Tarragona

The stretch from Valencia to Tarragona took 2-½ hours. They screened a French film, Asphalte, on the train video. It was the presence of the ever formidable Isabel Huppert and Valeria Tedeschi Bruni that allowed me to track down the title.

The sky had turned gloomy and apocalyptic towards the end of the journey and it had started drizzling by the time I reached Tarragona. There was new challenge: the hotel and most of the city were up on the heights. How to get there? I wasted some time in trial and error before reaching the hotel. Later viewing from the Balcó del Mediterrani I saw where I had to descend the next day.

The civic statue at the vantage point.

The cold and windy evening wasn't deterring these customers.

Dinner and coffee after theatre? Yes please.

The foyer.

The wide Rambla Nova.

Looked like a pleasant and prosperous town.

I found Pizza Amarcord, an Italian restaurant serving small servings of pizza enabling me to try a couple of varieties. I finished with tiramisu and coffee. It was very good. There were film posters from Amarcord and also from La Vita è Bella.

I had just enough time to buy a bottle of water from the supermarket before closing time, then I headed back to my hotel.

Again, I'll continue with the next morning to avoid splitting Tarragona across two posts.

The hotel did serve breakfast but it was optional. I decided to get something better outside. I found a café serving a standard Spanish breakfast combo: freshly squeezed orange juice, pastries, coffee, and in this case a small bocadillo.

I didn't have time to explore the city beyond this point but there is quite a bit of hinterland.

The Rambla Nova. Don't let the blue skies fool you, it was a cold spring morning.

Back at the balcony on the Mediterranean, the clear weather revealed the railway station and port.

Looking towards the east.

People having a morning break.

It looks like I should investigate Tarragona more in the future, especially as Reus Airport, used by low-cost carriers, is near the city.