Holiday in L'Escala, Spain - 24th September - 8th October

Day 7 - More exploring

No rain today, but we had strong wind instead! We decided to take a drive this morning around the opposite headland to see what was there and explore a little bit. 

There were a lot of villas and several campsites dotted about the wooded hills, and roads leading down to parking spaces from where you could walk, presumably, to the sea. We didn't get out of the car, but it was lovely to see the blue sky and sunshine.

Heading back the way we'd come, we called in at the marina, which was a lot bigger than we realised, with lots of yachts and boats moored up. We looked at the menu of a restaurant called La Clota, so this is another prospective eatery within walking distance. We could see the sea and it was very frothy from the wind, with white waves scudding towards the shore.

We decided to head into the town and scout out a parking space for tonight as we wanted to eat in this part of L'Escala for a change, but it would mean driving; it would be too far to walk back after a meal. We found an open-air car park that looked perfect (after Figueres, I didn't want to park in a multi-storey again!) and was right in the middle of the town. From here we drove to the outskirts of L'Escala, called into the tourist information centre (closed) and then popped into Lidl to get some lunch for Keith.

We headed back to the villa but the centre of "our" part of town was closed for some reason, so we had to find our way along the maze of back streets! Back at the villa we made lunch, enjoyed a glass of Rosé cava and sunbathed. It was still windy but very sunny, with little white, fluffy clouds floating past.

In the evening, we drove to the far end of the town and parked in the small car park. However, the instructions for paying were a bit complicated so we hung about until a family arrived, and I tentatively asked what we had to do. We had to put in our "matriculation" - our car registration number - and then choose how long we wanted to park for. Simples! Catalan Spanish is widely used here which can make things a little difficult!

Strolling down to the seafront, the streets were narrow with bars, shops and restaurants dotted about. It was a little like our beloved Pollensa! It was still very windy, and people were wrapped up against the evening chill. We came to the seafront and recognised this area from the YouTube video we'd seen.

Here, there were several bars and restaurants, and people milling about, meeting friends and looking for somewhere to eat. There was a lovely atmosphere. We walked into a bar and had a drink, enjoying a spot of people watching and gazing out at the beautiful views. The sky was like a Dali painting, not surprising as he regularly visited the coast further up.

We had booked a table at an Italian restaurant called Tagliatella, which was on the next bay but as it was so windy, we cut through the narrow streets and noticed another promising couple of restaurants.

We were a little early, but the staff welcomed us and showed us to a table upstairs with fantastic views over the sea. Little lights had just begun to twinkle and it was lovely and warm in the restaurant. We perused the menu and chose bread to start (stuffed with tomatoes, onion or olives) and Tortellini Fritti.

I loved the pendant lights in the restaurant.

Our main courses were cannelloni (Keith), ravioli (me) and rigatoni (Sophie). My dish of ravioli was enough to feed two, and I asked for it to be boxed up so I could take it back with me and have it tomorrow for lunch! As I was driving, I had one glass of red wine, Sophie enjoyed an Aperol Spritz, followed by a glass of wine, and Keith sipped on a couple of beers. We're finding the price of wine here very good value, usually about 3 euros for a 175ml glass. A lot better than at home!

We managed to find room for pudding - Tiramisu for Sophie, Limoneisu for me (lemony tiramisu) and a delicious chocolate concoction for Keith. The bill came to a very reasonable 93 euros, the lowest of the holiday so far!

It had been a lovely evening, and the food was great and certainly plentiful. The staff had been friendly, even joking with us about Keith's love of beer! We strolled back through the quiet streets, reclaimed the car and drove back to the villa. I poured us all a glass of wine from the plastic container, and we watched an American crime documentary until almost 11pm! A late night at last!

Holiday in L'Escala, Spain - 24th September - 8th October

Day 6 - Dali's museum

Overnight, we'd had more thunderstorms and torrential rain and some of the electric switches had tripped. It was quite eerie, and I was glad when it was morning!

It was pouring when we woke up, and we were glad we'd booked to go to the Dali Museum in his hometown of Figueres. We left at 10am, took some recycling and rubbish to the bins, and followed the Google map directions on my phone, retracing the route of when we arrived on Sunday. The rain had stopped and, in the distance, towards Figueres, it looked a bit brighter.

We entered the busy town and managed to park in a dimly lit and tightly spaced multi-storey car park near the museum, which was already attracting crowds of people. As we were a bit early for our timed 11am arrival, we had a lovely coffee and pastry at a café opposite which only cost Sophie 10 euros!

Just before 11am, we walked over the road to the museum. The outside is striking:

There were crowds of people waiting, and at 11am we were allowed in. The first hall was mad - a boat on top of a pillar of old tyres, and underneath a black car with models inside (one looked like an alien) with a huge sculpture of a woman standing in front of it.

All around the curved walls were golden figures in little alcoves. What does it all mean? Dali worked on the museum in the 1970s and designed everything about the building and all that's inside. He is buried in a crypt under the old stage.

We started the tour and there are about twenty rooms showing his art and sculptures. It was very, very busy with a lot of people looking at his artwork. 

One of my favourites

Portrait of Picasso

There are a lot of recurring images in Dali's work - the human form, Venus, the colour blue (he took holidays in Cadaques and bought a house in nearby Port Lligat) and of course, the melting clocks. I personally would not take young children to the museum. A range of black and white artwork was disturbing and almost pornographic in its images. Some of it was completely different to what you would consider a classic Dali painting but a lot of it was strange and surreal, and very dreamlike - he was a member of the Surrealist movement.

Keith didn't feel well, whether it was because it was quite warm inside the building or because there were crowds of people, so he sat in the first auditorium and waited for us. The building was on many levels, and it was interesting to look down and see people milling about below:

Sophie and I had a thoroughly good time and found it all very interesting, if not a little confusing. Just what was going through his mind? Many of the paintings featured his wife Gala, who he adored.

As I said, some of the artworks were disturbing and hard to understand:

Corncobs for a necklace and ants crawling over her face?

No idea what this was, but it was creepy!

After a while we were all Dali-ed out, so we retrieved Keith and made our way outside, first calling into the gift shop where I bought a picture (the one of the blue houses) and a little notebook. Sophie bought another postcard and attempted to buy a tile and a hanging decoration in another gift shop, but the saleswoman kept disappearing, so she gave up!

We decided to go in search of some lunch, and we found a delightful little restaurant nearby serving tapas. Keith ordered grilled chicken with a baked potato while Sophie and I had a Spanish omelette, sausage and patatas bravas. With bread, it was a bit heavy on the carbs but delicious and very filling!

Hams for sale

Lunch was lovely and it was great to sit, and people-watch. Keith felt a bit better, so we went for a stroll around the town, which is lively and bustling. We found a gorgeous little wine and spirits shop and couldn't resist buying some wine, cava and a bottle of La Chouffe for Keith. Sophie also found a new friend:

It had started to rain so we returned to the car and drove back, very easily, to L'Escala. The rest of the afternoon was spent relaxing, and we decided to eat in again as none of us was really that hungry, and it was pouring with rain! Sophie and I popped to the Spar and then it was time for Scrabble, a lovely bottle of white Rioja and a relaxed dinner. We even tried our red wine from the barrel after the meal and it was lovely and very drinkable!

Our evening's entertainment was the film, The Terminal, on Netflix starring Tom Hanks. Tomorrow we are booked for dinner at a restaurant in the town, so it'll be back to meals out!

Holiday in L'Escala, Spain - 24th September - 8th October

Day 5 - Ancient ruins

According to the weather forecast, today was supposed to have been cloudy but it's been gorgeous with clear blue skies and warm sunshine. We'd decided to drive through L'Escala and explore a bit, and then visit the ruins of Empuries, an ancient Greek city just outside the town.

I made scrambled eggs for breakfast, and we sat outside at the back of the villa for a change, where it's a lovely suntrap. 

This area has a barbecue and grill and more tables to eat at, as well as another little space for relaxing. We also have a large upper terrace with views over the town. We're spoilt for choice!

After stacking the dishwasher and showering, we set out for the Ruins of Empuries, a short drive away. We drove the way we walked yesterday and then headed inland through the town. L'Escala is a lot bigger than we first thought!

We followed signs for the ruins and parked in a shaded, woody area. It was 16 euros to go in and we were given a free audio guide. The city was established in the 1st century BC by the Greeks but was later taken over by the Romans. It was a large area with mostly crumbling walls and tanks for storing water and fish and was discovered in 1908.

The museum

The views over the Bay of Roses were stunning and there was another beach just below us. I think you can walk to this part of L'Escala from where we're staying, and we saw a lot of people strolling past.

The audio guides were good, but we preferred just looking at the ruins ourselves. It was hard to imagine this was once a major city.

The museum wasn't properly open, but we did see some ancient artefacts that had been discovered during the excavations. Some were quite startling...

Phallic items - not sure what!

Others, more conventional:

Thought to be Asclepios, the Greek God of Medicine

After wandering around for a good while, we headed back to the car, stopping at the small gift shop on the way so Sophie could buy a postcard. Our next stop was supposed to be Saint Marti d'Empuries, an old Roman village a little way up the coast. However, there were only two car parks, and the price to park was 31 cents a minute! We turned around and headed back to L'Escala, but I'm determined to get there one day!

Before returning to the villa, we called into Mercadona and bought some food for dinner, as we'd decided to stay in tonight. The forecast for this evening was thunderstorms and we didn't fancy getting caught out by a downpour again!

Back at the villa we put the shopping away, had some pâté and bread for lunch with a cold beer, and spent the rest of the afternoon sunbathing. It was lovely and warm in the sun and Sophie and Keith went in for a dip. I chickened out!

Towards the late afternoon, the sky clouded over, and we heard the first rumblings of thunder. The two men painting the villa opposite, carried on, despite the threat of an imminent downpour. Sophie and I played Scrabble and drank a bottle of cava that was a little sweet.

Dinner was a cooked chicken we'd bought, heated up in the oven with a pizza, and salad. We ate outside and watched a constant show of lightning, accompanied by booms of thunder, and heavy, heavy rain. We went inside after the meal and cleared up before watching Blonde, a film about Marilyn Monroe, on Netflix. We didn't see the end of it, we were too tired!

Holiday in L'Escala, Spain - 24th September - 8th October

Day 4 - Exploring

I woke up at 6.30am and couldn't get back to sleep, so I got up and decided it would be nice to see the sunrise. However, when I checked it wasn't until about 7.40am! I wandered around the house, looking out at the darkness and the shuttered villas nearby before settling down with the laptop and a cup of coffee.

We booked today to go to the Dali Museum in Figueres on Thursday, about half an hour away. The weather forecast for Thursday isn't looking good, so it'll be the perfect thing to do if it rains.

Keith looked a little bored today, so I suggested a walk later in the morning and a beer. There is a long promenade in L'Escala and we thought we would explore further along the seafront. Sophie had already researched restaurants and some of them were further up the coast.

We set off at about 11.30am and turned left at the seafront, walking past where we'd had a drink last night. Some places were closed but there were still lots of people about, and several sunbathers and swimmers on the beach. This part of the promenade reminded me strongly of Ca'n Pastilla in Palma where we'd stayed in December.

In the distance, we saw a little tourist train running along the front, which might come in useful as the promenade is very long! We carried on and the path wound very slightly upward past hotels and apartments. There weren't any restaurants here, but we could see another area ahead that looked busy.

There was lovely shade from the trees planted along the walk and gorgeous views over the sea. We saw two cormorants perched on the rocks, no doubt waiting for fish, and drying out their wings.

We walked as far as the next bay and found some lovely restaurants, and a particularly beautiful shop selling clothes, jewellery and homeware items. This would be too far for us to walk at night for dinner, but I was quite happy to drive here and just have one glass of wine.

We turned back and Sophie went into the lovely shop to buy some earrings and a tile for the kitchen. She had her eye on some beautiful dresses as well!

We were going to see if we could use the little train for the return journey, but we realised it was going the opposite way to where we wanted to go, so we abandoned that idea and took a slow walk back, stopping at a friendly bar on the way for a couple of beers and some tapas. It was heaven sitting in the sunshine, listening to all the different accents around us and smelling the different smells of garlic and tobacco wafting about.

Sophie and I enjoyed patatas bravas, and Padron peppers, while Keith had tomatoey bread with ham. The potatoes were served with spicy mayonnaise and were delicious!

We sat for a while enjoying our impromptu lunch, then wandered slowly back to the villa. It was warm and sunny, and it was great to get back and collapse on the sunbeds and doze by the pool.

In the evening, after showering and dressing, Sophie and I played cards at the outside table and sipped glasses of local white wine. We'd popped to the Spar on the way home and I'd bought Keith some different beers that he was enjoying. They were darker beers at about 7% so similar to his beloved McEwans Champion!

Marion, the owner, popped around and apologised for the continuing fridge noise. She turned the big fridge freezer off and turned on a smaller one for us to use in the utility room. The silence was bliss!

This evening we walked to the marina and had dinner at Navili. The views on the way were stunning:

Restaurant Navili was very quiet, and the head waiter met us with a look like we'd dropped out of a dog's bottom. He directed us to a table outside and handed us the menus. Sophie had already had a look at what was on offer, and she chose the prawn croquettes to start followed by cod. I went for the oxtail croquettes and the beef tenderloin while Keith chose little porky parcels followed by duck.

Sophie spoke Spanish to the waiter but there was a little confusion over what beer was called, and she felt like he'd made her look a fool, so she was not happy. However, as the meal went on, he became much more affable, and when the music was turned on, he started singing and dancing, grinning at Sophie and getting her to join in!

The food was very good indeed but again, I would have loved some vegetables to go with my beef and four chips! As Sophie and I were having different dishes we didn't share a bottle of wine but had a couple of glasses each, a fruity red for me, and a white for Sophie that we suspected was a Sauvignon Blanc. 

The desserts were equally good - a "Dali" egg for Sophie, cheesecake for Keith, and a chocolate fondant for me which definitely passed the Masterchef test. It was gorgeous!

Our waiter was in even higher spirits and kept repeating "cheesecake" over and over again... he offered us a liqueur of Limoncello which was lovely and when we left, he hugged and kissed Sophie!

We'd had a fantastic night, and although the restaurant was quiet at first, it certainly livened up!