David's Diary: Thursday, February 21, 2002

Ebro River Delta and Tortosa, Spain

Formal school is on hold today so that we can visit the nearby Ebro River Delta, Spain. L'Ampolla, where we are staying, is at the northern end of the delta. When we make a passage south we will have to make a long detour around the low-lying shoreline which extends 20km out into the Mediterranean. Today we don't have to worry about running aground, since we have rented a car for the day to do our explorations.

Since 1983 parts of the delta were protected as a national park with many species of bird nesting here. The delta is home to ten per cent of all water birds wintering on the Iberian Peninsula. Three-quarters of the fertile land is used to grow rice and early fruit and vegetables.

Beach Boardwalk

We made our way past many rice fields to the town of Deltebre which sits on the side of the Ebro river in the center of the delta. We attempted to find the Tourist Information Center, but after three tries we gave up and headed out of town. We stopped at Platja de Riumar near where the Ebro enters the Mediterranean. The wind was forecasted to increase overnight and by the time we reached the beach the wind was blowing at least 35 knots (65-70 km/hr). We had to squint to keep the sand out of our eyes as we followed the boardwalks which were already covered by sifting sand. In one place, the sand was chest deep and completely covered the posts which defined the boardwalk.

Kevin Sand Diving

We found the lookout tower and climbed up if for a view. Windsurfers were doing a dance in the waves, but not a bird could be seen. They were smarter than us and had found a place to hide from the wind.

We didn't go skiing this year, but the sand dunes seemed an interesting substitute. Jocelyn, Kevin, and Allen all climbed and slid up and down the dunes having a great time. While snow melts away leaving only a puddle to clean, we were to find out later that sand really does get everywhere. But we all had a good time and piled back in the car for a quick sandwich lunch before continuing our exploration.

We traveled back to Delebre where we caught the ferry across the river. There are no bridges on the delta and we were impressed at how skilfully the ferry skipper took us across even with whitecaps appearing from the wind gusting down the river. We visited La Tancada, one of the best bird lookouts in the delta. But once again the birds stayed away and we had to be happy with views over the delta with mountains rising majestically in the background.

Ebro River in Tortosa

Our next stop was inland to the town of Tortosa. Situated on the river Ebro, this town has seen 2000 years of civilizations arrive and depart. For a long time, the last bridge over the Ebro was protected by Tortosa. Our visit took us through the old town. Without a map, we wandered about, until we climbed up to a lookout to see the Ebro spread before us and the wind trying to blow us away.

Elegant Staircase

We found Tourist Information. While closed, we were not disappointed, as the building we discovered was elegant and colorful. We climbed the staircase to the upper balcony and marvelled at the colors highlighted by the late afternoon sun.

Noble Courtyard

We looked in the well then walked back to the cathedral where we paid a quick visit. The cloister was beautiful, lit by the same soft sunlight. Inside we exclaimed at one of the chapels which was larger than a normal church. When we finished it was time to get back to the boat for dinner. It has been a wonderful day full of lots of new things for us to talk about at dinner tonight.