Tarragona

     I went to bed around 5:30 this morning and woke up to get ready at 8:30.  Needless to say, I am very tired.  My group got on a bus and headed for Tarragona.  Tarragona is in southern Catalonia by the Mediterranean.  In Roman times, the city was named Tarraco and was one of the major cities of the Iberian Peninsula.  Originally inhabited by Iberians, the Roman Empire took control of the city in 217 B.C.  The city is almost completely enclosed by giant stone walls.  The winding streets and flowery balconies give a very whimsical and romantic European vibe.

 The cathedral in the middle of the city dates back to the twelfth century.  It was originally meant to look Roman, but when funding ran out, the style was changed to Gothic.  It was currently under restoration so we were not able to go inside, unfortunately.

     At the top of the round window, there is the head of a statue.  The head currently resides here atop the rose window.  Apparently the arms are inside but the body is in Barcelona.

      We walked some more through the city and gaped at the ruins and ancient buildings.

      Next we visited the ruins of the Amphitheatre down near the sea.  It was used for gladiator fights, which were in actuality not to the death.  The more expensive seats, reserved for nobility, were the ones higher up in the stands because there was less of a chance of them getting hurt if something went wrong with a chariot or animal.

     After that, we got lunch at a great restaurant near the cathedral.  I had paella as an appetizer with shrimp, octopus and squid (I did not eat the octopus or squid), tuna with caramelized onions, tomato jam, asparagus and zucchini as my main course, and watermelon for dessert!

     The tuna was really tender and the asparagus was so sweet.  After lunch we took a walk to see a statue of this tradition of "human towers".  They climb on top of one another to build as high a tower as possible!

A lovely fountain we passed on the walk

We hit the beach for about an hour and we all got to know each other better.  I think we all grew a little closer and got more comfortable with each other.

Group members, new friends and old :)

     There's a word the Spanish use: Vale (pronounced bah-leh).  It basically means "ok, alright, go with the flow, it's all good".  It's kind of become my motto these past four days and hopefully will continue to be so for the next 26 days, and even beyond that!  "Vale" means you just say "Okay" and go with it; "Hells yeah you're in Spain!".  You don't ask why, you ask why not!  I'm so glad I woke up early; it was entirely worth it.  I highly recommend that you visit Tarragona if you ever come to Spain!  Barcelona is great, but this is a hidden gem!