Barcelona Photoblog: catalan towns
Showing posts with label catalan towns. Show all posts
Showing posts with label catalan towns. Show all posts

August 05, 2019

Can Marc Restaurant: An Excellent Choice at Montseny National Park

Can Marc restaurant should be in the top five list of best places to eat while enjoying the company of nature at Montseny natural park near Barcelona. I say this out of respect for the rest of good options in the area.

This little gem is hidden in a very modest road in Sant Esteve de Palautordera, a town at the Valles Oriental county (the Eastern side of Montseny park). Sant Esteve is 55 kms away from Barcelona city but still in the Barcelona province limits. There are plenty of rural activities at your disposal in this town first documented in history back in IX. As a matter of fact Can Marc is not only a restaurant but a rural farm or "Mas" in Catalan with attractive and comfortable rooms devoted to fans of nature, hiking and horse riding.

But let's go to the main course, the exquisite cuisine of Oriol Sabé with his team led by Sergi Planas

I will give you some examples with pictures. All dishes were part of the 28 Eur menu of the day although you can go A la Carte of course.

A delicious mellow rice with all the subtleties of fresh seafood, especially the famous Blanes shrimps adorned with this delicate foam.



Rice with Blanes shrimps - Can Marc restaurant - Palautordera



A fresh marinated cod and clams with crisp flavors although not too strong accompanied with apple slices.


Cod seviche - Can Marc restaurant - Palautordera


A succulent portion of roasted suckling pig with mushrooms and asparagus.


Roasted suckling pig - Can Marc restaurant - Palautordera


An attractively presented mushroom sautee on egg and bacon.


Sauteed mushrooms with eggs and bacon - Can Marc restaurant - Palautordera


And for dessert a great tatin sided with what tasted like mint or rosemary, I couldn't tell but the combination was surprisingly good.


Tatin with icecream - Can Marc restaurant - Palautordera


The staff is polite and very efficient. We had the Agaliu 2017 white wine (Costers del Segre D.O), ecologic and 100% Macabeu grapes which I strongly recommend you.

July 09, 2019

Perfect Holidays on Costa Brava? Come to Blanes!

Sightseeing boat at Blanes beach in Costa Brava, Catalonia, Spain

If you are planning your vacation on Costa Brava, the town of Blanes should be on your list not just because it has a long and wide beach from where sightseeing boats like this depart or because you can find budget accommodation in all inclusive hotels or in a nice Catalan villa, but also due to the fact that the door to Costa Brava, as it is known Blanes, has much more to offer than you could think of:

First of all, its Mediterranean history, a history that tells us of Iberian settlements upon whose ruins Romans built an oppidum, "an ancient Roman provincial town lacking self-government, especially one having walls and fortifications and serving as a provincial strong point" (Merriam - Webster), which they called Blanda or Blandae after a city by the same name in Lucania, a region from ancient Italy. Remnants of the Roman Blanda were found during the els Pedrets excavations in the 70s and also at the parish church, at Racó d’en Portes and near Sant Francesc hermitage. The reason for these strongholds to exist were basically for protection of the coastal towns from pirates or from land incursions.

Of course history extends further, a history of landlords, of castles, of Genoese attacks, of Catalan splendor, of invasions, of migrations to America (Havana, Montevideo and Buenos Aires), but I will not digress.

Based upon such rich past, there grew a fishermen town with an intense activity that was also centered in the industry of textile and cork. Shipyards building fishing boats, frigates and brigantines were also part of the city's main industry in previous centuries. As you can guess, much of those early trades are now secondary to tourism although fishing is still around. Worth mentioning is the local fishing fleet that every morning sails the Mediterranean to bring their fresh captures to be auctioned and sold at nine market stalls from where they go straight to meet the touristic demand.

Blanes together with Lloret de Mar, Malgrat de Mar, Tordera and Palafolls municipalities is part of what is known as the Catalan void, a territory between Maresme and La Selva comarques. This area experienced an important demographic and town planning growth during the XX century. Important migrations from the South of Spain took place then, first during the 20s after the opening of the SAFA artificial fiber factory (1923) and later from 1955 to 1970, coinciding with mass tourism boom. This considerable flux of migrants gave Blanes its unique trait, a melting pot of cultures, from where new Catalans were born.

But why is Blanes good for holidays?

A good reason to visit could be the local cuisine. Take for example this incredible paella I had at Celler Sant Antoni  restaurant very conveniently located near the beach and the marina. I'd also recommend laBalma restaurant or the terrace of Es Blanc.

Seafood Paella or Paella Marinera at Celler Sant Antoni in Blanes, Costa Brava, Catalonia, Spain

Another reason may be because accommodation is cheaper than in other Costa Brava towns like Cadaques or Begur for example. Vacation rentals in Blanes might as well be another affordable option for you. From there you could move along the coast easily visiting nearby towns.

Besides eating and sleeping of course, there is always time to walk along carrer Ample to find the beautiful Gothic fountain from 1438, look for Casa Saladrigas by a disciple of Gaudi, visit Marimurtra, one of the most beautiful botanical gardens in the Mediterranean, organize a wildlife tour to the Tordera delta, dive in Blanes waters, escalate to the 1582 convent on top of the cliffs overlooking the port or the castle of Sant Joan (better to go by car) and last but not least buy vegs and fresh fruit at the daily market at Passeig de Dintre.

There are plenty of other things to do in Blanes, like going hiking along Cami de Ronda till Cala Bona the favorite beach of locals or getting lost in the intense nightlife of the little cousin, Lloret de Mar.

The list might go on endlessly. I hope that after you enjoy your Costa Brava holidays you come up here and share some more hints with our community.


March 25, 2019

A Travel to Miravet Castle in Tarragona, Spain



Declared as a site of national interest and opened to the public in 1994, the Castle of Miravet is one of those secret places of Catalonia that are a must in an avid traveler's agenda, only 50 kms away from famous Costa Dorada!
As you can appreciate above, the castle was built on a bend of the Ebro river and dominates over a landscape of fertile lands where vineyards are predominant.

From the rock on which it stands one cannot avoid to recall those centuries of history behind the renown building and the villagers that enjoyed such remarkable views.

From Iberians to Muslims, from Templars to feudal lords, from Carlists to Bourbons, from Nationalists to Republicans, each of them had the chance to rejoice in the same landscape.

There were people here, according to the oldest remains found, since 2 BC, Iberians to be precise. Later, came the Arabs or the Moors, as they were known in Al-Andalus, the name they gave to their dominions in Spain. By the 11th century, they had built this impressive defensive fortress which was expanded in coming decades in order to protect themselves from military incursions of groups organized by powerful Catalan counts. Bear in mind that, after many years of prosperity toiling these lands, the time came when only Miravet and Siurana remained as the last redoubts of the Moorish period.

It was Ramon Berenguer IV, one of those feudal lords, who took the castle from them and gave it to the Templar Knights. For almost two centuries they dominated the fortress which they improved until 1307, year in which, the Spanish Inquisition, instigated by Philip the Handsome, King of France, starts persecuting Templars in France as a result of which James II of Catalonia and Aragon sets on doing the same in Miravet. After two months of resistance to the siege imposed by James, Templars are imprisoned and sent to trials by the Inquisition. The order of the Temple is dissolved and their assets confiscated and transferred to the order of Hospital de Sant Joan de Jerusalem also known as Hospitallers.

But if you want to know more about this Romanesque building and you are fond of Catalonia castle tours it is better that you visit this place and its idyllic environment.

Miravet Castle

Contact details
Carrer del Castell, s/n
+34 977 407 368
Miravet, Tarragona (Catalonia)

miravet.cultura@gencat.cat

Location

Autonomous region: Catalonia
Province/Island: Tarragona

Practical information

Schedule

From Jun 01 to Sep 30
From 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM

From Oct 01 to Dec 15
From 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM

From Dec 16 to Feb 28
From 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM

From Mar 01 to May 31
From 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM

Prices

General: €3,50
Reduced: €2,50
ICOM members and associations: Admission free

September 08, 2018

Siurana, One of The Best Medieval Towns of Catalonia

Siurana Mirador in Priorat, Tarragona

Siurana is an astonishing and alluring territory, a medieval village, in the coastal mountain ranges of Tarragona, Catalonia. Visiting this land will not only submerge you in a fantastic voyage through geological times along beautiful canyons whose walls prove the big marine regression of the Triasic period (about 250 m fall) but also in a unique opportunity to set foot in the remains of the Castle of Siurana, the last bastion of Muslim secular power in Catalunya and if viewing some landscape and old stones is not enough to turn your day into an unforgettable experience, well, you have the exquisite wines of the Priorat region to change your mind. I advise you to visit the town of Falset, about 30 kms away from Siurana and taste D.O Montsant (check this article about Montsant wines) or D.O.Q Priorat wines.

Resuming the history of this Catalan town of the Middle Ages in the municipality of Cornudella de Montsant, the legend goes that in the xii century, when the Christians put the castle under siege in spite of the hindrance offered by natural elements, Abd-el-Azia, the Moorish queen of Siurana, scared, mounted her white stallion and ran towards the border of the cliffs to jump into the abyss. The horse panicked and the queen had to cover his eyes with both hands, not preventing the animal from coming to a sudden halt that left the imprints of horseshoes engraved in the rocks of the precipice. The fatal event took place anyway, so from then on, the place is known as El Salto de la Reina Mora (The Moorish Queen's Leap)

I will show you today some of the pictures I took during my last visit. Of course, there is nothing like the real thing. In these images you will see the canyons from a natural mirador, with no security railings, an impossible bar with a view over the valley, the winding roads that take you to the town, the river and the local church, some old alleys and some people enjoying the scenery.

Siurana Canyons

Canyons of Siurana

Mirador bar Siurana

Mirador bar on Siurana rocks

Siurana Old Alley

View from alley in Siurana

Santa Maria Church and swamp in Siurana

Panoramic View of Siurana

October 08, 2008

Autumn Falls Over Vallgorguina Near Montseny Mountains

Autumn leaves around wooden table and benches [enlarge]

Everybody has its secret place to enjoy the beauty of autumn. This is one of my many hidden glades. The town is called Vallgorguina, near Montseny mountain and out of Barcelona. Well, in fact it is not too poetic and by any means secret because those rustic tables and benches are used for public costilladas (derived from ribs), a sort of BBQ where you make your own fire with the wood you buy there. You have to rent the grill but you carry your own meat. You pay the restaurant nearby for using the tables too. So as you see enjoying the fall is not that cheap anymore. One curious thing, the area is said to be a magic place where witches celebrate their aquelarres or sabbaths. Locals say they gather near the Dolmen of Piedra Gentil when there's a full moon. So try to finish your ribs before dusk.

June 08, 2008

Maracatu Percussion Band, Festa de la Cirera, Torrella de Llobregat, Barcelona

Maracatu Percussion Band, Festa de la Cirera, Torrella de Llobregat, Barcelona [enlarge]

Percussion band Maracatú minutes before they started marching around the streets of Torrella de Llobregat as part of the activities in the Festa de la Cirera (cherry market). Tomorrow I will show you a picture about bobbin lace in the same town.

June 07, 2008

Cherry Festival (Festa de la Cirera), Torrelles de Llobregat, Barcelona

Cherry Festival (Festa de la Cirera), Torrelles de Llobregat, Barcelona [enlarge]

With these cherries I would like to introduce you to the Festa de la Cirera (cherry festival and market) celebrated in Torrella de Llobregat this weekend. This small town from Xth c. is only some kilometers away from Barcelona city. In fact Torrelles is a municipality in the Baix Llobregat comarque on the right bank of Llobregat river (one of the two rivers surrounding Barcelona). I have some more pictures which I'll show you in coming posts. Check Torrelles de Llobregat on Google maps.

The annual cherry festival at Torrelles de Llobregat holds deep historical significance in the Catalan region. Dating back centuries, the tradition was born out of the area's fertile soil and ideal climate for cultivating cherries. Catalan cherry orchards have long been renowned for their exceptional quality and distinctive taste.

Over time, the festival has evolved into a cherished cultural event, serving as a platform to honor the centuries-old cherry-growing heritage. It has become a symbol of community pride, where locals come together to celebrate their agricultural traditions and pay homage to the land that sustains them.

The festival's roots can be traced to the age-old practice of organizing fairs to showcase the region's bountiful harvest. Torrelles de Llobregat, with its picturesque countryside dotted with cherry trees, became the perfect setting to host this annual gathering.

Through the centuries, the festival has witnessed the evolution of cherry cultivation techniques, the introduction of new varieties, and the advancement of cherry-related industries. Today, it stands as a testament to the resilience and passion of Catalan cherry growers who have preserved this cultural heritage through generations.

The annual cherry festival not only offers a delightful gastronomic experience but also serves as a living history book, reminding us of the traditions, skills, and dedication that have shaped Catalonia's renowned cherry industry.

April 15, 2008

Altafulla Beach on the Costa Dorada

 [enlarge]

100 kms away from Barcelona and 11 from Tarragona, Altafulla beach is one of the most beautiful on Costa Dorada (golden coast), an old fishermen town that still keeps its charm in spite of the menacing new buildings and the presence of a well known camping site in the area. There is a castle that dates back to XI around which Altafulla expanded and some remnants of Roman villages that are also worth mentioning. The sea was rough due to a heavy storm the night before but it was a very pleasant morning anyway. Check Altafulla on Google Maps.

July 28, 2007

Small Cove at L'Escala, a Town in Costa Brava, Spain

Small Cove at L'Escala, a Town in Costa Brava, Spain [enlarge]

Another picture of L'Escala, a beautiful town in Costa Brava, Catalonia, Spain. The golden rays of the afternoon sun falling on the white buildings and the boats along the improvised beach of this small cove or cala create some sort of painting atmosphere that I was lucky to capture for you. Nice weekend.

July 27, 2007

Belly Flop in Costa Brava, Spain

Belly Flop in Costa Brava, Spain

Jumping off a rock and nose diving into the sea, in this case at L'Escala, Costa Brava, may sound like an easy thing to do but everything changes when it's your turn. This kid is the son of some friends. He urged his father to let him go there and jump as the other kid in the water had done previously. The latter was a "pro", improvising front somersaults and so on, so my friend's son dropped his flip flops into the water first and came up with this funny and risky belly flop which fortunately caused him no harm.

July 14, 2007

Secret Cove in L'Escala, Costa Brava, Spain

Secret Cove in L'Escala, Costa Brava, Spain

Walking along the path on one of the promontories in L'Escala beach you have the chance to explore many coves or calas that vary in size. Some are wider and full of people, some are more private and a few are so small that are empty. That's the moment when you have the chance to see nature in a wilder state. I couldn't help thinking of secret adventures, pirates or castaways when I came across this beautiful spot.

July 13, 2007

Snorkeling in L'Escala, Costa Brava

Snorkeling in L'Escala, Costa Brava

The picture: A father and his son snorkeling in the crystal clear waters of L'Escala a small town in Costa Brava about 150 kms away from Barcelona and 70 from the French border. It's holidays time so I will be using some images that may not be located in Barcelona or just the outskirts. Here is some information about Costa Brava and L'Escala which is famous for its exquisite anchovies.
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