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Traveling around Spain by car. Traveling around Spain - personal report of a traveler

Along the coast of Spain by car: reviews, route, photos, interesting places and bays

Route by car in northern Spain.

Route along the coast of Spain by car: Barcelona - Pineda de Mar - Lloret de Mar - Tossa de Mar - Barcelona - Castelldefels

GPS coordinates Barcelona 41.399766, 2.181909
GPS coordinates Pineda de Mar 41.624980, 2.682758
GPS coordinates Lloret de Mar 41.700710, 2.839799
GPS coordinates Tossa de Mar 41.722753, 2.930422
GPS coordinates Castelldefels 41.275727, 1.980509
GPS coordinates outlet La Roca Village 41.611505, 2.344471

We divided our trip to Spain geographically into the coasts from Barcelona on the left and on the right. For the first 5 days we stayed in the small resort town of Pineda De Mar. Then we went to the other side of Barcelona - to the city.

Upon arrival in Barcelona, we took it right at the airport. There are representatives of all possible car rental agencies there, but we booked a specific model in advance and, as it turned out, it was not in vain that our agency, which we chose (according to price-quality criteria), had a huge queue and without prior reservation nothing might have turned up .

From Barcelona, already by car, we went to Pineda de Mar, where we had booked a hotel.

Car rental in Spain

Traveling around Spain by car is quite interesting. We traveled all over the coast and all the nooks and crannies, found many beautiful, interesting and completely deserted places. Therefore, when going to Spain, be sure to rent a car, this way you will get much more out of your stay in this country than if you were limited to traveling by public transport.
The roads in Spain, in particular in places along the route from Pineda de Mar to Tossa de Mar, are very good, the intersections are all roundabouts.
The only thing I would like to warn you about is if you don’t yet have much experience in renting a car abroad - be very careful, rental offices are very fond of cheating. Therefore, choose a rental company based on reviews; it is advisable to weed out those that require a credit card as collateral (to block funds in the account), because then, upon arrival home, you may find unauthorized charges from your card.

About our experience.

From Barcelona to Pineda de Mar

From Barcelona airport to Pineda de Mar it is approximately 70 km along the coast road. The road is very good, there are beautiful views, so the distance is covered very easily and takes less than an hour.

By the way, on the road from Pineda de Mar (or vice versa), if you take the bypass road, there is the largest and most famous Outlet for shopping lovers - La Roca Village. This road is even better than the one that goes along the coast, because it is smoother and it is easier and faster to drive along it.

Outlet on the map of La Roca Village

Pineda de Mar and our holiday in this resort place

Pineda de Mar(Pineda de Mar) is a very small resort town, so if you just want to RELAX, you can safely choose it to stay. Relatively large hotels, cafes, restaurants, and pizzerias are concentrated on the coast. In the evenings it is crowded, you can walk and have dinner. But after walking 10 minutes from the coast inland, life freezes in the evenings and in the hotels that are located there you are guaranteed a good sleep :) We chose a hotel closer to the highway (Carrer de la Riera), and we didn’t regret it at all - it’s quiet, the prices are lower, it’s 10 minutes to the beach minutes walking distance, there were no problems with free parking.

Beach in Pineda de Mar- the most ordinary European public beach with yellow sand, quite large. We didn't spend much time on it, but were only there three times for an hour. We preferred to drive along the coast by car and stop in interesting places, among which there were other beaches, although in principle they are all the same in terms of water and sand, just some are public, urban, some are completely secluded. We found one of these beaches in Lloret de Mar.

View from our hotel in Pineda de Mar

View from the hotel, Pineda de Mar

Lloret de Mar

In the city center is one of the main attractions of Lloret de Mar - the Castell d'en Plaja. The entrance to the territory is closed, because These are private properties. But you can walk along the path along the cliff around the castle.

Having left the car somewhere in a dead-end street, we saw a steep pedestrian road along the shore. It offered very beautiful views.

We found a secluded small beach where we happily stopped. But the road leading to it was not immediately found.

Secluded beach in Lloret de Mar

Tossa de Mar

While driving along Tossa de Mar, we stopped at some dead-end narrow street from where a very beautiful view opened up.

Having traveled through all the nooks and crannies and “explored” this area, we went on vacation to the city, on the other side of Barcelona. Read about how you can spend time in Castelldefels and what to see in the surrounding area.

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On the Mediterranean coast there are many large and small, famous and not so famous, luxurious and modest resort towns. Among all this diversity, Barcelona stands out. Bright, controversial, proud and, of course, unusually atmospheric. This is a city of geniuses, unrecognized and recognized talents, and, of course, art fans. A city that can rightfully be called the resort capital of the Mediterranean. However, even with all this diversity and splendor, sometimes you want to travel around Spain by car, starting the route from Barcelona and discovering more and more new corners of Catalonia and beyond every day.

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Barcelona - Lloret de Mar - Girona - Vila Sacra

Having decided to go on an independent auto tour from Barcelona, many tourists first of all go towards Lloret de Mar. Moreover, in one day you can visit several interesting cities at once. Having covered literally 70 kilometers, travelers find themselves in a completely different reality. Despite the popularity of the resort, a calm, peaceful atmosphere reigns here. In addition, there are quite a lot of attractions in Lloret de Mar - the San Juan Castle, located on the coast and which has become the hallmark of the entire Costa Brava, the romantic chapel of St. Cristina, the patroness of the city, the gardens of St. Clotilde and others. For those who decide to spend the night in Lloret de Mar, the town opens up from a completely different side. When the sun sets, it seems to come to life and the streets, which seemed quiet and calm during the day, turn into one big party. You can roam between bars until dawn. The main thing is not to overdo it with cocktails, especially if you plan to travel further in the morning.

The next destination for many travelers is Girona, the distance to which is only 35 kilometers. It is often called the immortal city (the city fortress over the years of its existence managed to withstand 25 sieges, and this is really a lot!), Spanish Florence and even the city of Salvador Dali (although the museum dedicated to him is not here, but in Firegas). Girona is not as famous and popular as its neighbor Barcelona, but no less beautiful. The best way to start exploring Girona is with a walk through the Old Town. Small colorful houses of the 17th century with multi-colored facades, located on the embankment of the Onyar River, invariably fascinate and remind of the affairs of bygone days (someone compares them with Florence - and indeed there is some similarity), and Plaza Catalunya, which looks like a wide bridge and connecting the two banks, looks very unusual and even mysterious. And, of course, you can’t pass by the medieval Cathedral, the construction of which began back in the 14th century.

Vila Sacra is located literally 20 kilometers from Girona. Why is it worth visiting this small cozy village? At least to breathe the air of the Spanish province, find out what the national cuisine is (not aimed at tourists, but truly local!) and spend the night in a cozy hotel, so that in the morning you can go on to discover beautiful Spain with renewed vigor.

Vila Sacra - Empuriabrava - Besalu - Castelfiolite de la Roca

Inquisitive tourists are unlikely to want to stay in Vila Sacra for a long time - a couple of hour evening walk is enough to get around the entire village. Therefore, in the morning, after having a snack at the hotel, you can get ready to hit the road to the shores of bohemian Empuriabrava. This resort city is often called the Spanish Venice. It is all “cut up” with canals, their total length exceeds 35 kilometers - this is a world record. As in Venice, luxury villas have access to the water - local residents often travel on yachts and boats. However, you can also travel by land to any point in Empuriabrava. In general, this is a very atmospheric town, a walk through which will certainly give you a lot of positive emotions and vivid impressions.

Among the attractions of the resort, the beaches are the first to be noted. Wide, sandy, almost endless... Essentially there are two of them - one well-maintained and the other wild. Despite the popularity of Empuriabrava, there is enough space for everyone even at the height of the tourist season. But lovers of architectural masterpieces will most likely be disappointed by this town. It is not old, and there are no attractions as such here. But in medieval Besalu, the first mention of which dates back to the 10th century, there are plenty of them. It would be more correct to say that the whole city is one continuous attraction. It is small in area, only 5 square kilometers, and you can get around all the nooks and crannies in 2-3 hours. City landmarks are the El Castel castle and the bridge over the El Fluvia river. However, not only they, but also every house, every alley remind of its former greatness.

Having thoroughly enjoyed the color of bygone days, you can move on. Just 15 kilometers from Besalu is the village of Castellfollit de la Roca, very famous far beyond the borders of Spain. It is surprising primarily because it is located right in the rock. And it was built no less than in the distant Middle Ages. Hence there is very unusual architecture and many buildings worthy of attention. Among them, the Church of San Salvador and the museum located next to it stand out. From the observation deck you can enjoy stunning panoramic views of the surrounding area. Overall, Castellfollit de la Roca is not just colorful – it seems lost in time. Walking along its narrow streets, you begin to believe that a brave knight in armor or a lady in a chic fluffy dress will appear around the corner. Fortunately, there are very few tourists here and the stories of the guides do not disturb this mysterious atmosphere. But, no matter how beautiful the village in the mountains is, it is unlikely to interest inquisitive travelers for more than 2-3 hours. Therefore, in the evening you can return to Vila Sacra in order to continue your journey in the morning and see a completely different Spain - in the Pyrenees Mountains.

Vila Sacra - Seira, Pyrenees

From Vila Sacra to Seira is not that close - about 350 kilometers. However, the roads in Spain are good and the journey can easily be covered in 4-4.5 hours. Why, if you decide to visit the Pyrenees, should you stay here? First of all, because Seira is a very cozy, colorful village where you can get acquainted with national traditions and feel the special spirit of the Spanish province. Secondly, housing here is not expensive - for the price of a room in a three-star hotel in Barcelona you can rent a two-story apartment with mountain views. From the point of view of attractions, Seira is of no interest. They simply aren't here. But the immediate surroundings deserve attention. The first place to go is the Estany De Cavallers lake dam. It is considered the most equipped and convenient for inspection. The building is truly amazing in its scale. In addition, the dam itself offers breathtaking views.

You can admire nature almost alone - getting to Estany De Cavallers is not so easy; this can only be done with your own transport. That is why there are not too many tourists here. In the area of the dam there are simple places for relaxation (wooden tables and benches), but if you want to relax and have a picnic, you should stock up on food in advance - there are no shops or other retail outlets here. Not far from the lake is the Aiguestortes National Park. It is notable primarily for the fact that there are several routes for short trekking throughout the territory - the simplest one, designed for unprepared tourists, can be covered in 2-3 hours. Along the road there are fast mountain rivers, slopes rushing towards the clouds, and almost abandoned bridges. Occasionally, somewhere in the distance you can see lonely houses. The landscapes are complemented by lonely walking cows with bells - almost alpine romance. Although the Pyrenees landscapes are not at all similar to the Alps. They are beautiful, mesmerizing and breathtaking in their own way.

While enjoying the beauty, do not forget about returning home - from Aiguestortes to Seira is not so far, only 80 kilometers, but the road is quite difficult - a narrow serpentine. Therefore, it is better to overcome it before sunset.

Seira - Benasque

Just 22 kilometers from Seira there is a place that is known to every lover of active winter recreation - the Benasque ski resort. In winter, at the height of the season, there is literally “nowhere for the apple to fall.” But in the summer, in a small town with a population of 2000 people, as if lost among the Pyrenees peaks, it is calm and quiet. In the surrounding area there are several trekking routes of varying difficulty - designed for both amateurs and professionals who know a lot about hiking. The beauty of the surrounding landscapes amazes even seasoned travelers - glaciers, lakes, waterfalls... not a single photograph conveys all this grandeur and splendor. Benasque is not only a modern ski resort. The city has quite an interesting history, so it is not surprising that there are many architectural attractions on its streets. Among them are the palace of the counts of Ribagorza, the houses of Casa Juste, Casa Faure and Casa Martial del Rio. As you can see, this place has always attracted representatives of the Spanish nobility. In addition, the 13th century Romanesque church of Santa Maria Maggiore deserves attention.

The Seira-Benasque road is not very long, only 22 kilometers, but if you deviate just a few meters from the main route, you can find yourself in truly fabulous places. One of them is the dam near the Presa de Benasque lake. It itself is closed to the public, but there is an observation deck nearby that offers a beautiful panoramic view of the dam itself, a tunnel through the rock (they are quite common in the Pyrenees) and the lake. Another place that would be a crime to drive past is Lake Escarpinosa and the Posets-Maladeta Park located in its vicinity. Many call it the most beautiful thing in the Pyrenees. In any case, lovers of nature and beautiful landscapes will not remain indifferent.

You can end this day by staying at one of the hotels in Benasque (in summer, prices for accommodation in the city are very attractive, since the resort is empty) or by returning to Seira - it will be more convenient to continue your journey from there.

Seira - Montserrat - Castelldefels

Of course, these are not all the interesting places in the Pyrenees Mountains, but if you are limited in time, this “must see” route can be considered completed. On the way to Barcelona there is an object that you simply cannot pass by. This is the spiritual center of Catalonia, the holy of holies for local residents and Catholics around the world - the Monastery of Montserrat. It is famous primarily for the fact that it is here that the statue of the Black Virgin of Montserrat is located. The history of the monastery began more than 1000 years ago. Since then and to this day it has been considered active, although now there are not too many monks, no more than 20 people. There is a small museum at the monastery where you can learn about the affairs of bygone days. In terms of architecture, the Montserrat monastery is interesting primarily because it was almost completely rebuilt in the 19th century with the participation of the famous and controversial architect Antonio Gaudi. He embodied his ideas related to human unity and endless harmony here really very successfully.

Montserrat Monastery is located in a very picturesque location. There are several trekking routes in its vicinity; for the convenience of tourists, there are signs everywhere, so you won’t be able to get lost at all. In addition, they take place in the most picturesque places and are designed for tourists with different levels of physical fitness - even those who are experienced in sports can cope with conquering the simplest ones.
How much time should you plan to visit Montserrat Monastery? For some, a few hours are enough, while others are ready to stay here forever. For those who decide to stay and spend the night, there is a hotel next to the monastery. True, the prices here are not low, tourist prices.

Having completed your acquaintance with the monastery and having breathed enough of the air of the monastery, you can return to the coast. Back to Barcelona? Of course, this is possible, but there are still many wonderful places in Catalonia where you can end up at last. For example, the miniature and very cozy town of Castelldefels. It is known, first of all, for its endlessly long beach - an excellent place to put the finishing touches and say goodbye to beautiful Spain. In addition, there are a huge number of restaurants with a wide variety of cuisines - from national Catalan to Japanese. Seafood dishes are considered a local highlight. If you are lucky enough to get to Kastfeldefels in July or October, then you can become a participant in a pirate feast or a chestnut festival; the fame of these events “spreads” throughout Catalonia.

Of course, this is not the only “Spanish” route that you can take by car from Barcelona. Catalonia and its neighboring regions are rich in attractions, natural parks and all kinds of interesting places. Spain is diverse, colorful and always hospitable. It opens up differently for every traveler, but every tourist certainly leaves a piece of his soul here.

A mandatory addition to this essay is a guide to Spain, in which the reader will find stories about the sights. Here is only my invaluable experience. Only useful. I will be glad if anything is useful to you.

IDEA

This is our fourth trip to Spain. Therefore, we tried to visit places we had not been before.

AUTO

I booked the car on Centauro. During our acquaintance, the site acquired a Russian-language version. A Volkswagen Polo for just over a month and with insurance (with a reasonable deductible) cost only 190 €. Miracles! How the Spanish comrades manage to fit into such budgets is a mystery and a good lesson for their colleagues in other countries. The closest priced car on AutoEurope already cost 475 €. I understand if Centauro were selling smoky junk with rattling nuts. This time, giving me the keys, the manager said: “The mileage is 14 km.” That's what I saw on the speedometer. The car was new. After all, they don’t twist the speedometer! And last time I bought a car from them in almost perfect condition. I just want to start any trip with Spain.
One inconvenience. The company's office is not located in the airport building. It was not possible to find the shuttle to the office according to the instructions, and after running around the airport a little with our suitcase, being directed by a woman with a tank on a cart and with a broom, we went out through the parking lot on the zero level into the backyards to the shuttle parking lot on the hill. One said "Centauro". One problem: to get into the shuttle, you had to climb a slope along the lawn with a heavy suitcase and climb over a fence. According to the law banning the use of obscene language in the media, I will not cite the words with which I did all this.
The offline Mapsme application, which I have been using for a long time and which is improving before our eyes, shows parking lots in cities, which is often useful.

MOVEMENT IN SPACE

We moved from Barcelona to Benidorm and back. Already on the road I realized that the route was not drawn up correctly. The long stretch from Benidorm to Barxelona on the way back (4.5 hours according to the navigator and with stops all day in reality) could have been avoided. By moving in a staggered order: Barcelona, Playa de Aro, Cambrils, Benidorm, Valencia, Barcelona, you can save 1.5 hours on the last leg.

I was tired of fulfilling the requirement for a maximum number of photos of 50 pieces. Quite a few of them had to be removed. Removing some requires deleting part of the text (it becomes unclear why these words are used). The full version is on my blog “In Search of Orientation”. You just need to look for it through Google search.

WEATHER

The Mediterranean coast of Spain is so south for me that I never cease to be surprised by the cold water and lack of fruit in early June. From our swampy lands, it seems that everything blooms and grows all year round. In reality, non-year-round fruits are initially represented only by cherries, peaches (but wonderful ones) and strawberries. In Playa de Aro, the sea water (measured by the Internet) was 20C. There were sunbathers on the beach, but only residents of Naryan-Mar swam. In Cambrils the sea was a little warmer. A resident of Playa told us that the season begins on June 25, which explains the cold water, low prices and suspended animation of some hotels, the small number of vacationers, represented mainly by pensioners.

MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS AND INTERNET

I used Tuenti and Yoigo before in Spain. In general, no complaints. But this time I read that they had problems with communication and the Internet and decided to buy Orange. For 13 euros per month I was promised 1.6GB and 30 minutes. conversations. Since our trip was planned for 1 month and 3 days, I went to buy a SIM card on the fourth day. At the office they told me that I was charged 20 €, and 13 is from the second month. I was already starting to think about whether to stay in Spain for the second month to recoup expenses, but it turned out that there was good news. Something changed with them, and I became the owner of 4 GB of Internet.

MONEY

I had a euro card. Despite convincing requests to withdraw in euros, sellers periodically write off in dollars. Maybe I look too American?

BARCELONA

I didn’t rent a car in Barcelona. The cost of parking in Barcelona is strange. All the designated attractions were reached on foot. Because to the hotel from the square. Catalonia Google showed 4.5 minutes on foot, we decided to get from the airport by Aerobus A1 express bus. It takes 35 minutes. A round trip ticket costs 10.2 € and is valid for 2 weeks. The bus has free Wi-Fi and USB connectors (as I understand, for charging). The only thing missing is a flight attendant with food and drinks.
We lived in Atlantis by Atbcn. From 5 stars you expect it to be like in 6, but from three stars you want there to be no noticeable troubles. Everything is fine here. And the room is not small, and the breakfast is good, and the wi-fi is enough to watch a movie. And most importantly, it’s a stone’s throw from Plaza Catalunya.
This time we visited places that we surprisingly had not seen on previous visits.

I have gone to the promenade in Barcelona several times before. And this time we went through almost all of it. Wonderful place. Very beautiful.

On this embankment we were given flyers for the Shoko restaurant. They offered a 5€ discount on a business lunch costing 16.5€. We took the bait (in the truest sense of the word). I chose orange, carrot and seafood soup, beef with truffle sauce and beer with dessert. Just in case, I asked the waiter if the soup was really made from oranges and received an affirmative answer. I always say that if a restaurant knows how to cook, then the business lunch there is outstanding. For me, soup is something that cooks. We each received a glass of orange juice, from which protruded a skewer with skewered sea creatures. I thought the bastards on a skewer would be topped with carrots, like in a kebab. But there were no carrots. She was probably juice too.

Tanya looked at the reptiles (disgustingly holding the skewer by the tail with two fingers), hoping to look into their eyes and gave me this compote. And I ate it. Here I am, alive, writing. Next came beef and potatoes (sliced, baked and cut into brick shapes), panna cotta, coffee. In general, I recommend it. I've never had such a delicious meal for €11.50.
Tibidabo. This is the only place where we did not dare to go on foot.

Only in the metro at Plaza Catalunya did we find out that I was going to the Bellesguard Tower, and Tanya was going to the Church of the Redemption of the Sacred Heart. As always, we first went where Tanya chose. Because when we travel, we always live in the center, and we walk on average 8 km/day at home and 15 when traveling, metro, abroad, I don’t use it often and it’s always stressful. We're good here. Firstly, stations are like palaces. Secondly, attach your card and go through. Thirdly, I approached the platform, and there, on the wall, it was written where the trains go. Comfortable! Well, in London they couldn’t take our experience into account; they dug the subway under our serfdom. But a lot of other cities? Why was it so complicated? The security guard showed us to one entrance, the girl helping us take tickets (respect!!!) to another. I don’t remember where we left, but take the trip seriously. It's not a long drive. Not far from the metro station is the stop of the ancient tram Tramvia Blau and just above the regular bus, to the destination. We decided to go beautifully, in the old-fashioned way. I remember from my distant, Odessa childhood, a rare, ancient open tram, on which my grandmother and I rode to some station on the Bolshaya Fontana Road. Here, at the bus stop, an old woman was sitting, complaining in an incomprehensible language about the long wait. In some unknown way I understood her, I wanted to carry on the conversation in the same language, but I was shy. About 20 minutes later, a small crowd of colleagues gathered at the bus stop. The opportunists periodically ran to the bus stop as soon as he showed up. Finally we gave in too. We never saw the tram on the road. The bus does not take long, but it is uphill, and walking up is quite tiring. At the end of the bus, it was not the church that was waiting for us, but the ticket office for the funicular. This vehicle was last painted under Franco. I like to stand on the cable car next to the driver and take pictures of the surroundings, but here the road is lined with trees and beautiful views flash by quickly. As I climbed the cable car, I saw paths along the slope. The ascent angle there is 30-40 degrees and the ascent or descent on foot is only for those who are very strong in spirit and body. Upon leaving the funicular, I was already ready to go by trolleybus, and then by helicopter, but it turned out that they had already arrived. A lot has been written about the church and the amusement park, but I’ll just note that the church was built by good Christians and there is an elevator to the upper platform.

The church has three levels. From each I shot in all directions and from each next level the view was more interesting. At one of the sites we found a Chinese-looking young man who behaved like those infected by the devil in a Hollywood blockbuster. He rushed jumping around the site, then froze, crouched for a few seconds, then rushed back, froze again for a few seconds in a beautiful pose and rushed back again. We merged with the column so as not to help the writers and not be bitten. After several cycles of his movement, I saw that there was a camera attached to the step and he was taking photographs and monitoring the result. Really! What the hell is on the roof of the temple?

When I get to high points where I can see far away, I almost always find that all the views are hazy. At the same time, the Internet is full of photos from this place, in which you can see people walking along the embankment. I was once again convinced that before my visits, someone sprays something, probably for safety reasons.

Not far from the church there is a television tower, built by the great N. Foster in the form of a skewer with kebab stuck in the ground. The view of the church from there is much more beautiful.

On the way back, from the lower funicular station to the metro we walked down for about 15-20 minutes. This is useful because the place seems expensive and the villas on both sides are very architectural. At the metro station we felt quite tired and hungry. Nearby there were two cafes, the interiors of which showed that cooking as an art was not their specialty, which was confirmed by lunch.

After lunch, it became clear that it was much better to sit by the sea and look at the waves than to walk in the heat and uphill. But this is not the easy fate of a tourist. We went to look at the creation of the great Gaudi: the Bellesguard tower. Google shows that the walk there is 16 minutes, but it seems to me that we walked much longer and the last third of the way was uphill. Our campaign ended in complete fiasco. Google, while planning the route, also said: “Perhaps the establishment is not open,” but I thought: “Why shouldn’t it be open in broad daylight?” The first doubts arose when I saw a small excavator digging a hole behind the fence.

Soon a beautiful closed gate appeared. There was a schedule next to it. The museum is open Tuesday-Sunday from 10 to 15. I looked at my phone. It was, of course, Monday. Cursing the Catalan Ministry of Culture, the Prime Minister and the entire government, we began to descend. “What kind of work is this,” I was indignant, “from 10 to 15? What are they? surgeons? We have a huge OBI. The air park is open 7/24!” And in general, why did Gaudi build not in the center by the sea, but all along the outskirts and often on the mountain? In general, Gaudi lovers! Check museum schedules. Remember! Gaudí is not OBI's. Airpark!
Surprisingly, on my previous visits to Barcelona, I did not go to the Ciutadella Park. A very beautiful place. Write down all the attractions there and be sure to visit!

Everything was clearly visible and heard. This time we arrived 5 minutes before the third bell. But it was Spain and they started 20 minutes later. There were so many people that we didn’t dare to go up the stairs, especially since there was a place near the bridge railing, in front of the fountain. I thought that it would be possible to climb onto the pedestal if they were obstructing me. The decision turned out to be wrong. The view was great, but almost nothing was heard. Maybe they had problems with the speakers? It was certainly beautiful, but the impression was blurry.

This GR92 trail, in my opinion, goes from Barcelona to the French border. In any case, I saw this number in various coastal places in Catalonia. Much in Spain surprises the inhabitants of our plains. But for the equipped path that runs along the rocks for tens of kilometers, special thanks to the Spanish people. How many tons of cement had to be dragged onto these rocks, how many cubic kilometers of concrete had to be poured. And all this has been standing for so many years, only the wooden fences are replaced.

We lived at Hotel Spa La Terrassa in a renovated old building. We lived in a room with a balcony and a view of the street. The room was spacious and conveniently laid out. In addition to the room, I liked the restaurant with delicious and thoughtful business lunches and parking. For breakfast, in a row of cheese sausages, there was a saucer with peeled garlic cloves and a salad bowl with cherry tomatoes. Everyone except us, after frying the bread, rubbed it with garlic and tomatoes. I immediately imitated a Spaniard and only Tanya gave away our non-local origin, formulating the principle: “No champagne or garlic for breakfast.”

The parking lot is located not far from the hotel and is an area covered with a mulberry tree, or, as they used to say in my Odessa childhood, a mulberry tree.

If in Odessa mulberries are trees around which you have to jump to pick berries, then here they (mulberries) were forced to form a green roof. The beauty of this event is that the car not only does not heat up, but is also covered with delicious food. Either the residents of Odessa in my childhood were hungry, or, as always, the newcomers are to blame for everything, but even half-ripe Odessa berries from the trees were eaten to a height of 3 m. I have long been surprised at the indifference of aborigines around the world. No one picks berries and mushrooms in the forests near New York, and no one picks mushrooms in Israel either. In Germany and France, no one knows that blackberries are an edible berry, and not just a beautiful bush. But for a hectare of mulberry to stand like this and no one eats it - I saw this for the first time. Needless to say, I thoroughly shaved this plantation in a week.

To finish off the Playa, I recommend the Can Pijaume restaurant on the promenade. If twice and really liked it. On Saturday we stood in line. The waiter, who looked like a boatswain from a sailing ship, while explaining some dishes, raised his finger up and said: “Good choice.”
And a couple of photos for memory:
This olive is over 2,000 years old.

She has seen a lot in her lifetime, or rather in her 20s. Nearby are the excavated foundations of a Roman villa.
The main street. Men are parked at stores so that they don’t act up and ask to go home.

From Playa, out of old memory and on the advice of the Playadearians, we moved in different directions. We went to Blanes. We were there a few years ago. I thought maybe I missed something last time. I was convinced again. The most inexpressive city I have ever seen in Spain. Just a lot of houses. The only positive is free parking. I arrived at the embankment and could not find a working parking meter. Locals explained that parking along the embankment becomes paid from the end of June. It would be good for the Moscow mayor’s office to take a closer look at foreign experience.
Let's go to Lloret de Mar. We have lived there twice already (both times in September) and I wrote about it.

This time there were significantly fewer people on the streets and this greatly beautified the city. We had fun in Lloret by taking photographs in places where photographs were taken in previous years in order to compare the photos.

In the last report, I complained that I did not write down the name of a very tasty restaurant in Lloret. This time I found it, it's called La Fusta. Everything is the same. There was a line of locals during our lunch, the owner was well-fed in his kitchen and just as tasty.
Were also in Tossa de Mar whom we have loved for a long time. The road from the freeway to Tossa is so beautiful that you need to put the car on autopilot and look in different directions.

Upon entry, the parking attendant announced the current price: an hour - 3 €, two - 6 €, all day - also 6 €. I liked this arithmetic.
In Tossa, Tanya burned to death. I had to buy a scarf to somehow cover myself from the sun, and then a dress and trousers to go with it.
Of the new discoveries recommended in Playa: Calella De Palafrugell, Llafranc and Tamariu. Surprisingly pleasant towns. There were almost no clear photos of myself (since you need to take them from the water), so I’ll share the “time-occupied” ones from Google.

I especially liked Llafranc where we had lunch. There, in a restaurant on the embankment, looking at the sea through a glass, I discovered the secret of creating charming seaside towns. Ingredients: a small bay with yachts - 1 pc., cliffs (it is useful to place the remains of an old fortress on one) with small pine fishing lines - 2 pcs., white, multi-story, wall-built houses with blue trim and doors - 10-20 pcs. The houses will house restaurants, 1-2 star hotels and souvenir shops. Rocks, sea and sun can be added to taste.
Far de Sant Sebastià lighthouse near Llafranc. Do not miss!

We also went to Girona.

GIRONA
In front of the entrance to the old town, at Pont de Pedret, there is a huge free parking lot. It’s nice that even where capital rules, someone curbs the thirst for profit. There is a very beautiful park nearby.
It is better to walk around Girona in sneakers. The historical center is paved with cobblestones.

There are many museum-type establishments with tickets. It is correct to get an all-terrain vehicle ticket from the tourist office.
It makes sense not to be lazy and climb the city wall. Wonderful views.
Colleagues have written kilometers of delight about Girona. I don't want to repeat myself. Everything is true. Love for Girona, like any love, has an explicable part: a long history, a preserved old town, restored and well-groomed, and an inexplicable one. I don’t know how to live and work here, but spending a day is a great joy. I visited Girona for the third time, and if I find myself nearby, I will definitely come for the fourth time.

I always say: you can’t feed on a hiking trail. The right restaurant is a few steps away: Café Le Bristol. Pujada Sant Domenec, 4.

CAMBRILS

We lived in Cambrils for 10 days. As a result, in the category “Best Spanish small seaside town for a holiday” in my personal rating, Cambrils came in second place (after Marbella).

The town may be prosaic inside, but it is very beautiful from the embankment, has a small old part, is very cozy, and most importantly, it has endless, equipped embankments 3 km in one direction and 6 km in the other, all the way to Salou. Everyone passed. A long embankment in two steps. First we walked halfway to Salou. Then we arrived in Salou and walked the rest of the way.

We lived in Apartamentos Pepita Bandert. We booked with the manager Nora, directly for some kind of discount. I really liked the apartments. Second line from the sea. Comfortable apartment. The house and everything are new. Helpful Nora pointed out that parking in the building is not cheap, but you can park your car for free in a residential area nearby. I’ll give you a map with city amenities, kindly deciphered by Nora.

If you exit the entrance to the left, onto Rambla de Jaume I, then opposite you will see a small store the size of a combined bathroom in a five-story panel building in the proud name of SUPERMERCADO. A phlegmatic Arab comrade sits there, constantly listening to endless texts on the radio on a phone with a broken screen. With this poor output, a friend sells the best peaches in Cambrils. Not the ones that come out green for us and sleep in a box in a truck. And those that ripen on the branch and are picked are carefully carried in a basket, laid in one row.
Food is good in Cambrils

but I especially want to mention two restaurants. Nautic’s Restaurant has a large balcony on the second floor overlooking the promenade, marina and sea. Even such a model of childishness as me, whose dinner is usually cottage cheese and yogurt, under this guise, I ate for dinner everything that was brought.
On Nora's recommendation we went to Les Fonts restaurant. In the near depths of the city. Family business. The restaurant looks very simple. The menu and the old owner speak only Spanish. After some attempts to explain, the owner left and returned with a tray of fish, one of which, looking intently at me, I pointed with my finger, asking to be grilled. While our daughters and sons were frying our fish, the owner showed us himself in old photographs hanging on the walls and printed on plate napkins. Unlike the fishermen I knew, he did not wave his arms to show the size of the fish.

The man has been fishing all his life. When this became too much for us, he feeds people. It may not have been the most delicious restaurant in my life, but I still remember the feeling of non-tourist authenticity.
From Cambrils we traveled in different directions. I really liked the site
Portal Globe. It contains not only a description of the attractions of this region, but also maps of these attractions, which can be opened in Google if there is Internet and in Maps.me if there is no Internet.

REUS

At first we tried to go according to plan. “Modernism Route”, “Gaudi Route”, everything that was prepared. But after walking a couple of blocks from the market square, I could no longer find anything. At first we looked for the famous Casa, but soon we got tired and walked around the city wherever our feet took us and everywhere we found Casas no worse than the recommended ones.

We found the house where Gaudi was born not without difficulty. Not with the help of a map, not with the help of Google, but with the help of ordinary Spanish workers who pointed a finger at him. The family nest of an architectural genius, in its expression, resembles the five-story panel building that Sobyanin hated. All closed. It is written: “Private house. No visits." Dust as thick as a finger.
The city is nice, but not very restored even in the travel guides. The absence of a taxpayer like Gazprom is constantly felt. The city, uncharacteristically for Spain, has few restaurants, but there are plenty of places where you can have a coffee and a bun.
Vermouth is very popular in both Cambrils and Reus. They drink it with snails and sparkling water. I never tried it, so as not to ruin the image of vermouth I drank in my youth, perhaps less gastronomically, from a bottle and at the entrance.
While we were looking for sights, the siesta began. Not only shops and restaurants were closed, but also the main church. All the decent people settled down to rest. About a dozen families walked around the city, eight of which were Russian and with children.

TARRAGONA

The entrance to Tarragona is sad and industrial. We drove past an industrial building with an area of 5 hectares. At the exit from the circle, the car ahead stopped. “Why aren’t you driving the goat?” I exclaimed angrily, and Tanya explained that they weren’t driving ahead either. It turned out to be a “traffic jam” that I had not seen for two weeks and from which I had lost the habit. With difficulty we reached a street with two lanes, on which a van was parked with emergency lights and everyone was crowded into one line. “Welcome to Moscow,” I said to myself.

Due to the expected savings, I found parking at the very beginning of the attractions. But to our “luck”, there was a kilometer-long market “Everything for 5 €” on the Rambla and we were unable to leave as the navigator asked. So we arrived at the parking lot right next to the “balcony of the Mediterranean”. The view from the “balcony” of the surrounding area is very beautiful.
Then we went to get acquainted with the nearby antiquities, of which there are many preserved here. We decided to take the elevator to the very top of the tallest tower. People walked along it too. After purchasing the ticket, it turned out that we had to walk, since the elevator is only for the disabled. It was not in vain that we got up.

We present to your attention an excellent route for independent travel in Spain. From Barcelona to Madrid through colorful towns.

Spain is a country located in the south of Europe. It is washed by the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. The kingdom includes the Canary, Balearic, Pitius Islands, as well as 80% of the Iberian Peninsula. Spain has a subtropical climate. Each region has its own weather conditions, which depend on its proximity to Africa, altitude and, of course, the proximity of mountain ranges.

Spain has long attracted tourists. And it’s not even about natural beauty, although one cannot help but note the clean beaches, azure sea, and high mountains. The colorful country made you fall in love with its medieval castles, Gothic cathedrals, passionate flamenco and exciting bullfights. It is impossible to reveal all the secrets of Spain during one trip, but it is quite possible to get acquainted with its diversity. So the journey begins.

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AirBnb - rent an apartment from locals.

Traveling Spain: Barcelona

The easiest way to get from Russia to the capital of Catalonia is by air, direct or charter flights. El Prat Airport serves international flights in Barcelona. Departure is possible from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kazan, Irkutsk, Novosibirsk, Krasnoyarsk.

Barcelona is attractive for its historical and architectural monuments. The center, built in the Gothic style, remained virtually untouched. Main attractions worth visiting:

The Cathedral of St. Eulalia is the largest Gothic building in Catalonia;
The Sagrada Familia is the creation of the great Gaudi;
Aquarium - an 80-meter tunnel will introduce you to the inhabitants of the Mediterranean Sea;
The Palace of Catalan Music is a UNESCO cultural heritage, striking in its internal and external design, diverse repertoire;
Picasso Museum – stores 3,800 works by the brilliant artist, arranged in chronological order;
Plaza Catalunya is the heart of Barcelona, connecting the old and new cities;
The Boqueria market is a culinary paradise, with about 20,000 flavors coexisting on 300 stalls.

Traveling Spain: Zaragoza

The city is interesting for its architecture and historical monuments, as it managed to combine Roman, Christian, Arab and Jewish cultures. From Barcelona to Zaragoza you can travel by bus, train or rent a car. From the Barcelona Sants station, a high-speed train will reach you in an hour and a half. The bus ride takes almost 4 hours. By car you can get there on the AR-2 and AR-68 highways in 3 hours.

The following attractions will help you understand the spirit of the city:

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Nuestra Señora del Pilar - Baroque basilica, painted by Francisco Goya, symbol of Zaragoza;

Roman walls - an architectural monument that has stood for more than 18 centuries, reminiscent of the period of the Roman Empire;

Aljaferia Palace - the former residence of the Moorish rulers, after undergoing reconstruction, acquired a throne room for Catholic kings;

San Salvador - Gothic cathedral, the hallmark of the Renaissance;

La Lonja - an expo center, formerly a stock exchange;

The Zaragoza Museum is a huge city museum dedicated to archeology and art.

Traveling Spain: Valencia

The capital of the province of Valencia is attractive with a history dating back about 22 centuries, a mild climate, great shopping opportunities and, of course, beaches. The easiest way to get from Zaragoza to Valencia is by car. The trip takes about 3 hours. By bus, passing through Teruel can be reached in 6 hours.

To get to know Valencia it is worth visiting:

City of Arts and Sciences - a complex of buildings of unusual designs, there is a science museum, an Oceanarium, a 3D cinema, a palace of arts;

A biopark is a huge territory where animals live in their natural conditions;

The beaches of Malvarossa are the best place for a beach holiday in Valencia. There are many restaurants and cafes on the Embankment;

The bed of the Turia River will give you relaxation surrounded by bottle trees, palm trees, fountains and statues;

The Carmen district is a cluster of entertainment establishments of any format. A great place for nightlife lovers.

Traveling around Spain: Alicante

The city on the Costa Blanca is attractive with luxurious beaches, huge parks, historical and architectural attractions. You can get from Valencia to Alicante by train, bus or car. Traveling by rail will take up to 2 hours. 9 trains depart from Valencia per day. You can leave by bus almost every hour. Travel time is about 2 hours 30 minutes. By car you need to take the E-15 highway, the journey will take 2 hours.

The main attractions of the city:

Castillo de Santa Barbara is a medieval castle located on Mount Benacantil. The city museum is also located here;

Town Hall - two twin towers built in the Baroque style. The height of the city hall is 35 m;

St. Mary's Church is a medieval Gothic building famous for its richly decorated façade;

The Tossal theme park is located on the slopes of the mountain of the same name. From here you can enjoy a breathtaking view of the city; in the park you can play on a huge chessboard and go rock climbing;

Principal de Alicante is a huge theater that hosts opera, ballet and theater events;

Playa de San Juan is the best beach not only on the Costa Blanca, but also in all of Spain, which has earned the Blue Flag.

Traveling Spain: Toledo

The former capital of the state will interest lovers of antiquity, history, and architecture. Echoes of Christian, Muslim, and Jewish cultures from different eras have been preserved here to this day. The easiest way to get from Alicante to Toledo is by car. The journey will take about 4 hours. By high-speed train it takes about 3 hours 30 minutes, and by bus – up to 8 hours.

In Toledo, noteworthy:

St. Mary's Cathedral - a medieval Gothic building, the residence of the archbishop;

El Greco Museum – the painter’s house, where his belongings and works are preserved;

The Town Hall is a spectacular building surrounded by a park. The structure was designed by Juan Herrera, the father of Escorial;

City museums: Santa Cruz, Victorio Macho, Alcazar.

Traveling Spain: Madrid

The capital of Spain is attractive for its architectural sights; it is also called an open-air museum. During the day, the city lives a leisurely life without fuss, and at night it lights up with millions of lights, luring entertainment lovers to the streets. Walking through numerous galleries, football, bullfighting - all this is offered by the many faces of Madrid.

I have long wanted to go to Spain, and to see this country from the inside, that is, to observe the life of ordinary people, especially in the provinces, and generally feel the mood of this wonderful country. So, I offer a report on traveling around Spain by car. If the descriptive side seems boring, feel free to scroll down, there are brief summaries and useful tips.

Route: Barcelona - Zaragoza - Logrono - Madrid - Leida - Salou - Barcelona.

The first day of the trip began in the resort town of Salou. This city was chosen because hotel prices here are much lower than in Barcelona. In general, when traveling to Spain, even on your own, I recommend buying tours through a travel agency. This significantly simplifies the paperwork, and is also cheaper. I bought a ticket from the Natalie Tours company at the Pronto rate - it turned out even cheaper. The company showed itself quite worthy, quickly and comfortably delivered me to the hotel, and nothing more was required. Freed from my luggage, I continued the journey on my own.

By the way, if your tour does not include transfer to the hotel, then at the Barcelona airport at the information desk they will explain to you in detail in Russian how best to get to the point of interest. Very comfortably!

Tarragona

What else is good about the Salou resort? And the fact that it is just a stone's throw from Tarragona, an ancient picturesque town. From Salou railway station you can get to Tarragona by train in 10 minutes; a round-trip ticket costs a little more than 3 euros.

Tarragona is a typical Spanish town with narrow streets, remnants of the walls of Roman fortresses, which have merged with the city and often serve as a wall for houses attached to them. Antiquity, antiquity and the present are so harmoniously connected here that the feeling of traveling not only in space, but also in time, does not leave you throughout your walk through this cozy and friendly city.

I really liked the people in Tarragona. This is someone who truly knows how to relax! On this day in Tarragona there was a small holiday dedicated to local wine. Winemakers from nearby farms arrived, set up tents and began serving wine. You buy a glass for 5 euros and they give you a special ticket with five tear-off numbers. Each number is one tasting. The tasting is quite serious - half a glass of wine is poured! And the wines are all very tasty and very different. We took one glass between us, remembering that tomorrow we would be driving.

What is pleasantly surprising about such holidays: the wine flows like a river, there are a lot of people, and at the same time everyone calmly communicates, drinks, wash their glasses in the washbasins installed nearby, and pour them again. And at the same time I didn’t see a single policeman or a single broken glass! Eh, Europe!

And the time was already approaching evening, and it was necessary to return. The last trains leave after eight o'clock, so there's no way to party late into the night.

Salou - Barcelona - Zaragoza

So, having in my hands the train schedule photographed yesterday, I board the train and go to Barcelona, the cost is about 7 euros, the travel time is just over an hour. Be careful, there are two types of trains: Catalonia Express - an electric train, for which there are always seats, Regional Express - a high-speed train, tickets for which are sold in advance, and you are not allowed on it with train tickets, although this train stops in both Salou and in Barcelona. You can also distinguish an electric train from a high-speed train by the number of stops, which is also indicated in the schedule. High-speed trains stop only at major stations.

I rented a car from Sixt, and upon arrival in Barcelona we headed to the office of this company. We are me and my travel companion, whose help in preparing and implementing our trip turned out to be truly invaluable.

The process of receiving a car is very, very simple: when booking online, all information is entered in advance, and at the office all that remains is to sign the contract and receive the keys. When you receive the car, a security deposit equal to approximately half the rental cost is blocked on your bank card. Moreover, Sixt allows you to use a debit card. Other car rental companies I've worked with only accept credit cards.

We decided to leave Barcelona using the navigator, which for some reason directed us in a completely different direction, and we had to circle around Barcelona and the surrounding area for a fair amount of time until we finally reached the A2 highway in the direction of Zaragoza.

A little about the roads of Barcelona. In the city center, traffic is mostly one-way, which is convenient, especially when turning left. It is almost impossible to park your car for free. You have to either park your car in the blue lane and pay for parking, or use underground paid parking. Outside the city, a toll road begins almost immediately, and the tariffs here are quite high. But more on that later.

In the meantime, we are driving to Zaragoza along a beautiful, flat road, the speed on which is practically not felt and every now and then it tends to exceed the permissible 120 km/h, which is better not to abuse, because in Catalonia there are especially many speed cameras. Along the way, every now and then you come across gas stations where you can rest, have a snack, wipe down your car, and, of course, refill your tank with gasoline.

We arrived in Zaragoza when it was already getting dark, so we were able to explore the city only by evening lantern light. The first thing you notice when approaching the city center is the beautiful building of the Basilica Nuestra. The majestic structure, combining Western and Eastern architectural elements, stands out so clearly against the backdrop of the narrow streets of this small city that you can’t help but think that some supernatural force installed it here.

Food and restaurants

After walking around the center of Zaragoza, we finally decided to eat. We hoped that prices here would be lower than in Barcelona, but the difference turned out to be small. In addition, at this time the only food left was Tapas, that is, snacks. These are small sandwiches or pieces of meat or fish - in general, portions of food that are taken from the display case and heated up without requiring special preparation. “Tapas” are available in almost any restaurant, and are in demand when the kitchen closes. And the kitchen in Spanish restaurants closes after lunch, from 4 pm to 8 pm, and after 11 pm. So, if you want to have a good dinner, try to fit it in within three hours from 8 to 11. This is such a local specialty!

In general, we had no choice but to be content with Tapas, which, by the way, were very, very good, especially in combination with excellent Spanish wine.

The Cesaraugusta Hotel, where the room was pre-booked, was about twenty minutes walk from the center, so I recommend this inexpensive hotel for those traveling to Zaragoza. However, using the underground parking cost us an additional 16 euros per night.

Zaragoza - Logrono

To be so close to the Rioja wine region and not see the homeland of the famous Spanish wine - we could not miss this opportunity. Moreover, I wanted to look at provincial Spain, free from tourist trails. So, we set a course for Logroño, the capital of the Rioja region. Long before entering this region, you begin to notice the endless vineyards along the road, stretching for many, many kilometers, and the mountains and hills characteristic of Spain have been replaced by a flatter landscape. It is amazing how people were able to create so many vineyards on this not very fertile soil.

Thinking about this, we quietly reached Logrono. After wandering around the city center a little and realizing that parking a car for free was an impossible task, we left the car in the underground parking lot.

Logroño is a small provincial town, but there is a lot to see. In the very center there is a large cathedral, surrounded by small cozy streets, where there are many restaurants where you can have a tasty and inexpensive meal. The pilgrimage route of St. James passes through Logroño, and many hikers can be found on the Piedra Bridge. The city has several wine farms called Bodegas. In almost all of them you can book a tour of the farm and its cellars. The wineries here look completely different from those in Russia. The characteristic Bodegas is a small two-story building surrounded by a vineyard, on the ground floor of which you can buy wine produced directly on the farm.

Having gone to one of the wine farms, we bought wine and, saying goodbye to this cozy and friendly city, headed to the A12 highway, which was supposed to lead us first to the city of Burgos, and then, moving onto the A1 highway, to the capital of Spain, Madrid.

Logrono – Madrid

The A12 (N120) highway is free and passes through many small towns, one of which we decided to stop at because we were starting to feel tired. Having ordered tea at a local tavern, we looked at the locals with interest, and they looked at us. The bar, despite it being a weekday, was noisy, people were drinking wine and heatedly discussing something. It is worth noting that villagers in Spain are very different from the urban population. It can be seen that in villages people live poorer, which explains the high growth of the urban population. But this simplicity and unpretentiousness of the Spanish province is perceived as native, vaguely reminiscent of our Russian village. At the same time, what distinguishes an ordinary Spaniard from a Russian, in my subjective observation, is calmness, relaxation and a positive mood. People here are confident in the future, and this can be seen in their facial expressions and manner of communication.

"Jamon"

Jamon was hung on the walls of the bar - a characteristic feature of Spanish drinking establishments. Jamon is a cured pork ham. It resembles something between lard and ham, but does not contain chemical additives. To prepare jamon, the meat of young pigs is most likely used, since the taste is very soft and delicate. Jamon is served in the form of thin pieces, for cutting which a special tool has been developed, with the help of which a piece of pork is tightly secured in a horizontal position to make cutting more convenient. Jamon can be seen everywhere - it is sold in supermarkets, served in hotels for breakfast, offered as a snack in restaurants and bars.

After observing the life of the Spanish hinterland, we continued our journey. The road on the Logrono-Burgos section was constantly under repair, so the speed had to be reduced to 60 km/h, and in cities - to 50. Moreover, as the Garmin electronic navigator told us, there are often security cameras here.

Having reached the city of Burgos, we turned to Madrid without visiting it, since we no longer had time for sightseeing. What to do, sometimes the route has to be adjusted on the spot, because, as Kozma Prutkov said, you cannot embrace the immensity.

And here we are on the A1 highway, also known as E5, heading to Madrid. This is a free state highway, which is very pleasant after yesterday's travel expenses when leaving Barcelona, where payment terminals are located almost every 10 kilometers. However, the quality of the road here is noticeably worse; in some places it is simply impossible to drive at the permitted speed of 120 km/h, because the car shakes quite a bit, and the road winds, going around mountains and valleys. With all this, there are practically no holes on the road, and the road surface wears out evenly, becoming covered with longitudinal cracks. I was also pleased that the well-traveled road does not have a rut, which is so typical of Russian roads. This is what the ban on the use of studded tires means.

While discussing the features of Spanish roads, we didn’t even notice how time was passing. When we approached Madrid, it was already completely dark. Our hotel, Express By Holiday Inn, was not located in the capital itself, but in the suburb of Alcobendas, located 10 km from Madrid. The location of the hotel is convenient especially for road travelers, as it is located in close proximity to the A1 highway, i.e. we did not have to go to Madrid at all. Another nice feature is free parking at the hotel entrance.

Madrid. On foot and by metro

The entire next day was devoted to a walk around the capital of Spain. A ten-minute walk from the hotel was the La Granja metro station, from which you can reach the very center of Madrid in about an hour. The peculiarity of the local metro is that at such a remote station there is a double tariff. That is, at the Tres Olivos station you need to change to another train by purchasing another ticket. In total, a trip to the center costs 2 euros. Tickets are sold in machines that accept cash from 5 cents to 20 euros, as well as credit cards. Debit cards unfortunately don't work.

In the Madrid metro, as in the Barcelona metro, there are turnstiles at the entrance and exit, which disappointed me somewhat after the Berlin and Prague metro, in which there are no turnstiles, and instead, composters are installed at the stations to “activate” tickets.

The center of Madrid is somewhat reminiscent of Moscow: a small historical part with ancient temples and small winding pedestrian streets turns into imperial palace ensembles surrounded by parks and fountains, and the central part of the city is surrounded by a large street, the most famous part of which is Gran Via, where fashion stores are located and restaurants. There are many beautiful parks in the city center where you can take a break and get some fresh air. In general, the center of Madrid is a very comfortable and pleasant place to walk, despite the city’s capital status.

But there are neighborhoods in the center of Madrid that are not at all suitable for romantic walks. For example, the area between La Latina and Lavapies stations. Just a few steps from the center, and you find yourself on the streets with signs in oriental languages, with what we called “marginal personalities” scurrying around. Many simply stand along the houses and look at passersby. These views make you feel somehow uncomfortable.

Food in Madrid

It was getting close to evening and we decided to eat. Many restaurants are concentrated in the small streets between Calle Mayor and La Latina metro station, near the Basilica de San Miguel church. We were looking for a restaurant where, firstly, there were a lot of people, and secondly, low prices. The main menu with prices is usually posted in front of the establishment. A large number of visitors indicates the popularity of the restaurant.

After a long and painful search, we went into a crowded pub, where, without thinking twice, we ordered “bull tail” - another Spanish national dish. The tail of a bull killed in a bullfight is considered a special delicacy, but we, not being fans of this medieval custom, were content with a dish from an “ordinary” bull. Dishes in Spain are usually large and can easily be shared between two people, which is what we did. And we didn’t regret it at all, because this delicious dish turned out to be very satisfying. I would like to especially praise Spanish beer. Dense, with thick foam, and very tasty.

Meanwhile, it was completely dark outside, and we hurried to the hotel to have a good rest before tomorrow's trip, because tomorrow we had the longest route on our trip to Spain.

Madrid - Leida - Salou

After breakfast, we left the hotel and headed along the R2 highway towards the A2 highway going to Barcelona. The quality of the road here is excellent, but there are frequent repairs and the highway is narrowed to one lane. The speed limit on the repaired area is usually 60 km/h. Local car enthusiasts, as well as truckers, do not pay much attention to the restrictions, and can easily drive 80-90 km/h at a permissible 60, but we tried not to succumb to the temptation to “sink” the pedal, despite the fact that cars behind us every now and then headlights honked.

In general, there are plenty of people who like to “have sex” in Spain. You’re driving 125 km/h when the speed limit is 120, and local racers easily overtake you, disappearing from sight in a matter of seconds. Needless to say, on such a beautiful road you want to speed up the pace, but every time you stop yourself thinking that there is no desire to receive an envelope in the mail with a bill for hundreds of euros.

In the meantime, beautiful views opened up to our eyes, and, passing one of the ancient cities of Torija, we decided to take a “break.” The well-kept town with narrow streets, barely passable by one car, is surrounded by a beautiful medieval castle, picturesquely located on a hill. By the way, this province is called La Mancha. Yes, yes, this is where the famous Don Quixote of La Manche comes from!

The next stop was made in the town of Alhama de Aragon, located in a picturesque location on a narrow river at the foot of the mountain. This place itself is conducive to relaxation: an ancient church on the river bank, small well-kept houses located on a quiet and clean street, and of course, amazingly beautiful nature.

We enjoyed staying in these provincial towns so much that after a few kilometers we made another stop, this time in the city of Calatayud, deciding to have a snack and buy groceries at the same time. By the way, prices in provincial supermarkets differ little from those in the capital.

And again the road, and again stunning views. Mountains, in the valleys of which small villages are picturesquely located. Endless green fields and meadows, among which from time to time ancient ruins appear or just an old dilapidated house that they decided to leave as decoration - all this cannot be described in words, or even captured in a photograph.

On the way to Salou, we decided to stop in Leida to take a break and get some food. And not in vain: here, on the hill under which the main part of the city is located, a huge ancient cathedral rises, and right next to its walls you can sit in a cozy, inexpensive cafe. From here you have a beautiful view of the city and surrounding area.

Having left Leida, we decided to leisurely get to Salou along the free road, fortunately there was very little to go, and we clearly felt the high cost of local roads on the first day of the trip. Moreover, it was already dark, and I didn’t want to go fast.

We arrived at the hotel quite late, so we were unable to park the car in the underground parking, which costs 6 euros per night. But the hotel explained to us that paid parking spaces, marked in blue, do not have to be paid until 8:00 the next morning. So the car was left in the “free” parking lot, and the alarm clock was set for 7.30 am.

Salou - Barcelona

The next day we decided to finally take a walk around Barcelona. After leaving the hotel, we went to the already familiar AP7, also known as E15. Deciding to save money on the toll road, we turned onto the free “serpentine” highway C32, which offers amazing views of the Mediterranean Sea. Closer to Barcelona, the track widens and becomes smoother, but the speed here is limited to 80 km/h, and there are warnings about speed cameras all around. This is how the Catalans force drivers to drive on toll roads!

So, we are in Barcelona. You can park here in the underground parking lot, which costs about 3 euros per hour, or you can use the paid blue markings, where there are occasionally free spaces. Three hours in such a parking lot cost us 2.5 euros, fortunately there is a free lunch hour from 14:00 to 15:00.

In the evening, we returned the car to the Sixt parking lot and said goodbye to our wonderful four-wheeled assistant, who regularly and comfortably delivered us to each point of the route. I was very pleased with the process of returning the car. It is enough to give the car keys and navigation system to a Sixt employee in the parking lot and calmly continue the journey on foot. No formalities!

I don’t know why, but in spirit Barcelona reminded me of Rostov-on-Don. A hot, southern city, whose narrow central streets are crowded with noisy people and lots of cars. The famous Rambla boulevard also resembles the main pedestrian street of Rostov, Pushkinskaya. I couldn’t help but remember that a couple of days ago Madrid reminded me of Moscow in a similar way. Yes, many cities have similar features, and that's great.

Carried away by an evening walk around Barcelona, we realized that we were late for the last train, which leaves here at half past eight. The only thing left was to try to catch the last bus, which goes to Tarragona at midnight and costs 11 euros. So, having said goodbye to my traveling companion, I boarded the bus, and an hour and a half later I found myself in Tarragona.

Industrial area near Salou

I don’t know what came over me, but I decided to walk from Tarragona to Salou. Having spent more than three hours on this journey, I “enjoyed” the view of the industrial areas of Spain at night. Oh, it's worth seeing! But it's better in the picture. Black, smoking monsters emitting an ominous hiss, hung with fluorescent lamps, and, among other things, sometimes emitted a disgusting smell. Such a contrast with what I saw just a couple of hours ago is simply amazing. It feels like you are in some kind of nightmare. And this is three kilometers from Salou! And La Pineda is less than a kilometer away.

The next day, having washed away the previous unpleasant impressions in the cool May sea, I went to Barcelona in order to continue my acquaintance with this unusual and amazing city. But I’m ready to say with confidence that traveling around Europe by car gives an incomparably greater experience than walking and traveling by public transport.

Summary and advice for travelers to Spain

So, let me summarize the above and bring some conclusion to our journey.

Route: Barcelona - Zaragoza - Logroo - Burgos - Madrid - Leida - Salou - Barcelona. The length is 1600 km, the duration is just over 4 days.

Car costs
Gasoline - 120 euros. The cost of a liter is approximately 1.16 euros, on the highways the prices are approximately the same, in the city they are more expensive.
Toll road - 62 euros (4 euros per 100 km), the most expensive section: Barcelona - Zaragoza (8 euros per 100 km).
Parking - 25 euros.
Total, about 200 euros per car (12 euros per 100 km).

Hotels
Contrary to reviews, the staff at all three hotels we visited spoke good English. Each hotel has a spacious bathroom with a bidet. In general, I would like to praise Spanish hotels for the high level of services provided. The cost of inexpensive 3* hotels is from 35 to 50 euros. It's best to order online in advance, otherwise it will likely be more expensive. Parking near the hotel is free, if space and markings allow. If there are no places, then underground parking will cost 15-20 euros per night.

Parking
White line along the road with marked parking spaces - free parking.
Blue line - paid parking.
Green line - parking for local residents. Travelers are not allowed to park on the green line.
Yellow line - parking is prohibited. You can park your car for a while with the hazard lights on, but you shouldn't go far from the car.

Parking machines
Located near areas marked with blue markings. Parking costs about euros per hour. Standard usage scheme: throw the required number of coins and press the “ticket” button. It often happens that parking machines do not give change. The machine will issue a coupon indicating until what time you can leave the car. The ticket must be placed under the windshield of the car so that road service employees can see that you have paid for parking. If the paid interval includes free hours, they will be automatically added and taken into account in the time marked on the ticket. Information about free time slots is indicated on the machine. Usually this is from 14:00 to 15:00 (lunch) and from 20:00 to 8:00 (after hours).

Underground parking
We drive up to the barrier and press the button on the machine, take a ticket and drive through. Upon returning to the car, we go to the machine and pay for parking. A vending machine is the best way to deposit accumulated change! :) We insert the coupon, the amount is displayed. We put the money in, press the button (if necessary), the machine will issue a coupon and change. If you make a mistake, click “reset”, the machine will return everything back.

Refilling the car
When renting a car, ask what kind of fuel it needs. For gasoline engines, Gasolina 95 is usually used. Refueling procedure: first fill in gasoline, then go pay. Next to the column you can find a brush lying in a special container. This brush can be used to wipe car windows and headlights if necessary. When leaving the gas station there are paper towels for hands. Very comfortably!

After 20:00 refueling may become difficult because... This is not working time. In this case, you can use the machine to pay for gas, but I haven’t figured out how it works.

Toll roads
They are indicated by the sign Peaje (Toll) in a red circle. We are looking for a gate with the inscription “Manual”, so you can pay in cash, or a gate with a picture of a card, where you can pay with a credit card. If there are no signs, then you just need to drive up to the machine, press the button and get a ticket, just like in a parking lot. And when passing the next gate, give the ticket to the cashier and pay the amount displayed on the board.

Traffic rules in Spain
Speed in cities - up to 50 km/h, outside cities - up to 100 km/h, on highways - up to 120 km/h. Locals violate, there is no need to repeat after them: there are many cameras, the presence of which is warned by corresponding signs. When driving through a roundabout, if there are no special signs, the one who is at the intersection has priority, that is, we give way only at the entrance - very convenient. Yellow signs are temporary, usually indicating road repairs, and their duration is usually marked with a yellow stripe.

Public transport
Prices for intercity trains can be found on the official website of the Spanish railways http://www.renfe.com/
Electric trains have the unpleasant property of being late by 10-15 minutes - here this is considered normal. At lunchtime, the interval between trains increases significantly. Nobody canceled siesta :)

In general, siesta, relaxation, wine - all this vividly characterizes Spain, a country where you want to relax, and where you want to return to relax!