Our final day...and here we are at the Best Western Alfa Hotel by the airport. Rental car is safely returned and the shuttle is booked for 6:00am tomorrow morning. That will be an assault on our senses as we have quite adapted to Spanish time and rising at 8 or so in the morning.
Our last day was rather surreal...we followed a bit of Salvador Dali's life. A trip out to Cadaques, the easternmost town in Spain and Dali's haunt at least for the summers. The usual search for a parking place and a quick walk to the seashore where his famous Miratim restaurant was the scene of gatherings for his artist friends. Rain fell intermittently and made our quick walk a little quicker.
Back towards Figueres where the famous Salvador Dali Museum was our goal. On the twisty roads we watched oodles of cars heading for Cadaques and its lack of parking...no idea what it would be like there. Then in Figueres we spent lots of time searching out that one little 12 ft spot we could fit the Skoda into. Traffic was awful...and we circled round and round. Then finally a spot! we headed for the lineup to buy the tickets for entry...so many other Dali seekers. Apparently it is a 3 day weekend here...didn't know and didn't factor that into our plans. We viewed the most unusual museum among hordes of others...seemed rather unDaliesque. Hard to appreciate the surreal when one is living it.
On the way back to the car we passed the parking garage near the museum...never a sign anywhere for that.
Now...safe in the Best Western, a glass of Cava consumed and the suitcases reorganized...home is hard to imagine after almost 5 weeks away. But it does feel rather good to think of being there.
Hasta luego...Espagne
Saturday, May 1, 2010
France into Spain
A Medieval city before breakfast. ..now that is the way to start your day! The city of Carcassonne is at its best then before it gets inundated with tourists-only the delivery vans are racing in and out. From what we could see, the castle inhabitants had their choice of eating, drinking, sleeping or shopping. No armour makers or crossbow fixers anywhere. The one bit of history was a movie shown in the castle (tour of castle 8.50 euros) and the movie machine was broken. So, it seems all we know is that this old city was restored in the 1800's by a guy just nutty for medieval stuff and may not be entirely to the original plan. But the restoration is now old enough to be designated a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is interesting and beautiful...but very commercialized- at least after 9:30 am when we had retired to our Hotel du Chateau across the road for breakfast.
Time to travel through the centuries...at least to 1960 as we headed east for Narbonne and area where Jurg had spent some of his early 20's on a work placement with a French Vintner. The vintner had been interned in Switzerland during the war and was so grateful for the way he was treated that he just had Jurg chauffer his family around and have fun. Jurg had great memories of cafe's on the streets of Narbonne and days spent at the beach at St Pierre Sur La Mer.
With the help of Edeltroute, our new name for the GPS, we found both places. The cafe area in Narbonne is still shaded by wonderful trees alongside the canal, but the isolated beach is now totally surrounded by development. The old outhouse with the heartshaped cutout that you held close with two fingers to signify "occupe" is long gone! The road out to the beach is through wine country and seems much the same as the days 50 years ago...but the rest has vanished with our dark hair.
We took advantage of the new infrastructure to have moules and frites with deux bieres and moved on to Perpignon and down the little coastal road.
Magnificent views as we crossed the end of the Pyrenees as they tumble into the sea in a maze of cliffs and rocks. And then...back in Spain...the old customs house turned into a bar. The marker raised by Franco to commemorate his taking of all of Spain is covered in grafitti...
We find a small hotel in Llanca...seems unchanged since the 1970's...a fitting end to our day of timetravel. Tapas and drinks as we watch night fall over the Mediterranean Sea.
Time to travel through the centuries...at least to 1960 as we headed east for Narbonne and area where Jurg had spent some of his early 20's on a work placement with a French Vintner. The vintner had been interned in Switzerland during the war and was so grateful for the way he was treated that he just had Jurg chauffer his family around and have fun. Jurg had great memories of cafe's on the streets of Narbonne and days spent at the beach at St Pierre Sur La Mer.
With the help of Edeltroute, our new name for the GPS, we found both places. The cafe area in Narbonne is still shaded by wonderful trees alongside the canal, but the isolated beach is now totally surrounded by development. The old outhouse with the heartshaped cutout that you held close with two fingers to signify "occupe" is long gone! The road out to the beach is through wine country and seems much the same as the days 50 years ago...but the rest has vanished with our dark hair.
We took advantage of the new infrastructure to have moules and frites with deux bieres and moved on to Perpignon and down the little coastal road.
Magnificent views as we crossed the end of the Pyrenees as they tumble into the sea in a maze of cliffs and rocks. And then...back in Spain...the old customs house turned into a bar. The marker raised by Franco to commemorate his taking of all of Spain is covered in grafitti...
We find a small hotel in Llanca...seems unchanged since the 1970's...a fitting end to our day of timetravel. Tapas and drinks as we watch night fall over the Mediterranean Sea.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)