France & Spain
We made it to Barcelona, picked up the rental car and headed up the Mediterranean coast to France, stopping at an absolutely amazing restaurant in Girona Spain. Took a morning stroll up the street from the Air B&B to a little patisserie this morning for some croissants and beignets on the Canet-Plage, France. Yesterday was long; up for over 24 hours minus some fitful sleep on the plane. Today we are rested and ready to keep trekking inland and north, after some more sightseeing and a stop at the grocery store here for supplies.
Started on the shores of the Mediterranean and made our way up to the biggest cave in Europe then inland to Carcassonne. Had dinner within the walls of the fortress! Taking a tour tomorrow. pictures don’t do any justice.
Today was all about Carcassonne
Drove out into the picturesque countryside for a vineyard tour. It’s been there since the Roman era! Natural fed swimming pool
And all (not full at the moment). Then back to Carcassonne for dinner and a late night stroll with gelato.
Castles in the clouds do, in fact, exist! We hiked up to Peyrepertuse and then Quéribus today. Followed by dinner in the small town of Cucugnan.
The first hike today was up “Grotto of our lady of life” to a church and a cave high up in the hills of the Pyrenees. We then stoped in the medieval city for lunch.
On our second hike we climbed the road up to the Abby Saint Matin du Canigou.
ILle-sur-tet in France on the way to Barcelona today. A very mini Bryce Canyon.
Made it back to Barcelona! I hope you know most of these photos are comedy.
Jaw dropping. Gaudí was a fan of nature and it shows.
Bumming around Barcelona. We went to the history museum and saw the ancient original city founded by the Romans. These are some of the original Roman era streets. Underground now due to the city being built on top of itself for about 2100 years. Oh, and Bruce Springsteen is in town for a show at the Olympic Stadium tonight. We heard some of the soundcheck. Seems like everyone is going to the show!
I’m writing this while on the airplane to London. So I’ve got some time.
Carcassonne was a highlight for all of us. It’s easy to imagine knights in full armor riding through its narrow streets, bakeries and shops selling their wares and people gathering in the square for a public execution. Yes, the museum of inquisition was even more brutal and shocking than expected. I knew it was hardcore, but none of us were quite prepared for the many awful and excruciating ways people were humiliated and killed during this time. In Europe this qualifies as an all ages exhibit, and why not. Take the kids. Show them how awful humans can be to each other so they can learn to be better people.
Castles are cool. Mandy was particularly enthralled with the age and remarkable construction of these defensive structures of power. Carcassonne was a walled city with a castle within its walls, complete with moat (now dry) and drawbridge (now fixed). The other castles we visited high up on mountain tops were for protecting and defending the towns and connecting roads below. Built around 940AD, life here must have been tough. Food and water being the main concerns. Defending your lands of equal importance.
European cities make more sense to me. Even in the smallest towns, the houses are clustered together like a dense city, yet with picturesque narrow streets, lovely courtyards and gardens. This leaves more open land for farming and nature while making the entire town walkable. Transport is only needed between towns. I can’t stress enough how much I love the thought of living in any of these towns. I feel a connection here that I can’t explain. Maybe it’s shadows of a former life, if you believe in that sort of thing. Speaking of which, it’s not lost on me that I’ve probably made more religious pilgrimages than my more religious friends. As a fairly solid atheist, I’m still a fan of art, architecture and inspiration, no matter the source. The reality that people kill each other over this or that source of inspiration is a sad fact of humanity, and one we could do without. Live and let live. No one likes the Spanish Inquisition. Nobody.
These cities towns are very old. Pre dating the automobile by centuries and it is evident everywhere. We are missing out on so much in the USA largely due to our reliance on the personal vehicle. Even a major city like Barcelona is much more enjoyable be Metro or bicycle. Driving is the last option. The gothic quarter is absolutely amazing. Walking its streets takes you back five hundred, even a thousand years or more. It’s pedestrian only and extremely vibrant.
Barcelona is a beautiful big city. From beaches on the Mediterranean to Gothic era streets and churches to Roman era bits that still remain; it’s a city that is best enjoyed on foot with use of the awesome Metro system. There is amazing food everywhere. I want to try everything, but alas, we settled on some choice spots.
The people we met and interacted with were all very kind. The people of France have a reputation for being snotty, but we found them to be among the kindest and most generous anywhere. It certainly helped that Olivia’s French is very good and she could communicate effectively.
Our little German rental car got us around from town to town just fine. There are almost no large passenger trucks or cars here, like in the US. It’s simply unnecessary and impractical for the extremely narrow (feels one way, but isn’t) city streets. Roundabouts are everywhere, and make up a solid 90% of the intersections. They make way more sense and traffic moves much more smoothly. Something we could easily adapt in the US.
The police don’t patrol for speeding tickets. There are mounted radar cameras. They even warn you and tell you where they are. Speed, and receive a ticket it the mail. Makes a lot of sense. The police can focus on actual Police work.
Tipping: I love the non-tipping culture. Just pay the price on the menu. No judgement, no hassle, and much more affordable to eat out. The prices are very comparable to the US as well, minus the tip, so cheaper! Staff are simply paid a living wage. Crazy right? Staff work together to take care of your table so no worries about finding your waiter. Much more efficient.
Am I saying European culture is better than in the USA? Not necessarily, but there is a lot that I love and identify with. Focus on an enjoyable life, slow down, walk, enjoy small courtyards, small plates of food and chats with your community. In France, it seems nothing opens until 10 am. Breakfast is at noon. Restaurants don’t even open for dinner until 7 or 7:30. They close through the afternoon. Work smarter, not harder, seems to be the mantra. I’m down with that.
The food is fantastic. We didn’t have a bad meal anywhere. Although I’m still partial to Spanish cuisine over French. It was all amazing, it’s just where my tastes reside.
There is a lot to learn from European culture and I can see an easily achievable blend we could adapt to make life much more enjoyable for all.
