Where's Bertie? He's in a municipal Aire at the marina just outside of Barbate. It costs €9.55 per night to stay here, including use of the toilets and showers. Use of the service point is €3 extra. (Exact location: 36.18425, -5.93546)
Weather: Wall-to-wall sunshine.
Bertie ended up with a lot of neighbours in Bolonia last night.
My intended running route this morning was to go 5km SE along the Atlantic Coast Path then turn around and return. Whilst I know that's a perfectly feasible thing to do, when I was 2.5km in the good path suddenly unravelled into a multitude of cow-trods through the sand dunes. I poked around for a while, trying to find the best way forward, before deciding that all the faffing around wasn't proving beneficial to the intention of my outing. So, I made do with two repetitions of the bit I'd run to that point. It wasn't as interesting as the section of coast path I was on a couple of days ago, but still nicer than pounding the streets.
Another sunrise outing. The sun hampered me on the outward leg, as it blinded me to the trip hazards that lay on the path in front of me.
The morning was marching on rapidly towards lunchtime by the time we walked purposefully up the road towards the entrance to 'Baelo Claudia', the Roman archaeological site. There we expected to pay an entrance fee. Our guide book (now 10 years out of date) said the fee for non-EU passport holders was €1.50. An online review two years ago reported the same, but I couldn't find any up to date price information (not even on the museum website); however, we felt sure it wouldn't have jumped to anything unreasonable.
The receptionist's greeting was to ask our nationality, and when we answered she told us that entry was free. We didn't argue the point. After all, if the requirement is based purely on passports, it would be perfectly feasible for us still to have EU ones for the next few years. It's just unfortunate timing that ours expired last summer. Or maybe they've made a positive decision still to allow Brits free entry?
Either way, we were in and before reaching the excavated site, we were routed through the museum. There's stunningly little inside considering the size of building. The real interest in this place is outside.
According to the leaflet (written in faultless English): "Excavations have uncovered the most complete Roman urban complex in the entire Iberian Peninsula, with monuments of extraordinary importance such as the basilica, the theatre, the market and the Temple of Isis." The leaflet also explains that the fishing industry, especially tuna, was the main source of income.
Looking across the site at the start of the tour route
The leaflet explained the recommended tour route and what we would see, which was augmented by signs on the ground. Most of the buildings in evidence were as expected, having visited quite a number of Roman sites over the years. What was novel here was the fish processing/salting factory.
The fish factory. Note all the sinks (I'm sure there's a better word that I'm failing to grab from my bank of words!) where the fish were prepared and salted.
From front to back: square, basilica, forum and temples.
As above, but looking from a rear corner, from behind the later-added temple of Isis.
We left agreeing that it would have been excellent value for money if we had paid and that it had been worth the visit.
Once lunch had been despatched back at Bertie (I had to be a bit imaginative today with a serious lack of typical lunch ingredients, such as any bread products), I suggested it might be time to move on, as tempting as it was to stay put for another night.
That may not have been the best decision. The Aire here at the marina in Barbate is not immediately adjacent to the town, and unlike the sister Aire we stayed at Caleta de Velez, here the marina buildings are all abandoned, with one significantly vandalised, and the toilets and showers are a good few minutes walk away, rather than being just across the street. It thus feels like it offers far less value for money, despite being the same price for, on paper, the same services.
Since arriving we've only walked around the quayside (a remarkably popular thing to do, as we've witnessed through Bertie's windscreen, but there are fewer interesting craft here and lots of empty moorings). Hopefully tomorrow we'll venture towards the town, even if only briefly.
Bertie's over yonder
After I started typing this, I started hearing a loud bird squawking nearby. I went out to see if I could see what it was, but drew a blank. Then curiosity got the better of Mick. It turns out that our neighbours have a parrot, as well as four West Highland Terriers, in their 7m motorhome.
Weather: Wall-to-wall sunshine.
My intended running route this morning was to go 5km SE along the Atlantic Coast Path then turn around and return. Whilst I know that's a perfectly feasible thing to do, when I was 2.5km in the good path suddenly unravelled into a multitude of cow-trods through the sand dunes. I poked around for a while, trying to find the best way forward, before deciding that all the faffing around wasn't proving beneficial to the intention of my outing. So, I made do with two repetitions of the bit I'd run to that point. It wasn't as interesting as the section of coast path I was on a couple of days ago, but still nicer than pounding the streets.
The morning was marching on rapidly towards lunchtime by the time we walked purposefully up the road towards the entrance to 'Baelo Claudia', the Roman archaeological site. There we expected to pay an entrance fee. Our guide book (now 10 years out of date) said the fee for non-EU passport holders was €1.50. An online review two years ago reported the same, but I couldn't find any up to date price information (not even on the museum website); however, we felt sure it wouldn't have jumped to anything unreasonable.
The receptionist's greeting was to ask our nationality, and when we answered she told us that entry was free. We didn't argue the point. After all, if the requirement is based purely on passports, it would be perfectly feasible for us still to have EU ones for the next few years. It's just unfortunate timing that ours expired last summer. Or maybe they've made a positive decision still to allow Brits free entry?
Either way, we were in and before reaching the excavated site, we were routed through the museum. There's stunningly little inside considering the size of building. The real interest in this place is outside.
According to the leaflet (written in faultless English): "Excavations have uncovered the most complete Roman urban complex in the entire Iberian Peninsula, with monuments of extraordinary importance such as the basilica, the theatre, the market and the Temple of Isis." The leaflet also explains that the fishing industry, especially tuna, was the main source of income.
The leaflet explained the recommended tour route and what we would see, which was augmented by signs on the ground. Most of the buildings in evidence were as expected, having visited quite a number of Roman sites over the years. What was novel here was the fish processing/salting factory.
We left agreeing that it would have been excellent value for money if we had paid and that it had been worth the visit.
Once lunch had been despatched back at Bertie (I had to be a bit imaginative today with a serious lack of typical lunch ingredients, such as any bread products), I suggested it might be time to move on, as tempting as it was to stay put for another night.
That may not have been the best decision. The Aire here at the marina in Barbate is not immediately adjacent to the town, and unlike the sister Aire we stayed at Caleta de Velez, here the marina buildings are all abandoned, with one significantly vandalised, and the toilets and showers are a good few minutes walk away, rather than being just across the street. It thus feels like it offers far less value for money, despite being the same price for, on paper, the same services.
Since arriving we've only walked around the quayside (a remarkably popular thing to do, as we've witnessed through Bertie's windscreen, but there are fewer interesting craft here and lots of empty moorings). Hopefully tomorrow we'll venture towards the town, even if only briefly.
After I started typing this, I started hearing a loud bird squawking nearby. I went out to see if I could see what it was, but drew a blank. Then curiosity got the better of Mick. It turns out that our neighbours have a parrot, as well as four West Highland Terriers, in their 7m motorhome.
You are lucky they weren't nasty yapping Jack Russells. My erstwhile neighbour had two and they frequently took me to tipping point. Having said that I do like dogs - give me a springer spaniel any day.
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