Roses. Bay, Beach, Sequence of Settlements, Invasions

Bays and their peninsulas on the side make perfect settlement spots.  The trouble is, once one group sets up shop, another casts a covetous eye on it, and the warfare begins.  At Roses, with its Bay of Roses, evidence of settlements BCE (Greek) through Roman, through more Greek (from the Marseilles area), and Visigoths, and the monastery at Santa Maria de Roses arises in about 944 CE.

Roses, Spain. Costa Brava. Castle ruin at peninsula.

The beach holds many attractions.

Roses, Spain. Discreet photo, topless lady

Daniel Widing, pleased to be at Roses, Spain. Costa Brava.

The monastery is at the end of this side of the bay's peninsula.

She went in.  Is she still out there?

Roses, Spain.  People-watching.

In this heat wave, we did not shop around for restaurants, and the hotels were all crowded.  Find an elevated deck area, breeze if any, outside in the shade, and just sit and eat bits after bits, until darkness comes and all cools off.  Serious meals start at 8PM at the earliest.  Tapas any time, and is enough to satisfy.

Roses, Spain.  Good food, even at places with pictures out there.

For those of us without reservations, arriving at a fine resort late in the day means taking what you can get.  Go to the tourist office and they will call around.  We found two rooms, separate, at the local hostel, Rom Hostel.  Hot, but that is not their fault. Aim the fan and stay still. Dan got over-hot and was too polite to bang on my door -- now he knows to knock a little louder and announce reasonably that it is indeed he, and I would awaken mejitly.

Note on bad economic times and hostels:  entire families, and many, many older people, were at the Rom.  This was not just full of backpacking kids. A hostel may be the only way to afford some time at the beach.  Safe, clean, friendly.

Sleeping at hostel. The possibility of hostels means sleeping gear that doubles for street-wear, for going to the loo/shower down the hall.  I use a black T-shirt dress for sleeping, Dan sleeps in shorts.  That also saves on packing. If two of you accept a room for four, expect two more to join you. If you take a room for 1, you will get more privacy but it may be hotter.  Trade.

Roses, Spain. Nighttime sandcastles. Show appreciation with some change.

Empuries. Ruins of Empuries. Greece, Rome on the Costa Brava

Empuries, Costa Brava, Spain

This area has been a center of trade since the 7th Century BCE.  Etruscans, Phoenicians, Greeks. The name Empuries comes from the Greek Emporion, that means, of course, Greek.  Then came the Romans.  By the end of 300ACE, however, the city had been eclipsed by Barcelona, Tarragona and Girona.

Empuries, Spain. Greeks and Romans by the sea.

Empuries, Costa Brava, Spain. Ancient town layout; archeology site.

Greek and Roman ruins here are still "legible" as a full town, complete with water and water purification systems.

Ruines d'Empuries, Costa Brava. Ancient heritage.

Empuries, Roman wall, Spain

Patterns of mosaics and tiling are complex.  Roman mosaics were made in panels, with drawings found underneath to direct the placement.  They were not made on the house floor itself, but in a workshop, section by section.  See Archeology Magazine, Nov-Dec 2012 at p.40, article: Mosaic Masters.

Empuries, Spain. Roman mosaics and tiling

Then Dan turned around.

Touch the exhibits in the museum.  You are supposed to.  Pass your hand over, and the mosaic picture appears, then fades back into the past.

Dan Widing high-fives at the Empuries interactive museum, Costa Brava, Spain

Then, stuck.

Empuries, Dan Widing with Good Samaritan who unlocked the steering wheel.  

Tossa de Mar. Costa Brava. Walled city.

Tossa de Mar, Spain.  Walled, medieval city. Costa Brava.

Tossa de Mar is the best-preserved medieval walled city on the Costa Brava, if not all of coastal Spain.  Beaches are perfect first-day stops, but pick yours carefully.  Sand is repetitions.  Choose a unique side-interest. This walled town is on the beach itself, where fishermen and area dwellers could take refuge quickly. See history at http://www.spanish-country-villa.com/tossa/

Tossa de Mar, Spain. Ready refuge on the beach, Costa Brava.

Tossa de Mar, Spain.  Street, medieval city.

Access is walking. 

 

Dan Widing meets Ava Gardner at Tossa de Mar, Spain.  Why is she there?

Ava Gardner:  Ava Gardner is at Tossa de Mar because she arrived there with actor James Mason in 1950 to film "Pandora and the Flying Dutchman."  See http://www.tossacostabrava.com/helpful_info.asp?page_name=pandora___the_flying_dutchman.html