Cambrils revisited & more - Mont Roig del Camp, Spain
Mont Roig del Camp, Spain
October- November 2015 in Cambrils
Cambrils has been a great choice for our time of "waiting". We are waiting for the fittings for the Fiamma awning which we have to replace. The first was ripped off by a freak gust of wind. Quite why the lag time is a month, we cannot fathom?
The small coastal town Cambrils has a permanent population of some 35 000. Much of the property is not occupied all year round as it is a holiday resort mainly catering for Spaniards who come to holiday homes to enjoy the wonderful beaches on the sandy Mediterranean Coast. The focus is very much on family time. Salou 10km north is more a fly in destination with clubs, pubs , hotels and holiday flats dominant.
The settlement goes way back to pre- Roman times and there are several remnants of Roman built structures.
The more recent development is based on the small port, built to shelter the fishing fleet. Fishing and agricultural enterprises (mainly viticulture and olive production) have long been major employers here. In recent decades leisure and tourism as well as industrial development have broadened the economic base and encouraged infra structure development. We have enjoyed the quieter time here although it has been a bit like being there at the tail end of a long party – a summer long party. Each week more of the businesses which serve the summer visitors are closing up for the winter. Closing up literally as most use shutters and roll down doors to secure their space. This certainly doesn't look inviting!
Whilst we might enjoy the buzz of activity generated by holiday makers we have been happy to have uninterrupted cycling and walking along the promenade. It must be chaotic when it’s crowded!
Some of the restaurants seem to be the first to close although several are open all year round. As we are on a budget we do not eat out often. When we do it’s at the 'value for money’ end of the scale and preferably local food. There is one subsidised place in the town that provides a 3 course lunch for €5.90. We are saving that for a “rainy day”. The 'cheap and cheerful" around the corner provided a special fish platter - about 7 different fish species including squid, calamari, prawns for Dave's birthday dinner. One and a salad was more than enough for us both. Their house wine is affordable and good. What more could we want?
Our days have been very relaxed and predictably activities are largely dictated by the weather. It has mostly been sunny and daytime temperatures of around 20°C although there have been a couple of horrid days. Horrid because of the wind which can be very gusty – the weather warning for today is 30-40kph with gusts up to 65kph. Such conditions are just not pleasant. At least on this occasion we haven’t had any rain. Thank goodness we are tucked in behind a wall that has afforded some shelter and the kitchen tent is a winner.
On the ‘normal’ days we usually get lots of exercise and fresh air. If there isn’t wind we even get in a swim. The exercise is most often on bicycles and walking (Nordic walking too).
Often the hunting and gathering requires some effort. The campsite shop (daily bread supply) closed at the end of October. There is a well-stocked neighbourhood shop 400m away. An added treat is the rotisserie cooked chicken and vegetables which she cooks to order on a Sunday. We have a weekly trip (about 10km round trip) to Esclat hypermarket and Lidl. We prefer some of the Lidl products (yogurt and vegetables) although Esclat has a great selection in every other way. Sometimes the panniers are too full to close. A further regular trip is to a nearby town (10Km away). The Badega there has a great selection of wines, olive oils and vinegars as well as a comprehensive range of ‘beverages’. They sell wine from the barrels in plastic containers. The middle priced one is €1.50/litre. It’s a flavoursome dry red without sulphurs – so I don’t even sneeze. It also seems to be fairly kind to the head!
The ride there and back is along a smooth road (N340) parallel to the coast with designated cycle lanes each side. It’s a lovely ride even without the reward of a good purchase. There are lots of cyclists out there enjoying it too – all different levels. Quite one of my favourite groups was a family peloton. The leader was a mature, smiling lady on a mobility scooter. Behind her, the family group pedalled away. We are not sure what happens when the scooter battery runs low?
Cambrils town is a real mixture although one feels there is a strong team at the centre holding it together. An example of their planning and execution is the refuse collection system that has been imposed even in the 'old' parts. It's modern, hygienic and doesn't detract from the atmosphere.
Along the sea front there’s a well maintained promenade and cycle path. Both are regularly cleaned.
Hotels, restaurants and holiday apartments occupy most of the front. Then there are the convenience stores and the residential areas a bit inland. The Old Town up on the ridge is an interesting enclave. Many of the apartments are still occupied and smaller businesses – lots of hairdressers and cafes – are around the edge. There’s a wide walkway down from the Old Town to the railway station. From the number of passengers disembarking in the early evening I guess they work further along the line in Tarragona, Reus or maybe commute to Barcelona an hour away.
The Municipal Market and the newer agricultural co –op are located in the old town. Both draw shoppers into the precinct. Both close over midday for siesta – then the cafes, bars and restaurants are busy.
There's also a comprehensive weekly street market just beyond the walls. Inside the narrow streets and small squares have an atmosphere of being 'timeless'.
There are some real gems too.
A relatively new statue in the square (2002) celebrates those who work in the vineyards.
Near the harbour there’s one to celebrate the fishermen. (pictures in previous entry) The twin pillars of the economy in days gone by. Interestingly both are “groups” rather than an individual piece. I wonder if there’ll be one for the tourism sector in future. If so, what will it depict?
One of the changes we’ve noted in the month has been an increase in graffiti. Initially there was very little and it was in the ‘expected’ areas such as near the station and under bridges. Now there’s a ‘new’ artist. She (we saw her but unfortunately didn’t register at the time and ask her about her art) has painted along the walkway. We cannot figure out her message or motivation. No-one has enlightened us. Sadly these pictures – now about 15 of them – have encouraged the odd spray can effort. At the risk of being ‘old fashioned’ – I preferred the clean promenade and love the selected commissioned artwork. Am I being harsh?
Further change is in progress at a nearby seafront property. We both ‘liked’ this property more than most and then …in came the developers. Well actually re-developers. The demolition of some of the buildings has been interesting to watch. One machine reminded me of a dinosaur – its head, beak and movements are distinctly prehistoric and life-like. It pauses, turns its head to one side as if casting a beady eye over its prey before “pecking’ away. A chimney was in danger of falling outwards so after pause and consideration “It” stretched down and selected a long hooked nail to use. 'It' delicately tickled the chimney, until the bricks toppled inwards! This monster could become a character in a kids’ story – it has the ability to be used constructively or otherwise.
We have had some great days out too. Brutus (motorbike) is used to venture further afield and the bicycles to explore the closer villages.
Mont Roig del Camp – inland was one such destination. An impressive hill top church dominated the skyline.
The old town with its narrow streets radiate out from the centre piece.
Interestingly there was a service in progress when we were there. Most of the towns have well- tended parks. The Fisherman’s Park in Cambrils runs along a canalised river from the port area to the old town. We found one in Mont Roig for our picnic lunch.
Interesting things we’ve learnt whilst here include siesta time rules. Re-opening after siesta is not always at the given time, for smaller businesses especially. Olive picking involves picking up a net full off the ground. One or two people are involved at a tree. They spread shade cloth under the tree, to cover the ‘drip’ area. They have implements which look like a coarse toothed rake, the handle of which is attached to a mobile compressor. The rake is pushed up into the olive laden branches. The compressor is activated to shake the tree and the olives gentle rain down from the quivering branch. The net is gathered up and the olives are loaded for transport to the processing plant. The olive oil presses emit a glorious aroma. The local products are really good - we have loved the oils with herbs infused especially the rosemary one.
The seasonal needs for shade or sun are perfectly catered for by lovely trees which are prolific in the region. So far we haven’t been able to find out what tree it is. In summer the wide canopy of large leaves provides pools of much needed shade. Now we need sun. The leaves conveniently drop and the trees are carefully pruned. The operation is undertaken by one man in a 'cherry picker'. Again a compressor enables him to prune mechanically. He can work from the ground or be elevated in a basket. The skeleton of the trunks and branches makes an endlessly fascinating series of frames for sky gazing.
Early on in our stay some of the ‘regular’ long-stay visitors were still here. We were included in some evening meals, card games and a needle match of boulles. Fortunately bad light stopped play there as the teams – men V women – were poised at 1 all. Kindred spirits and the opportunity to interact with so many different people is a great privilege.
A few hardy caravaners , like our German neighbours, stay through the winter. Most of the regulars remove their vans and either take them ‘home’ or store them off site. Others batten down the hatches and leave them on site. Most return in March or April for the three month pre-summer spell. Summer they spend at home and return for the autumn. Flights into Reus or Barcelona are reasonably affordable for those who leave the vans here. Then there is the ever changing mass of campers who are touring. Most are from Netherlands, Germany and France with a smattering of Brits too.
Finally after more than six months on the road we are still loving it.
The change of pace and settling in one place for a while has been good although as the waiting period draws to an end we feel the need to move on - to get warmer (again). The meeting of some inspiring and interesting in the campsite was a real bonus. My latest "heroes" are a couple of 82 and 78 respectively. They have been all over the world since retiring 20 years ago and for their 50th anniversary did a fly in, camping trip to Ethiopia. Whilst here they cycled everyday.
Dave has been able to work on a rack to support the bicycles when we are travelling. This should facilitate loading and stabilise the load.
We have yet to pack with the additional bulk of the kitchen tent. That could be interesting just as we thought we had it taped. The focus on woodwork has been a relief in fact. Dave was beginning to show signs of stress in his retirement by over committing himself. One day he was exhausted having cycled >30km, walked >5km, swum in the Med, flown a biggish kite, built dams and channels and then cooked dinner on the barbecue!