis de Gavarres.  There were unexpected little farmhouse restaurants out in the middle of nowhere, and just like on Carpenterville Road, I recognized the occasional driveway or more accurately, track, with a chain barring entrance to curiosity seekers.  Keep out is a universal signal.

Looking back toward Girona

When we reached the top of the massif,  we discovered a lovely whitewashed complex, obviously a church and based on its location, it had to have spectacular views.  It did not disappoint.  We pulled into the parking lot and began our walk around the complex.  The name of it is Santuari dels Angles--the Sanctuary of the Angels.  What a lovely name!  And it has 360 degree views.  To the south you can see the Med.  To the northeast, we could see the Pyrenees from what for me is the "back" side.  I was surprised that there wasn't more snow, even on Canigou.  I have a feeling this weekend's forecasted weather will remedy that. Even so, they were stunning.

Lovely to find a sanctuary at the end of the road

It turns out that the church was the one in which Salvador Dali was secretly married.  This area of Spain is Dali country; he lived and worked here and I think there is at least one museum of his work located in the area.  The church itself is modest and unassuming inside.  There were a few stained glass windows and a stone in the floor indicating a date in the 1600's, so it's been around a while.  

At the altar

1683

Paul? looks unhappy.

A Google search revealed that it is actually a sanctuary--a place for a retreat.  There is an 18 room hotel on premises, but certainly not overdone with "amenities."  It's clean, safe, and there are windows that actually open to let in the mountain air.  Groups and individuals use it for retreats.  There's a building with a multipurpose room that I thought might be used as part of the chruch;'s Sunday school facilities, but now I think it's use extends to people who come for all manner of retreat activities.  And I peeked in one of the windows of the restaurant, which probably serves very good food. There is a huge terrace outside to enjoy the sunshine and the views.  

Outdoor eating area to enjoy the sunshine and the views

It would be hard to leave such a place if I were staying there.  It was hard to leave even though i wasn't staying there, but there were other places to see and lunch was waiting for us on the beach.

Never tire of this view

Costa Brava--Palamos

The esplanade to the left, the harbor, the beach and the church on the hill

I was lucky enough to be invited to spend a few days with friends who had rented an apartment in Palamos, right on the Mediterranean, on the Costa Brava of Spain.  I took the train to Girona where they met me at the station and we then drove to Palamos.  We took the "scenic" route, and I will pst those photos later.

Our building, and top floor second balcony from the right

Spain's Costa Brava is lovely and is in the Catalonian region of the country.  This area of Spain has been suing for independence for years and things have gotten heated and quite serious in the past several years.  Catalonian flags fly everywhere here, and not necessarily beside the flag of Spain. More likely than not, the Catalan flag flies alone.  Yellow ribbons hang from fences, and yellow ribbons are painted on the sidewalks and in the crosswalks of the streets in Palamos.  Catalan is the preferred language. Barcelona is the capital, and is intensely separatist.  Spain, however, is not going to let this vibrant part of their country secede without putting up a fight and things have turned ugly in recent times, with separatist leaders being jailed.  This fight has been going on for centuries, and will not be easily solved.

On the beach

View from the balcony

Palamos is a working fishing port and also welcomes tourist cruise ships, although I am not sure at which dock.  There were none in evidence while I was there, but then again, it is very much off-seson.  Some, maybe even most of the restaurants were closed for the season, but many shops were open for the holiday crowd.  A lots of people, like my friends, escape the chill of northern climes for the sunny and relatively warmer beaches for the holidays.  There are some "high rise" apartment buildings farther down the coast (to the west), but most of the buildings on the stretch of beach where we were are no higher than 5 stories.  I expect all the places are fully rented out in season.  

Statue at the town end of the walkway

Statue at the west end of the walkway

There is a lovely esplanade for walking that runs the length of the beach.  I made plenty good use of that, and I also got a nice workout walking in the sand.  I spent some time looking for beach glass and shells, but had little luck.  The sand was clean with no debris, no plastic, no cigarette butts.  Even in January, in various degrees of bundled up, moms pushing stroller, power walkers (and non-Power walkers), joggers, scooters, bicyclists and dog walkers were all using the walking path.  

I have to do some research, but I think there is a hiking path that runs along this beach that is also part of the pilgrimage path of the Saint Jacques de Compostelle walk.  The red and white markings are the same.  The map indicated a trail that ran along the coast, but if it were leading to Compostelle, I would think it would have to turn inland soon, as to cut across central Spain would be unbearably hot in the summer.

Red and white blazings--and It probably was 14 minutes back to Palamos

Map of the hiking trail

There were lots of children all awaiting Sunday's arrival of the Three Kings Epiphany is much more important there than it is in the States.  The weekend's festivities were kicked off by fireworks on Friday evening.  Sunday the Kings will arrive by boat and then lead a parade through the streets, tossing sweets to the children and leading the processing to the creche in Our Lady of the Sea church, up on the hill.  It would have been fun to see that, but as Sunday, Epiphany was also the last day of school vacation, the trains would have been crazy packed getting back to France.  I returned on a Saturday and they were crowded enough then.

 The Creche

All sorts of characters and stories here

Love the Brussels sprouts

Light at the manger

Tin foil river

Campfires

This is one of my favorite photos

Statue of Our Lady of the Sea at the front of the church

I loved seeing the different way the shops were decorated for the holidays.  Here in Carcassonne, the city provides small, maybe 3 foot high trees for the merchants to decorate.  In Palamos, the deal is to have three logs or log segments and they are tied together and then decorated.  Saw lots of them in plaid or sporting scarves...very cute.  The church had a beautiful creche, not just at the altar, but in one of the side chapels, they's set up an entire hillside village.  I loved the Brussels sprouts used as  cabbages in the garden.  I also saw more pointsettia than I have seen since leaving the United States.  It made me remember how much I like it.

Sun lights up the produce at one of the outdoor market stalls

Logs decorated for the holidays

Fresh fish and "blue" crab!

I could have spent hours puttering around the town, exploring shops and the market, even though it wasn't the "Main" one of the week. Veronica kept remarking that we had not "gotten very far."  So what?  We stopped for a drink, where we met up with Georges.  They had vermouth and I had a pina colada, which I haven't had in maybe 30 year!  Yum.  We got a chicken for lunch from a shop that rotisseries the chickens over wood coals.  It was delicious, and all the more so because we ate it out on the balcony in the sun.  In January!  This is the way to live.  I had a bite--yes, just a bite-- of a local pastry that was something like a churro filled with a vanilla pastry cream.  Seafood abounds, and it is unbelievable fresh.  The fishermen will sell directly to the public, but that market was closed when we went by.  I think it was just the wrong time of the day.

Make way for ducklings

I saw lots of boating activity.  A fleet of tiny sailboats followed two larger catamarans out of the channel, looking for all the world like a flock of ducklings trailing after their mothers.  There were fishing trawlers coming in with their catch and along the docks, there is a space for the fishermen to lay their nets on the ground to dry.  I am told that there's an old guy who comes along and mends them as needed.  

Sunrise from the balcony

And as always, the Mediterranean showed nearly every shade of blue in the spectrum.  At Palamos, because the cove is so sheltered, the sea is calm and nearly flat.  Out on parts of the exposed coast, the waves crashed and spray flew.  I cannot imagine that even at its worst, it can compare the to storms of the Pacific (and what can?) but the power is there. 

I had not realized how much I missed the sea until I spent some time at its edge.  I will be going back there, and it will be soon. 

Waiting for the season