On our first long trip in autumn 2014 we spent most of October in the south of France only reaching the Costa Brava as Halloween approached. We did not realise that the area closed down towards the end of October. We did find one campsite open near Pals, but it was a semi-deserted and the two days we stayed there we were serenaded by chainsaws as contractors pollarded the rows of plane trees between the pitches in preparation for re-opening next Easter.
What we later found in our low season wanderings from one end of the Mediterranean to the other is there is a fine line between being able to enjoy beautiful places when they are uncrowd and peaceful and the moment when they become so deserted it feels spooky. Our top rated spots for zombie apocalypse themed winter sun have to be February in Secce Grande on Sicily's south coast, and Ciro Marina the following month, which I dubbed a 'Calabrian Rhyl.
We caught l'Escala on the cusp. The hundreds of villas in Riells, spread across the wooded hills between I'Escala and Cala Montgro, were all shuttered, as was the handy supermarket near the campsite - definitely post apocalyptic. As for the Illa Mateua campsite itself, the terraced half was zombified but the flatter pitches across the the road partially occupied, perhaps twenty or so motorhomes dotted about under the umbrella pines.
Four nights was the most we could book, after then the entire site closes for the season.
From the coastal path just beyond the site's perimeter you get a spectacular view across the bay of Roses towards the Pyrenees.
To reach the viewpoint we climbed though the closed section of the site. It felt slightly mournful. This area is where Spanish families have their seasonal pitches.
When we were here previously the place buzzed with activity, culminating on Sunday lunchtimes with scores of extended families having barbecues or cooking paellas in giant pans half a metre in diameter - the hubbub infectious, the cooking smells enticing, merely observing the scene was enough to raise your spirits and think, well maybe there is some hope for humanity after all.
However the prospect from the clifftops was enough to raise our spirits right now By mid October the summer heat haze has dissipated, the sea darkens to the deepest of blues and the colours of the south sing joyously, simply staring feels profound and immersive. For me southern light is a natural high, alluring and addictive.
On our first evening we took a stroll down to the cove at Cala Montgro. Every time we come here it seems one of the older, dun coloured low rise 1970s apartment blocks at the back of the beach has gone and been replaced by something sleeker with a gleaming white balcony, exuding a more contemporary Ibiza vibe. Cala Montgro is a very stylish spot built around a beautiful cove. Even in mid October there are warm evenings enough to fill the two small bars on the low cliffs on east side of the beach with afficianados seeking the perfect cocktail at sunset .
It's not something we tend do. Instead we took a counter clockwise stroll to the opposite side of the cove; I celebrated the lengthening shadows by taking a silhouetted selfie.
Next day the steep hill between Cala Mongro and l'Escala gave us the opportunity to test our new ebikes. Gill bought hers earlier in the year, but mine is only a few weeks old. Though we live in the Peak District, which is very hilly, we do all of our cycling on local trails which utilise disused railways. Consequently the most challenging things we face are a long inclines.
Our new bikes have torque as opposed to cadence drive systems. These are more sensitive to the pressure you place on the pedals, adjusting the power accordingly. Gill had the opportunity earlier in the year to test out her new bike in Cornwall and Devon and it worked well on the challenging hills. It feels different, she explained, more like an ordinary bike but less effort. That also was my experience today. The ride feels sportier too, the frame a little stiffer, its geometry more upright. A thumbs up for the new bikes!
We were on a tapas bar hunt. We reckoned that we'd bagged a good one in the old town overlooking the harbour. We perused Grop's menu yesterday, it looked interesting and reviews online were positive.
Gill is not an indecisive person at all until she is faced with a menu, then deliberations can take some time.
l'Escala anchovies with a 'salad' of roasted vegetables.
Fried aubergine in a light batter.
The patatas bravas were so delicious we ate most of them before we took the inevitable photo. They were the star of the show, sometimes the simplest things are the most difficult to make truly delicious - perfectly fluffy in the middle, crunchy on the outside, very yummy. A debate ensued as whether these should replace the ones we consumed in Logrono in February 2020 as the epitome of this ubiquitous Spanish snack. We decided it was a tie. Just to clarify, we don't actually make notes of every single plate we eat, as well as being memorably tasty, the Logrono pinchos bar crawl on the 18th Feb 2020 remains in our minds because it was the last time we ate out before the pandemic struck, and as such seems like a treasured memento of simpler, less troubled times.
As we mulled over the patatas bravas question we could not help but notice various delicious looking desserts being served up at adjacent tables. We don't really do deserts that often, certainly not at lunchtime. However habits are there to be broken
Gill opted for the lemon tart...
Afterwards we browsed a while among the book stalls that had been erected on the quayside. Some sort of literary event seemed to be going, the volumes on offer were mainly niche limited editions. Earnest looking stall-holders outnumbered customers.
The centrepiece was a golden horseshoe formed from paint sprayed books. I am sure all the books were publishers' unsold volumes destined to be pulped, but still the sight of brand new books deliberately aerosoled rankled, one defaced book is one too many, at least in my book.
So, another day slipped by, travel mode kicks in, where moments count but weeks slide by. We only have three weeks on this trip sadly, but we do have a ferry back to Spain booked for January 26th, and due to the arcane machinations of Schengen the fewer days we have now the more we have in store for next time.
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