Tarrragona: Augusto Tarraco

In a Barcelona TI we'd seen posters of a beautiful Roman amphitheater by the sea, in Tarragona, an hour down the coast. Other things we'd read suggested Tarragona, the ancient Augusto Tarraco, was well worth a stop. Spain's second largest concentration of Roman ruins. Between the beautiful campground and the beautiful city, we ended up spending a couple nights there. Augusto Tarraco began as a military center for Augustus, later his capital of the province of Spain. The place is littered with Roman remains.

Beginning with this triumphal arch, built 15-5 BC as a tribute
to the emperor, on the Via Augustus, 12 miles out of town

We checked into Camping Las Palmeras, a very large resort
campground right on the beach

 

Nice beach too

Nice site; after a long walk on the beach we decided to spend an
extra night

We took the municipal bus into the city; here, looking at the
Torre del Pretori, originally a Roman building

A young Augustus?

First glimpse of the amphitheater

In the adjoining garden; a sign said the rose was the Romans'
favorite flower

More pix of the anfiteatro, including the underground bits used
for housing beasts, gladiators, vending machines, vomitoria, et
cetera

We've seen our share of Roman amphitheaters, circuses, odeons,
etc., but never one with as scenic a setting as this; the Greeks
were uncannily good at siting their theaters, always with a view,
but then their performances were boring

More Roman bits, walls, towers

Interestingly (to me), the upper floors are
plastered over, but the lower story or so is
left uncovered, presumably to show its very
old construction...some Roman-style bricks
plainly visible

Street scene

Entry to the Torre del Pretori

 

More Roman bits in a forum

Street scene

You said it, man. Nobody f**ks with the Maria Jesus.

So we have traveled 5,000 miles to see a carneceria advertising
Black Angus? From Nebraska? Yeah, but it's not CBA (Certified
Black Angus)

Gaudi Crypt: Church Of Colonia Guell; Or, I Owe My Soul To The Company Store

Gaudi's great patron over the years was Eusebi Guell, a Barcelona industrialist, who had enlightened ideas about architecture and many other things. Among Guell's many projects was the Colonia Guell, an industrial estate, sort of on the English model, in the suburbs of the city. A whole manufacturing village so the workers could be and stay near their beloved mill, factories, etc. (We toured the place reciting and humming as much as we could remember of Tennessee Ernie Ford's 1955 #1 hit, Sixteen Tons). Guell asked Gaudi to design a church for the residents, and the Gaudi Crypt, so-called, is the result. Funding ran out, eventually, and Gaudi abandoned the project (he had other church projects) after completing the crypt. The main floor was never undertaken. All this from roughly 1890 to 1909. In any case, the Crypt stands by itself today as a parish church and as another architectural monument. We visited it on April 20th, en route from Barcelona to Tarragona.

The village is inhabited and actually fairly prosperous-looking;
a very lively elementary school is near by the visitor center; above,
in the visitor center, another helpful model, of the Colonia Guell

These are the things you see in exhibits on historic mills

Real people lived and worked here; busts of Eusebi and his
father on left

The TI office

Private home a block away; very Modernist

Approaching the church (crypt)

The church, best exterior view

Main entry

Above the doors

Porch, columns, vaulting, tiles...

Interior...only Gaudi could have dreamed this up

Varieties of columns, materials, effects, angles (nothing at
exactly 90 degrees, one assumes)

View abaft

He designed the furniture, too; of course

Stained-glass window opening mechanism

Angles, palm-tree columns

Above the chancel, as it were

Now outside, walking up to what would have
been the main part of the building, the nave,
etc.

The floor of the main church; now merely the roof of the
crypt

Neighboring Modernista, privately owned

Up close detail; God, these people have taste

What would have been the entrance to the church

Unclear whether Gaudi intended the tower to
be permanent

Building materials: brick, basalt, iron slag

Alas, our Gaudi set is not complete, but it's getting close; Casa
Vicens is scheduled to open next fall, and perhaps we'll see it
all then (we saw the exterior only in 2013)

[Reserved For Barcelona Out-Takes, Thoughts]

I can't believe I'm already a week behind...

Camping Barcelona

This was our second long stay at Camping Barcelona, on the coast, between Mataro and Sant Andreu de Llevanes. Barcelona is the draw, of course, but if you're in a motorhome, or otherwise camping, this place is perfect. Clean, scenic, all the amenities, nice staff. With our various discounts, it cost us 16 euros a night, including electricity and, most importantly, the free shuttle into Barcelona and back.

Looking toward Mataro, 2k away; I walked the trail along here
every other day or so

Clothing optional beach, except right in town

Looking the other way, toward Sant Andreu, 1k away;
beautifully clear Mediterranean

There are always sailboats to watch

And every now and then an old pill-box washes up (Franco Art Deco)

At a class on making sangria; with a couple from near Lille; mixing fruit with
wine, what an abomination, they must have been thinking...

Seriously; we're never buying Don Simon again; well, until we run out of
Cointreau and brandy

Boarding the 9AM shuttle (two big buses) to Barcelona (there
is also the municipal bus and also the train from Mataro)