Banyoles lake and market

Posted on 10 January 2013 by Richard Calvin

The lake of Banyoles

Banyoles, a medium sized town close to Girona is famed for its lake. Scene of the 1992 Barcelona Olympic rowing events the lake serves as the central hub and focus of the town.

A view of Banyoles lake along a jetty — A view of Banyoles lake just after sunrise

With the increased popularity of triathlons, Banyoles is also becoming one of the main locations for triathlon training in Europe. The triathlon world cup is being held here in 2012. The town is also a popular training location for rowing teams from around Europe.

The Banyoles lake and market

However one does not need to be an Olympic rower or triathlete to enjoy the charms of the lake. At around 2 kms long and with a perimeter of just over 7 kms the lake makes for the perfect mid morning or afternoon stroll. It is also possible to hire canoes and bikes.

If you are planning a day trip to Banyoles a good idea would be to do this on a Wednesday when the weekly market is spread out between “Placa Major” and the large “Placa de Rodes” which is close to the lake. The market mainly consists of fruit and vegetables, cured meats and cheeses with many of the stalls offering local and organic products. The market starts early at around 08.00am and starts closing up around 13.00

Some recommended restaurants in Banyoles include;

Famed for its seafood Gils Banyoles restaurant is a popular lunchtime destination for locals. Located close to the lake.

La Magrana (The Pomegranate) is a small family run restaurant in the old quarter of the town offering a modern twist on traditional Catalan dishes using fresh seasonal produce.

Can Xabanet is another family ran restaurant located just between Placa de Rodes and the lake. Traditional flavorsome dishes in a friendly atmospheric setting.

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At Charming villas Catalonia we offer our clients a varied selection of high standard Barcelona vacation rentals. From Barcelona beachfront apartments to large farmhouses close to Barcelona.

Locally based we offer a free concierge service to all of our clients. Our goal is to make sure that our clients make the most out of their time while in Catalonia. We can help plan fun day-trips to the Costa Brava and all kinds of activities and extra services. From tables at the number one restaurant in Spain, El Celler de Can Roca to dining on a pier with fishermen. Let us know how we can help plan the perfect vacation and we will do the rest.

Bascara Sunday market

Posted on 6 January 2013 by Richard Calvin

The village of Bascara is perhaps better known as that village which the NII dissects between Figueres and Girona on the way to the Costa Brava beaches.

Bascara market — Sunday market at Bascara

The majority of people just drive through on the NII and never get to see the real village. We think it is certainly worth a stop to take a look.

Bascara Sunday market

Although there may be more picturesque and historical villages around, Bascara does have some great positives. There is a busy weekly fruit and vegetable market on Sunday mornings in the main square next to a great authentic bar where you can soak up the local atmosphere. The first Sunday of every month sees the market expand with the incorporation of local antiques and bric-a-brac stalls.

Bascara on a Sunday morning also has two small supermarkets and great butchers which are open until 13.00.

If you are looking for a good quality restaurant look no further than Can Carles in Bascara. Their lunch speciality of “arros” or paella is definitely worth the visit.

Addresses:

Butchers. Giro Burset. Ctra, Girona, 26 17483 BASCARA Tel 972 560 021

Bar/Restaurant Bar Fluvia. Next door to Giro-Burset butchers. Very economical and good value 9€ lunch during the week. Closed Mondays.

Bascara Living Nativity

Bascara is also famous for it’s annual live Nativity held in the village. More information can be found about the Bascara Nativity here.

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Aiguamolls de l’Empordà

Posted on 4 January 2013 by Richard Calvin

Where are the Aiguamolls de l’Emporda?

The Aiguamolls de l’Empordà is a beautiful natural wetland area situated on the Costa Brava roughly between Sant Pere Pescador and Empuriabrava. With a total of 4800 hectares and over 300 species of bird this makes a great day out for nature lovers.

Walking through the Aiguamolls

Entry into the park is free but there is a car parking fee during the summer months. There’s various walking routes to choose from and at the visitor center you can buy route maps for around 30c. We went for a family day out recently and walked from the visitor center at “El Cortalet” to the southern boundary of the park towards Sant Pere Pescador. From here you can access the beach where we decided to walk back along in the direction of Empuriabrava. After a couple of km’s you pick up a track which heads back to El Cortalet making a nice circular route of approximately 5 or 6 km’s.
This stretch of beach is one of the least populated along the whole of the Costa Brava and is perfect for those who wish to escape the maddening crowd.

The full address of the Aiguamolls is:

Parc Natural dels Aiguamolls de l’Empordà
El Cortalet,
Ctra. De Sant Pere Pescador km 13,6
17486-Castelló d’Empúries
Tel. 972 45 42 22

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At Charming villas Catalonia we offer our clients a varied selection of high standard Barcelona vacation rentals. From Barcelona beachfront apartments to large farmhouses close to Barcelona.

New Year in Catalonia

Posted on 31 December 2012 by Sara Marti

New Year celebrations in Catalonia

Starting off the New Year in Catalonia in the right way!

Fancy celebrating New Year’s Eve the way Catalans and Spanish do!? One of the most popular New Year´s Eve tradition is the 12 grapes of good luck. At 12 seconds to midnight the countdown begins and each time the bell rings in a new second, everyone has to eat a grape, for a total of twelve grapes. Insider tip – many people peel the grapes beforehand. Time consuming yes, but they are easier to swallow so worth the effort!

Cava, Cava cork, happy new year — Cava corks are always marked with a four-pointed star.

12 Grapes and Cava

Then at the stroke of midnight the cork on the Cava bottle is popped, and people kiss each other on both cheeks.

Cava is the Catalan sparkling wine made by a traditional method in the same way as champagne (with the second fermentation in the bottle). There are some fabulous examples at great prices in comparison to French Champagne. Almost all Cava is produced in Catalonia, especially in the Penedes wine region.

Don’t be fooled into accepting an inferior sparkling wine. You can distinguish cava by the cork, which should be marked with a four-pointed star!

Salut and Happy New Year!

Catalan Christmas Traditions

Posted on 23 December 2012 by Sara Marti

The Pooping Log!

Catalonia has its own unique traditions over the Christmas period and perhaps one of the most unusual is the Tió de Nadal (roughly translated as “Christmas Log”). Popularly called “Caga tió” (The pooping log in English). Catalan Christmas traditions such as this are somewhat unusual.

The Tió de Nadal is found in living rooms of Catalan homes during the Christmas season. It is a small to medium size log standing up on two little stick legs and usually with a broad smiling face drawn on one end. It wears a red farmer’s hat called “barretina” and is covered with a little blanket so it doesn’t get cold at night.The Tió comes from the forest on the day of the Immaculate Conception (December 8), and from that day onward children give the Tió a little bit to “eat” every night.

On Christmas day or, depending on the particular household, on Christmas Eve, children hit the Tió with a stick. It is this bashing while singing a song that orders it to loosen its bowels and let drop the presents!

The Tió does not drop large objects, as those are brought by the Three Wise Men on the 6th of January – another Catalan Christmas traditions. Instead it leaves small presents for the children, as well as candies, nuts, nougats. Also wine and other goodies that are shared by everyone.

Mushroom season in Catalonia

Posted on 31 October 2012 by Sara Marti

When is the mushroom season in Catalonia?

The months of October and November are mushroom season in Catalonia. Large numbers of Catalans pour into the countryside in search of wild mushrooms or “bolets”. It is one of the autumn rituals of our region: we “hunt” for mushrooms and then we eat them! Although there are many edible species we use the name “bolets” to refer to all of them. But then there are specific names according to the type, like “rovellons”, “rossinyols”, “ceps”, “llenegues” and many more.

Wild mushrooms — Mushroom season in Catalonia

It is a healthy pastime (long walks), and enchanting too, as autumnal forests are so beautiful. And while enjoying the stimulus of a mycological hunt, you feel an additional glow of achievement and pride when you actually find one! Mushrooms can be cooked in many different ways: they can be grilled, baked, fried or stewed with meat and other vegetables.

But precaution is to be practiced at all times. It is very important to know how to distinguish the good ones from those that are not so good and from those that can kill you! So don’t eat any mushrooms you have picked unless you, or someone that knows, have identified them 100%. Follow this link for more information about mushrooms in Catalonia

Otherwise play safe and find yourself a good restaurant for a great “vedella amb bolets” lunch!

The Festivities around the 15th of August

Posted on 1 August 2012 by Sara Marti

The 15th of August festivities

What are the festivities around the 15th of August in Catalonia? During the week before and the week after the 15th of August there are many festivals (Festes Majors) taking place in Catalonia. Streets and squares of many villages and towns are decorated and an array of traditional events take place including concerts, dancing, markets and fairs.

A decorated street during the Festa Major de Gracia in Barcelona

Why do so many festivities take place around the 15th of August? One of the reasons is because this is the period in the calendar when the mowing fields ended. Centuries ago the vast majority of the population worked in the fields so this was a huge time to celebrate. Also the Christian tradition set the 15th of August as the date to celebrate the Assumption of Mary. This commemorates the mystery of the elevation of Mary’s soul, the Mother of God, to heaven.

Festa Major de Gràcia

One of the biggest and better known festivals is the “Festa Major de Gràcia”. Gracia is one of the neighborhoods of Barcelona and which used to be a separate neighboring village near to Barcelona. No less than17 streets and squares are decorated by residents who transform their street into elaborately themed carnival style decorations.

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Rupit in Catalonia

Posted on 2 March 2012 by Sara Marti

Exploring rural Catalonia

Few tourists make their way to Rupit when coming to Catalonia for their holidays. Located in the province of Osona this picturesque village is set on top of an escarpment 845m above sea level. Even though it’s a popular destination by Catalan day-trippers it is rarely visited by foreigners. The streets and lanes of this small town have retained an atmosphere of gone-by times.

Rupit, Catalonia

Rupit in Catalonia has retained its medieval charm, with narrow cobblestone streets and a beautiful age old plaza. A number of walking holiday companies have routes that pass through Rupit such as On Foot Holidays.

The countryside around it is wild and beautiful, with dramatic rock formations and spectacular views across the Pyrenean foothills. The river running through Rupit has carved out a deep gorge over millions of years resulting in the 100m high Sallent waterfall.

It is definitely a place worth visiting when you come to Catalonia!

Read more about Rupit and the province of Osana on the Visit Osona website.

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Fancy some Calçots?

Posted on 1 February 2012 by Sara Marti

What are Calçots?

Catalonia is known around the world for its cutting-edge molecular gastronomy – famed by the many Michelin starred restaurants- but there is still plenty of traditional down to earth food to be had! We have our own unique culinary customs and eating calçots is one of them. Fancy some Calcots? Typically they are eaten from late Autumn to early Spring. Calçots are a variety of scallion. They are milder than onions and look similar to small leeks.

Fancy some Calcots? — Preparing for a Calcotada image credit www.valls.cat

It is a generally accepted story that a peasant farmer from Valls (south of Barcelona), began growing calçots in the latter part of the 19th century. He covered them with earth – in Catalan, “calçar” literally means “to put the shoes on”- in order to keep the edible part white.

How to eat Calcots

The Catalan method of cooking the calçots is to grill them over a flaming barbecue. They are traditionally served on a terracotta roof tile, rather than a plate, to keep them warm. Diners peel away the blackened outer layers, and then dip the tender bulbs in Romesco, a sauce made of tomatoes, almonds, garlic, peppers, vinegar and oil.

Mmmmmmm! Messy but delicious!

Fancy some Calçots?

More information about the history and origin of Calcots can be found at the Valls Town Hall website.

Catalan Castells

Posted on 10 December 2011 by Sara Marti

An introduction to Catalan Castells

Els Castells – a Catalan word that means castles – are a cultural tradition particular to Catalonia. The human towers are formed by Castellers standing on the shoulders of one another in a succession of stages (between six and ten). Each town has it’s own team and are dressed in their own colors. Both visually stunning and seemingly rather dangerous, a meeting of various towns is an exciting occasion.

How a Castell is formed

There are three definite parts to a castle: La pinya (base) is a bunch of strong, big castellers with the arms locked together in a taut circle. They support their teammates as they create level upon level with progressively fewer and lighter people to form el tronc (trunk) which is the central part of the castle made up of some two to five human layers.

The uppermost levels of the tower are known as El pom de de dalt, and comprise young children. The Anxaneta is the tiniest (and bravest!) child that climbs all the way to the very top. Supported by only two people, he or she raises a hand with four fingers to symbolize the Catalan flag.

The cultural importance of Castells

As well as having cultural and symbolic importance for the people of Catalonia, the Castells are considered a demonstration of sporting prowess.

The Castell season runs from April to November, with teams performing regularly at Festa Majors, national celebrations and Catalan competitions.

Read more about Castellers and Catalan Castells here.