We headed around the curve of the Roses Gulf and ended up on the other side of the C or L'Escala as we now call it. This is a very ancient settlement that goes back to the Phoenicians. It was afterwards the Greek port city knows as Emporion. After the fall of Hannibal it became a Roman city. It fell into decay in the Middle Ages and was abandoned. Present day L'Escala lies just to the South of the ruins, which are worth the visit as it is one of the few places in Spain where both Greek and Roman remains can be viewed side by side. Modern day L'Ecala developed from the 18thCentury as a fishing port that processed salted anchovies. Nowadays it relies on tourism. The water is clean and clear and there are small sheltered inlets fringed by fragrant pine trees around the southern end that are outstanding.There is even a large Sunday Market that sprawls along the seafront promenade.
Our next stop was to be a “Three-For”. Camp at Llanfranc, then take the short coastal walk to Calella de Palafrugell and then on to the Gardens overlooking Cape Roig, not to mention lunch at the Sant Sebastià Lighthouse. A vision of quiet seaside promenades overlooked by picturesque whitewashed villas leading to outstanding floral bliss spread across a terraced coastal hillside with spectacular views of crystal clear waters of the Costa Brava. Did I also mention lunch at the lighthouse. The vision Crashed and Burned thanks to all the campgrounds closing on the last day of September. One more reason the come back.
We packed up our disappointment and made our way to Barcelona, not only an awesome place to visit but there are now five Costa Coffee Shops there. Heaven in a Cup! Buy a T-10 ticket at the Metro station and go explore. The integrated transport here is brilliant. Bus, Metro, Trains, Funiculars, Trams, everything for one fare within an hour. We wasted no time re-acquainting ourselves with some of our favourite haunts and discovering some new one. Barca is like that, take a wrong turn and find the pleasant surprise of an undiscovered Plaza or a place to just sit and enjoy Tapas and a chilled glass Vino Blanco Seco.
We caught the train to Montserrat again. Margie love this place. The mountains here are unbelievable. The tall weathered bastions that surround the monastery appear like stone giants standing silent guard duty protecting their sacred treasure. The view from up here of the plains below is spectacular and so is the ride up in either the cog railway or the cable car. But the day we went the cloud was so low we were walking in it. We felt sorry for those who had paid for the funicular ride to the top station where on a clear day you can see the entire monastery complex framed against the mountains and the valley below.
Last time we were here we couldn't get into the church to see the Black Madonna because of the crowd. This time we cheated and sneaked in at the head of the queue. The line to walk past the Madonna though was longer than a Disneyland ride on a holiday weekend and cost about as much. We didn't bother. A great day but a cold day and despite the cloud we weren't disappointed.
We went back to Gaudi's Parc Güell and just walked around the upper gardens. The entrance is now changed and they are only letting in a limited number of people each day to the lower complex and you have to book days in advance. The place is under heavy renovation and repair with scaffolding and construction fencing everywhere. Its good to see they are finally looking after the place. When we were here two years ago it was hugely overcrowded.
To finish our stay we took the funicular to Montjuïc, the mount overlooking the city. Home of the Olympic Stadium, Botanical Gardens and the Catalan National Art Museum. From the heights of forecourt of the museum you look down onto the distant Plaza Espanya and the old bullring that has been turned into a Shopping Mall. We walked down the hundred stairs past the series of normally cascading curtains of water until we reached the bottom and the stood beside the Magic Fountain. Unfortunately due to water restriction the cascades and magic are canceled until further notice.
To finish our stay we took the funicular to Montjuïc, the mount overlooking the city. Home of the Olympic Stadium, Botanical Gardens and the Catalan National Art Museum. From the heights of forecourt of the museum you look down onto the distant Plaza Espanya and the old bullring that has been turned into a Shopping Mall. We walked down the hundred stairs past the series of normally cascading curtains of water until we reached the bottom and the stood beside the Magic Fountain. Unfortunately due to water restriction the cascades and magic are canceled until further notice.
We Apologies for the Inconvenience.
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