Friiends,
Despite
being tired I had trouble sleeping. It was the ‘Fish Effect’ – frankly, the
sight of all the different varieties on the plate did unsettle me a bit. I
thought I had the stomach for anything non-vegetarian. I was not right, not for
the first time, though! In bed I felt as if each of them was trying to make
their way out of my stomach, one by one. I particularly felt the baby octopus!
I tossed and turned to think the meal had been a bad dream. But it would not go
away. I was forced to give up my struggle pretending I was asleep somewhere
around 3 am. I sat up and completed the blog. The hotel did not even provide
for a coffee maker despite the pricey charge. Therefore, the blog had to be
written up with tap water for support.
Last
night when we said our byes Antonio was told that Vinod and I would be ready to
leave for the ship inspection by 9 am. Ideally we would have liked to start
earlier, but the fact that it was a Sunday meant that breakfast would be served
in the hotel only after 8 am. Antonio had told us that he would be heading for
the Port as he had work till late into the night. Therefore, when he walked
into the dining area bang on time I was surprised. He showed no sign of fatigue
or the late night blues. I had, by then, tucked into a huge breakfast of
cereal, toast ham, cheese, sweet croissant, fruits and coffee. The idea was to
tank up so that we could work unhindered till we finished inspection of the
ship. We checked out of the hotel, but kept the bags there till further plans
were decided on. The roads were empty even at 9.30 am; it was as if the city
was still asleep. However, certain sections of the road was closed due to a
marathon, Antonio said. Shops and establishments, including supermarkets and
malls, remain closed on Sundays.
The
entry into Tarragona port was another hassle free affair. Antonio had to
deliver a few packages to a vessel he was attending to as its agent. That gave
us an opportunity to drive around the port; it seemed to be big on coal,
chemicals and grain. While chemicals and grain were stored in tank farms and
silos coal was stored in the open. But, this did not create any pollution of
the nature we have come to expect in India. The roads were clean and so were
the yards where poclain excavators, reclaimers, hoppers and conveyors worked in
tandem. Another remarkable feature was the absence of people; there was plenty
of cargo, but no people. In India the reverse is often the case! As we neared
the berth where MV RED SPIRIT was under repair – Ah! The beautiful
Mediterranean Sea – I noticed a container terminal operated by DP World. No ships
were under discharge. However, many were in outer anchorage – perhaps, the
prohibitive port charges make berthing on holidays, except in times of
emergency, an avoidable waste.
The
Captain and the crew were ready when we reached the ship for inspection. Her
engine had been disabled about 200 nautical miles off Tarragona and was towed
there for inspection and repair on 27th December 2013. The engine had been
totally done up in November during dry dock and hence, the engine manufacturer,
MAN, insisted on site inspection. Holidays delayed that and the vessel remained
incapacitated at port. The frustration of the crew was palpable. However,
action had been initiated by MAN to replace the engine. During the course of
the inspection I sensed, even in the Captain, the concern of being out of jobs
if the ship was sold to an Indian buyer. The Captain said that it was difficult
to find jobs these days! The Chief Mate, Vasily, a rotund and jovial Ukranian,
(the crew consisted of 5 Russians and 9 Ukrainians) was clear that Euro would
spell crisis for most in his country – cost of living would go up without a
commensurate increase in wages. When asked about the impact of Islamic
insurgents he firmly dismissed it saying that it was not about religion; it was
about good people and bad – I was humbled by his sensible world view.
While
winding up inspection of the ship Vinod got information that another one could
be offered at the Italian port of Gaeta, instead of Barcelona. We researched and
decided to await further information in Barcelona. The stay in Tarragona was
extended by a day to facilitate that. In the meanwhile, the remaining itinerary
was decided as Tarragona–Barcelona-Rome-Gaeta-Madrid. Flight and train options
were decided on too. Only the dates had to be finalized based on information
from the broker. Since we had an evening in Tarragona we decided to explore the
city on foot. The instructions from the hotel reception were more than useful
and so were the suggestions from Antonio, who had dropped us back at the hotel.
The
SB Hotel is ideal to begin the walking tour. It is at the Plaza Corts Catalanes,
the beginning of the nearly 5 kilometers long promenade to the Balco del
Mediterrani, the balcony of the Mediterranean. Every half kilometer or less
there is a traffic round about which has either a fountain or a monument. Some
of them, like the Monument Als Castells, the life-sized human tower, are
historic. The wide promenade is immaculately paved with benches to rest the
weary legs or to soak in the pure air, water fountains to drink from and
restaurants on either side of them.
Along the way I took diversions to see the old central market which is
under renovation, an erstwhile bullring converted to modern office space and
Roman ruins aplenty. One street even had orange trees in bloom! I fell in love
with the Balco – the spectacular view of the Mediterranean Sea with its
beaches, coves, port, railway station and the marina was awesome. The setting
sun and the fading light unleashed a magic that the mind refused to tear away
from. In close proximity to the Balco are the Roman amphitheatre (excavated as
recently as 1952), which had a seating capacity of 12,000 and was used for
shows such as gladiator fights, and the Circa Roma which was used for horse and
chariot races. From there on, the walk meandered through the Maqueta de
Tarraco, the model of the Roman settlement at its peak in the 2nd century, and the
Passeig Arqueologic, which still retain the Roman city walls of the 3rd and 2nd
century but were also medieval fortifications between the 14th and 18th
centuries. Adjoining the modern Archeology Museum building is the massive Roman
Praetorium, also known as the Torreón de Pilatos because Pontius Pilate is supposed
to have been born in it. It is said that Tarragona has the largest and best
preserved Roman artifacts and settlements in the whole of Spain.
A while
after we had started the walk in the afternoon we decided on a Pizza at the
Dominos near the Rambla Nova. The small outlet seemed to be in demand on the
Sunday afternoon. We were given an English version of the menu. I sighted what
looked like a promotional deal and settled for it with a plate of wings and
potato wedges. They arrived in quick time – large helpings; side dishes were
served with mayonnaise and barbeque sauces. The bill showed us why it was a
promotion – the Euro 28 bill was reduced by half! After concluding the walk we
decided on a short snack before returning to the hotel. So cheese cake and
coffee it was at a small eatery near the Balca. It had become dark by the time.
The promenades, monuments and the fountains looked even more beautiful with
lights on and there were a lot of people on the promenades, locals and visitors.
By the time we got back to the hotel Vinod estimated that we had walked more
than 15 kilometers that evening. Whatever, I will walk double that distance to
experience the Balca; it was an unforgettable experience.
No comments:
Post a Comment