#42 Towers made of people and stones

December 17-20, 2021: Tarragona

F. Before we drove to Tarragona, we made a short refueling stop at the campsite. This time, refilling went without flooding again, but not quite normal. The campsite was mostly occupied by permanent campers, who were mostly absent at this time of year, so at least 10 of the many campsite cats gathered in the area where the 6 non-permanent campers were. The cats were quite clingy and obviously hoped to snatch something to eat. If you weren't careful, some cats even tried to jump into our van or onto the laptop that you were sitting with in the sun on your lap. Only the neighbor's dog was able to instill some respect in the cats. But after he left for a walk, the cat army was back and there were 10 cats sitting around you, watching every movement of your hands.

We reached Tarragona at dusk and parked on the last available parking space on the street by the beach. Strangely enough, many parking spaces in the harbor, where we actually wanted to stay overnight, were closed for the weekend. The night was not one of the quietest on our trip, as cars passed by the van so closely on one side that depending on the speed, the van swayed more or less from the draft. On the other hand, at night there were also one or two freight trains rolling into the harbor. Well, the view of the beach during breakfast quickly made us forget all that. We also noticed that we had parked directly below the amphitheater. It was used as a film set this weekend. We suspect some kind of image film for Tarragona, as besides genuine Romans, four associations were also filmed that build the famous human towers for Catalonia in the summer.

In Roman times, Tarragona was one of the first major cities in Spain and it was from here that the Romans coordinated the conquest of Spain. So there was not only a large amphitheater and a classic theater, but also a large circus. This one was over 300 meters long and 150 meters wide and was one of the largest circuses outside of Rome. Most of the circus was demolished and/or built over again in the Middle Ages. However, some large and small passageways below the former grandstands are still preserved and offer a breathtaking insight into the past.

Over the centuries, these passageways have found a variety of uses. In addition to storage chambers, latrines, and shelters, there are quite a few exciting stories. In some restaurants, you can still see some vaulted arches and experience the city's history up close. The watchtowers, which were later built on the circus, which was converted into a city wall, also provided a magnificent view over Tarragona and its mix of buildings from different eras.

In addition to the Romans, the Middle Ages and the Spanish Civil War have also been very influential. In addition to a lot of intertwined history, Tarragona has a large port where many goods are handled and various luxury yachts are moored. For example, the 92-meter-long megayacht Tatoosh of the late Paul Allen (co-founder of Microsoft) was also moored here. It is currently available for 90 million euros. So if you have the necessary money and need a yacht with a sailboat, 3 motor boats, a jet ski, a pool, a helicopter landing pad, and a music studio, you should buy it now. 😉 The interesting thing is that when something big is placed next to something even bigger, the former seems very small. So in the following picture, the first large yacht standing alone is certainly very overwhelming, but when you look at its neighbors, the 20 meters seem tiny again.

Outside Tarragona, one of the two aqueducts from Roman times is still preserved. We visited it at the end of our stay. I am always overwhelmed by the engineering of the time when you consider that this structure, which is 217 meters long and 27 meters high, was built without electricity, hydraulics, modern surveying techniques, and even without mortar/concrete, and still stands after 2000 years.

Day 66 - Total tour 4,367 km

---- Subscribe ----

If you would like to subscribe to our blog, you can either sign up with Vakantio and click on subscribe or send us a message and we will add you to our own distribution list. Of course, we also appreciate feedback!

Email: querfeld2@gmail.com