Goodbye France, hello Spain!

View from the Nativity Tower in Sagrada Familia

We decided to spend one night in Mandeliu-de-Napoule at Les Cigales to extend our time in the French Riviera since the lack of parking thwarted or first attempts. But rain forecasted all along our route delayed our plans by a day.  After our hair-raising journey through the mountains in Italy, we decided to play it safe.  When the rain stopped, we drove along the coast road towards St. Tropez.  As the pictures will show, the deep rust of the mountains is beautiful, even under clouds.  On the way we saw water streaming out of the mountains and small rock slides.  We wouldn't have wanted to be on the road when that happened! We made it as far as Antheor and turned back towards our campsite as we didn't want to drive along these roads in the dark.

The next morning we packed up and headed west and encountered only light rain.  We noticed that some trees sported yellow and red leaves but the mountains still looked green. The mountains play a huge role in ensuring sunny weather in those big name cities like Nice.  We waved as we passed St. Tropez.  We'll try to make it back in warmer weather and/or if we win the lottery.  

As we passed the national Parque de Carmague, we saw some of the famed wild horses but I was too busy looking to get a picture so here are pictures and more information:

Camargue_horse

Father down the road we saw signs that we were on Via Domitia so I looked it up and was enchanted by this history:

Via Domitia info here.

Dermot was excited to get to our intended campsite “Le Club Farret,” near Vias, France because it had many amenities including a fitness centre! When we arrived, the roads were nearly submerged in places and the gate was closed. We called the number on the gate and were asked to wait.  When the camp representative arrived on his golf cart he took us to a campsite right on the ocean with crashing waves but closed toilet block/showers for the bargain rate of 11 euros.  I asked Dermot if we shouldn't go find a place with our minimum requirements (which even many free aires have) but Dermot was happy enough to try this place.  It seems there was some kind of male-not-wanting-to-appear-weak dynamic going on that I was oblivious to.  

We found a site near the beach but not on it as the closest one had soft-looking spots and we were unlikely to get a tow from golf cart guy.  Our walk on the beach was relaxing but not very long as we reached an impassable inlet. That night we walked to the only open restaurant on eerily deserted streets past dozens of closed businesses. It felt post-apocalyptic.

Back at the campsite, we enjoyed the sound of the rough surf but not the wet sand we brought into the van with each foray. The next morning we fired up the boiler for the very first time and were delighted to have hot water for dishes and face washing but we still preferred no shower over a cramped campervan shower.

As we set out for Barcelona, we had to stop for gas but several places did not accept our credit card.  Less than two miles up the road we came to an Aire where we bought gas.  To our chagrin, it had all the amenities our campsite lacked plus a restaurant and mini market. Sigh.

We made it to Camping 3 Estrellas in the late afternoon and got settled in.  The on-line reviews were mixed but we were happy to find hot water in the showers and a beachfront camping spot.  The campsite is a good hour away from the city by bus but we really enjoyed the beach view and sounds of surf right outside our door.  

Barcelona is a joy to explore.  It has good weather, good public transportation, lots of interesting sights, stunningly unique architecture, good food, and its pedestrian and bike-friendly. Catalan pride is on full display here after many years of repression.  We did Rick Steve’s walking tour of Las Ramblas, toured the Sagrada Familia, the Picasso Museum and more. 

El Cap de Barcelona is a surrealist sculpture created by American Pop artist Roy Lichtenstein for the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. It's English title is The Head of Barcelona. The sculpture was Lichtenstein's first outdoor work using ceramic tile. 

Lichtenstein Sculpture

The Sagrada Familia is incredibly different from any other church we’ve ever been in. Gone are the conventions of stained glass and statues conveying the stories of the Bible. The sculpture and words are on the outside of the building. The whole experience inside is infused with colored light and tall palm-tree like columns supporting the roof. It has been under construction for over 100 years and is expected to be complete in 2026.  We rode the elevator up the Nativity facade and walked the enclosed bridge between two towers then walked the tight spiral staircase back to the ground floor. 

Barcelona is famous for many Gaudi buildings (there are several in the photo album).  Here's a link with more info and pictures on the:

Illa de la Discòrdia

Click here for our pictures.