Ramble
Quest - Strange Tortosa
I train down the rest of the Costa Daurada to strange Tortosa. Strange because, although it doesn't seem to be much smaller than Tarragona, and it clearly seems to have some touristic attractions, I have surreal difficulty in finding a place to stay. Tarragona greeted me with three options within a stone's throw of the train station and I noticed several more during my stay there. In Tortosa, I walk around the entire town for over an hour without even seeing a hotel! Since it is Sunday, the streets are eerily deserted. It's also incredibly windy and cold, adding to the outlandishness of my situation.
At last I spot a hotel. It's far too expensive but at least it is a place that is open and I'm able to learn about cheaper options. Turns out there are very few, so I guess tourists must do this town as a day trip. These places are all tucked away in out of the way spots, as is the tourist information center! The latter is closed this time of year anyway.
OK, once I drop off my pack I repeat my tour of the town, only this time noticing more than simply a dearth of places to stay. It's fairly interesting, another Roman site, but this time completely built over. Where the Acropolis once stood are the remains of La Suda, an Arab castle, part of which has been converted into a fou-fou, yet seemingly deserted hotel. The views from everywhere up here are tremendous, looking down over the impresively buttressed cathedral and the ancients streets of the old Jewish Quarter. The Ebro River flows down a long valley, with lovely mountains on either side.
Tortosa is considerably shabbier looking than Tarragona. I kick a soccer ball around with some ratty street kids who seem to be taking a break from stealing stuff and picking through trash. The old buildings surrounding the cathedral are tatterdemalion. The cathedral grounds were originally a Roman temple, transformed into a 14th century church, then converted to a Mosque, before finally reverting to a cathedral again. It's rather run-down, but all the more atmospheric for it. I like the rough-around-edges feel of Tortosa.
Of course everything looks a lot better the next day when places are open and normal people return to the streets. The weekday bustle distracts the eye from the garbage piling up on ramshackle lots. As if to accentuate the change in conditions, the weather greatly improves to radiant sun, to the point where I'm cursing the loss of my hat.
Aside from wandering around the old Jewish Quarter, I mosey about the one large park, and then along the river. Not much to do but hang out, but that's pretty much all I do anyway. I notice a coffee shop called "Happy Crak!" and have an instant where I miss not having a camera. Perhaps not coincidentally, "Happy Crak" is also the brand name of some Spanish popcorn. I theorize that the coffee shop people simply stole one of their signs when it came time to name their place.