Roses - Fine Dining. See Culinary Accolades

Roses, Spain. Roman anchor, re-wooded,at the beach

The Financial Times has a fine Food and Drink section. It features a restaurant near Roses this time, issue December 1-December 2, 2012, this long after our return:  The place is the family-owned Almadraba Park Hotel: Jordi Subiros and his father, Jaume. Jaume Subiros or a different? Not clear on Spanish naming.

We missed it -- staying instead last-minute and grateful, at the venerable, courteous and helpful Hostal Rom. This was a crowded, hot weekend (and that was fine, too, although our two rooms, one bed each, did not have an ensuite bathroom:  each did, however, have a sole-user lockable bathroom down the hall; the price was right).  Had we known of the Almadraba, we might have ventured out of town to eat, where all was booked, to find it. You can find it at http://www.almadrabapark.com/index.php?idm=3. Then again, we had an excellent parking space and would have lost it if we went wandering.

Does the Rom, where we stayed, have any connection to Roma?

• Menu for meal, Almadraba Park Hotel for the reporter's fine dinner at the Almadraba: GENERAL QUOTES -- cool cherry gazpachy, creamy asparagus mousse, two fish courses (delicate brochettes of squid with tarragon vinaigrette; and two large sea bass oven-cooked "fisherman style (?), then slow-roasted duck with pear chutney, and then a birthday cake. CLOSE GENERAL QUOTES.

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.