Roses
On Thursday we drove to Roses, a fishing and tourist centre at the north end of the bay of Roses. We are staying at Camping Salata, a pleasant but slightly pricy site in Santa Margarida, just to the south of Roses.
Roses Beach
In the afternoon we cycled alongside the beach and then up a steep hill to the north of the town to a walk we know up to a collection of neolithic dolmens.
Dolmen
These massive blocks of stone were lifted into place 4-5000 years ago and may have been burial chambers. However despite a good sniff around the torpid terriers couldn’t find any old bones…and the older they are the better they like them.
Marayoor Dolmen in Kerala. Courtesy of Sanandkarunakaran.
Interestingly these dolmens are worldwide…the one above is from Kerala in India.
Dry Stone Hut
Colin and Dolmen
There is a lot of stuff to see along the walk; other dolmens and a clever hut with a roof of overlapping stones and no other visible means of support. We got to the top about 6 pm and had good views over Roses and bay, but a bit hazy and too much in to the sun for a good picture.
Empuribrava
Yesterday we cycled to Empuribrava which is a tightly packed collection of pretty old houses built around a network of canals, a bit like Venice but without the grand architecture.
Posh Canalside House and Solar powered boat
It was very busy being Good Friday and the canals were full of all sorts of craft buzzing up and down. They must lose a lot of the hire craft in all the little creeks and gullies; ‘equipped with GPS’ was a selling point on many of the booths we saw pushing boat hire.
Parakeets
There were a lot of parakeets flying about enjoying the easter break and nesting in the palm trees here.
The Greens
They are well camouflaged but do give themselves away by squawking very loudly.
La Muga
The cycle track continues alongside La Muga river and into the Emporda marshes, a quiet nature reserve which extends back along the coast to L’Escala.
Bridge over La Muga
This bridge leads to a network of tracks crossing the marshes.
We cycled back through old Empuribrava and past the airfield here which is a parachuting centre.
This is our last port of call on the Spain trip. We are setting off on Saturday to head back through France to the UK.
Rambling about Europe with the Kray Twins (Colin and Penny).
Travels with Mavis 
Thankyou ! Lots of great archaeology in the last two blogs, We have seen very similar stone huts in southern Corsica overlooking the straight to Sardinia, and the dolmens look just like those in Cornwall. Now there’s a thing to ponder. I should stick with the Bay of Roses for the time being, winter has returned to these parts. Keep ’em coming, Jim
So glad you’re enjoying Spain – thanks for all the wonderful blogs. However, having just walked up the Fell in warm sunshine and no wind, you really ought to come home now: it’s glorious! Skylarks and lambs abound, and the snows have melted. Your pink rhodedendron is just bursting into flower, and the massed geraniums alongside the path are in full leaf. Even the hydrangeas are trying….
Safe journey!
Val XX
Thanks Val…looking forward to seeing you and Jim again..and some boules tuition…
Hi you two. Thanks for adding to our last trip to Spain you’re a font of knowledge and such fun. Sad to see your on your way home,that means it’s definiatly the end of our hols. Safe trip , you know our driveways good for stop over if ever passing Maidenhead. Look forward to your next Blog. Have fun. XX
Thats a kind offer….and we’ll have to meet up again on the next tour…
love
Peter and Nia
xx