Castle and Cuitadella

When I tour a building in midwestern United States, I am awed at a house that is over 200 years old. In Europe, a house only 200 years old is considered “new construction”. Everywhere we look, there are ruins from the Romans, castles over a century old, and homes built before my country had even declared a title.

In Calafell, there are two structures that we visited- the castle a few blocks behind our house, and a small city whose ruins were discovered from the indigenous peoples living there before Rome took over the Iberian Peninsula. The castle was small, but had all of the pieces that Noah had studied in his books- walls, towers, prison, holes to shoot arrows, church bells, etc. After looking out to the sea from the castle wall, I am certain that the view was what cemented the location for the build, beyond the strategic safety position and all.

The Cuitadella (city) was also a fascinating discovery. The ruins had been built up to showcase the rooms, as well as including tools and items that one might have found in the original structures. Noah, Natalie and Paul were particularly thrilled with the discovery of the armor, and the fact that they could try out their inner warriors. We learned about the ancient language, crops grown at the time, how they stored their grain and water in large pottery, of which they were famous for. We discovered the sophisticated structures, metal weaponry, and even the use of gutters to collect rainwater. It was a fascinating experience of history that gave us more sensorial connection than any textbook could have.