15th of February, 2019
After a very cold night with frost on the ground, I hop in the car and decide to go to the market in La Bisbal d’Empordà. At this time of the morning, you still can find a parking spot. Markets are popular among the Catalans and they start early! La Bisbal d’Empordà is a typical provincial town, very well-known for the ceramics and all kinds of baskets. I notice that the stall with meat and cheeses is still on the same corner as 20 years before. They stick to their place! You can get good bargains here and most people buy for the whole week their fruits and veggies. I just stroll around, get familiar again with the Spanish atmosphere and buy some roses for my father’s grave.
From La Bisbal I return to Pals, park the car in town and walk up towards the cemetery. From now on, I will visit my dad every day of this week, to catch up with him on the stories. A lot has happened over the last 20 years…….
Pals is still Pals, a few stores more and a few less and, very important, more cafeterías! The medieval town has not changed at all and it’s lovely to walk around and admire the view from the old tower.
At the parking I start a conversation with an older guy, who is sitting on a bench. We talk about my economic rental car and I tell him the reason I came back to Pals. Long story short; it turns out he was the gardener of my parents!!! What a coincidence! The next day, I take him to the local café and we talk about the old times.
It’s lunchtime and I drive to Playa de Pals, to see if restaurant Mar Blau still exists. It idoes and as always running the whole year. It has a terrace at the seaside or at the back. There is a cold wind blowing, so I prefer to sit on the secluded terrace. To sit outside again is such a great feeling! I take my favorite avocado-schrimp and sip my white wine. This is holiday!
The beach is wide and empty. After lunch, I go for a walk over the rocky path along the sea, towards Sa Riera. Many times I walked this trail in the past and on some stretches it was not very safe, but it improved a lot. The nude beach is also still there and one person is sunbathing. Thanks to my 60 x zoom camera, I know it is a guy and yes, he is nude!
Sa Riera is empty, nearly all the houses are closed and not even one café open. In the summer these places are crowded with tourists and now I barely see a living soul.
I return my way to Playa de Pals, via the tiny streets up and down the hill and arrive just before sunset ‘home’.