Foggy Friday and it’s market day in Roquetes. Stalls lined up bravely on either side of the canal, still hung heavy with clothing. Market traders look downcast as people glance at them and hurry on past. Too cold to stop and browse. They are all so disorientated with the fog. They still have an hour to go before they close at 2 o´clock.

The Three Kings of the East’s fiesta is over. Presents have been bought, wrapped and given lovingly. Children are back in school. Adults are back at work. Holidays are over for a while now. (Well, until the next fiesta that is!)

I felt compassion for the traders, and wondered if they relied on their Friday trade to buy their weekend food for the family. I longed to tell them, like the words in the song, “The sun will come out tomorrow”.

I could not help but notice the contrast of the grey skies to the brightly painted playground strategically placed for the children. Where children will rush home from school and have hours full of laughter before they are called inside for the evening. Little one’s have such an art in being oblivious to the weather.

I shook off my negative thoughts and looked around to see if mother was still trying to spot any ducks in the canal! As we headed off to try and find someone to witness her signature for some forms, I remembered it is Saturday tomorrow.

These market traders live an almost nomadic life moving from one market to another. There is a Saturday market in Ferreries – Tortosa, stretching across the streets between the college and the Football Stadium i.e. parallel to Lidl and one block away. It is quite large and usually has a vast amount of clothing, footwear, leather and rolls of material and linen. Every now and again there is a different and unusual stall. Yet, it is fun to just browse and expand the art of social networking. You will be hard pressed not to find an Expat or a neighbour mingling amidst the throng of folk and serious bargain hunters. Be careful! Those elbows can be sharp if someone tries to beat you to a conquest.

Are you dying for a cup of hot coffee to warm you through?

Well you have two very different choices. There is the friendly English cafe’ in Sabeco, Murrays’ where you can wash down your coffee with a tasty snack or devour a very good “meal of the day”. This is very popular now with the Catalan, German, Dutch, English and even French tourists popping in. If it is weekend and you are tired of cooking all week, why don´t you take home one of their roast chicken on the spit for the evening and snuggle up in front of your log fire.

On the other hand, if you have linked up with some Expats and neighbours (they may not have heard of this new opening) and would love to try somewhere new and multi-linguistic, venture on down towards the River Ebro (still staying on the Ferrreries side of the bridge). Walk towards the Tirol Restaurant and turn right up Carrer Ulldecona. Half way up that block, on the right hand side step inside to “Cafeteria Delta Ebre” at number 6. It is larger than it looks from the pavement, very interesting and cozy. ( Spanish don´t usually do cozy!)

You will be so surprised at the decor, the innovative way Ampora has designed and incorporated these enormous black and white, photographs depicting; the Ebro Delta, the River Ebro, an old boat called “Anita” beached in Tortosa. Two enormous photographs are set back in the ceilings, and the lighting creates the right degree of ambiance. You have a choice of seating and drinks. Relax and also enjoy the large overhead screen for television, DVD’s and more. This is open from 8 in the morning until midnight seven days and nights a week. The clientèle is friendly and diversified across the Tortosian multi-cultures. The staff speaks different languages. Ampora herself speaks English very well along with Catalan and Spanish.

It is always nice to try something new and the Delta Ebre Cafeteria is lovely, refreshing tourist spot to take your family, friends or other Expats to enjoy some history related to the River Ebro while the coffee revives you.