It´s been a while since I’ve been on a blog trip. The last one was also in Catalonia. TBEX Girona in Sept 2012. This next one coming up is in Tarragona & Costa Daurada. TBMCatSur I´m very excited about this trip. For me it´s not just another Blogger meeting.
Let´s go back right to 1990, yes 23 years ago. That is when I first visited Tarragona I was a young teenager with very basic Spanish. I was just beginning GSCE Spanish at my Comprehensive school and did a Student Exchange with a Spanish family. My level was ¿Donde esta la playa? more or less. The word for left in Spanish was still a challenge (it´s Izquierda by the way)
So all those years ago I visited the area many times over Summer holidays and Easter breaks. The hugely popular Theme Park Port Aventura was being built at this time. I got to go almost as soon as it opened in 1995. This photo above is from 1990 when I took a daytrip on the River Ebro. I can remember visiting a small village nearby and having Paella. Over these visits to Tarragona I visited the fiestas of Santa Tecla and Sant Magi. I remember being quite freaked out by the penitents in the Easter processions looking out with their eyes at me from under their deep purple headpieces all those years ago. Something which I am quite used to seeing now after 15 years as a resident in Spain. I also remember spending a lot of time in Cambrils and La Pineda all those summers ago.
So on this trip I will spend time in familiar Tarragona and kayak down the River Ebro myself, taking in the amazing birdlife and unique scenery. This weekend will be full of nostalgia and it´s going to be great fun. I am also going to visit the town of Tortosa which I haven’t been to before so that´s a new place for me to experience.
Of course there will be networking with other Spanish & Catalan bloggers. Some of them I know from previous blogtrips and meetings. Viajares I have met in 2 previous trips & he´ll be doing a conference at the Tarragona event. Karen Bryan is a fellow British blogger who I met in Girona last Sept. I´ll be great to catch up with her again at the TBMCatSur. It´s amazing to met fellow bloggers and see each persons unique motivation and perspective on things.
Of course for me the main highlight of this trip is clearly revisting the city of Tarragona and the Costa Daurada and seeing how it´s evolved over these 20 years.
There will be a post when I return of how it all went. Here it is! Tarragona & Tortosa May 2013
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[…] you have already read my post about Tarragona 23 years on you´ll know that last weekend I spent 3 days in Tarragona. This charming city is South from […]