The sudden heatwave that came about the country for the last week or so got me thinking about the 11-day trip I had back in the summer of 2006 to Catalunya in Spain. My sister's family and the Morrel family rented out a villa with attached swimming pool from a French lady who resides in Catalunya. The drive from Dordogne was extremely long and tiresome as it was the peak of summer and the heat was most unbearable, especially when we crossed the border to Spain. Unlike the French auto routes, the Spanish counter parts do not have R&Rs with shades and toilet facilities. We drove past Tarragon and Barcelona, about 120 km south of Barcelona, we finally arrived at Ametlla del Mar, precisely the holiday village of Les Tres Cales. Surprises of surprises, the place seemed disheveled by hap-hazard constructions everywhere and the heat in summer was just unbearable. Another dismay, the villa was actually a mile away from the beaches and worst, the beaches were actually sealed off by cliffs and had to be accessed through some very winding and narrow sandy paths. However, the beaches was not bad and the water azure, befitting its Mediterranean location on the tip of the Catalunya region. One thing was sure...there were no shops nor restaurants open during the siesta hour of 2 - 4 p.m. but the modestly priced and exquisite olives, jambon (ham), canned seafood and sangria was more than worth the effort to visit the place. The beaches are best visited before 9 a.m. as the blindingly hot sun can be searing and unbearable beyond 11 a.m.
The cliffs overlooking the Mediterranean sea at Les Tres Cales.
Old olive trees
Les Tres Cales in the distance...
The Castilla Sant Jordi sits atop the cliffs overlooking the blue yonder...
Precariously built houses at Ametlla del Mar
The port at Ametlla...
The marina
A fishing boat
Traditional horse carriage for the tourist bucks...
The fisherman port of Ametlla del Mar. I saw a squid swimming around the motorboats moored at the port! We visited the port everyday and one of the thing I like about this place is the fishermen selling their catch on the port itself. Remark: lots of octopus and silverfish that are used for frying to make tapas. Octopus pickled in olive oil remain my all time favourite. We tried traditional paella on a cliff bound terrace on our last night and it was fine. I still don't fancy the taste of saffron for some reason I cannot fathom...
The roundabout in Ametlla.
The beach at Ametlla
Desert-like landscape was everywhere. Everything was so dry and bristly...
Opuntias growing wild in the bushes in Les Tres Cales.
The sandy beach at Les Tres Cales on a very hot morning.
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