(Note on Photos: Click on any image to enlarge it and click again for additional zoom)
I arrived from Barcelona on a commuter train that took me to Tarragona’s center-city train station, right next to the sea.
Although I have a favorite hotel with a sea view, near a beach north of the central part of town, this time I checked into a hotel near the “town hall” (Ayuntamiento) on a lovely plaza lined with restaurants: “Plaça de la font”. (In case you might not notice, the language here is Catalan, not Castellano!)
Plaça de la Font
View Over City
Panoramic View of City (Click to enlarge)
Roman Ruins: Quite close to the hotel are the ruins of the ancient “Roman Circus”. The name is a bit misleading- this has nothing to do with Bozo the clown (or even Donald Trump the clown), nor lion tamers or acrobats. A “Roman Circus” is the oval track where in ancient times they held chariot races. When you see the word “circus”, think “circuit”- a closed loop.
To get the idea- an old photo of a mosaic of the Circus Maximus in RomeWhite marble statue of woman first to second century CE
View over City
Panoramic view of city (Click to enlarge)
Zaragoza’s Cathedral
Bit by bit during the day, the number of (other!) tourists began to swell. Soon Tarragona was packed. This guy on the right obviously thought he was “all that”. As various people (including me) tried to wait patiently to get a photo of the front of the cathedral un-sullied by tourists blocking the view, this guy kept strutting back and forth posing with that umbrella, while his friend took photos. Good lord, some people are even worse than me!
I love the sea! Tarragona’s coast is lined with lovely beaches, large and small!
A small sailboat calmly drifted in the water.While large commercial ships floated, anchored in the near distance.I knew that there was also some rain predicted for Tarragona. A short rain storm blew in and ended less than an hour later. It wasn’t until after I left Tarragona that the full fury of the big storm hit! I got out just in time! That later storm system affected all trains passing in or out of this city!
Street scenes around town-
Notice the large photos of “Castellers” in front of the windows!A busker rocks a crowd that was appreciative enough to clap when he finished a number, but not so appreciative (other then me) to bother throwing some coins into his hat!The “tourist trains” are lined up ready to take visitors on a quickie circuit of the city.A nice arched opening in the city wall. But also note the banner in the background: “Fem Republica” (Let’s make a Republic! Not fans of the creaky old monarchy it seems!Near the cathedral a cute mural on the end of a building.Statue of Roger de Lauria at the sea end of the Rambla Nueva
One does not live by scenery alone! So a bit of nourishment is a must. Too early to “cenar”, I first had an alcohol free beer and some chips at a place on the plaza. (by the way, that non-alcoholic “Paranoia” beer with the cute cartoon pic had an unusual, but very pleasant flavor!)
… and then later at at the “Mistral”- our go-to restaurant when in Tarragona!
Another time I had some yummy “empanadas”- Argentina style!
Tarragona’s Amphitheater: Of the numerous Roman ruins in Tarragona, most people’s favorite is the ancient amphitheater positioned at the edge of the sea.
