There's Something About Cadaqués

Traveling up and down the Catalunya coast has become a way of life over the last four years. With a coastline dotted with countless seaside towns all boasting their own little slice of heaven, there's no shortage of weekend destinations to choose from.
While Sitges, with its unparallelled fideua, is just a short train ride to the south, the burgeoning medieval town of Tossa de Mar resting along the Carretera del Año, and a whole host of other "_____ de mar" towns all along the way, there's simply something about Cadaqués that keeps us coming back for more. That's why this weekend we, along with our friends Dave and Nicole, rolled out of town early Saturday morning and took to the back roads on our motos destined for Cadaqués.

Months ago I wrote about the idea of a "thin" place, those places and spaces that bring heaven and earth closer together. Places where you feel at ease and at peace with the world. For us, Cadaqués is one of those thin places. In fact, leaving Barcelona and heading north inspires a feeling of liberation, freedom from traffic, noise, grimy streets and pollution. Crowded city suburbs and tacky bulletin board adverts give way to expansive pastures and quaint hamlets. This is the moment when I feel at home, when I'm suddenly back in the southern US taking in the sights and smells of late summer fading into early fall. It feels good to be home.

Once the road splits from Roses, the final stretch into Cadaqués becomes something special, one which Jeff has dreamed of driving on a moto for years now and I have all but gotten sick over the very idea. But alas, not being one to squash a dream, I took the high road and held on tight while Jeff took to the curves with gusto. Leaning this way and that, looking ahead through the curves and silently screaming through the switchbacks, I have to say that arriving at our final destination was probably the most anticipated of all our previous visits. I couldn't get off the bike soon enough.

The rest of our visit was a breeze. Sipping the best Sangria around at Nord Est while admiring the most picturesque view of the town was just what the doctor ordered. Swimming in the ice cold water in a secluded cove helped to wash away the stress of a new school year. Dining on local food and a few bottles of wine made for great storytelling with great company. The evening hours may have been a bit noisy, but all in all Cadaqués didn't disappoint us. In fact, for a short time we were a little closer to heaven in our thin place.

Enjoying the scenery and Sangria

Jeff enjoying what's left of his summer vacation