Gaudi & Rowing

24/3

same cruisey start then on our way to Begur along Costa Brava.

Spectacular coastline with small emerald green unspoilt coves tucked into scary precipitous seaside cliffs.

Costa Brava

Stupidly edged Eddie down to 2 of these and had to reverse a few kms out riding the clutch all the way.

Made for our campsite....but it wasn’t open.....

Further down the coastal road things opened up allowing us to free camp right behind a quiet beach & dunes.

Night stop

An esplanade allowed more bike practice whilst preparing dinner.

morning tea on the beach

25/3  

To Figueres for Salvador Dali & send some post

Figueres after 1st coffee

Round and round to ultimately park and walk, then....museum closed today (of course, it’s Monday!) and to learn the post office takes cash only...... of course.  Walked & walked to ATM.

Serendipity however won out taking us to Banyoles (30mins west where Jeff remembers the 1992 Olympic Rowing were held, and really secretly wanted to go there but couldn’t justify taking the family to a rowing course).  UTOPIA.  

Quiet, spectacular old town nestled amongst rolling green hills with the most perfect lake at it’s heart. Jeff’s tail is wagging furiously - thankfully so is Jen’s and the kids’.  Bikes & running tracks abound, young lithe rowing bodies pronk about it in their ‘zooties’. I think we’ll stay here, lakeside for a good few days.

27/3 

The J’s exercise!

Kids “smash” school & play

That's Hammie

Orbea the Pink Princess

Family bike ride for the rest of the day, Kel making great progress with her confidence and skill.

Jeff fiddles in his shed, applies cargo net to the ceiling of the garage for more storage space.

Kel & Jen cook. Movie (Indiana Jones and the Lost Ark) tonight.  This is too fine!

28/3 ADIOS ESPANA - and , to quote Douglas Adams, “thanks for all the fish!”

Another perfect weather day, parents exercise (both run around the lake), school done and away to Figueres for the Dali museum.  Verdant rolling fields, mountains in the north, great road (strange sight of a pretty dolled up brunette in a miniskirt sitting on a plastic chair on the side of the road miles from anywhere, another one seen later that day nearer the coast - doing business???), into town, museum open and .......

WOW!!!  A truly amazing experience of art - one man, so much work, so diversely skilled, so humorous, thought provoking, so beautiful and so ugly sometimes too.  Stupendous collection, incredibly displayed.  And then the jewelry too!  More $ spent in the gift shop. 

Dali museum entrance

Kids well entertained there for > 3 hrs, then back to Eddie and on the road to the coast with the sun dipping behind us.  Jen wanted to turn right at the coast and stay at Cadaques (Dali’s hometown), Jeff wanted to vamoose to France, Jeff has the wheel!!  Spectacular coastal drive to the border, the Med like glass below us, the setting sun firing all the colours of Spanish human activity, then through Port Bou, up a steep winding hill/cliff and at the top zipped straight across the unmanned “border” and down the other side to a lovely promontory for a free camp, quiet, glass (plastic) of red as the last of the day slips away, kids skating about the orange paths, boats below silently slipping into protected coves. Jen dizzy with the realisation of finally being in France.

in France, Spain on the horizon

Eddie night spot