Drum Magazine Issue 3 | Page 39

Drum: TRAVELS

Moving south from Barcelona we headed for the
ancient Roman town of Tarragona. We took in the
resort of Sitges and a host of small semi-industrial
towns and villages. The contrast between Barcelona
and Tarragona could not be more marked. Tarragona
is a sleepy seaside town stuffed full of Roman history.
It is situated on a hill above the sea and was settled
by the Romans in 218 BC after their conquest of the
Iberian Peninsula.
The heat of Tarragona was unbearable and arriving
in the town it felt like we had run a couple of
marathons over the past couple of days. Once again
I slipped away from the official tour of the town and
decided to find somewhere to put my feet up and
escape the heat.

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I suddenly had a manic fit of laughter, which ended
with a huge smile straddling my face. I had made it
to 40 and seen some of those around me falter, fall
or simply die. I suddenly felt that I had been too
self-indulgent.
Only in the rarefied environment of such a comfortable
existence would I have the time to think about growing
old. My struggles have never been on a grand
scale. I’ve never had to worry about whether
today I would have food, water or
shelter available. My biggest
worry these days tends to
be what tie to wear. »

In the middle of the old town I discovered the
Castellarnau House, built in the 15th century and
situated in a small unassuming backstreet. Once
inside there was almost a monastic aura as I
wandered the stunning rooms that displayed
fixtures and fittings from across four centuries.
But the most appealing aspect was its small,
secluded courtyard, shaded from the ferocious
sun, where I sat and contemplated that today
was my 40th birthday. I don’t know why but

Casa Batllo. Photography © Richard Cop