About an hours ride by train south of Barcelona is Terragona, a small city set on the edge of the Mediterranean that played an important role in the Roman Empire during the first and second century. The Roman archaeological complex of Tarraco is a World Heritage Site and I spent the day exploring the small quiet streets, monuments, and ruins of Terragona. One day did not seem enough and I would like to have spent several days here. The Beach was beautiful and there was much more to see and do than I had time for.

Most of the Roman ruins are concentrated within the old part of the city behind Roman walls that have been built up around over the years as the city grew and changed hands throughout history. My favorite place was the Roman Amphitheater built overlooking the sea.  The oval structure built in the 2nd century contains stands carved directly out of the underlying bedrock and held up to 14,000 spectators. 

In its day, it was the scene of fights between gladiators and against wild beasts, as well as public executions. It is easy to stand at this place and feel the excitement of how it must have been with hordes of toga clad screaming Romans packed into this amazing structure.

Aside from the history, museums, monuments and ruins of Terragona, I really enjoyed just wandering the tiny colorful streets. Once away from the major sites, I easily found quiet streets and often felt like I was the only one in the city, a vast difference from Barcelona.