Girona, (Gerona in Castillian Spanish), is a delightful city in the far northeast of Spain. After a few days in the hustle of the capitol of Cataluña you can get on the Autovia, and in a matter of a few minutes you will be immersed in a fascinating culture with deep roots. The town is known as the city of 1,000 sieges, with its ramparts built and rebuilt by the Iberians, Romans, and throughout the Middle Ages. Girona resisted the attacks of everyone from Charlemagne to Napoleon.
The earliest Jews of Girona were survivors of the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. They came to Cataluña, even prior to the conquest of Spain by the Moors beginning in 711 AD.
The Jewish community became famous in the Middle Ages for its celebrated Cabalistic School. The past can be felt in the atmosphere of the narrow alleyways of the Jewish Quarter. There is a very interesting new museum that is informative and enjoyable.
In the treasury of Girona's 13th century cathedral is the city's greatest treasure -- the Tapestry of Creation, a unique work dating from about 1100. It is delicate embroidery with well preserved colors, which shows Christ in Majesty in a circular area at the center, surrounded by different stages of creation.
Girona
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Lleida
Lleida was called Lerda by the Romans, and it is there that Caesar defeated the troops of Pompei. The capital city of a mountainous province in Cataluña, Lleida is nestled in the foothills of the majestic snow capped Pyrenees. Lush irrigated fields surround Lleida (as it is called in the Catalan language) which stands on the right bank of the Segre River, close by the spot where it runs into the Ebro.
Because of this fertile farmland, Lleida is the site of many famous cattle, agricultural, and fruit shows. The arbequina olive orchards in the area produce some of the most celebrated olive oil in Spain. Its delicate fruity flavor makes it a favorite of gourmets for their green salads, or even just enjoyed on a piece of freshly baked bread.
Many of the houses of Lleida climb a steep hill which is crowned by an imposing citadel which surrounds both La Zuda, an old Moorish castle, and also a fortress built in the 12th century by the Knights Templar just after their reconquest of the city. In the center is a soaring and majestic 12th - 15th century Romanesque Gothic cathedral. Its extraordinarily large cloister with notable archways is decorated with Gothic and Renaissance doorways. Within the old "Seo" is a valuable collection of tapestries.
Notes about Arbequina Olives:
Originally from Arbeca in Lleida, the Arbequina olive also grows in Tarragona, Zaragoza and Huesca.
The Tree - The Arbequina olive tree is fairly small and can be grown in concentrated numbers in orchards. The wood has a dark green color which, along with the tree's size, makes the Arbequina look something like a broom bush. Its leaves have a lengthwise groove and are ocher-green on the top with a yellowish underside.
The Fruit - Arbequina olives are small and oval shaped, with a large pit. The trees start producing early and provide large quantities of fruit. Arbequina olives have a distinctive flavor, unlike typical green olives. They have a light nutty flavor, and our family has been known to consume a whole jar at one sitting. They are also ideal with martinis, or so I have been told.
The Oil - Arbequina olives produce an exceptional oil with a wonderful fruity aroma. This sweet and smooth oil has a slight aftertaste of almonds. Extra virgin Arbequina oil combines perfectly with garden salads, fresh spring vegetables and grilled fish.
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Sanlúcar de Barrameda
Sanlúcar de Barrameda is one of our favorite Andalucían coastal towns, and remains pretty much the way it was a generation ago. It is a short drive along the Atlantic coast from Cádiz to its site at the mouth of the Guadalquivir River, which used to be navigable all the way to Sevilla. It is here that Columbus drew the crew for one of his voyages from the local men.
Across the mouth of the river is La Doñana, Europe's largest nature preserve, which you can visit by taking a tour on a small boat. Each spring during Pentecost hundreds of thousands of gypsies and other pilgrims cross the estuary on their way to honor Nuestra Señora de Rocío.
Next to the piers are several remarkable restaurants that feature the freshest of fresh seafood, direct from the fishing boats. Sanlúcar is famous for a rare local langosta, a large shrimp/lobster, which is harvested by hand. The price is not cheap, but worth every Euro cent!
When you head to town from the waterfront's long, wide beaches (where they hold horse races each August), you will stroll along a broad tile promenade lined with palm trees. Along the way, you will pass one of the bodegas that produce manzanilla, the celebrated light dry sherry made only in Sanlúcar. Finally, at the end of the promenade you will enter the old town with its many cafes that surround an animated market brimming with fresh produce. You might be tempted to stay over night so that you could enjoy authentic flamenco at a local peña.
What a nice way to experience the joy of Spain!
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Cartagena
The ancient city of Cartagena, in the province of Murcia, lies in a unique position sheltered by fortified cliffs overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. This port, located in the southwest shore of the Province of Murcia, was considered by the British admiral Lord Nelson to be the safest port in the Mediterranean.
Fortified walls - La Morilla del Mar - built during the reign of Philip II, surround the old quarter of the city. Today the walls make a beautiful promenade punctuated with patches of bright flowers. Along the top of the Castillo de la Concepción (formerly a fortress and now a public garden), you can walk high above the city. Looking down, you can see the fishing boats arriving with their catches from the Mediterranean and far beyond in the Atlantic.
For literally thousands of years the fishermen braved the Atlantic to catch cod, which they cleaned and packed in salt for the long trip back to home port. It is here along the waterfront that the renowned family company Ricardo Fuentes E Hijos prepares top quality bacalao (salt cod) loins for shipping to us at Tienda.com. Also along the shores they prepare for us the finest mojama, a delicacy highly coveted in Southern Spain. These lightly salted tuna loins are hung up to cure in the warm Mediterranean sun. Pungent breezes from the sea dry the fish, much as jamón serrano is cured up in the mountains not many kilometers away in the Alpujarras Mountains.
What I like most about Cartagena is her peacefulness and natural beauty. Because it is both a major naval base and a hub of maritime commerce, Cartagena is not a sleepy town. On the other hand, it has been spared the invasion of busloads of tourists, who find this ancient city "off the beaten track" and therefore hard to fit in their whirlwind itineraries. Granada and Valencia are as close as the tourists come.
Like Cádiz, on the edge of the Atlantic, Cartagena was one of the great ports of Antiquity. Although not as ancient as Cádiz, (founded by the Phoenicians in 1100 BC), this magnificent natural port was first captured by the North African empire of Carthage in 221 BC and named Cartago Nova, New Carthage.
At your leisure you can absorb the layers of history, which are evident all about you in this moderately sized city of 175,000. Walk down to the harbor to visit a fascinating National Archeological Museum, which includes a section on seafaring activity during antiquity, complete with model galleys and other vessels. You can also linger at the Roman theater built in the first century BC. Along with Mérida, it is one of the most important Roman theaters in Spain.
On the other hand modern architecture is interesting too. The Ayuntamiento is a Modernist style Town Hall, graced with a sweeping marble staircase. The bullring is encompassed by handsome Moorish arches and decorated with striking Andalucían tiles.
Murcia is an often-overlooked portion of Spain. Personally, I have fond memories of our trips to the interior of the Province; especially our visit to the venerable shrine of Caravaca de la Cruz and the farm town of Calasparra encompassed with the fields of precious Calasparra rice. But most of all, I treasure the hours I spent with my wife Ruth, strolling along the walls of Cartagena. It is worth the trip.
