To Spain
Trip Start
Mar 29, 2006
1
68
232
Trip End
Feb 28, 2007
Pineda de Mar,
Spain
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
We did it again. Got lost in our own back yard. Heading for Le Redorte we ended up in Pepioux and Olonzac. Six of one and half a dozen of the other is the appropriate term. Picked up fuel in Lezignan just before we entered the A61 auto route which would connect with the A9 all the way to Perpignan. Boring drive. Very flat. Lots of vines but at least I could look around me and relax. We skirted Perpignan taking note of the airport on our right where we might have to return the car.
We took the N14 off the autoroute to see if we could find the ocean at Argeles sur Mer but instead we continued on to Collioure which we had heard of or been told to go to. We drove down a winding road, turned right at an island and wound down to the harbour. It reminded us of a Cornish village and like same there was nowhere to park. The place was packed with people in spite of it being a Tuesday and the streets were laden with their cars. I followed a road that seemed to take us up and out of town again and eventually found a car park on the top of a hill near an army post of all things What a great place to be to do army training. Anyway, it was a long walk down to the town from there but we needed the exercise .
Narrow streets lined with souvenir shops, restaurants and bars. Very little not open. They opened up into a harbour and a beach...a gravel beach that did not put off the sun lovers. Across the harbour was a fortress which had been converted into a hotel. We sat ourselves down in a bar and had a milkshake and a pot of tea.
Collioure waterfront
That bar had five TV screens inside and out. There was no way you could miss the football. We strolled around, as we do, and then walked back up that bloody hill bumping in to an Irish lady on the way who chatted to Anne about home exchanges which she had done but was now living in Collioure and would live nowhere else, She reckoned it was wonderful. Well, I don't know...nice place for a visit. Too many people otherwise.
We drove out of Collioure up and around the coastal road and from then on it was up and around for many kilometres as we headed for the Spanish border. Stunning views. Our Australian coastal roads had nothing on this. An unexpected one was that of the railway terminal hidden behind Cerbere where we had lunch. From above it was quite spectacular. It was cut into the hills behind the town so that it was not seen from the coastal road except when one reached the heights inland. It was like flying over a great European rail junction.
It was much quieter there and we had lunch in an outdoor bar. I had an enormous flat roll with a sausage meat and cheeses inside. It was on the menu as a 'hamburger' It was about 20cm long and very rich. Too much. I couldn't eat it all. Anne had a huge bread brick with salad. Enough for a family of four I reckon. Accompanied with a beer and a cup of tea. We had to order the food across the road and carry it back to the bar with our drinks.
We passed through the deserted border post and dropped down into Spain.
Malgret de Mar, Spain
More winding roads, more spectacular views, more railway termini but no grapes. Cereal crops and lots of trees.We turned inland and joined the autoroute but it was tiring and I had to stop and close my eyes for twenty minutes at a layby. As we approached Barcelona we could see on the map that the coast ran parallel with the main road so we turned off and headed east towards the Costa Brava. Down narrow roads between four and five storey apartment buildings until we emerged on the seafront. No idea where we were. There was a four lane coastal road. Two lanes for traffic and two for parking. Hotels and restaurants on the one side and a railway line and the beach on the other. The shoreline extended right and left as far as we could see...as did the railway.
I parked the car on the main road...no fee!! We sat at down at a bar that had a British flag hanging outside. One of three Pommie bars at this spot. I watched some of the early game from Germany, Brazil v Ghana. France v Spain was on later that night. What a perfect spot to stop. The bar was not busy though. Maybe June is too early in the season.
I asked the barman to direct us to a good hotel. Stupid really. They were scattered all along the front. We tried the first one and took the room. They had parking at the rear which was a plus, air con and breakfast included. You had to go through three security doors to get to your room. I had discovered that we were in Pineda sur Mer, one of many very similar holiday towns for the non-Spanish scattered along this coast. I have no idea why unless it be just to see the sun for more that five consecutive days. Looking at a map it would appear that we had not even touched the most popular parts of this coast .
I left Anne in the room whilst I went to watch the end of the early game in the British bar. Three Spanish lads tried to put the squeeze on me for a drink after showing support for the gallant Australian team. Anne joined me and we had a meal there of fish and chips. We went for a walk along the beach reached by going down under a tunnel under the rail line. It was a gritty type of grey sand and was being mowed as we watched. We crossed over the railroad at the station and sauntered up the shopping street. It was 8 o'clock at night but it was still very light and very busy. We returned to our suite but I then went downstairs to watch the first half of the 9 o'clock match in the lobby. It was 1-1 when I left which France eventually won 3-1. That surprised me .
We had a restless night. Every time somebody walked along the corridor outside it echoed. There was a band in the hotel next door which went on till 1am and there were some strange explosions coming from the direction of the beach. Kids letting off crackers I was told.
