Road Trip 2024

 DAY NINE Solar Eclipse - or All in Vain? As I wrote yesterday, the town of Vinaros lies on the coast approximately half way between Barcelona (north) and Valencia (south) and is almost surrounded by hills; but at a distance of 20 kilometers, most places will have a good sight of the eclipse. Rolf has done his research and the eclipse begins when the sun is at approx 10° above the horizon, so visible to almost all, but finishes an hour later at only 4° above the horizon, and although the eclipse should be visible from "our garden" has identified a nearby field that might not be overcrowded! We shall see! The morning started with breakfast in town and then we travelled up the coast to Peniscola! (Nothing to do with American drinks!). This is another typical Spanish tourist town, but with a small castle with a big history. Peniscola was one of only three places to host a pope. Everybody knows about Rome. Most know that Avignon in southern France was a lso home to the popes for ...

 DAY EIGHT Eclipse minus one First full day in Vinaros; a day to chill out and survey the surrounding area. The town of Vinaros lies on the coast approximately half way between Barcelona (north) and Valencia (south). With 40 000 inhabitants it can not compete with its two big neighbours. It is almost surrounded by hills but at a distance of 20 kilometers, which means many places will have a good sight of the eclipse, assuming observers dont stand next to a neighbour´s wall, or behind a hedge. Rolf has done loads of research and the eclipse begins when the sun is at approx 10° above the horizon, so visibke to almost all, but finishes an hour later at only 4° above the horizon, so even a big tree could block out the final minutes. our accommodation (with pool) After visiting Rolf´s cousin in Vinaros for a very full breakfast, we made our way in to town. There are the usual beaches - very nice with all amenities, shops - mainly Spanish within the town itself, and plazas - with pleasan...

 DAY SEVEN We arrive at the Spanish Coast We left Lleida after breakfast at a typical Spanish cafe. Our first stop was at Caspe, where we expected to visit a church with a wonderful panoramic view of the Ebro river. We had followed and criss-crossed this very large river a number of times. However, due to roadworks and preparation for the forthcoming fiesta - San Roque - we found ourselves at the wrong side of town. However we met five of the most important members of the town!                 An hour later we turned off our road and had 400 meters of very dusty, very rugged four-wheel drive country in a low sports model. Bumpy! We found ourselves at the Puente (bridge) de Cananillas near Teruel. Here the river flows through a gorge of large rocks which forms pools that are deep enough to swim in. So - off with the shorts and on with the swimming trunks!            Another hour of beautiful landscapes and we arri...

 DAY SIX Spain, here we come! Today the objective was to reach Lleida in northern Spain. After about an hour´s drive we came to a town called Foix. There were at least two markets on in the town, but as it was Sunday, no real shopping possibilities. But quite pretty with a fortress on the hill.         Then through the Pyrenees. It can take up to two hours to "cross" the Pyrenees, and no photographs can really do them justice. Lleida is a city of conundrums. A city of 140,000 it has a ruined cathedral and a castle overlooking it. The city is lively (on Monday morning) and the "old city" is also "alive" on Sunday evening - loads of young men apparently selling everything from shoes to "smokes". Ignoring the advice of the hotel concierge we walked through the area and found some nice grafitti, but didn´t explore too many side streets before climbing up to the ruined cathedral and a nice restaurant where we enjoyed our first Tapas.         ...