Foillsichte: 17.03.2022
Today the journey ends alone.
... if the insane strike of the so-called security personnel at the German airports allows it. Yesterday on Tuesday nothing went from Hamburg, whether the flight takes off this morning will show. Check-in was possible, we have hope.
In Hamburg then the disillusionment. Simone is already there early, thank goodness. There is a queue in front of the security check of about 3 hours. Nerves are frayed.
A labor dispute for unskilled personnel (at least there is no training known to me that is necessary for the search for too much liquid and nail clippers in hand luggage) is being fought on the backs of thousands of passengers. Greetings to the nursing staff in the hospitals.
I'm keeping track of the developments in Hamburg online and leisurely pack up the motorhome. The original arrival time of 12:50 p.m. in Barcelona cannot be kept.
My weather research results in the Tarragona area as a destination for the afternoon. There are some campsites by the sea in Cambrils. Let's see when the plane lands.
At 1:00 p.m. we start to the airport, where I first need to orient myself. Can I drive with the motorhome to the arrival hall? Are there parking facilities there? Are they large enough?
Answer to all questions: YES.
With a 90-minute delay, Eurowings flight EW 7520 lands in El Prat, the BCN airport, after a loop in the air (and probably an approach path over the campsite 🛬).
One insight of the day is: if you enter Barcelona as the destination and the airport as the street in the navigation system, you won't find anything. After some despair, I change the city to El Prat - and behold, the airport is immediately displayed.
After landing at 2:30 p.m. and seemingly endless 30 minutes of waiting, she finally arrives:
We are very happy 😍
Quickly out of the airport hall and down with the mask...
At the parking machine, the price for generous parking in front of the arrival hall is €13.45.
But well parked and had an eye on the motorhome all the time.
Tarragona is about 100 km away, which seems feasible for the rest of the afternoon. But we take the highway, even if there are two sections with tolls here. I actually thought that tolls on the Autopista mediterano AP 7 had been abolished. Apparently I missed something there....
Cambrils
is a tourist town on the Costa Dorada and has some campsites by the sea. We decide on the first place that is close to the town.
Apparently, everyone thought the same. At least the place is pretty well filled with mostly German motorhomes and retirees who are roaming around Spain's coasts.
Oh well, we are too 😎
Almost at the same time as us, a motorhome with BRV license plates arrived. Greetings from home. The couple drove up from the south because Sahara sand was blown over the country by the wind. The motorhome looked accordingly. I had read about it in the newspaper: Sahara dust turns Spain yellow - reddish (WK from 16.03., Page 6). The phenomenon occurs very rarely and is called 'Illuvia de sangre' = Blood rain in Spain.
After the first welcome beer (...after 4), the exploration tour on foot begins. The town is not far away and we would like to eat something small. Actually, we come to a nice promenade in the area of the port and right behind it the pedestrian zone, where the shops are just closing. It's already 7:00 p.m. But where are the open restaurants? There are plenty of them along the waterfront and also in the pedestrian zone - but all closed. That can't be true!
Full of despair, we 'invade' a store of the chain 'Frankfort', where you can get fast food like sausages, hamburgers and fries. But also a beer.
When studying the menu, which is only in Spanish, we wonder about the different back side. No English, no French - but somehow similar to Spanish.
Oh yes, Catalan. Catalonia has its own aspirations for independence and its own language. This is apparently also reflected in the spelling of some words.
With the help of the translation program on the mobile phone, we finally manage to have a little tapas meal:
Patates Braves (we could understand that)
Aletes = chicken wings
Tires calamar = fried squid strips
Tequenos = cheese-filled pastry rolls
and with each one their own sauce with lots of garlic.
Tomorrow the bike will be made ready and the radius of exploration increased.