Blogs from Roses, Catalonia, Spain, Europe - page 2

Today we leave the Pyrenees regional without seeing them due to rain. We have been told we will need to come back in winter as this is when you get the back view of the Pyrenees (I see another trip being planned). We headed back to the Gulf of Lion for a picnic lunch overlooking Port-la-Novella (man it is windy here) before we set off to cross the France / Spain border at Le Perthus. At least this time you know you are crossing the border as there are border patrol building but you do not have to stop. Tonight we are booked into a lovely hotel on the beach at Roses. Yes, Rose has a place name after her in Spain so of course we had to stay here. Roses is a lovely town approx. ... read more

Friday March 18, 2016 The rains blew themselves our last evening and the Sun has returned over the Mediterranean. This coastal town of 19,000 became surprisingly animated and alive for Friday morning Shopping expeditions and luncheons by the sea. Larry and I got some health care maintaince issues dealt with this morning. He had a massage/orthopedic adjustment that he said was one of the best he's ever had. And I got my newish eyeglasses adjusted at an optical shop. Larry's adjustment was 40 Euro and mine was no change. And we did it all without speaking a word of French, Spanish or Catalan. LC uses a Google translate program to communicate in written form. They just seemed to know what we needed. Every encouraging. Language has not been a barrier thought many people say they don't ... read more

We moved from Sitges 40 miles southwest of Barcelona to Roses 60 miles Northwest of Barcelona today, a two hour car ride. The rains are soft and pretty warm, but cover about the top third of Spain from the Atlantic Coast in Galicia across to the Mediterranean Sea in Catalonia. We are here in the land of Salvador Dali; he lived and painted in his home in Port Lligat, just down the road. Roses is a beach resort and it is off season so it's pretty quiet, but still quite lovely. It's on a semicircular bay with many charming small hotels and shops. We had lunch in town (white vino, water, Grilled Chicken, potatoes, salad, and coffeleche (coffee with milk) and walked in the rain until our jackets were pretty soaked. The sun's still hiding so ... read more

A scooter day was planned so out of the Tandy garage for Kisbee, on with our helmets and off we went. Had forgotten how nice it is to be able to dress straightaway when you get up, in shorts and suntop without having to check the weather first. Great way to add to the suntan as well when travelling along on the back of Kisbee. Bob, in front, protects me from any chill factor and flying insects. Thanks Bob. We were heading for a monastery, Sant Pere de Rodes, which is way up the rocky peninsula above Roses. We went through Empuries di Castello and a couple of other small towns then climbed up, and up a small mountain winding round until we reached the monastery at the top. We passed a number of serious cyclists ... read more

Our last blog entry was written prior to our exciting day at Tarragona, exploring the Roman ruins, around which the modern day city has been wrapped. The street art was exquisitely rendered and a colorful contrast to the ruins. We were visiting on a Sunday that was a celebration for children and they were adorably dressed for the day. The Cathedral is being renovated, but is currently the center of the devotions. As we entered the area adjacent to the Cathedral, we entered a world of street vendors, families walking, with at times 3 generations enjoying the day together. Our campsite was at the top of a very large and busy series of sites and each time walked to leave our site and return, became a challenging hike. Wednesday June 15th finds us camping in ... read more