Vilanova i la Geltru

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This is the last day in Spain for Lynn and Mike, so we are going to drive hard in order to get to the beach in good time. Lynn claims she has no "dog in this fight" so there are no expectations or sites we need to stop at...let's just take the shortest route.

OMG is this beautiful...started by traveling along the Rio Cinca through a tight mountain pass. Will flowers were blooming on the rock faces. Small villages on each mountaintop. Then came the turquoise lakes again...Embalse de Mediano and then Embalse de Grado. Mile after mile of amazing hillsides of red formations from the erosion and the color of the wayer can never be conveyed in pictures. This was an unexpect delight...

Got looking at the travel guides again and Lynn noticed a write up on Montblanc, so we took a little detour to check this little village with its medieval embattlements. We just wondered around enjoying the old buildings of Romanesque origins until we came across a public plaza for our lunch at a sidewalk cafe.

Arrived in Vilanova in good time. Hotel Cesar is in a great location right across from the Mar Mediterraneo. Didn't seem very busy and not sure of the quality, until we met the young women at reception, who was quite helpful. Mike seems to donate various camera and phone cables throughout Spain, luckily the hotel had a collection from like minded past guests. The rooms were very simple but bright white and clean with the window toward the water...perfect. A little exploring and found it had a roof top terrace...looks like a good place for wine and cheese tonight.

We got settled and walked down to the waterfront, then on to the pedestrian way that was to lead to the old part of town and restaurants. After all the time we've been here we still can figure out who's going to be open for dinner...some open late some close earlier, ??? Anyway, the ladies see a restaurant with a menu that looks good and the door is at least open, so we walk in. The young woman communicates that they are not open yet. We ask if she would mind if we sit at a sidewalk table until she opens. We get seated just to relax, and the next thing we know Elena (funny how aware we are of that name now) is showing us all kinds of hospitality and couldn't be more helpful. What a nice way for Lynn and Mike to spend their last night here.

On the way back to the hotel Ruth stumbled over an umbrella stand that had been thoughtlessly left in the middle of the sidewalk; left a pretty nasty bruise on her shin. We made it back to a relaxing time on the hotel roof terrace, enjoying the sounds and views of the waterfront. Need to get a good nights sleep, we need to get L&M to airport in good time in the morning...we thinks it's a 45 min. drive.

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