Les Cases d'Alcanar

l'Ametlla to Les Cases d'Alcanar

2nd November

40 miles

Our original intention had been to stay on an aire in the Ebro Delta National Park and do some cycling. However the weather forecast for the delta was mixed, whereas the area just to the south of it seemed brighter. This turned out to be the case and as we crossed the Ebro at Ampolla the flatlands of the delta were lost in mist, so we pressed on. We had identified an small ASCI site a few miles further south at Les Cases d'Altamar as a possible 'plan B'. That's where we headed; the weather was sunnier and the place delightful.

 

The town has two minor disadvantages in terms of a Spanish resort. Firstly to the north  of it is a large cement works and bulk carrier port. Secondly, it has a beach of white pebbles. This is its saving grace, for it means there are no big hotels or apartment complexes. Although a two kilometre palm fringed esplanade has been developed the far ends of it back onto little fincas with small holdings and the town centre is a gaggle of white houses mixed with a fair few sea-food restaurants. When we arrived at around noon the place had hardly woken-up, but a couple of hours later it was alive with families out for Sunday lunch, It was all very relaxed and civilised.

The church by the harbour

The inevitable noisette is replaced by the habitual cortado.

The penalties for impromptu trick cycling in Spain are very severe.

Maisy by the Med.

These machine gun emplacements on the shore are reminders  of how this area was a crucial battleground during the Civil War.

The main square is lined with restaurants

We've noticed a large numbers of big butterflies - big butterflies = big caterpillars!

Extreme relaxation can be very tiring....time for a rest!

Where we are staying - Camping Estanyet - is a kilometre or so from the village centre at the south end of the esplanade. It's a small family run site, the pitches are not huge and the entrance a  tight squeeze for a larger motorhome. This is more than compensated by the friendly welcome and the recently improved facilities which includes a state of the art solar powered sanitary block as well as new pool. Its been going over 50 years and photo boards around the place trace its history from the early 1960s until now. Clearly its somewhere that is run with pride and commitment. We'd certainly stay here again in the future. As for now, tomorrow we head for a few days in Benicassim, a bigger resort, somewhere we can celebrate the impending birthday, even if it rains on the 4th, as it is threatening to do.

When I woke up the first thing I saw were palm fronds through the skylight, a few birds were twittering away. What sounded like the roar of distant traffic was the Mediterranean scrunching on the pebble beach at the back of the site, I got up, made some coffee and opened the blinds. The dawn light streamed in. Gill rolled out of bed saying. "I bet there's a great sunrise going on, you should get out there and take some photos."  And here they are.....