The colonial forum of Tàrraco was the heart of the lower city, the place where citizens did their business, gossiped and worshipped, and its remains lie in the middle of the modern grid of streets, a few hundred metres from the sea. You see a patch of excavated stone, a few columns, some paving and the base of a temple, surrounded by apartment blocks and cafés. It is an unassuming sight that becomes more interesting when you realise that this was the commercial and civic centre of a Roman city of tens of thousands, with law courts, a basilica and shops.
Tàrraco had two forums, a distinction that tells you about its status. The Provincial Forum, on the hill, was the stage for the imperial cult and the provincial assembly, while the Colonial Forum, down below, belonged to the ordinary citizens of the colony. Both are part of the ensemble of Roman monuments that UNESCO listed in 2000. Archaeologists have found traces of a public notice board, a place where decrees and announcements were displayed, and the idea of Romans standing in this square to read the latest edict is surprisingly human.
Tarragona is a city for walking, and a motorbike is better left parked. Come in from the north by the N-340 or from the west through the wine country of the Camp, then leave the bike in a garage or at a marked bay. The Rambla Nova, the main boulevard, runs from the sea balcony to the upper town, and cafés line its length. If you want to ride after lunch, the Costa Daurada has a string of beaches to the south, and the roads inland toward Prades are twisty and quiet.
Fuel and services are everywhere, with several stations on the outskirts of a city of a hundred and forty thousand people. For food, the market hall in the lower town is worth a visit, and a plate of rice with seafood or a dish of salt cod with romesco sauce makes a satisfying lunch. In August the heat is heavy, and a siesta is not an affectation.