Tarragona 2

I had an afternoon free and just needed a place to stay overnight in Tarragona, so I booked a cheap place on a small square. I have stayed in some pretty horrible places in my life, including a room in Costa Rica where the “bathroom” was a hole in a concrete floor, but in recent years I have become accustomed to much nicer accommodations. This place in Tarragona was a two-star hotel. 

The room was tiny and the towels were thin and rough (I should say the “towel was thin and rough”), there was no soap in the shower, but this was my view. My view of the painting on the wall above my bed, which was the only part of the room not finished in 70’s style wood paneling.

This was my view out the window, but at least I had a window, which is probably how the place got the second star. I only raise all of this as an observation of what a snob I’ve become in my old age.

Speaking of old age, this traditional dance happened last night on the main street of Tarragona. You might notice that the “dancers” aren’t doing much dancing, but this tradition is hundreds of years old, the dance is all very tightly choreographed and it means a lot to the people doing it.

Then I met up with my friend Robert, who took me on a guided tour of Tarragona, including all the
historic sites and a rooftop terrace that serves wine, so it was a very successful tour. On the way up in the elevator, another couple made some small talk with us and on the way out the guy said he hoped Robert and I had a nice holiday together in Tarragona. The fact that he didn’t think I was too old for Robert made my day.

Afterward, we drove to a Roman aqueduct out in the middle of nowhere that was just amazing. Can you imagine in the first century AD that the emperor (Augustus) decided to live in Tarragona and told his guys that he wanted running water. It was straightforward to dig a trench in the mountains to bring water toward the city, but then they hit a valley and they said “OK, we’ll just build an aqueduct here so that the water can keep on running down smoothly into town.” This thing is enormous and just perfect. If you look closely you can see a person at the very top, which gives you a sense of the scale. It blows my mind.