9 May - A Bit of Retail Therapy

On our way out of the apartment gardens we were admiring how the plants have grown (especially the orange blooming cactus) and smell! The white blossom was lovely smelling this morning.

This is the same cactus from May 2024! I found this picture from when it was originally planted.

Out the front there's a lovely bush that has flowers that look like red bottle brushes. Guess what the plant is called?

Yep! A red cluster bottlebrush plant!! 😂

We also spotted honey bees laden down with pollen zipping from flower to flower.

Anyway. We cycled into Empuiabrava for the Saturday market - our equivalent of Bluewater. Loads of clothing outlets, opportunities to buy deli items, fruit and veg, a selection of cooking equipment (like Lakeland on a tressel table) and plenty of nearby cafes and restaurants. Just no multi screen cinema.

These are the newly installed bike charging points - pretty snazzy.

Down at the harbour end of the market we noticed a new installation. It's one of those art things that has the name 'Empuiabrava' painted in sections.

After having to have a good look at it we worked out how to see it.

You had to be standing in a certain position at a distance - unfortunately this photo doesn't really show it but it did work.

If you don't follow instructions for not parking on Friday evening you could get towed.

Or as this Brit found out, you get clamped and the market takes place around you!

After a spot of shopping - a kg of strawberries for €3 and a bargain dress, we cycled back for late lunch. Then we mozzied for a walk down the prom as it was too overcast for sitting on the balcony.

Remember that tree that was being held up by another? Well it came down. I'm sure we'll see it replanted once they finish filling in the hole - still lots of sand to be shovelled back in.

Hopefully this dreary weather will hold off tomorrow. I feel in need of some decent sunshine.

8th May - Coastline Walk

A really clear view this morning - snow topped mountains!

A lovely day for a decent walk. So with rucksack packed with drinks and snacks (no Kendall's mint cake but we had some M&S mini biscuits that survived the drive down 😄), we started our walk from our end of the bay in Sta Margarita.

Up at the Roses end they're really going great guns to get the pipe work covered.

Just got this huge mound to get back in the huge hole!

This year it looks like they have had hessian fencing up near Roses town, to keep the sand from blowing across the prom and into the road.

Not sure I'd like to be sitting so high up fishing, especially if the boat was rocking around 🤢

You can just make out where we started our walk right in the distance. We're standing under the Castell de la Trinidad.

Spotted a cute little lizard out sunbathing on the rocks as we started on the coastal path. He was very photogenic - not like normal when they scuttle off under a rock.

Approaching Platja de Cancelled Petites.

Reached 6km from the start so time for an iced latte!

After soaking up the glorious view to the Isles de Medes across the beach and small bay, we started our return walk. After a stop in Roses for a spot of lunch and just to pass time people watching, we returned by late afternoon. 

Perfect conditions for sitting on the balcony to read a few more chapters and watch the sun go down.

Weather permitting it's market day tomorrow so I hope to get some strawberries 😊.

7 May - Lunch Out

No rain overnight and woke to blue skies and sunshine. As we were out for lunch we had a walk into Roses in the morning.

The boat to Cadaques came very close to the beach. We thought it was touting for business until we realised it was avoiding a fishing boat with it's nets out trawling.

Up at the end there's been some serious activity getting the new pipework in.

They had to get the pipe under 2 other pipes and hopefully get it to join at each end 🤞🏼

With a bit of a helping hand they managed it!

While they removed lines and sorted themselves out for the final repositioning we went for a coffee, as time was tight this morning. Had to get back to change and get out for 12.30pm lunch at La Cassola.

We had a very filling 3 hour lunch with our friend from the Isle of Man. Mussels, chicken curry and a pear ice cream sundae for me 😋. It was lovely catching up and hearing all of the news from the windswept island and Richard regaling tales from the merchant navy.

Ian and I managed the rest of the afternoon until gone 6pm on the balcony. Lovely and warm - all conducive to getting through about 100 pages of my book.

If tomorrow's another dry day we might get the bikes out again.