Travel Notes - Tarragona & Cadaques

On Thursday evening we boarded a plane to visit my brother on the second leg of his erasmus year studying languages abroad.

He is currently living in Tarragona, a city located in the South of Catalonia on the North East Spanish coast.

We landed in Barcelona and 2 train rides later arrived at his apartment.

We had already pre planned, at the request of Mr R, who's birthday was another reason for taking this mini break, that we would like to spend our first full day doing a road trip to the tiny fishing village of Cadaques, a 520km round drive from Tarragona.

Mr R is heavily into his music and the drive to Cadaques features in Liam Gallagher's band Beady Eye's video for track 'Millionaire', see it here

As we were nearing our destination we reached the mountains and began our ascent up the winding road which spiralled around the edge 
(teetering very close to a drop to the valley below- drive with care!)

We began to recognise scenery from the video and caught our first glimpse of Cadaques bay, bathed in sunshine.

On we drove, higher and higher, until clouds settled alongside us in swirls of haunting mist and our ears began to pop, it was eery but beautiful.


Once down the other side we parked the car and headed off to explore. typically at this point the sun disappeared and grey skies ensued but the sights still looked pretty.

We took solace from a shower of raindrops at a waterfront cafe and enjoyed paella and people watching.

After lunch we had a wander around the boutiques which line the bay.

This little man, Senor Lucas caught our attention straight away.

A 6 month old French bulldog, he belonged to one of the shop keepers and was very efficient at pulling in the crowds with his cuteness.

We spotted 9 Frenchies on this trip which is even more than we saw when we visited my brother in France - their native homeland!!

A few things that caught my eye around the streets of Cadaques. . .

Whilst we were in the area we decided to hop back into the car and take a trip to Port Lligat, a small village a few minutes drive away.

It was here that the famous surrealist painter Salvador Dali once lived, and his whitewashed house still stands on the bay, now open to the public as a museum.

This is the main entrance to the house, I loved the weathered paint.

The museum was closed but I took a few snaps around the grounds 

Back in Tarragona we spent our time eating and drinking our way around some of my brothers favourite haunts as well as absorbing the local buzz in the market and town squares adorned with brightly coloured murals

And walked the cobbled streets of the old town, lined with orange trees and pretty balconies

Tarragona is not a place I would have probably stumbled upon had it not been for my brother studying there but it was nice to sample Spanish life in a small, everyday kind of town.