Peñíscola deserted

There was a little thunder late last night, then rain. It was a few degrees warmer and less humid than than it has been lately. The sun shone in the morning, encouraging me to put some washing out. I went out to buy myself a new belt, as I've ruined my current one by piercing new holes in it as I've lost weight this past year. First I visited Hyper Simply, but they didn't have any, so I drove on to Carrefour which has gone for promoting Black Friday this year, taking a marketing lead from the USA, just like the UK. I acquired a fast 8gb San Disk SD card for five euros, half the price I'd expect to pay at home. Always good to carry a spare, even if it takes me a year to fill one.

At both places, there were teams of enthusiastic people accosting shoppers on their way in, offering them a white plastic bag and inviting them to fill it with dry groceries to donate to the local food-bank. Impressively well organised, with huge containers nearby into which donations could be sorted, and show people arriving how close they were to achieving their weekly target. Then, before heading back for lunch, I called at the station and booked my ticket on the Sunday afternoon Inter-City express to Barcelona.

Later in the afternoon, I drove along the back road to Benicarló and on to Peñíscola With a strong breeze coming in off the sea, huge waves were breaking on a shore devoid of sun worshippers. There are very few visitors in this resort in winter months, few restaurants and bars are open, car parks are empty or shut. I parked outside the fishing port, just one of two vehicles in an area that can take five hundred at least. There we few people around on the quay, fishing boats were moored and idle at the end of the working day. Maybe rough seas meant poor catch conditions for the fishermen. 

I walked up into the village around the castle. The streets were silent and empty, shops and restaurants were shuttered. From within the castle precinct, I heard the tannoy announcement to remaining visitors, asking them to make their way out as it was closing time. I saw nobody leave. Such a contrast to the way it was when I was last here at the height of the summer tourist season. It was quite eerie. I left as darkness closed in, and made my way home the long way, as the road out was less trouble to find than the way I'd arrived.