The Costa Brava

Wed 26^th Feb 2014

What a great night-Phase 10

Great friends & a great night

Great night’s sleep was had by all. We set off in 2 cars today with Teresa & Edward, Jane & Laura for what turned out to be a fantastic day with them being our personal guided tour leaders! With all the history and local information about everything shared - brilliant. Our first stop was in the small village of Vilajuiga for coffee - great price E10 for 6 coffees and 1 tea. It was a majestic drive to our next stop at the Monastery de Sant Pere de Rodes. It dates back to the 6^th century! But most of it was built in the 10^th/11^th centuries. It was stunning - the Monks certainly knew how to take advantage of the views! Onto Cadaqués - a very pretty sea side town with white washed buildings and blue water. There was so much to look at as we wondered around and then went into the church on the hill with its gold alter. Then another scenic drive to the most easterly part of Spain - Cap De Crus. A lot of Spaniards’ go here on New Year’s Eve to watch the sun rise on New Year’s Day to celebrate with the traditional communal Sardana dance. We had a delicious picnic here of chick pea salad, baguettes with Spanish sausage, wine and traditional biscuits. The views were marvellous and the sun had been out all day for us but it had just started to cloud over. A short stop was made at Portlligat to see where Salvador Dali once lived. Edward and his parents once lived here and Edward can remember having tea with Mrs Dali. Drove back into L’Estartit and stopped at a Lidls supermarket to only be recognised (as soon as he saw me!) by Peter (Calypso Diving Boat Charter) after 30 years! Did some blogging back at the apartment before heading up to Teresa & Edwards for a lovely evening and a gorgeous curry dinner and Phase 10. It was a really late night as we had so much fun and fell into bed at about 2am!

Teresa & I

Laura & Jess

Teresa & Eduard

Eduard driving-David having a day off

Cadaques

Jane Jess Laura Teresa Eduard & Jo

Cap De Creus

Eduard likes collecting rocks!

Salvador Dali

      

Arrived in L'Estartit

Tues 25th Feb 2014

Heard a car pull up in the lay-by at approx. 2.30am! Jess and David were fast asleep so I lay there listening in fright! After a while it left and it took me a fair while to get back off to sleep! Woke up to fresh snow on the mountains (thought it had been cold in the night!) and watched the sun rise over them - it was magnificent. Set off for L’Estartit at about 8.30am - I bet Jane & Laura are fed up waiting for us! Jane is off work for the whole month of Feb and it’s now the 25^th! (Sorry Jane). I started to get very excited and emotional when I saw the Roca Maura and saw signs towards Torroella de Montgri´ and L’Estartit. Arrived at Janes apartments at about 10.30am and walked up the steps to surprise them. Teresa (Janes sister was there too and I didn’t recognise her!) I hugged Jane so hard and we all had a few tears. After a short time it was like I had only seen them yesterday! And it felt like I had always known Laura even though we had never met. We walked to the Supermarket (which wasn’t here 26 years ago!) then had a drink along the sea front at Kim’s Bar. Back at the apartment they had cooked us a gorgeous Spanish meal (pork potatoes sausage saffron with bread and salad) which we enjoyed on the terrace of our apartment they have let us use in brilliant sunshine - What fantastic friends we have (again).  We then unloaded Priscilla with almost everything out of her (even the fridge & freezer) and drove up the hill to park opposite Teresa & Edwards place (they were building this house last time we saw it!) Priscilla is safer up here as Jane’s road is very narrow with restricted parking. We locked her up and said goodbye for a while and went into Teresa and Edwards’s house for coffee. The views from their house are fantastic - looking right down across the town to the beautiful sea and beach below. Back to Jane’s apartment as the Internet doesn’t quite reach our apartment to do some blogging. Jane & Laura are cat lovers and like to rescue/save cats and they now have 11 of them!! They also go out every night to feed the street cats! Landed up staying all evening with them and shared yummy tortillas with garlic, tomato, salt & olive oil rubbed on toasted bread. Another long day and it felt very strange (but good) to get into a proper bed in our lovely apartment. I cannot really believe I am here having worked here 30 years ago! And very much looking forward to spending some time exploring and reminiscing as it really was a time when I did have “the time of my life”.

Roca Maura

Nearly there

Illes Medes

Me and my Jane

Kims Bar

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Priscilla parked safely for a while

View from Teresa & Edwards