ROSES, COSTA BRAVA

The night we arrived, there was a man building a sandcastle on the beach. All lit up with tiny candles. 

This was the place where we had the best meal ever. No, not El Bulli. Rafa's, a tiny restaurant that serves only fish and seafood. Sea cucumbers, squid, scorpion fish...

We might have been the youngest people there.

For the beach side village of Roses, on the Costa Brava, seemed to be inhabited mostly by middle-aged, or retired Catalans, or those with families, enjoying the final months of warm sunshine and swimming. For us, the promenade here was a vague reminder of Queensland's Sunshine Coast, or Surfer's Paradise. Only in Spanish.

But none of this seemed important. For the sun was shining, and the water was still just warm enough to swim. We were simply waiting.

For Roses main attraction is without doubt El Bulli. The world's best restaurant. And that was where we would be going.