En vacances – Sant Feliu architecture

It was a goggle fest. A treat for the eyes. I knew that I was going to walk around the coast line on my day trip to the seaside.

What I didn’t expect was just how stunning the architecture was en route.

Poor Sant Feliu isn’t a great town in winter. Not what I call a real town with all the facilities; not just for tourists in summer.

A few hours dangling about on a cold December afternoon did reveal an astonishing number of estate agents, hairdressers, and not much in the way of city diversions.

But looking up….

My little guide map told me this building is the Casino de la Constància. It looked even better at dusk.

Where your eye is not drawn to the traffic or mundane buildings around it.

But I did better on my rather fruitless but excellent walk up into the hills behind Sant Feliu in search of the Saint Elm chapel.

I’d be buggered if I could find it. The helpful tourists signs just gave out about a kilometre out of town. I gave up when I reached the Catalan version of the snow line. It’s the line of properties that get larger and more isolated the further you go out of town. And becomes the domain of the guard dog. Massive great hulks leaping out at you behind (what you hope are) sturdy fences barking like they will enjoy tearing you to bits. In Gerona the Guard Dog line starts above the old town at Calle de Bellavista. Where the most intriguing private gardens and villas lie.

Up and up and up I went, passing both ruins (I do love this Park Hotel for some reason) and some wacky modern things.

Fortunes made and lost seemed to be the theme of the town.

And the winners are definitely the ones on the coast.

Just have an ogle at these beauties.

I even had a soft spot for two more ruins. The castle is right on the beach at Cala Ametller…Or was it Cala Sant Pol? Ugh, I can’t remember.

And this one just looked so forlorn in among the shiny ones.

Somehow or other it is not up to me in my fantasy on holiday life to want to restore it. I didn’t even spend time gazing into estate agent windows. This town is not for me.

But I would be happy standing taking tea right here greeting the dawn. Sant Feliu does fab belvederes.