29-31 January 2010 was our pilgrimage to Cadaqués, Spain. We began by boarding our bus at the Barcelona Nord station adjacent to the Arc de Triumf and set off on our 2 hour ride towards France.
On arrival to the Roses stop, our excitement began to build up with sights of true Spain (where Barcelona’s cosmopolitan and modern lifestyle is more international). Our bus took the winding road over the mountains just outside the small fishing town and occasionally offered quick glimpses of the small home of Salvador Dali.
Our arrival was quick and chilly, and we quickly found our way to the el Rancho Hostel where we were staying. We then hit the streets for a walk around and the place which was, as Hannah would say,”precious.”
The next morning offered a cloudy and windy welcome to the town. With many reviews and suggestions for our stay, we had most of our day planned out, starting with the Casino. Magda, you were right, it was a great place to get breakfast!
After breakfast, we headed south and found our way to the church in the town’s center and high spot. The small building featured a magnificent alter and apse which we stared at while the organist serenaded us with some classic catholic tunes.
We headed out into some very welcome sunshine, which lit up the entire white town. (You may have noticed, but this entry will be more of a photoblog post…)
After the church, we found a nice little spot on the water to sketch. After a while, we took some profile-type pics and headed out to a small island which had a neat bridge to it.
Lunch time was spent in a little tourist trap on the beach in the center of Cadaques, enjoying some tapas, a bocadillo, y una cerveza de San Miguel.
Our walk the previous night took us to the northern part of the area and we follow our footsteps for a little bit until ending up in the newer and more expensive residential areas outside of the town.
We ran across a really nice house, assuming someone important lived in it (such as Juan Carlos). Next door was a little peninsula where the wind was irresistible.
Kite flying was a blast until the wind was too gusty for teaching (Hannah had never flown this kind of sport kite before). We then headed off to Port Lligat and Dali’s house. The place was closed for the season so we enjoyed the port and headed back to Cadaqués where we got some snacks at the local grocery and had dome drinks at a cafe.
The conversation was intense, with the topic of design, typography, and Hannah’s portfolio. We talked for some time then headed off to a little resturant which was reccomended to us.
The restaurant, Casa Anita, was one of the best meals I’ve had in a while (thanks Magda for the suggestion here). We had our dinner along with a bunch of wine and a few neat conversations with the owner. He would pull up a chair to your table and explain what was on the menu, instead of handing you one, then recommend what you would want depending on what you like.
The trip included a lot more then what I wrote above, including more of Judy’s cats. Apparently cats running all over is not a general occurrence in Barcelona but it is common in a few parts of Spain. In our short walk from Dali’s house to the center of the town, we saw tons of cats all over, and it was funny ever since our encounter with the Polish cat from the Monastery.
Our trip came to an end after a quick night’s sleep and an early morning 2 hour bus ride back home to Barcelona.
» See all pictures from Cadaqués
I enjoy your Barcelona photos and observations, Sean.
It looks as though you have interesting material for a book.
I’ll want to be the first person to buy your first publication.