A millennium or two

Chills and thrills through this day, as we took a slow walk back a few thousand years. Beginning at the Miravet Castle (Castillo de Miravet), a medieval castle dating back to the Moors and later controlled by the Knights Templar, when they took possession in 1153. It saw its share of battles and defeats, succumbing to the French under Napoleon. An amazing place to sit and ponder the passage of centuries.

From here, to the outstanding Cathedral Bascilica Terragona, complete with belltower and an exquisite cloister from the 13th century, with a magnificent collection of funerary art from all times. This church was apparently built on the site of the barracks and part of the sacred area of worship remaining from the time of the Roman Empire, during the first century AD. It was consecrated in 1331, and is known to be the finest cathedral in Catalonia.

From here, a little "snack" in a sunny Catalonian plaka, sitting next to a partial wall dating from the first century.

And to finish the day's exploration, an absolutely thrilling visit to the Amfiteatre de Tarragona, where the chariots once raced on the Roman Circus. There were enough dark and spooky tunnels to explore to my heart's content and will undoubtedly fuel many of my dreams in the future. In its day, it could house up to 15,000 spectators, and I only had to close my eyes and imagine the sound and fury from so long ago. Ineffable.

The white marble statue of the lady was only discovered in about 1999, but it dates back to the first century. No doubt she lost her lovely head and an arm to the Moors, who did their best to desecreate all things of beauty in their violent wars. What a terrible loss to untold exquisite art throughout the ages, but history cannot hide the dark shadows of man. We have tomorrow morning to explore anything else we have missed, before catching a mid-afternoon train back to Barcelona. Then, a quick night at a hotel close to the airport so that we don't miss our early morning flight to Edinburgh. The clock is ticking.