Four days in Tarragona

I'm in a cafe finishing my breakfast of cafe con leche and a croissant. In a few hours I will put on my backpack and walk to the bus station and ride the noon bus to Barcelona. I've had a quiet, restful four days in this sea-side little city.

The first thing I did when I got here was nap. The night train was comfortable and relaxing but soooo hot that I tossed and turned alot. I've been staying in a little hotel room with my own bathroom (such a luxury). It has been such a well-timed treat because it allowed me to sink-wash my clothes (I still only have my tiny camino allotment) and nap whenever I felt like it. And I felt like it a lot! I think I've been a bit sick with sinusitis but for me, with chronic sinus/cough afflictions...how would I know?  Anyway, I napped a lot over four days.

I have found the weather to be quite cold. The sun in the sheltered areas is blissful. But it is windy often and this hard-core Canadian who walks to work until the thermometer drops below -40, was wimpering and shivering. Another clue that I wasn't in peak health. I've si

nce used the colder weather as an excuse to buy a new angora sweater and I've found that wearing my North Face rain jacket (thanks Cathy) blocks the wind and I am much warmer.

Tarragona has a visible history of its Roman origins and medieval times. Roman ruins (amphitheatre, forum, town wall...) are scattered like weeds in sidewalk cracks. The broad steps up to the cathedral were the site of a fierce and bloody battle with Napoleon's troops. The cathedral has wallhangings and art pieces that are unprotected from thoughtless tourists! Tarragona seems like such an innocent place.

And the Mediterranean is right there! In a blue that cannot be described!

Tarragona has been a great place to rest up and regroup before the last week in Barcelona and Paris.

...and then I cried (episode #2)

Travelling can be hard work. Yin/yang. Here's what I'm up to.... I left Cordoba several days ago. I was undecided about when to leave but the decision was made for me when I tried to book one more night at my lovely hostel in Cordoba and they were booked for the weekend! So I had to move on last Saturday. I walked to the bus station and bought a ticket for the 11:00 bus to Granada only to discover I had walked into the adjacent train station and bought a train ticket for 3x the price (although still reasonable). So I arrived in Granada on Saturday afternoon and discovered that Granada is in the Sierra Nevada mountains and it is quite hilly and much colder. Snow is visible on the surrounding mountaintops! I was trying to chase the summer weather. Granada is a very cool city with a huge Moroccan vibe. I've never seen so many dreadlocks, nose and lip piercing, and walked through clouds of marijuana smoke. Funky souq-like shops selling Turkish slippers, lamps, pants, pillow covers, incense, teas and spices etc line narrow crooked lanes. The mornings and evenings are very cold (single digit). I went to the Alhambra today. It is the Moorish palace and fort complex that is famous for its beauty. Normally tickets must be prepurchased online to gain access but because it is so off-season I just went to the wicket and  was sorted within minutes. The good part was that the mobs that usually swarm over the place were mere pesky tour groups but the down side was that the incredible gardens were being put to bed. I had the advantage, though, of seeing autumn leaves in many colours on the trees and on the ground. Yin/yang. After spending many hours, almost 6, at thr Alhambra, I wandered through some stores. When I went into Zara:home, I was overwhelmed by the warm atmosphere, cozy jazz music, and festive table settings. I was sooo homesick!!!! I'm tired of travelling. I want a  bubble bath. I want my slippers. And my pillow. And familiar food. I want to get ready for Christmas. I miss my family and friends. I sat down and cried in the store. Inconspicuously. When I got back to my hostel, the lovely dreadlocked and pierced friendly helpful girl at the desk helped me to plan and arrange the next part of my trip. Tomorrow evening I will take the night train to Tarragona and sleep in a berth and be there Wednesday morning. I know nothing about this place except that Anna is from there, the pop.

is 2000,000 and it is on the Med. Coast about 1 hour before Barcelona. She booked me into a well-located inexpensive hotel (not hostel!!!) and tells me it will be warmer than Granada. So on to the next adventure!!!

Fickle me...I♡Cordoba

Yesterday I walked to the bus station in Sevilla, bought a ticket for €11.88, rode for just over 2 hours and got off in Cordoba. I walked to the historic old section and found a lovely hostel. I am in a cozy room for two but by myself and am paying €20 per night. There are very few guests right now so I seem to have all the bathrooms to myself. Breakfast is included in that price (multiple by 1.5 to get $). Cordoba is a city of 300,000 people on the same river as Sevilla. It is famous for its enormous mosque, started in 785, after the Moors took over much of this region. Several additions were built over many years until the mosque was big enough to hold15,773 worshippers! After  Cordoba was reconquered by the Christians in 1236, the mosque was not smashed and buried under a new Christian church. Instead, having watched some episodes of "Little Mosque on the Prairies", a Christian church was built inside the mosque and two architectural wonders were merged.

Christian part

My trip is coming to an end soon. Ladies, do you realize that I have lived for two months with one pair of trousers and one skirt and four tshirts? I have no shampoo nor skin care products, just bath gel and moisture cream. Today I bought a new scarf and green tights.! My next stops are Granada, Barcelona, and Paris. 

Observations

1) Portugal has more English speakers than Spain. In Portugal, English/American TV shows and movies are played in English and subtitled in Portuguese, so people grow up hearing English. This has made a huge difference in the population's ability to communicate in English. 2) People in Portugal seem to be innocently romantic. There is visible hand-holding and kissing, with none of it feeling tawdry.3)The weather in Sevilla is wonderful. 4) The Royal Palace Gardens are mesmerizing. Once you sit down on a bench and inhale the jasmine-scented air, you won't more for a long time. 5) Both Portugal and Spain have a visible friendly police presence. 6) Siesta is a pain. 7) Meals are waaaay too late. 8) European men know how to wear a scarf. 9) Portugal has better food but Spain has better coffee. 10) Can't think of more. I've loved Sevilla. I'm going to Cordoba tomorrow.

Oh Sevilla, you seducer!

What a beautiful city! No wonder the Spaniards I met on the Camino recommended it....

Low moon over Lisbon

I took the train from Porto to Lisbon last Tuesday (today is Saturday) and as I was cluelessly getting off the train, I spied three young guys with backpacks. I asked if they were going to a hostel (I had no idea where to go nor how to get anywhere) and they said that they were booked into the top rated hostel in Lisbon and I could come with them. So we piled into a cab and were quickly at the reception desk of "Home" hostel. I signed in too. It looked very nice. ......It's a party hostel. A lovely bunch of 20-somethings goes out on pub crawls starting at 11 pm and then returns to the rooms for wardrobe changes and finally falls into bed between  3 and 5 a.m. I, on the other hand, am still on camino routine (and it's really what I do anyway) and like to go to bed well before midnight and read. So it's been many days since I've had a proper sleep. Lisbon is very nice. It suffered a 9.2 nine minute earthquake in 1755 and most buildings collapsed. It happened on All Saints Day so many candles had been lit and caused raging fires. Not enough yet, a tsunami swept over the city. So a lot of the city is "new". I learned a lot about their sea-faring, conquests, wealth from Brazilian gold... I tried their custard tarts (groan) and Sagres beer. I went to Sintra, the summer palace of the Royals. And then I took the night bus to Sevilla. As the bus drove out of Lisbon over a very long bridge over the wide Tejo River, a crescent moon hang low in the sky. By early morning I had arrived in Sevilla. In Lisbon, I seethed over short sleeps with many interruptions. On the bus I rejoiced in patches of sleep with some interruptions. Both situations probably netted me the same amount of sleep but when I expected something that I didn't get, I was pretty cranky. When I got the same thing but expected less, I was quite pleased. How many times do I have to remind myself that having no expectations leads to no disappointment? Anyway, getting off the bus in Sevilla at 5:30, two other backpackers were heading to a hostel so I tagged along and we walked the streets in the early light. One of the backpackers I'd walked a short way with on the camino. So now I'm signed into the hostel, have done a walking tour, have showered and done hand-laundry, and caught up in my journal. I plan to go to bed soon and read because I am pretty sure that this is a party hostel too! So tomorrow I will hunt down a little hotel and splurge.

P.S. the cutest hostel ever!

shower room sign

across the street from a great show

shag!!!! carpet!

200 DVDs and friends to hang out with

Who could resist this front door?

Porto

As you know, I left Santiago last Wednesday and took the bus to Porto, taking about 4 hrs and costing about €30. As I got on the bus, I started chatting with another pilgrim and when we left the bus we searched together for a hostel. We wound up in a wonderful place called the Rivoli Cinema Hostel for €13 per night and that included breakfast. It's clean, well-located, and cinema themed. The Aussie pilgrim, named Kerryn, and I had matching energy, enthusiasm, and interests. Our first day here we walked along the river to the ocean and back for a day of walking in the sun. The 24km wander felt great after camino withdrawal and having someone to "debrief" with was a huge asset. Kerryn had to leave on Saturday but spending a few days with her was a great transition. Porto is thought by many people to rival Prague as the most beautiful city in Europe. Why had I never heard of it? Porto, sometimes called Oporto, is in northern Portugal on the Douro River where it flows into the Atlantic. Its population is 270,000 and one of its districts is a World Heritage zone. It is famous for the port wines it invented, makes and exports. The Douro valley is terraced with vineyards. I've had a great time wandering, taking photos, and on rainy Saturday, I went shopping for inexpensive and light (backpack, remember?) fashion accessories and then went to the theatre which is right across the street. It couldn't have worked out better because the show was a musical review of shows produced by a famous Portugese producer. Heaps of sequins, Las Vegas ostrich fans, lusty singing and jazz dancing and familiar musicals in Portugese!!! Jesus Cristo Supair Staar and a string of portugese!! Man, I loved it! "How do you solve a problem like maria" in another language. Great stuff. So tomorrow I'll take a train to Lisbon. The temperature here has been 18 - 22 but some rainy days. I love the people of Porto; humans don't get any nicer. But I'm on the hunt for the sun.....

port barrels

bottle of port from 1900 selling for €1600

Majestic Cafe where Harry Potter was written???

university students busking and they were great! 

British influence at a beach

surfing