We’re freshly back from our trip to Sitges. We had a really great time and I’m happy to say, all went according to plan.
We left just before 8 on Thursday am. It had snowed an inch or snow the previous night so we weren’t sure if we would be able to get the car out but thankfully, it wasn’t a problem. We took the toll roads on the way down since we wanted to get there in good time. There was a bit of snow in the Dordogne but mostly, just what had fallen the previous night although more was forecast. We had been going for a couple hours when we hit a parking lot on the autoroute due to an accident ahead. We were stopped about 45 min but then things picked up once we cleared it. As we passed through Toulouse, it started snowing and eventually turned into a blizzard of mammoth proportions. This stayed with us until we were about 10K from the coast of the Med when the snow finally let up. Then the temp climbed from -3C to 9C as we drove along the coast, through Barcelona and finally reached Sitges around 4:30. We had to leave Lola double parked on one of the narrow streets and someone clipped her, leaving a dent in her front fender.
Other than that, we were unscathed from our journey as were David, Gavin and Graham who arrived around 6pm, after a slight delay to their flight. We went to the supermarket to get supplies and then came back, snacked and had a few drinks before going out. We wandered around a bit trying to find something suitable for everyone and eventually ended up at a place that served an varied menu where we had either steak or pizza. We rounded off the evening checking out a couple of bars which were fairly quiet and simultaneously filled with drag-queens, as incongruous as that seems.
We drank enough to cause some mild hangovers the next day but nothing serious. It was sunny and roughly 10C so we decided to take a stroll along the beach. Sitges is a lovely little Mediterranean town, colourfully painted with narrow streets leading down to the sea. As you walk away from town the seaside turns from commercial to residential and most of the villas that border the sea are spectacular, some more than others. We had a drink then headed home for lunch via the shops where we got more supplies. David cooked a lovely veggie shepherds pie that evening and then we played poker into the night. David finally triumphed over Will to take the crown in the early hours of the morning.
The next day, we strolled around some more, had a few cocktails before a late lunch, then went out for Mexican food that evening. Margaritas were enjoyed by all and being Spain, they were even stronger than normal if that’s somehow possible. From there we hit the bars which were a lot more crowded that evening. I’m reliably told that at midnight, we had a couple rounds of tequilla shots to usher in Gavin’s birthday but for some reason, my memory is a bit spotty from after dinner onwards. We got split up on the way home which meant Will and Graham were locked out and pissed off the neighbours by hammering on the door for awhile. Eventually, everyone made it home including David who brought a new friend home for the evening.
Sunday was parade day. They take Carnival seriously in Sitges although not quite as much as in Brazil or so I’m told. In the afternoon is the kid’s parade and then the main one is that evening. Each group gets a few minutes to perform in front of the judges before doing the parade circuit. Some of the costumes and floats were rather elaborate (see pics) and we amused ourselves for an hour watching the performances. We had eaten a large lunch earlier in the day (seafood paella for some) so contented ourselves with beer and tapas for dinner. We stayed in that evening since we had to leave the next day.
Monday was departure day. Will and I packed the car and headed out around midday. I had some difficulty getting Lola through the narrow one-way streets to our apartment and even more trouble getting her back out. I finally managed but not before adding a few more scrapes to her bumpers. We drove across Spain and then took a right turn over the Pyrenees. They’re not the highest mountains but they were certainly spectacular enough for some photos. The drifts at the very top are over 2 metres high and come right up to the edge of the road. Being Monday, there was very little traffic so we made good time and arrived in Pau on the French side around 6pm. Pau (pronounced “poe”) is a mid-sized city with an huge ornate chateau in the centre. We had dinner at a cute restaurant near the chateau and then tried to find a particular gay bar which I had made a note of before we left. We never did find the bar until the next morning when we discovered that we had missed karaoke the previous night. Will was of course much relieved and I wasn’t too disappointed considering it would have turned into a very drunken evening.
On Tuesday, after a stroll around town in the morning, we headed home, doing the drive in about 4 hours. It had been very cold while we were gone but we arrived to find temps close to 10C and no more snow. Sharon thoughtfully cooked dinner for us so we ate with her and then spent the next few hours setting the world to rights. We know it’s a bit decadent taking a holiday from our holiday but we’re very pleased we did.