Sitges
For Mothers' Day, we made a long-awaited day trip to Sitges, 35km south of Barcelona on the Mediterranean. The county closure was lifted on April 26, and the day of our trip, the State of Alarm was lifted, so we are even free to exit Catalonia.
We took the commuter rail from Barcelona. The 30 minute ride takes you right along the rocky coast - at times the tracks hug the very edge of the cliffs over the Mediterranean, to dramatic effect. The town is lovely, with its historic center on high ground next to the sea and nestled between 2 sandy beaches.
It has whitewashed buildings, flower-filled balconies and an intriguing blue line around the base of many buildings in the historic center.
Colorful tiled signage is set into the walls.
I broke off for a visit to the stunning Palau de Maricel, part of the complex of Maricel. Built between 1910 and 1918 by the engineer and artist Miquel Utrillo for the philanthropist and magnate Charles Deering, it is an example of Catalan Noucentisme.
Sitges is a popular daytrip destination from Barcelona, with lots of restaurants and nightlife. So it's a perfect time to see it now, when it's less mobbed than usual. We ate a fancy seafood lunch at Restaurant Maricel, just off the beach.
