Life is a Beach

I must say, this place is a universe away from the hustle, bustle, and pickpockets of Barcelona. Cadaques is a whitewashed little village of about 300 built on the hillsides surrounding a small harbor, and unlike our last neighborhood, they LOVE tourists here. In fact, it is their only industry since the fishing industry dried up decades ago. There are so many little bars and restaurants to choose from, and the prices are not bad at all. Last night Jayne and I had a three course meal with complimentary wine for thirty euros, and we even skipped the after dinner coffee that was offered. There are some pretty cool shops here too. One antique store had the most eclectic selection, including a walking stick with a brass sculpture of a reclining nude woman for a handle which I am still considering (I wonder if they will let me take it on the plane?)

Yesterday we rented a motor scooter to drive out to the nature park at Cap de Creus, the easternmost point of mainland Spain. The drive is winding through terrain reminiscent of Arizona with cacti and low shrubs; not a tree to be seen. Strange rock outcroppings, carved by wind and sea, give the place a wild look that was absolutely beautiful.

There is a lighthouse at the end of the drive with a nice restaurant adjacent, and you can sit on the porch drinking sangria and see all the way from Cadaques to France, with the beautiful Mediterranean Sea stretched out far below. There are so many inlets and nooks where the sea comes crashing in against the rocks, and some seemed to have inviting beaches from where we could see. It was grand.

We also went to see Salvador Dali's house and had a nice tour through the place. It is really a rather modest place, but full of all kinds of weird things that you would expect from such a famous artists. When you first walk in you are greeted by a stuffed polar bear holding a selection of Dali's walking sticks, and each room was explained to us by a very nice English speaking guide. The surrounding gardens were lovely; an ancient terraced olive grove that had a few of Dali's whimsical pieces scattered about. Overall we were quite impressed.

This morning I reluctantly returned the scooter, although I took another drive out into the nature park while Jayne slept in. By so doing I found the nicest beach yet, and once Jayne woke up we walked to that beach, stopping by a grocery store along the way, for a swim and a picnic. It is just warm enough to enjoy the cool water of the sea, and although the wind was blowing a virtual hurricane it was not uncomfortable in the least.

In fact, I fell asleep in the sand in between dips in the water, and we had a nice stroll back to the hotel. We altered our plans to stay in Figueres so we could stay and enjoy this paradise one more day, and we will be leaving on Friday after we have another chance to look around tomorrow.