Up early Saturday morning. So back to bed. Got up at 10am.
TaiChi.
Then off to the
– market, for breakfast
– ampitheatre, for the view
– harbour, for lunch
Waylaid. On the way to the market!
First place was a shop selling lavender oil and munchies! Resupplied my stores 🙂
Second place had a Jordi. All the way from Panama. As was his wife. They have opened a cafe.
Good chat.
Their son is in Sheridan College, Oakville, Ontario, Canada! The college is a premier spot for game designers and developers.
Back to the hotel, dump my purchases, and head to the market again.
Thought I saw a biker in Repsol colours. Turned out to be a young lady from the Star Wars convention. Yes. The Force is in town.
Made it to the market.
Nice market. Fruit, veg and meats. All from raw, to served with vino tinto.
Changed my lunch plans. Bought a chana&greens salad. Bought some fruit too.
Including pomegrante in a box. My son taught me that one! Open up the fruit, carefully take out all the seeds/fruit and let fall into a bowl. Eat the fruit with a spoon, out of the bowl! Easy and fast. Beats using a needle to pick out each seed, as mother taught us!!!!
Back again to the hotel, to drop off the fruit.
Stopped by the cafe, to tell Jordi that England are playing Panama in the World Cup Finals, group stage.
Neighbours Costa Rica played England in 2014 group stage. So I’ll be rooting for Panama in 2018.
Then wandered over to the ‘balcony’. This is a city view over the Mediterranean, at the end of the main boulevard.
Stopped in the park, surrounding the amphitheatre.
Shared a park bench with a gentleman who worked at Valencia university. Small world.
I had some of my lunch……
……which proved to be tastier than it looked, due to the garlic 🙂
Had picked up some kabanosi enroute. Ate those as I walked along. These were great munchies!
The amphitheatre was small. They have re-enactments in the summer.
There is still an inscription to emperor Elagabalus, who was the first to introduce women into the senate.
His grandmother had him assassinated, when he was just 18. She helped put him on the throne when he was 14. And this grandmother had the emperor’s mother, her own daughter, assassinated too. And somehow ladies have coined the term, “the weaker sex”.
With that cheery thought, I headed out.
I’d purchased a ticket that gave me access to four Roman sites. So headed back up the hill and to the next site. A chariot race-track. Preserved because of rubbish 🙂 I kid you not. During the Middle Ages, this place was a convenient place to throw away one’s garbage.
The Romans were keen on chariot races. Much like footie today 🙂
Walked over to the cathedral.
Awesome. Simple, but HUGE interior. Lots of chapels, but they don’t intrude on the space. Nice. As if it is still in use.
Did not have time for the Roman wall. Some of which I saw yesterday. But walked over to the Tourist Information office to inquire about a show. Found the theatre location, and that a magic show was on 🙂
And time to see the forum.
Nothing funny happened on the way to the forum :) Even at night. Except that it was different, to find Roman ruins ABOVE a modern-day road.
Back for a cuppa.
Update these notes.
Then off to the theatre!
Show was fun.
The main chap Juan Tamariz was a cross between Tommy Cooper and a kids entertainer. And his card tricks were clever. Especially where he had a couple from the audience sit and watch at the table, whilst the rest of us watched from our seats and via a camera.
The hand is quicker than our brains!
Back for another cuppa, and an early night.
Up to another sunny morning. Not early. It is Sunday.
Dressed and out for a ride. About 6km 🙂 To the aqueduct……
Scored the last table at the cafe. Chap was closing down the place, despite the masses of people. Had some work to do.
Rode off to the Serrallo district. Known for it’s fish restaurants. Walked around a bit. Spotted a possible place for lunch. Then sat by the water, soaking in the rays 🙂
It’s a hard life.
Walked off to see where the drumming was coming from. Looks like footie fans practising. They were in the middle of the dock embarkation area. And it was closed. So a good spot to do their rehersals.
Then back on the bike and home.
A chat with the Paula the receptionist. Confirmed Spain has a holiday on Wednesday and Friday.
Then book a place in Barcelona.
Head out to do laundry.
Oh the horror. Put the clothing into a machine. Go sit in a prim and proper place, Placa de Prim. Couldn’t resist. It is panto season 🙂
Cafe solo and a copa de cognac. Whilst sitting in the sun.
As I said. The horror 🙂
NB: it’s zero degC and foggy in Toronto. Hmmmm. Tarragona or Toronto? hahaha
That done out for a donner. Nothing else open till 8pm.
I’ve already had an apple and a banana to get this far.
And some of the Spanish halva/marzipan. Almonds, honey and egg-white. Yum 🙂
Donner was OK. Rice was excellent.
Back to plan next week.
Took a while.
The weather away from the coast has turned chilly. Very chilly.
Who stole my cheese? hahaha
A chat with Alex (night manager)and Fabrizzio (neighbour).
A nightcap.
Early night.
Do you like being in Spain?
Si jeffe!