We loved Spain so much on the trip in 2018 and felt there was so much more to see; especially Barcelona which seems to be on everyone's bucket list. So we set about focusing on Catalonia, a distinct and independent-minded part of the country.
Sunday, October the 6th I went to the gym and later played my drums to wear myself out, knowing that we'd need to sleep on the flight. Shannon and Bert, who we'd house-sat for in Baltimore, returned the favor, arriving around 5 o'clock. Laura McCarthy came at 8:00 and took us to the airport.
I'd missed a call from her earlier, so I called my aunt while sitting at a bar at Dulles.
It was a 10:40 flight on TAP (Portugese) airlines and we lucked out with a four-row middle section to ourselves. I popped some pills and slept most of the way. We had to deal with a three hour layover in Lisbon with long customs lines and a circuitous airport. I suspect they're trying to encourage tourists to stay.
Got into Barcelona about 4:00 p.m. on Monday and took a cab to 1882 Barcelona hotel. A good choice. Walked around and went to dinner with Tom & Jeri at Chato restaurant - excellent food. The main attraction, especially in this area, is the Sagrada Familia, a unique, beautiful cathedral unlike any other. Designed by Antoni Gaudi, a Catalan architect and dominent figure of Barcelona history. We had tickets the next day, but after dinner we walked past the cathedral to see it lit up at night.
Tuesday - after a hotel breakfast we figured out the Metro down to the old gothic city and walked around ‘pixatral’ - MCD looked up the most ‘quaint’ streets.
Now that we had it down, we Took Metro back to meet Tom & Jeri at the Cathedral for the tour. The design is stunning and unusual, with columns that resembled tree trunks and lots of light from large stained glass windows. Part of the visit included a climb up ina tower.
Afterwards, worn out and hot, the four of us found a corner, outdoor café and had beers and midday lunch and then said goodbye to Tom and Jerie. They were heading south to Valencia and we were going north to Costa Brava.
That was enough for a day. I had to take a nap. For dinner, we went to explore El Born area - old gothic city - had a drink at one place and after some difficulty found a place for dinner.
Wednesday the 9th - took the metro to Barcenoleta and walked along the beach. Had a boardwalk and a lot of shops and vendors. Similar to Malaga, but more urban and a bit less charming.
We had tickets to the Park Guell, so meandered up Grand Via and had a repast at an outdoor place on Catalunya. A lot of upscale shops - very charming with architecture that reminded us of Paris. A Latin version of it. At Alfonse X stop we took a bus up to Park Guell. Lots of mosaics and an interesting story; essentially a Gaudi development — but hordes of tourists and difficult to really enjoy the artwork.
Kind of dreary, drizzly night, so we looked up a little neighborhood restaurant — YaYa Amirla (?) a couple blocks from the hotel.
Thursday the 10th - we got breakfast and took a cab over to the Sants train station to pick up the rental car. I had some problems getting situated with the car (wallet/phone) and getting out of the garage. I was very nervous about driving out of a major foreign city in a rental car, but kept telling myself to take it slowly, one step at a time. Eventually I made it down the road, figured out the navigation and got to near Begur. Charming beyond belief. Idyllic white building and hotel on a cove. Very few people and very quiet. We settled in with a dinner at the hotel and then walked around the homes - mostly dark and quiet.
Begur and surrounding beach villages: Sa Tuna (where we stayed, at Hostal Sa Tuna in a room facing the sea), Sa Riera, Sa Racor in the very upscale town of Pals, and Furnells
Begur is a small town (village?) that’s very old and has a hilltop castle (really just the ruins) that we walked up to, with 360 views of the mountains and the sea. It was worth the steep walk! The town is adorable the way so much of Europe is, with narrow streets, old stone buildings, charming homes, and cute squares with cafes. There were plenty of shops and restaurants too although a few were closed for the season (this area is mostly a summer resort area, but I’m glad we enjoyed it without those crowds). There was a small film festival going on when we were there, and they had a red carpet rolled out on the main drag.
Friday the 11th - had breakfast at the hotel on the terrace, then changed and went for a hike around the cove to the peninsula and the adjacent hills.
The coast consists of rocky cliffs with beaches in between, or coves. The water is amazingly clear and various shades of blue and green and it almost doesn’t look real. I read that the Mediterranean Sea doesn’t have the nutrients needed for algae to grow and that’s why it’s so clear and blue. There are stone paths built along the edges of the sea next to each beach village, usually going up high in the cliffs and providing fantastic views, each one more amazing than the last. Some of these areas look somewhat like the Northern California coast, only better. Usually there are railings, but a few spots bothered me with my fear of heights, and once I had to stop and turn around. There are also narrow paths of steep stone steps leading down to the sea from the main path. This would not be for the faint of heart!
The area is extremely hilly, it doesn’t get flatter until you get inland. So driving to the beaches means following long winding roads (lots of S turns!) and going down, down, down. When you get to a village you park outside the town center and walk in (it was never very far). It was great to walk around a pedestrian area and that’s where you find the cafes, restaurants, hotels and shops if there are any. Many of the houses are white washed buildings that remind me of photos of Greece. In fact I often felt like I was on the set of The Durrells in Corfu!
After a brief break, we braved the trip into Begur. Discovered you have to park just on the outside and walk in. Unbelievably charming; like a movie set of old world style and taste. In fact, there was a film festival going on with a red carpet. We had lunch on the town center and then walked up to the castle, the centerpiece of the town, for the view. Just stunning.
After taking a nap back at the Hotel Sa Tuna, we drove back to Begur for dinner. Martha went looking in shops and I watched a goofy costume procession of women - something to do with the film festival. We ended up having dinner in an ornate restaurant ‘contorredes’ in an upstairs. Meandering around we sat in the restaurant in the square and had another wine.
Saturday the 12th - we decided to explore the walkway coves around another section of the Begur area. There are three and we are at one at Sa Tuna that runs around the cliffs/coves to Aquiafreda. That morning we went as far as we could go.
In the afternoon we drove over to the northern cove/section in Sa Reira and had lunch at an outdoor café off a large beach. Then walked up the paths along the cliffs until we could see the Long Beach to the north. It was high and shear and Martha was kinda freaked out.
That night we went back to the ‘luxury’ restaurant in Cap Sa Sal in Aqauiafreda. Nice atmosphere, but the food was a bit of a disappointment - paella with prawns (?) and dry dessert.
Sunday the 13th - we were getting tired and just decided to make it a burnout day. We drove down to the southern cove - Aguiablava - and walked around a bit, but it was hot and we couldn't easily find the cliff walkway. So, back in the car and drove to Palafallel - which was a disappointment.
The vegetation was so interesting too: palm trees, cactus plants of many varieties, succulents, flowering plants and trees, vines, evergreens, olive trees, lime trees, and I saw a magnolia tree at one point. One day we climbed out on the boulders leading to a cove by our hotel, and there were all kinds of plants growing out of the rocks.
Most of the beaches we saw consisted of pebbles and stones, but there were some with sand too. None had the consistency of our fine sand on the Michigan shores. We saw plenty of swimmers even though it was October (the water still felt warm) and many wore wet suits and appeared to swim farther out, trailing an orange buoy so boats would see them. We also saw people snorkeling and a few divers. We hadn’t brought our swimsuits...not that I necessarily needed one; plenty of women went topless so I probably could have swum in my underwear and no one would have cared! But we didn’t venture in; maybe next time.
Came back to our hotel and went ’nextdoor’ for lunch. We just lounged around. Martha took a walk up the hill behind our hotel, had a leisurely last dinner at the hotel and short walk up the path - to a full moon and followed by the cove cat!
A querky coincidence; Begur was the location for one of the famed Tin-Tin books that we read to our sons growning up and the covers were featured at the hotel.
We originally intended to cover more areas than we did (maybe a day trip to Girona or Figueres) but we loved where we were so much and there was a lot to see, so we just stayed around Begur. We did drive around Palafrugell but didn’t think it looked interesting enough to stop and get out.
FOOD both places: the main difference is that everything there is really fresh and they use little processed food, so everything tastes so much better. A tomato tastes more like a tomato, and same with strawberries and everything else. Calamari is lighter and easier to chew and tastes way better here. I have never been much of a foodie but this may change!
Also the serving sizes are much smaller than ours, two tapas shared between two people is often just enough. Between this and all the walking everyone does (driving a car there makes no sense, too crowded and too few parking spaces) you don’t see many overweight people, even the older people are slender and in good shape. I brought looser pants on this trip thinking I would be indulging and need a little room. I indulged but not in excess and walked between 5 and 8 miles most days, and the pants were still loose when I left.
Another thing about the small servings which I realized later is how much more eco friendly it is. They probably don’t throw away as much food, and there is no need to take home leftovers, saving on all those boxes and bags. And I noticed when shopping in the stores that they sell you a bag for five cents if you want one, it isn’t just given automatically. In the US people sometimes look at me funny when I say I don’t need a bag.
In Catalonia we found that you aren’t given a free tapas when you order a drink like in Andalusia (I think Granada was the best for this). They do bring you green olives (which are grown in Spain) and sometimes pickles or pickled cauliflower, which is really good.
When ordering water (you have to ask for and pay for it) they always ask if you want plain or sparkling (agua con gas).
Breakfast always included cheese and meats (jamon and salami). At Sa Tuna they had a jam that was green and delicious, maybe made from kiwi? Also popular in Catalonia was bread with a chunky tomato spread, offered at all meals (I don’t recall seeing that in Andalusia and it one thing that wasn’t all that good, as much as I love tomatoes).
Monday the 14 - Martha's birthday - got our last breakfast at Sa Tuna. I had to walk down the road a bit to get the car. We followed iPhone GPS to drive back to Barcelona. I was impressed that the car picked up and displayed the speed limit - in addition to all the other modern safety features. We turned in the car at the Sants train station and took a cab to our hotel - Casa del Sol at Placa del Sol. It felt a bit more run down and a lot of young people hanging and drinking in the plaza cafes. We got a quick bite (veal hamburger with fried egg and strawberries?) at one of the cafes.
After getting settled, we took the metro down to the gothic quarter to walk around. Started to rain so we holed up by a window in a restaurant and people watched over a beer and gin/tonic. When it let up we walked over to a main thoroughfare and sat at a barrel table and had some tapas and drinks. On the TV we were watching the protests at the airport over the sentencing of Catalan leaders - getting worried about getting out of town. Actually, protests were going not far away and I suggested to Marth that maybe we should check it out. No. We walked up the Rambia - which was a zoo of people and characters. Meandered around looking for a dessert and found a corner café where we sat at a corner booth and watched the traffic go by - over crème bruise and tiramisu. Took a cab back.
Tuesday the 15th - a picture perfect, clear slightly cool day. We took the metro down to Para-leland funicular to Montjuic for a cable car up to the Castell/fort. Beautiful views of the city. The fort has an interesting and brutal history - but great views. We thought we were going to botanical gardens but couldn't find them. We walked down the hill through some sketchy paths and areas - tried the place that Peng suggested (too crowded) then hungry enough ended up at a commercial burger place on a strip.
Meandered up through some neighborhoods and gave up at the Utrell metro stop and headed back to the hotel. Martha wanted to look around some shops so I went back to the hotel. After she got back we cleaned up and then got our complimentary drink in the lobby.
She'd wandered and found some cute streets It turned out to be a nice neighborhood with some charming elements. I dragged her blocks away to a supposedly good place - that turned out to be too crowded - which seems to be a familiar theme to our travels. So went back towards our hotel and found an outdoor café - fried eggplant and croquettes. Then tried a place that was supposed to have crepes - but didn't - so I got gelato. Martha was gyped out of gazpacho and crepes! Then back to the hotel and prepare for the flight home.
Wednesday the 16th - up by 7:30, packed, got breakfast in the lobby and took a cab to the airport. Easy check in and we connected with Tom & Jeri again! They had gone down to Valencia while we'd headed north to Begur.
Impressions
I love Spain (as well as most of Europe that I've seen) I realize that we see mostly good parts and not always the way most people live. But we do see a good amount of it.
It's said that you grow by travel and my experiences have certainly changed my understanding and impressions of people and the world. It's hard to be in restaurants, public transportation, shops listening to a variety of languages and everyone dressed similarly and not feel we have more in common than difference - all appreciating many of the same values and interests and courtesies.
Portions are smaller - quality is better
Style - more quality than quantity
A friend told me to bring sunglasses - so my wife wouldn't see me oogling all the pretty women. There were pretty women, of course, but probably not more than any other urban western city.
The Europeans live a simpler, more efficient lifestyle. Smaller in some ways, but more stylish. And you can often tell an American by their dress.
You learn something about yourself, your assumptions, your life and country by travelling. I feel sorry for many of my countrymen who know nothing of other cultures, lifestyles or people. They harbor ill-informed arrogance about America and suspicion about other countries. Too many think the USA is the most modern sophisticated affluent country; that other people live poorly. How wrong and ignorant.
The idea that you could live in a downtown area and walk out your door to cafes, pastry shops, markets and butcher shops - all with marvelously fresh fare - along charming narrow historic streets - is so foreign to the American experience. Americans get in a car - or pick up truck - and go to a big box shopping center the size of a football field and live on the highway.
Sometimes Europeans have a better way, but there are instances where American sensibilities get offended. The lack of screens to keep bugs out of living (and eating!) areas was something we found baffling. And graffiti. It's everywhere and seems to be totally accepted to Europeans. Where Americans seem to connect graffiti with crime, that's not the case - and a dark alley with tagging isn't necessarily unsafe. In the US, we've virtually eliminated graffiti, so we're offended and frightened by it. Probably why Jamie likes it overseas.
And language. It's become obvious that English is the great common denominator. For the Spanish, Germans, and other Europeans, English is their second language. They may not speak one another’s language - but they all know basic English. So we're at an inherent advantage. Most people, signs, menus, etc are easy for Americans to navigate because they're designed for that common denominator.
Martha's Notes:
Impressions of Spain/Catalonia
Barcelona
I wanted to love Barcelona, I really did. But for some reason I didn’t and I can’t quite put my finger on it. It was very big, crowded and noisy and a little on the grungy side, but that hasn’t bothered me in other cities. Maybe it wasn’t what I was expecting, although I’m not sure what that was either. It was very humid and I felt sweaty and dirty a lot and that is never a good thing for me. At any rate we certainly enjoyed our time there and saw several of the popular sights including Sagrada Familia, Park Güell, the Gothic Quarter, Las Ramblas (ugh, stay away! Too touristy), Montjuïc and the castle at the top (took the tram up), the beach Barceloneta, and many other neighborhoods that we wandered through. Our favorite was Gràcia where we stayed after returning from Begur. It was just as busy and noisy as the rest of the city but had a more intimate feeling, with lots of smaller streets and squares. This area felt more local and had a lot of charm with small interesting shops and cafes and food markets (gorgeous produce!).
Barcelona is famous for its architecture and in that sense there were no disappointments. We saw a lot of different styles, and of course the Gaudí designed buildings which are so fun. We also saw similarities to Paris in a lot of the buildings along the large boulevards (called something else there, can’t remember right now), with the balconies and shutters.
We figured out how to use the subway quickly since this is the easiest way to get around the city and I always think it’s a great way to people watch and see more locals. It was cheap and efficient but the stations were unbearably hot. Thankfully the cars had air conditioning.
Tom and Jerie were also in Spain at this time and they overlapped with us the first two days. We had the best dinner of the trip with them on our first night, (I have the name of the restaurant someplace) and toured Sagrada Família together the next day, followed by lunch at an outdoor cafe. We also met up with them at the airport the day we all left, and compared notes on our travels (they went south to Valencia, while we headed north).
One thing that happened at the end of our trip: the Spanish Supreme Court convicted and sentenced leaders of the Catalonian independence movement, and this resulted in protests and riots throughout the city and at the airport. We came back from Begur and found many streets blocked off and traffic snarled. The airport was barricaded by protesters and some travelers were unable to get out, and some flights were cancelled. Fortunately when we left two days later the airport was fine, but there were still protests taking place and we saw and heard helicopters regularly on our last day (we later found out fires had been started in some spots). This prompted us to read up a bit about the movement but it was still unclear to us what benefits Catalonia would gain from independence from Spain.
Costa Brava......
I’m also embarrassed to say that we didn’t go to any art museums. I knew they would be crowded and after our experience at Park Güell I didn’t want to be subjected to that atmosphere any more (too many tourists overcrowding a spot, taking countless selfies and not even looking at the art, but ruining it for the rest of us). We also felt more desire to enjoy the wonderful (if humid) weather and just explore outdoors, especially since it was stunningly beautiful everywhere.
Good dishes I had:
Salad of Apples tomatoes walnuts goat cheese pine nuts balsamic dressing
Salad of Pear and avocado and mozzarella and toasted sunflower seeds on spinach and watercress with oil and balsamic dressing
Salad with mesclun lettuce, strawberries, mango, nuts, goat cheese, honey, cherry cream and topped with watercress (what exactly is this?)
Eggplant sliced very thin and fried very lightly and served with honey, and one time it was more like molasses
Artichoke hearts fried
Beans (not sure what kind they but were very small) with avocado and raw salmon and dill
Espresso with sweetened condensed milk
Really fresh croissants
Gazpacho and one time it was strawberry gazpacho with a scoop of ice cream and bits of sardines
George had a hamburger and it was made from veal and had a fried egg and strawberries on it
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