Costa Blanca

I recognize that it may not be advisable to complete a flurry of blog posts in short succession; however, as I missed posts in Spain and we have had such an inspirational 5 days in Venice, we need to catch up with our travels. I will leave it to you, the reader, to pace yourself.

Our last week in Spain (Nov 1 – 8) was spent further south in the Costa Blanca area, specifically near the town of Xabia (Javea). This area is highly populated with retired Expats and depending on the neighbourhood, you could quickly mistake yourself for being in a bizarrely warm and tropical Britain or Germany. We rented a beautiful house, again overlooking the ocean and with a pool for the boys . The lower prices of the off season are a major benefit in being able to stay in such wonderful accommodations.

Balcony view of the sunrise

Citrus fruit trees make up most of the agriculture in the area with a wide range of palm trees, and tall grasses complimenting an otherwise dry and arid landscape. Driving towards Xabia, one cannot miss the Montgo Massif also known as Elephant Mountain.

Our time here saw us complete three wonderful hikes though not quite in the order we had planned, but most certainly the order best supported by nature. Our first shorter trek (Cala Tango) started at the Xabia marina and wound up the side of the cliffs and down again to the marine reserve. The sparkling water and imposing boulders made for beautiful surroundings – the cool water was refreshing!

Unable to find the start of the hike to the Cova Tallada, we found ourselves at the base of the Montgo Massif. With the weather being the coolest it had been thus far, we decided to discard our original plans and begin. To the summit and down again took us 3 1/2 hours. While Anderson didn’t make it quite to the top, both boys were troopers and there was much talk of perseverance.

After more than one drive, questioning of locals, and web searches, we finally made it to the Cova Tallada trail head. This hike was a must as the caves were touted as being incredible and they certainly didn’t disappoint. We started off at 9 am to try and avoid as much of the hot sun as possible. The hike itself was a joy and descends through a ravine towards the ocean. With the difficult time we had finding this hike (though now it seems so obvious), it is fitting that we took the most difficult and challenging path down to the caves themselves. With careful guidance from Kelly, we all made it down a tricky cliff front.

 

Once down, the caves are a mind boggling wonder of nature. It is difficult to convey the sheer size of these caves through photographs. With many areas to scramble up and around in, it was fascinating and more than a little challenging to catch all the angles.

Spain was great fun, filled with gorgeous scenery, friendly people, and relaxation. However, there is much more to be seen as the interior presents a totally different experience yet again and one we do wish to explore at some point. For now, we say hasta la vista.

Sunset view

Spanish Sun

Our time in Spain felt more like a holiday than our previous 2 1/2 months of travel. With my parents joining us and seaside locations, we spent more time on recreation and relaxation than cultural immersion, though as detailed in the Barcelona posts, we certainly caught some of the local flavour. Initially, I felt guilty about this as though it wasn’t allowed, but came to realize that constant travel can be taxing and this was time needed for our family.

The coast of Spain is popular with expats and it is easy to see why. Throughout our 3 weeks in Spain, we had incredible weather – by all accounts warmer than what was expected for the time of year. This meant we spent a significant amount of time at the beach. Our house in Sitges (40 minute train ride from downtown Barcelona), was perched on a cliff and offered striking ocean front views from every window.

View from the balcony

It was also a convenient 400 metres from one of the top rated beaches in Spain. We have come to realize that beaches receive ratings for different reasons and a top rated beach may not alway meet our needs. This beach however, was perfect – beautiful sand, a soft and smooth sea bed easy to walk out in, sheltered from wind, and outstanding waves. We all enjoyed the incredible surf with great fun to be had with or without a boogie board though a well fitted bathing suit is a must…or in the case of most locals, optional.

The boys on our favourite beach in Sitges. Our house is the white building in the background.

Sitges is a popular town in the summer with many festivals and celebrations. While we were there it was relatively quiet and we were able to enjoy the narrow streets and breathtaking views without crowds. Each day we were greeted with a new and stunning sunrise and looked forward to the brilliant colours offered at sunset. Add to this the deep concussion sounds of the waves on the rocks, a good book and time floats by without notice.

While in Sitges, we made a day trip to nearby Tarragona where evidence of Roman ingenuity abounds. The coliseum, circus (race track), forum, aqueduct, and much more transported us back to Roman times. It’s hard to believe that only 20 years ago, the city applied to become a World Heritage Site. To think that much of these areas were simply built over and forgotten boggles our western mind where we are thirsting for history that goes past 150 years, never mind over 2000 years! The city has an excellent map making it easy for us to walk to each of the sites. They have done a fine job of helping visitors make connections to the history and envision the grandiosity of the sheer size of places like the forum. Tarragona deserves more than a day visit, though with a full day, we were able to take in the key sites without rushing.

As with every area, we always know there are places we haven’t discovered, Sitges was a wonderful base and our location at Tot Gaviota was outstanding – certainly one we would recommend.

Barcelona

Having been in Spain from October 18th to November 8th, I’m a bit behind in blogging…we’ve been too busy enjoying the sand, surf, and sun along with the hustle and bustle of Barcelona. Arriving in Spain and adjusting to a new language and feel for completing daily tasks took some focus on our parts. Our first three days were spent staying at an apartment in the Sants neighbourhood of Barcelona. This is not a tourist area of Barcelona and we enjoyed our glimpse into the daily routines of Catalonians. The daily schedule of a siesta and late evening family and community activities is most definitely a departure from our North American one – though it was especially wonderful to see yet again examples of how community is important even in a large city. Everyone comes out to the central squares in the evening. Children play, families visit – a laid-back and friendly atmosphere prevails. Given that everyone in the area lives in apartment buildings, Barcelona living is not made for those who are determined to remain independent and covet personal space; your wash is out for all to see (literally) so embrace it.

View from the back of our apartment in Barcelona Sants

During both the 3 days we stayed in Barcelona and the three additional visits into the city from our stay in Sitges, we discovered dramatically different neighbourhoods each with its own feel. La Ramblas was spectacular due to the sheer number of people strolling along and the many waiters attempting to cajole you to try their watered down ‘tourist in Spain’ fare. Moving off La Ramblas, we were quickly swept down innumerable side streets filled with shops no larger than a small kitchen selling everything from locally made shoes to (what else), knock off football jerseys. The Gothic Quarter (named for it’s architecture) is vast and I would say worth more of our time given the Roman history still evident as well as the many squares where perhaps the food is more authentic Catalonian fare.

My parents and I were able to take in a traditional Spanish guitar concert by Manuel Gonzalez in the Capella de la Sang – Church of Santa Maria del Pi (14th century). After a 40 minute train ride in from our smaller town of Sitges, we found ourselves in a beautiful square, eating outstanding tapas, and at every turn remarking on some new detail that had come to light.

Church of Santa Maria del Pi

 

The concert was an opportunity to float through some of the musical history of Spain and Catalonia in particular. The talent and commitment of the guitarist evident and his joy in sharing his music with the audience evident. We all had smiles on our faces and enjoyed his two encore performances, specifically the final one he called “An Interrupted Romance” where the music moved between a traditional Spanish love song and random popular pop, country, and heavy metal songs. A gift given to all of us in a beautiful location with wonderful people. I was personally thrilled to share some of our different experiences with my parents and watch their response to the beauty around us.

As already detailed by Kelly, we were in Barcelona to pick up tickets for Ethan’s big El Classico ticket surprise, but during that visit we also were able to take in some of the most spectacular architecture for which Barcelona is renowned.  Antoni Gaudi, famous for his incredible and distinct designs – even the most disinterested in architecture would pause to comment. I am no expert in architecture and so do not wish to misstep in my descriptions; however, suffice it to say that various lines and unique colours of the buildings combine to stop me in my proverbial tracks.

Initially I felt that we had seen what we needed to of Barcelona, but on second thought and following our final evening supper before leaving on the night train for Venice, more time needs to be spent discovering the nooks and crannies. I have no doubt we’ll be back.

Canada Day

Almost 100 years later, it is still very easy to tell that something incomprehensibly violent occurred at Vimy Ridge. Mines, trenches and shellfire shape a landscape in ways that are impossible to believe.  The Vimy Ridge Centre is a national historic site of Canada.  As such, it is funded by the Canadian government and operated by Canadian students.  As we take the tour, the Canadian accents welcome after months away, we were able to experience a small taste of what life in the tunnels and trenches may have been like although generally, and thankfully, such experience remains incomprehensible. The monument itself is striking; both somber and inspiring.  Vimy Ridge was high ground that had given the German Army a commanding view of that sector of the front since 1914.    The French had lost 150,000 men trying to take the ridge and the British had fared no better.  Recognizing that conventional methods of fighting would not succeed, Allied military leaders turned to the most unconventional force at their disposal and late in 1916, the Canadian Corps was moved into the front lines at Vimy.

Canada fielded a primarily volunteer army at Vimy Ridge.  Canadian politicians and military leaders had fought their own battles from the beginning of the war to ensure that our soldiers were kept together in Canadian units and not fed piecemeal into British units as replacements.  This insistence had paid dividends throughout the war.  Canadians thought differently, planned differently, and fought differently.  They had earned the grudging respect of both their Allies and German opponents who labelled them “stormtroopers”.  Canadians won great victories before and after Vimy, but it was at Vimy that one can see the sense of being Canadian coalesce into something tangible.

Canada in 1914 was a young nation that was struggling to find a sense of itself.  Canada was largely undeveloped and unpopulated at that time.  People from around the world came to Canada because they thought differently, because they had a different worldview. However the disparate backgrounds made national self awareness an elusive concept.  Looking back, it could be said that Great War provided the opportunity, the test of fire needed to create the sense of nation, of being uniquely Canadian. On April 9, 1917, one hundred thousand Canadians underwent such a test on our behalf and prevailed.  Remember.

Mes Que Un Club (More Than A Club)

The reality of travel, especially family travel on a fixed budget, is that even with a year at your disposal you can’t do everything.  It is, however, fun to dream a bit.  During the time leading up to our trip, a common question amongst our family  was, “If you could do one thing on our holiday, what would it be?”.  Ethan’s choice, made when he was six or seven, was decisive and never wavered in the intervening years.  He wanted to watch El Clasico, the iconic match between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid, the two giants of Spanish football.  In terms of club football, only the Champions League Final is more closely attended to by soccer fans around the world.  Ethan has loved Barcelona since he started rolling a ball around and Leo Messi is his hero. He wears a new Barca jersey every year. It was a sensible wish. To him, Barcelona is more than a club.

Joanne and I supported this wish, which is easy by the way when you don’t think you will have to make it come true.  We were going to be in Spain for a month, a month and a half at most.  That time shrank to just over 3 weeks with extended time in France and the unexpected addition of Australia to the agenda.  What were the chances that Barca and Real would be playing?  To my horror/delight, 100%.  Delight at the fact that the schedules (FC Barcelona’s and ours) aligned.  They were playing Real, at home, during the 11 days we had booked to stay in/near Barcelona.  Horror at the logistics that we now faced.  Since we were still in France, we had to go through the internet to book tickets.  Trying to find a legitimate after-market ticket retailer was a chore.  There are many less than reputable sites who are willing to take your money (all “legitimate” tickets had long-since been sold out). We also needed seats together.    It became clear that our finances would not support a family of four being able to attend the game, so we drew straws and determined that Ethan and I would attend.  Those of you who know my wife know that she is a sports fan.  This was not a small sacrifice. We ultimately went with the recommendation of the property manager we were booking our stay in Barcelona through and booked with http://www.footballticketsbarcelona.com.  Theoretically, we would be able to pick up the tickets the day before the game.

With the theoretical acquisition of tickets accomplished, we now set about deceiving our son.  He knew full-well that the game was approaching, but understood that tickets were not going to be possible.  We visited Camp Nou and toured the museum and stadium.  It becomes immediately evident that FC Barcelona is more than a club.  They are part of the fabric of Catalunya (Catalonia).  They are inseparable from the history, politics, culture and future of the region.  In a very real sense, when you enter Camp Nou, you are entering a cathedral of sorts.

We were also able to enhance the quality of the deception by attending the La Liga match between Espanyol (the other Barcelona team) and Atletico Madrid, currently the 2nd place team in Spain.  The match was affordable for our family of four and the atmosphere was incredible.  It was an interesting experience attending a sporting event that didn’t begin until 10pm.  As my friend Dan Rawlyk put it, “10 pm is the middle of the afternoon in Spain”.  Ethan thought that it was as good as it was going to get.

On the day we were scheduled to pick up the tickets, we got on the metro and made our way to the listed address.  No signs.  No office.  Just a gated door.  Great.  Left with no other options, I pushed on the door.  It opened into a lobby.  Empty.  No signs.  No office. Just a door. Great.  Left with no other options, I pushed on the door.  To my surprise, there was a fellow sitting in a room using a laptop.  I asked “tickets?”  He motioned up the stairs to an unmarked door.  I opened it up to find a fully functioning travel/ticketing business.  I gave my confirmation number, the tickets were produced, and I was on my way.  Relief.  Ethan, waiting on the street with Jo and Anderson, had no idea why his dad had entered this building.  The pictures tell the story of his response when I came out and handed him the tickets.

Game day randoms:  Pre-game tapas, served by a waiter on a segway. The tickets were legit. The crowd forming a human tunnel to welcome the Barca players bus. 100,000 fans.  Ethan singing the Barca song, mugging for the camera, yelling at the referee, cheering wildly, hugging  other fans, and smiling from the time he woke up until he fell asleep.  Ethan calling the shot, saying that subbing in Alexis Sanchez (scored the game winner) would pay off.  Alexis’ chip sailing in right in front of us. (4th row seats).  2-1 Barca win.  Messi, Ronaldo, Neymar, Benzema, Iniesta, Bale, Xavi,  Sergio Ramos, Dani Alves, di Maria, Fabregas, Khedira. The incredible, knowledgeable, respectful crowd.  The look on my sons face.  The experience of a lifetime.  Mes que un club.