9 - 16 July 2014
Catalonia - A vibrant, glorious part of the world. Full of passion, great art and sunny skies.
Dave and I are just back from a wonderful week long break in Catalonia. We explored wonderful Barcelona (again), took a trip up the coast to experience the Spanish resort of Roses, and got to know Dali in Portlligat. Our holiday went a little like this:
Wednesday 9th July 2014
We leave the Island via the Red Jet to start our Spanish adventure. Our flight from Gatwick is slightly delayed due to technical difficulties, but we are soon on our way. We arrive in Barcelona just after 10pm. A short bus ride gets us into the centre, we check into our H10 Universitat Hotel - a quick unpack and we are ready for a late night explore of this, one of our favourite Cities. It's quiet, a local bar is the place to stop for a beer. Drink up and back to the hotel.
Thursday 10th
The sun is out in a deep blue summer sky, perfect. A quick breakfast and we are off to get the train to Figueres. A couple of hours later we catch the local bus to Roses, our beach side destination for the next four nights. The Hotel Marina is a few steps from the golden sandy beach, the Mediterranean laps gently on the shore... At last, we feel that we have the opportunity to relax and recharge. It's early in the afternoon, and after a quick unpack we are off along the beach to explore. The bay is a perfect curve and great for water sports and swimming. Golden sand and palm trees stretch either side, brightly coloured pedalos and sail boats decorate the view and bring intense fluorescence. A lovely relaxed afternoon blends with the evening, the sun sets after nine and the promenade is bustling with locals and tourists. We purchase tickets for our boat trip to Cadaqués tmrw morning and then stroll around the back streets to search out traditional Tapas bars... a perfect way to start our holiday.
Friday 11th
The mountains that surround Roses are topped with clouds this morning, but we know the sun is not far away. Breakfast is great in the hotel and sets us up for the day ahead. Today is special!, we are off to visit the Dali House Museum in Portlligat. The boat from Roses takes just over fifty mins. to motor around the beautifully rugged coast line. Cadaqués is instantly recognisable from the white church that stands above the other buildings, the small port is full of fishing boats and smaller pleasure boasts. The sun floods the bay as we explore. We have tickets to enter the Dali House at 3pm, so we have plenty of time to take in the views and walk around the coast from Cadaqués to Portlligat. While exploring, we find the wonderful Galeria Iturria. Some great work was on show, we particularly admired the water colours of Angel Asensio.
Portlligat is very chilled. We enjoy grilled sardines at a beach side shack, they are delicious. The Dali House is special, we can't wait to get in. Only small groups are allowed in to the collection of white washed fisherman's cottages, the home of Salvador and Gala. The small rooms of the house are filled with personal artefact's and surreal moments. Only two original works are left in the light drenched studio. You can see how Dali was so inspired by the views from the windows, the wind blown abstract forms of the rocks and distant horizon... Even the clouds above the inky Med are reminiscent of those from Dali's masterpieces. Our visit to the house is over within the hour, we also enjoyed exploring the olive grove and outdoor spaces. A very memorable experience. A short walk back to Cadaqués and an opportunity to take in some more views. We get the 5:30 bus back to Roses via the spectacular mountain roads with their wonderful views. Our eve is relaxed and we enjoy the sunset.
Saturday 12th July
Up and out early after a hearty breakfast. We walk south from our hotel along the beach side promenade to the estuary. A lovely walk and a great way to get a feeling for this busy resort. Popular with the Spanish and the French, this place has a relaxed, family feel... we seem to be the only Brits! The afternoon is sunny and we chill on the beach, the water is wonderful. A quick siesta prepares us for a lovely early eve visit to La Ciutadella, an amazingly rich architectural site with remains from the last 13 centuries. The sunsets after nine, we then go on the hunt for Tapas, it's busy and everyone else has the same idea!
Sunday 13th July
The clouds are a little more widespread this morning, we breakfast and prepare to walk north from our base. An hour along the coast, via the coastal path, we reach the pretty resort of Cala Canyelles. We have a break and a coffee before heading back to Roses. The beach is busy in the afternoon, we relax for an hour or so before returning to the hotel. We go up to the sun-deck and soak up the last of the days rays, lovely... We play cards and Dave takes a dip in the pool... Perfect! We enjoy a meal of local produce on our balcony before heading out at ten to watch the fireworks in the bay to celebrate French tourism and the eve of Bastille day.
Monday 14th July
Up and out early this morning as today we head to Barcelona to enjoy the final leg of our holiday. We catch the bus from Roses to Figueres and then board the train to Barcelona. The sun is starting to break through the clouds as we head down the coast aboard our busy 4 coach train. We arrive in Barcelona and go check into our Apart-Hotel. Quick unpack and we prepare to go explore. Our first stop is the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau designed by Lluís Domènech i Montaner. This is one of the most important Catalan modernist buildings in the City, and a beautiful example of the functional with outstanding craftsmanship. Next up a walk south to La Sagrada Família, the yet to be finished Antoni Gaudi gem of Barcelona. Luckily we have visited this site a couple of times before, so we decide to skip the queues and head down to the coast. The sun is breaking through the clouds as we find a beach side bar to enjoy a glass and soak up the atmosphere. The beach is heaving with tourists, locals and everyone in-between. Next up a stroll back through Barceloneta, the old quarter of the City that is now home too cool drinking holes, funky boutiques and traditional Tapas bars. We find a lovely restaurant and enjoy an amazing meal of re-worked Spanish classics... A perfect end to our day.
Tuesday 15th July
The early morning clouds soon start to burn away as the sun warms the City. We breakfast early to maximise sightseeing opportunities. First up, Park Güell, the Guadi designed City Park that is a must-see! Again, we have visited this Park before, but every visit brings a new unexplored aspect. We notice that the older, more elaborate areas are having visitor numbers restricted, pre-booking on line will ensure a time slot and save the laborious queues! Next stop... El Courte Ingles to search out some holiday music, unfortunately the trudge up to level 5 brings little joy, nothing new so we make a swift exit. Now we head to the Parc de Montjuïc, we ride the funicular up the hill and stroll around the streets. We soon find the The Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya. This gallery is amazing and full of incredible Catalan Art! We explore the Renaissance galleries and see the highlights of the modern collection, all the big names - Dali, Guadi, MIro and Picasso are represented with key works. We also really enjoyed the exhibition of water colour portraits by Josep Tapiró. Next up a quick visit to see if we can ride the cable car from the mount down to the port, it's busy so we walk... Very hot now, but we never tire of this wonderful City. We hit the beach for a late pm dip and soak up a few rays before heading back to our hotel for a short, but much needed Siesta! We do a quick pack of our luggage and we are off out again. We ride the subway to Plaça de Catalunya and enjoy a wonderful early eve stroll thought the El Born district. It's cool, funky and trending! Ultra-hip boutiques, cool eating establishments and loads of great street art. We want pizza, and nothing else will do! We find a great little pizza restaurant and enjoy our final eve in Barcelona.
Wednesday 16th July
Brilliant sunshine as we grab our early breakfast at the hotel. Final packing and we are off to catch the airport bus. We get the BCN airport in good time and enjoy a little last minute shopping before boarding our flight back to London Gatwick. Thank you Spain, you never disappoint, we will return!
Dave and I are just back from a wonderful week long break in Catalonia. We explored wonderful Barcelona (again), took a trip up the coast to experience the Spanish resort of Roses, and got to know Dali in Portlligat. Our holiday went a little like this:
Wednesday 9th July 2014
We leave the Island via the Red Jet to start our Spanish adventure. Our flight from Gatwick is slightly delayed due to technical difficulties, but we are soon on our way. We arrive in Barcelona just after 10pm. A short bus ride gets us into the centre, we check into our H10 Universitat Hotel - a quick unpack and we are ready for a late night explore of this, one of our favourite Cities. It's quiet, a local bar is the place to stop for a beer. Drink up and back to the hotel.
The sunny beach of Roses
Your car awaits... Roses beach
Sea, Sun, Sand. Roses
The sun is out in a deep blue summer sky, perfect. A quick breakfast and we are off to get the train to Figueres. A couple of hours later we catch the local bus to Roses, our beach side destination for the next four nights. The Hotel Marina is a few steps from the golden sandy beach, the Mediterranean laps gently on the shore... At last, we feel that we have the opportunity to relax and recharge. It's early in the afternoon, and after a quick unpack we are off along the beach to explore. The bay is a perfect curve and great for water sports and swimming. Golden sand and palm trees stretch either side, brightly coloured pedalos and sail boats decorate the view and bring intense fluorescence. A lovely relaxed afternoon blends with the evening, the sun sets after nine and the promenade is bustling with locals and tourists. We purchase tickets for our boat trip to Cadaqués tmrw morning and then stroll around the back streets to search out traditional Tapas bars... a perfect way to start our holiday.
Cadaques
Painted utility cover - Cadaques
Dali paste-up in Cadaques - by L' arte sa nuotare
Friday 11th
The mountains that surround Roses are topped with clouds this morning, but we know the sun is not far away. Breakfast is great in the hotel and sets us up for the day ahead. Today is special!, we are off to visit the Dali House Museum in Portlligat. The boat from Roses takes just over fifty mins. to motor around the beautifully rugged coast line. Cadaqués is instantly recognisable from the white church that stands above the other buildings, the small port is full of fishing boats and smaller pleasure boasts. The sun floods the bay as we explore. We have tickets to enter the Dali House at 3pm, so we have plenty of time to take in the views and walk around the coast from Cadaqués to Portlligat. While exploring, we find the wonderful Galeria Iturria. Some great work was on show, we particularly admired the water colours of Angel Asensio.
Water colour by Angel Asensio
Grilled Sardines on the beach at Portlligat
Outside the Dali House Museum, Portlligat
The hall of the bear - Dali House Museum
Portlligat is very chilled. We enjoy grilled sardines at a beach side shack, they are delicious. The Dali House is special, we can't wait to get in. Only small groups are allowed in to the collection of white washed fisherman's cottages, the home of Salvador and Gala. The small rooms of the house are filled with personal artefact's and surreal moments. Only two original works are left in the light drenched studio. You can see how Dali was so inspired by the views from the windows, the wind blown abstract forms of the rocks and distant horizon... Even the clouds above the inky Med are reminiscent of those from Dali's masterpieces. Our visit to the house is over within the hour, we also enjoyed exploring the olive grove and outdoor spaces. A very memorable experience. A short walk back to Cadaqués and an opportunity to take in some more views. We get the 5:30 bus back to Roses via the spectacular mountain roads with their wonderful views. Our eve is relaxed and we enjoy the sunset.
Saturday 12th July
Up and out early after a hearty breakfast. We walk south from our hotel along the beach side promenade to the estuary. A lovely walk and a great way to get a feeling for this busy resort. Popular with the Spanish and the French, this place has a relaxed, family feel... we seem to be the only Brits! The afternoon is sunny and we chill on the beach, the water is wonderful. A quick siesta prepares us for a lovely early eve visit to La Ciutadella, an amazingly rich architectural site with remains from the last 13 centuries. The sunsets after nine, we then go on the hunt for Tapas, it's busy and everyone else has the same idea!
Sunday 13th July
The clouds are a little more widespread this morning, we breakfast and prepare to walk north from our base. An hour along the coast, via the coastal path, we reach the pretty resort of Cala Canyelles. We have a break and a coffee before heading back to Roses. The beach is busy in the afternoon, we relax for an hour or so before returning to the hotel. We go up to the sun-deck and soak up the last of the days rays, lovely... We play cards and Dave takes a dip in the pool... Perfect! We enjoy a meal of local produce on our balcony before heading out at ten to watch the fireworks in the bay to celebrate French tourism and the eve of Bastille day.
Hospital St. Pau
La Sagrada Familia
Sagrada Familia - detail looking up from Nave
How the Cathedral will look in 2026
Monday 14th July
Up and out early this morning as today we head to Barcelona to enjoy the final leg of our holiday. We catch the bus from Roses to Figueres and then board the train to Barcelona. The sun is starting to break through the clouds as we head down the coast aboard our busy 4 coach train. We arrive in Barcelona and go check into our Apart-Hotel. Quick unpack and we prepare to go explore. Our first stop is the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau designed by Lluís Domènech i Montaner. This is one of the most important Catalan modernist buildings in the City, and a beautiful example of the functional with outstanding craftsmanship. Next up a walk south to La Sagrada Família, the yet to be finished Antoni Gaudi gem of Barcelona. Luckily we have visited this site a couple of times before, so we decide to skip the queues and head down to the coast. The sun is breaking through the clouds as we find a beach side bar to enjoy a glass and soak up the atmosphere. The beach is heaving with tourists, locals and everyone in-between. Next up a stroll back through Barceloneta, the old quarter of the City that is now home too cool drinking holes, funky boutiques and traditional Tapas bars. We find a lovely restaurant and enjoy an amazing meal of re-worked Spanish classics... A perfect end to our day.
Josep Tapiro - Bellesa tangerina, c.1891
Josep Tapiro - The Marabout
Tuesday 15th July
The early morning clouds soon start to burn away as the sun warms the City. We breakfast early to maximise sightseeing opportunities. First up, Park Güell, the Guadi designed City Park that is a must-see! Again, we have visited this Park before, but every visit brings a new unexplored aspect. We notice that the older, more elaborate areas are having visitor numbers restricted, pre-booking on line will ensure a time slot and save the laborious queues! Next stop... El Courte Ingles to search out some holiday music, unfortunately the trudge up to level 5 brings little joy, nothing new so we make a swift exit. Now we head to the Parc de Montjuïc, we ride the funicular up the hill and stroll around the streets. We soon find the The Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya. This gallery is amazing and full of incredible Catalan Art! We explore the Renaissance galleries and see the highlights of the modern collection, all the big names - Dali, Guadi, MIro and Picasso are represented with key works. We also really enjoyed the exhibition of water colour portraits by Josep Tapiró. Next up a quick visit to see if we can ride the cable car from the mount down to the port, it's busy so we walk... Very hot now, but we never tire of this wonderful City. We hit the beach for a late pm dip and soak up a few rays before heading back to our hotel for a short, but much needed Siesta! We do a quick pack of our luggage and we are off out again. We ride the subway to Plaça de Catalunya and enjoy a wonderful early eve stroll thought the El Born district. It's cool, funky and trending! Ultra-hip boutiques, cool eating establishments and loads of great street art. We want pizza, and nothing else will do! We find a great little pizza restaurant and enjoy our final eve in Barcelona.
The Beach of Barcelona
Wednesday 16th July
Brilliant sunshine as we grab our early breakfast at the hotel. Final packing and we are off to catch the airport bus. We get the BCN airport in good time and enjoy a little last minute shopping before boarding our flight back to London Gatwick. Thank you Spain, you never disappoint, we will return!
10 out of 10!
