So, why do I think it was so cool? Let me name a few!
Better weather than Barcelona
For those of you who know me I'm sure it comes as no surprise that the lack of rain in Tarragona immediately put a much better light on this city. But really, its situated south of Barcelona away from the mountains so it tends to be about 10F warmer and gets much less rain. It was nice and sunny (albeit way windy) while there. It wasn't warm enough and we didn't have time to go onto the beach but it looked nice and was easily accessible.
It was so nice to see the sun and blue sky!
Here's a view of the city from the guard tower at the Circus. What a view!
World Heritage Site
Tarragona is a world heritage site as of about 2000. It was known as a major administrative and mercantile city in Roman Spain and the centre of the Imperial cult for all the Iberian provinces. It is also known as one of the first cities that was actually planned and then developed and became a footprint for all other Roman provincial capitals. Add this to the fact that things are well preserved and you get really cool things to see: Roman walls, the Imperial cult enclosure, the Square with representation of the provincial forum, the Circus, the Colony forum, the Roman theatre, the Amphitheatre, the Visigoth basilica and Romanesque church, the Early Christian necropolis, and my favorite the Hydraulic conduits from Tárraco to Les Ferreres aqueduct (or commonly called Pont del Diable).
The Forum area
Definitely a highlight - the Aqueduct I got to walk across!
What a cool engineering feat!
Here you can see many different "eras" of building up the Roman wall of the city.
Protect this house! Part of the walls and surrounding fortress at Tarragona.
Relaxed Vibe of the City
Unlike Barcelona which has a lot of hustle and bustle with tons of tourists, Tarragona is somewhat of a hidden treasure. As a result there aren't nearly as many people and you can get some quiet moments at the various tourist spots. It makes for a much more relaxed atmosphere and slower pace. The local are extremely nice and helpful - even taking the time to joke with you in their limited English. You didn't have to wait in line at any of the shops or restaurants which was also nice. Now, I'm sure as the real tourist season ramps up it will get busier but it will not be like the better known day trip locations.
A great "real" market to go to.
Real as in...here's where the locals come to contemplate their menu for the day.
The locals just sometimes like to check out what's happening on the street.
Heading to school past the Cathedral.
You can find these pictures and more from my trip posted in the NEW gallery until my next post. After that, you can find them under their respective "location" or "type" gallery. You can view additional pictures in my Public Gallery or by clicking on the Photo Gallery Tabs above. All pictures are available for purchase.
Cheat Sheet Tarragona
You can do Tarragona easily by leaving at around 830am and return for a late dinner (which is the norm for Barcelona). Food seemed to be a bit cheaper in Tarragona so you can stay and eat there as well as trains run up until about 9pm. The city sights are all within walking distance from the local train station. The tourism website has awesome information on all the sights with maps and English information here: http://www.tarragonaturisme.cat/en.You can take the bus out to the aqueduct for 2.50. You feel a little like you are out in the sticks as you are literally dropped off on the side of the highway but the aqueduct is just a 10 minute walk and well posted from the bus stop . The busses run about every 20 minutes so the total time for the Aqueducts is about 90-120 minutes. It is REALLY WORTH IT THOUGH. Obviously I was totally fascinated by being able to walk across an ancient aqueduct. The engineer in me was giddy!
Sitting on the roadside did make you a bit nervous about if the bus would come or stop! It did.
Make sure to hit the Circus and explore all the areas. At first you think its a 15 minute stop but if you go through all the tunnels and then up on top of the guard tower (its a lot of stairs but way worth it) it can take you between 1-2hours. The view from the guard tower alone is worth it as you get a picturesque view of the Amphitheatre next to the Mediterranean Sea.
Here's the view towards the sea from the guard tower.
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