Знакомство с Каталонией. Introduction to Catalonia.

We rested in Catalonia for the first time at the end of September, we stayed at the Pi Mar hotel in Blanes. The location of the hotel is excellent: on the seashore, 5 minutes to the center of Blanes, even less to the bus stop going to the railway station, Blanes has a very long beach, relative to it the hotel is located right in the middle. Another plus of the hotel is the food: varied, everything is always fresh and tasty, there are a lot of fruits for dinner. The rooms are small, but cozy and clean, the plumbing is good, there is a hair dryer.
Now for the cons. Firstly, there is no refrigerator, and secondly, not all rooms face the sea, and the cost of rooms with different locations is the same, a strange feature. When checking in, those who wish are put in a queue for resettlement without any additional payment, we were also put in such a queue, but it came up the day before departure, so we refused. In general, I recommend the hotel.
Separately, I want to write about Blanes himself. The town is completely self-sufficient, it does not look like a lot of identical resort areas stretching along the coast to Barcelona itself, this is clearly seen during a boat trip along the Costa Brava. The city is large, in addition to the hotel part, there is a huge area of ​ ​ private houses and villas, an old fortress on the top of a mountain, two wonderful botanical gardens, one presents a diverse flora of the Mediterranean, the other has a collection of giant cacti, a special open bus runs to both.

We went to Barcelona both with a tour and on our own, we liked the second option more: cheaper and easier (single round-trip ticket, bus plus train, stop to the left behind the hotel near the stadium). We were in Montserrat, the impression was spoiled by heavy rain. I really liked the Salvador Dali Museum-Theater and the wonderful very old town of Girona. The weather was good, very warm, it rained one day, but the sea was cold and always stormy. Therefore, if you only need a beach holiday, at the end of September there is nothing to do on the Costa Brava. But for lovers of outdoor activities, collectors of new experiences, Catalonia is undoubtedly one of the most interesting corners of Europe.