Photos are at:- https://photos.app.goo.gl/FdAUXBsH4X45whDz7
Saturday May 2nd
Having got off the boat and with Google telling me I could not get to Ribes de Freser before Monday it was great to find a very helphul young man who put directions on my phone and showed me where to get a ticket (which was Gratis). Free because engineering work meant one train ride and two rail replacement busses. Hostel is OK. Went out and spent 10Euro on a charger, since I had failed to pack a continental adaptor. Various gadgets will have to share it, the problem is the compute doesn't like it and gets very tetchy using the USB port for charging.
Sunday 3rd - Rives de Freser
Up and out at just after 8am and able to have a wander around the rack railway exhibition before the 08,40 train up to Nuria. Really pretty ride and setting. Lots of photos taken. I guess I was feeling the lack of oxygen - not too enthusiastic about walking but I did one of the shorter ones on offer. I was rather worried to find a gully with snow still in it, slide down that and there was a large drop at the end. I missed a turn in the trail, but this time I turned back - mostly because of the prospect of further gullies need ing to be crossed, I did take a
large stick with me thinking it could act as an ice axe substitute. Anyway I survived and got back early but was able to change the booking on the train from 15.40 to 13.40. Killed a bit of time looking at displays and waterfalls. Went all the way to the end of the railway in the hope that the supermarket there would be open - but despite a notice yesterday I think they closed at 2.30. Found a shop in town and got a couple of KitKats. Back in the room with a green bar (ie 12,500steps done) at 1500. Most of time spent editing photos and at 2000 I really should be thinking of sleeping. I did while the computer charged slowly, it was squabbling with the phone this time. At 3am woke up finished photo editing and put them online.
Monday 4th - Tarragona
Overslept to 8am but that was OK. Wandered to station. Rail replacement seems to be the thing here at the moment. No problem, on the 0925 bus to Vic. Here I was determined to get a ticket, which I did Gratis to Barcelona. That got me to Barcelona Saint for nothing. Getting a ticket to Tarragona was another thing. They had ticket window by ticket, so you had no idea how long the queue was. The internet site put you in a queue with over 7,000 waiting so taking 6-7 minutes and there was a line for the automatic ticket vending machines.When I did get onto the vending
machine it didn't like the Lloyds card and sent ma back to the beginning. Second attempt seemed easier - it didn't ask for my passport no. and I got a ticket for the 14.03 train for 8Euro. Problem was an incident meant a bus replacement for over half the trip, so train to El Prat - bus to San Vicenc de Calders and then train to Tarragona. Turned out that becuse I left early the train from San Vicenc was the one I had a ticket for! Arrived in time for a couple of McD's before meeting the appartment host. Pretty neat appartment, apart from the fact that alll rubbish has to e removed at the end. Very modern vith all conveniences. Got food. Need to plan tomorrow. Which I did during an evening stroll. The guy at the ticket office said it was free and gave me a ticket ! ? !
What with breakfast and a sleep in it was past 9am when I got to the station. Had to change to R4 at Sant Vicenc de Calders but didn't trust myself and anded up with a one hour wait. During which I discovered that all Catalan regional trains seem to be free until the 8th of May.
At Martorell I should not have been able to get to the Roman Bridge as there was construction work blocking the route, but there was a thin track down by the river. I then fell flat on my face at the observation place. From there it was uphill, under the motorway, onto the ridge and a walk past a
number of old forts or castles. The rock formations were fantastic and photos just don't do them justice. The track down was pretty hairy, some big drops off the side, hidden by vegitation. Navigation was difficult in a number of places. Got back to the station and had another almost an hour wait for the train, luckily at Sant Vicenc the Tarragona train was waiting although not at its usual platform, so I got back around 6.30 with pizza and an apple which was good unlike the trail mix which is very hard work.
Wednesday 6th - Tortosa
Went out to ctch the 08.44, which didn't arrive until 09.15. That is the reason that travel is free until Sat, apparently it is compensation for bad service. Anyway it was a nice hour and a bit journey. Wandered down to and along the river and then along the old city walls to the forts and generally enjoyed the scenery. Trains were every two hours so I decided not to bother with the last hill and caught the 13.11 train bacl to Tarragona and was back at the flat by 14,30.. Wandered out about 1600 with the intention of getting a magnet but they were still in siesta mode so went to McD and thought "Dam the expense" and had two coffees., while I played on the internet. Suddenly it was 18.00 and I secured the magnet and returned to finish off my pizza. Charging the laptop has been a problem, it has been plugged in all day to no effect but for some reason it seems to have aquired charge while I edited photos. Haybe because I turned the screen brightness right down. Who knows?
Thursday 8th
Out by 10am. Train all the way to airport nd as suspected nice views of the sea. Airport was well organised and we got directed to passport control before the gate was announced. I seem to be in the system as I could use the egate. Long wait and even longer as the flight was delayed by about an hour, not that they gave us any information as to why. Dublin was the usual long walk only to find that flight connections closed at 1300. Re-entered, wondering what advantage flight connections offered. Flight to Cardiff was delayed. Got in with the display saying 44mins for the bus and 55mins to walk home. Began walking but the app said 25mins so I waited at the bus stop at top of Porthkerry. The rail link stopped just to check. 304 had two of us on it Back by midnight but 2hrs unwinding, before sleep.
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