Costa Brava

  Roses, Catalonia, Spain
Tuesday, July 29, 2008

It has been really hot in Barcelona lately and you can tell that people are looking forward to their holidays. A lot of Spaniards still do the 3 or 4 week holiday in August but since we're still new to the life here, we're taking a few days as mini-breaks and then we'll save our bigger breaks for later in the year. But the best thing about living in Barcelona is the close proximity to the beach - especially the Costa Brava.

Boats in Cadaques harbour

On July 25 we picked up our rental car and headed North up the coast towards the French boarder. We had booked a hotel in Roses with the idea of exploring the towns and sights in the surrounding area. So we made it to Roses by 1:30 and checked in to our hotel. After lunch we drove the winding road to Cadaques, a beautiful and quaint fishing village. The road is a bit dangerous (we witnessed two accidents on the commute there and back) but the result is worth the effort. Cadaques is just everything I imagined, white houses, narrow streets and lovely seafood. We explored for a few hours before heading back to the bustling streets of Roses and battling for a parking space. That evening we ate at a little Australian themed beach restaurant.

Dali Museum in Figueres

The next morning we found a little cove just outside Roses with a nice beach and not too many people. We lounged by the sea and even went swimming. By 2:00 p.m. we were hot and in need of food so we packed up and headed to Figeres. This town is home to the famous Salvador Dali museum. At first we wondered how we would find it without the street address or a map. But then we saw a big red building with massive eggs on top and figured we were in the right place. The museum was great for an afternoon excursion because it was a way to beat the heat and was full of the most interesting, strange and wonderful art. Some of the art is shocking, some is weird and some is beautiful. Very cool museum indeed. We headed back to Roses after an afternoon shower cooled things down. Later in the evening we pigged out on paella and sangria and had crema catalan for dessert. Yummmmmmmmmm!

Andy in Empuries

On Sunday we hit the beach again but this time it was packed. We arrived early which was a good thing as the area was packed by 11:00. In the afternoon we went for a drive to a little village called Castelló d'Empuries. The village was so quiet, we assumed everyone in it must have been having a siesta. We wandered the street of the sleepy town and finally came across a pub with a bit of action. After a couple of claras (beer and lemon soda), we walked some more and found some historic buildings and a park with shade.

Sunset in Roses

Once back in Roses, we had our own siesta then took a long walk along the beach boardwalk. We worked up an appetite and had a pretty huge feast at an Argentinian restaurant. Oh the memories of Buenos Aires... There was a party at the beach with a DJ and decent music so we wandered over to check it out after our meal. On Monday morning we got an early start back to Barcelona. But unfortunately it wasn't in the cards. I forgot my passport at the hotel so we had to turn around after 45 minutes on the road! Oops. Traffic getting back into Barcelona was crazy. We waited for ages at a toll booth and then crawled through traffic jams the closer we got to the centre. And this was at 11:00 a.m. But regardless, we got the car rental back on time and took the metro home. We spent the afternoon at the local beach to get the last bit of sun and sand from our mini-break! It was a lovely and relaxing getaway and so close to Barcelona. There are many more places along Costa Brava to explore so we'll be sure to do this again soon.