The Cost Brava

Wednesday 31 July

The Cost Brava

We made the most of the journey home.  Had the car all packed and apartment ready to leave by 9.30am and left for one last swim at the beach.  

Being so early we had the choice of most of the beach, there were still a contingent of topless middle aged ladies spread out on the 'recliners' who claimed their spot before us.  How do they do it? I'd have to have something pretty strong for breakfast before I could bare all, well almost all. In a way I admire their boldness, they don't have a problem, it's me that has the problem!   Mmmm wonder what the sun feels like on.......  

So the children had one last swim, made one last sandcastle and made one little friend who insisted on breaking down the walls of the castle. While observing all this, a young guy came down to the waters edge followed by at least a dozen kids aged between 4 and 12.  Interesting?  I think he was giving them swimming lessons, but they were all over the place, he put on his speedo hat over his enormous 'Rasty' hair and proceeded to take them into slightly deeper water.  Of course I had my trusty camera ready and took a shot and then noticed he was pointing at me, and in perfect sign language made it quite clear that no photos allowed.  At first I thought he was a bit paranoid about 'health and safety' laws.  But after some consideration I reckon he was conscious of kids photos on the web for paedophiliacs, and quite rightly, so I put my camera away.

After a couple of hours we had to pack up and walk back to our apartment and head for the next stop. As soon as we left there was almost a stampede for our spot!

We were heading for Pals, it only took about an hour on the motorway and when we turned off heading for the village it was a market day so plenty of people and few parks.  We could see these medieval buildings rising ahead of us on the hill dominated by the church Esglesia de Sant Pere, it

 

truly towers over the small picturesque town. Research on the web tells us that the Esglesia de Sant Pere originates from the year 944. The church has been changed so many times in the course of time that it is now an amalgam of roman, gothic and baroque styles. We walked our way up and once in front of the church we also saw the former bell tower "Torre des hores" (tower of the hours) which rises into the sky as the only remnant of a castle from the 11 and 12 century.  

The village is so compact, narrow hilly roads and steps up to a variety of charming shops selling art work, leather goods, etc.  

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The initial street led up to the village square where there was a restaurant with tables, sun umbrellas and chairs, decidedly full .  Also the information centre - where they had a cellar cut into the rock keeping the wine cool.  We were getting a bit hungry at this stage, but we convinced the children to keep climbing and came across another restaurant lining the side of the road with the most wonderful outlook. So after a bit of shuffling tables and chairs and a few umbrellas, we all managed to be seated and in some shade - and with a view to die for.  

We were watched over by what looked to me to be the owner (or wife of the owner). She came back with water and then stood back while we re-arranged the furniture, then gave us the menus, we ordered drinks and she took out her pad, but we weren't ready yet.  Eventually we were ready and when James ordered steak and chips he asked for it medium rare, she looked blankly at him, so he tried to mime it, not easy, so he said 'medium', and she went  off with a chuckle muttering "medium"!  So we were looking forward to seeing what he was going to be served.  All good in the end, it was more of an escalope than a steak, quite large, but thin so I guess it comes as it is.  We all enjoyed our meals, even me who, not feeling that hungry, ordered an asparagus and mushroom omelette and it came looking rather like green scrambles eggs.  During our meal a stooped old man and his little dog shuffled by and sat in the shade behind us, she obviously knew him and gave him some bread and a pitcher of wine (sounds religious doesn't it) and he didn't seem at all grateful, not sure what that was about. 

We wandered back down the hill, back to the hot car and headed further south to Sa Tuna. Yet another picturesque little town built up on the hillside with pretty white houses overlooking a pebble beach and tall sea wall.  

We were able to get into a car park on the road down to the beach with a very busy parking warden on a scooter picking up the money for parking and dishing out parking fines, we saw him several times buzzing around the village.  So we picked up our towels and swim gear and ambled down to the beach.

 

 I had had enough sun by now so was eyeing a small space just big enough for my towel in the shade of the wall.  I smiled sweetly at the older couple already there and she smiled back, so I was in.  David and I squeezed ourselves in and the others rushed off down to the sea which did look glorious.

 

 They had a lovely swim and came back with stories of silver fish swimming around. The people next to us soon moved so we had enough room for everyone.  It was a lovely way to finish our Costa Brava experience, we piled back in the car and about 3 hours later were munching on McDonald's for dinner.

We stopped on the way back to stretch our legs, oh yes, and take a picture of Carcassonne, I am already looking forward to a day trip there!