Sitges: (See-Juz or Sea-Juice.)

Written by Patrick Reck

The journey from Barcelona to the misty mountains and back again left us tired and strained out from touristing and trekking about.

Clara, Kaitlyn, and I decided for Kaitlyn’s final two days in Spain to relax. And what better way to relax than at the beach. From Barcelona’s Sants metro station, we caught a quick, cheap train Renfe train to Sitges–4,10 Euro, ~1 hour.

Sitges is a bustling, popular resort town during the summer. In November, it was pleasantly quiet, still an active city, but plenty of empty tables and locals with time to chat. The train drops you off downtown, with a short walk to the postcard beach front. Charming cafes, couples, and dogs strolling down the boardwalk under the warm sun and cool sea breeze, the church on the north side of the waterfront serving as a great backdrop for photos and a wonderful place to watch the waves crash on the rocks. It was a delightful 20 minute walk to our hostel, Utopia Beach House.

Only two blocks from the beach, Utopia Beach House made quite an impression on us: its white, rounded facade accented by blue balcony railings. And to top it off, a jazz band playing classics to a crowded cafe. The floor-to-ceiling window in our room opened out to a balcony, and we sat and listened to the band, letting the turmoil of the city melt away, knowing we had come to the right place.

We dropped our bags and headed to the beach.

For November, it was deliciously warm. And after 30 minutes of sunning, we dove into the modest waves of the Mediterranean. Splashing, laughing, rolling in the gentle rip curls, careful to give the nearby surfers their space. Feeling the sand in your toes. Thinking of the tireless pull of the sea. It makes you appreciate the role of the ocean in giving life to us all, ever changing the landscape, breaking down impenetrable rocks into grains of sand.

As the evening breeze blew in, we gathered our things and went back to prepare for dinner.

Spaniards have odd hours for us Americans.

They take the siesta very seriously and have a late dinner because of it. So going out for dinner at 6 pm will often leave you in the lurch. We took that down time to grab a quick napolitana and espresso then got some first rate people watching in on the boardwalk, talking about how different raising kids is becoming.

Around 8, we headed to the winding, narrow streets of old town, and had dinner at Curry & Rice, to get some Indian food for a change of pace. We skipped the night cap and got to bed early.

The next day we got up for a quick run around town…

and enjoyed the park and golf course of the south side of Sitges. We wandered back to Old Town and found a lovely little cafe called Local for tasty breakfast. We chatted with the English owner and continued to appreciate how the allure of Sitges extends all throughout Europe–Parellades 86 – 08870 Sitges, local86695@gmail.com.

Too windy for the beach, we enjoyed the day lounging around the cafe at Utopia, drinking cafe and tea, playing cards, reflecting on our trip so far, noticing all the differences between Spain and American culture, yet deciding people are the same wherever you go. And best of all, we finally embraced the siesta!

In the evening we went out perusing the shops, finding sweaters and blouses, bracelets and necklaces, postcards and pizza. We ended up on the church stairs watching the waves crash into the setting sun.

For Kaitlyn’s last night, we decided to cook Paella–supposedly staying true to the Valencian recipe–and had fun running around to the market, butchery, pescadería, and bakery to get all the ingredients. Its amazing how fresh, delicious, and cheap everything can be. It turned out amazing and there’s nothing quite like cooking and eating with friends.

Travel tip: Cooking at the hostel is a great 

travel tip for saving money and eating healthy.

The next day we walked Kaitlyn to the train station for her journey home and made it to the beach in time for sunrise, reconnected, recharged, and ready for the next leg of our travels.

Happy Travels Viajeros!