Indecision!

Monday 26th May 2014

We just about managed to have our breakfast on the beach before the heavens opened and we made a hasty retreat back into the cosiness of Bluebelle. It's a shame we have the rain today as our drive is along some more beautiful coastline…very wiggly and up and down….but gorgeous all the same.

Our saving grace was another beach bar that had a roaring fire…..we sat here for a very long time with our thimbles of coffee drying off…we got drenched just walking into the bar….it was very hard to drag ourselves away.

[caption id="attachment_1018" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Lovely roaring fire to cosy ourselves by![/caption]

Sant Pol de Mar is a pretty little town on the coast. Simon had wanted to take me to a little restaurant on the beach that he had gone to many years ago with his friend Alfonso. We actually found the restaurant quite easily in the end, but we just could not get Bluebelle under the railway line to be able to camp there…it would have been perfect…Oh…and the restaurant was closed anyway!

We decided that as it was getting on we should have some lunch…which we did in a supermarket carpark!!!. The sun came out and we drove into the town, parked up and had a wander through the streets…we even managed to grab 5 minutes of sunbathing on the beach before the sun disappeared and the rain came down yet again ….

[caption id="attachment_1019" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Sant Pol de Mar[/caption]



 

Since we have been in Spain we've found it increasingly difficult to wild camp for the night. There are many more signs saying that camping cars are prohibited than we saw in France . We had found 3 different places and spent a good hour or so driving between them trying to decide which would be the better one fro the night. Eventually, after tea in another car park, we settled on the beach…the idyllic place…or so we thought!

The beautiful Costa Brava!

Sunday 25th May 2014

having parked in Portlligat yesterday, we decided, especially as we were out head banging to an ACDC tribute band into the early hours, to stay put for the night. Several other vans were in the car park too, including a lovely French couple, Rene and Beatrice, who we parked up next to. We continue to find it amazing that one can have a conversation with people…both speaking different languages, yet still understanding each other. So, in this very bizarre way we were able to find out that they lived not far from the Canal du Midi and had also cycled it many years ago…they also told us that they were heading to Portugal for the summer…maybe our paths will cross again!

[caption id="attachment_950" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Billy, Rene and Beatrice[/caption]

We took the coast road from Cadeques…as much as possible. The views are absolutely amazing….as we wiggled along, up hill and down dale, one hairpin bend after another, we caught glimpses of little hidden beaches, azure sea and golden sand. We chose Fornells to go and have a closer look at…it was delightful, with a small harbour at the bottom of a steep hill…it reminded me a lot of Clovelly, North devon. From the harbour we could see another little beach…with a bar…so, yes, you've got it, we decided to go over for a closer look… It was quite  hike….up many steps, down even more, through little tunnels, eventually descending onto the beach at Aguia Blava

[caption id="attachment_956" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Aigua Blava[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_954" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Fornells, Girona[/caption]

 





 







[caption id="attachment_959" align="aligncenter" width="427"] Fornells[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_960" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Further on our travels today we stopped here at...Calella de Palafrugell[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_961" align="aligncenter" width="640"] …for a cup of tea at this beach bar…..[/caption]

What we loved about this was seeing so many families and friends out enjoying a long lunch together. Everyone totally relaxed and obviously enjoying each others company. It seems to us that family life and spending time together is incredibly important …a lesson to be learned I think.

 





Unfortunately, all this loveliness had to end and soon we found ourselves on the Costa Brava strip…not our scene at all. We drove through deciding to try and find a place for the evening…which we did…right on the beach at Platja d'Aro.



[caption id="attachment_1016" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Platja d'Aro[/caption]

Finding Dali

Saturday 24th May 2104

We awoke this morning to beautiful sunshine…blue skies, turquoise sea and just a slight breeze….absolutely beautiful! It's just the sort of weather to see this stunning area in.

We took breakfast and coffee outside, found ourselves a cosy nook out of the breeze, basked in the sun and just absorbed the awesome views. The sunlight twinkled on the water, boats of all kinds came out to play and we enjoyed the peace and tranquility of it all...

[caption id="attachment_966" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Kitchen/diner/lounge of our apartment[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_968" align="aligncenter" width="427"] Woodburning stove….unfortunately, you can't see the stunning view out of the window, but I will show you![/caption]

 

 

[caption id="attachment_978" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Breakfast with a view...[/caption]





 



[caption id="attachment_973" align="aligncenter" width="640"] More seating with a view[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_970" align="aligncenter" width="640"] The view from our bedroom window[/caption]



[caption id="attachment_984" align="aligncenter" width="640"] The view from our lounge window[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_985" align="aligncenter" width="640"] The hotel[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_982" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Looks like something out of a Western movie!![/caption]

 



[caption id="attachment_987" align="aligncenter" width="640"] The lighthouse…the hotel is to the right of this…out of sight![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_989" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Just absorbing the stunning views[/caption]



[caption id="attachment_983" align="aligncenter" width="640"] This place is absolutely gorgeous….come if you can![/caption]

After a lazy morning drinking in the views, sun and tranquility, we wiggled our way back towards Cadeques…. we found a carpark next to the beach at Port lligat, parked up and walked over the hill into town. On our way, however we walked into Cala Dali…this is where the artist resided for some time. His house is easily recognisable as it has a couple of giant eggs and two heads on top of it!!!

[caption id="attachment_1000" align="aligncenter" width="640"] See the heads on Dali's house?[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_998" align="aligncenter" width="427"] For some reason this tree is growing out of a boat…must have been something to do with dali as it was right outside his house![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_996" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Cala Dali[/caption]





[caption id="attachment_992" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Port Lligat[/caption]









[caption id="attachment_999" align="aligncenter" width="640"] The present Portlligat House-museum was Salvador Dalí’s only fixed abode from 1930, the place in which he normally lived and worked up till 1982 when, upon Gala’s death, he took up residence at Púbol Castle.[/caption]





[caption id="attachment_1003" align="aligncenter" width="428"] We saw this amazing bug…looks like a miniature humming bird…What a fab photo by BT[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1005" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Cadeques …as seen from a little bar where we had some lunch[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1006" align="aligncenter" width="427"] This gentleman was sitting in the shade of a tree painting a view across Cadeques harbour[/caption]





[caption id="attachment_1009" align="aligncenter" width="640"] This shop had the most amazing painted pottery…a heaven for Billy…so much colour..yummy![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1010" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Casa Serinyana (Sa Casa Blaua): The blue house located at the seafront, Riba des Poal. Modernist house dating back to 20th century, by Salvador Sellés I Baró.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1011" align="aligncenter" width="640"] After a wander around Cadeques it was back to Portlligat for some deck chair time on the beach[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1012" align="aligncenter" width="640"] We found out that there was to be a live band on in the town square at Cadeques that evening …so being fans of ACDC (kidding) we decided to go….by the time we got back to Bluebelle, all the other vans were all fast asleep…what hip young things we are!!!![/caption]

As you can see, it has been a relaxing day, but filled with many more happy memories.