Travels to the Edge

Sometimes taking time to travel and time travel seem to merge. Am I here and now? Or was I there and then? Past and present combine somehow.  The Catalan city of Girona blends time seamlessly - from high-end boutiques and restful gardens  with music resonating from random spaces, and drums beating from usually quiet plazas, to medieval masterpieces (remember the giant staircase in Game of Thrones?) So much to take in! After an afternoon of wandering in time, it was time for a pizza . . . As I closed the door and departed Girona next morning - I was not at all sure how far I would get.  The plan was to make my way to Barcelona and then on to Leon and rejoin the pilgrim way on the Camino Frances. The problem was that the timetable on the bus company app bore little resemblance to what the people told me in the ticket offices (yes I went to several- in different parts of Barcelona), and to actual buses parked in the station bays. So what should I do? Oh well, I need to overn...

Down the hill from my campground accommodation was the seaside home, now museum, of Salvador Dali. Surrealism is alive and well everywhere, from Dali’s casa rooftop . . . To the local casino.  Cadaques has a relaxing artistic atmosphere. The harbour is quiet and picturesque. Even the electricity boxes radiate style. And the beach simply rocks! Every Wednesday evening during summer, there is a guitar recital in the local church. Last night’s performance by Pedro Rincon included standard classic repertoire (Memories of the Alhambra) along with music by Paco de Lucia, and some of Pedro’s original works. Beautifully performed, under the watchful eye of the ghost of Andre Segovia carved into the altarpiece. This morning I leave for Girona  - though not before a quayside farewell, And a parting breakfast from this wonderful seaside haven. I will be back!

Time keeps on slipping . . . into the future; so there was little opportunity for ‘Dali’- ing around on the walk from Roses to Cadaques the other day. It felt good to be up and about once more taking the route through Cap de Creus Nature Park. The climb was rocky and steep in places, and the views made it worthwhile. The high point was a cattle station near the summit. The animals seemed content. Although having to switch between nature park and farm land was a shock - at times! Eventually it was time to descend. I think the military signals complex near the summit spun my GPS around, and confused poor Google maps - and me! This meant more roadside walking than I had planned. After a couple of hours of shuffling to the side to avoid traffic from both directions, Cadaques came into view. Just in time- as I was feeling very like this. . . Before too long (actually it felt like forever), Sancho and I made it to a harbourside bar. Then one more climb to the ‘van park’ above Cadaques where ...