[travelspain] My Girona (Washington Post, 2 May 2010)
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Ken Bielen
May 5, 2010, 5:13:57 PM5/5/10
to Travel Spain
Girona, an ancient Catalonian city, is often overlooked by visitors to Spain
By Jane Black
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, May 2, 2010; F01
If it's a universal truth that Spaniards stay out late, Girona is the exception to the rule. At about 11 o'clock on a balmy March night, the restaurants lining the plazas and graceful arcades were all but empty. Nothing to do, I thought, but head to the hotel for a good night's rest.
Then we heard it. Boom! Tap, tap. Boom! Boom! Tap, tap. Boom!
The sinister rhythm ricocheted through the narrow cobblestone streets. If this were a period drama, it would be the sound you hear as the gallant prince is led to execution. Slowly, somewhat nervously, my cousin Will and I followed the drumbeat up the hill to the cathedral square. Bathed in the glare from the floodlights atop the church were lines of spear-toting men marching in formation. Boom, they slammed their spears on the pavement. Tap, tap, boom! They made the sign of the cross. Next, a band of drummers and fifers joined in. It was, I learned later, practice for the town's annual Easter processional, one of the few still regularly held in Catalonia. The marchers continued rehearsing until well past midnight.
History is taken seriously in Girona, an ancient city in northeast Catalonia. Catalonia is famous for its modernist artists -- architect Antoni Gaudí, painter Salvador Dali and gastronomic wizard Ferran Adriá -- and the buzz of its capital city, Barcelona. But in Girona, the draw is tradition. Beginning in the 1980s, the town, led by a historian-turned-mayor, rediscovered its ancient Jewish quarter, reconstructed part of the city's medieval ramparts and polished the shopping boulevards of its historic quarter. Pride in the old is so ingrained that when, on my first day of what I had termed my "beyond Barcelona" tour, I asked a local what he thought of El Celler Can Roca, a Michelin-starred destination restaurant that employs avant-garde techniques, he answered: "It's nice. But it's different."
Perhaps it's the determined focus on history that makes so many tourists overlook Girona. Serious cyclists pay the city attention: Lance Armstrong made Girona his base while he trained for several Tour de France races. But guidebooks give the city only a cursory nod. Even when discount airline Ryanair announced that it would begin flights to Girona in 2002, most tourists used it as a cheap way to get to Barcelona, about an hour away. For most, it's a day trip -- at best.
But Girona is to Barcelona what Arrezzo is to Florence in Tuscany. It's smaller, quieter and a city that would be a top destination in its own right if it didn't have such a famous neighbor. Day trips don't do it justice, because the best way to appreciate it is slowly: lounging at one of the elegant outdoor cafes, window-shopping at the boutiques housed in historic facades or wandering the circuitous, narrow lanes. There must be almost a dozen ways to wind your way up to the cathedral on the hill, and each one offers a different vantage of the Gothic spires, the Romanesque towers and the stone ramparts that once protected the city.
* * *
One piece of advice: Take a cab to your hotel.
On the hunt for history, I had chosen the aptly named Hotel Historic, which sits in the shadow of the cathedral. What looked like a short, pleasant walk from the train station -- across the river and past Girona's much-photographed, sun-washed ochre and rose-colored houses -- was a haul with a large suitcase in tow. The distance isn't great, but the direction is straight up. Up steep, cobblestone lanes. Up sets of stone stairs. By the time we arrived at our hotel, we were red-faced and out of breath.
It was, however, an excellent choice. The thick, stone walls of the family-run hotel date back as far as the 3rd century, but the rooms offer the conveniences necessary to soothe more modern souls: comfortable beds, central heating and a deep bathtub good for an end-of-the-day soak. (The staff also speaks English, something you cannot take for granted in proud Catalonia.)
At the top of our sightseeing list was Girona's top historical attraction, the Jewish quarter, or Call. The first Jewish community arrived in the city in the 9th century and formed a settlement that was protected by the crown. (The rulers of medieval Spain appreciated the Jews' medical and financial skills, especially their willingness to lend money.) By the 12th century, the vibrant population numbered 1,000, including Rabbi Moses ben Nachman, also known as Nahmanides, one of the early scholars of Jewish mysticism, Kabbalah.
About 30 percent of Girona's tourists come to see the Call, a tour guide told me. But there are few remaining signs of Jewish culture. After the Jews were expelled from Spain in 1492, Christians moved in and either destroyed the Jewish homes or built new houses on top of them. (This explains why many of the houses are three stories high, startlingly tall for medieval dwellings.) Even the much-touted Museum of Jewish History doesn't reveal much about Girona's Jewish past. Housed in an elegant building with a stunning sunny patio, the museum is designed to show what a Jewish home might have looked like. But the exhibits are geared to Spaniards, who, according to our tour guide, know little about Judaism. There's a tiny oil lamp, a mezuza and photographs of mikvahs, or Jewish baths. (It's an Us Weekly approach to history: Hey! The Jews are just like us!)
The history of the Cathedral de Santa Maria is, unsurprisingly, far better documented. A grand 18th-century stairway, with 90 steps, leads up to the gray facade that dominates Girona's skyline. The church's interior is equally imposing. The single nave is 72 feet wide, second only to that of St. Peter's in Rome. Built over the course of 500 years, the church has a Romanesque frame that houses more than a dozen baroque chapels, including one that tells the story of Saint Narcis (Narcissus), the patron saint of Girona. He was martyred in the 4th century; in 1285, French invaders broke open his tomb and, according to legend, were attacked by a swarm of monster flies. This explains the chocolate flies (mosques de Girona) that can be found in several traditional confectionery shops and why the otherwise uncommon name Narcis is so popular in Girona.
The views from the cathedral square are postcard-perfect. But there are even better ones from the city ramparts. From the cathedral, I wended my way (uphill again) through a maze of streets and walled gardens that end at an 11th-century tower. This is the access point to the Passeig de la Muralla. From the walls, the view is of a jumble of spires, red-tiled roofs and the bridges that span the River Onyar. (Only the crisscrossed red iron bridge designed by Gustav Eiffel, of Eiffel Tower fame, nods at modernism.)
Starting near the cathedral, the breezy stroll along the ramparts was, mercifully, all downhill -- a relief to my throbbing calves. (Note to self: Those Americans who wear sneakers may look obviously American, but they probably are not in pain at the end of the day.) Near the end of the ramparts walk, I spotted a well-manicured garden dotted with tables and headed for it. It turned out to be Els Jardins de la Mercè, a chic restaurant that serves the cultural center next door. Inside, the decor is contemporary: Kegs have been turned into cocktail tables, and modern art adorns the walls. But the garden, with its central fountain, potted palms and views of the old wall, was an ideal setting for a cortado (espresso with a touch of milk) or a beer. At 4 in the afternoon, it seemed only right to have both.
* * *
Girona's restaurants also reflect the city's love of tradition. Yes, there is El Celler Can Roca. But most of the others offer a sampling of simple Catalan cuisine. Casa Marieta, on the stylish Plaza Independencia, is well known for hearty dishes such as Catalan sausage butifarra with white beans. We headed to El Bistrot, a spacious cafe decorated with antique posters and mirrors, where we gorged on the set menu of rich onion tart, meaty pork cheeks with flageolet beans and a hazelnut flan. It tasted as if a Catalan grandma was at the stove.
To sample the ultimate Spanish mother's cooking, we headed out of the old city to El Restaurant Can Roca. This is where the Roca brothers, Joan, Josep and Jordi, of the famed El Celler grew up eating. The cook is their mother, Montserrat Fontoné.
This was the place where I was most excited to eat. Spanish newspapers had reported that the three brothers still eat lunch there most days; their modern temple of gastronomy is just down the road. Joan reportedly favors the poached onion and celery; Josep, the kidneys cooked in sherry; and Jordi, the Catalonian meat stew called escudella.
I was a bit surprised when we arrived. With the exception of a few smudged mirrors and wood paneling, the restaurant's decor is a series of empty wine bottles and a TV over the bar. And it took about 15 minutes before we were able to lure a waiter to our table.
It wasn't that we weren't welcome. The restaurant's focus is its regulars. There is no menu. And the only explanation you'll get of the set menu is in Catalan. On the day we visited, those options included a thick lentil soup with chunks of pork that would have made a meal in itself, chicken and rice, and a delicate grilled squid topped with baby beet greens. Not everything quite lived up to expectation: The flan was flavorless and the waiter readily admitted that the profiteroles were not house-made. But it was as authentic an experience as we had found.
Which, of course, is what we came to Girona for in the first place.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/29/AR2010042904104.html?wpisrc=nl_travel
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By Jane Black
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, May 2, 2010; F01
If it's a universal truth that Spaniards stay out late, Girona is the exception to the rule. At about 11 o'clock on a balmy March night, the restaurants lining the plazas and graceful arcades were all but empty. Nothing to do, I thought, but head to the hotel for a good night's rest.
Then we heard it. Boom! Tap, tap. Boom! Boom! Tap, tap. Boom!
The sinister rhythm ricocheted through the narrow cobblestone streets. If this were a period drama, it would be the sound you hear as the gallant prince is led to execution. Slowly, somewhat nervously, my cousin Will and I followed the drumbeat up the hill to the cathedral square. Bathed in the glare from the floodlights atop the church were lines of spear-toting men marching in formation. Boom, they slammed their spears on the pavement. Tap, tap, boom! They made the sign of the cross. Next, a band of drummers and fifers joined in. It was, I learned later, practice for the town's annual Easter processional, one of the few still regularly held in Catalonia. The marchers continued rehearsing until well past midnight.
History is taken seriously in Girona, an ancient city in northeast Catalonia. Catalonia is famous for its modernist artists -- architect Antoni Gaudí, painter Salvador Dali and gastronomic wizard Ferran Adriá -- and the buzz of its capital city, Barcelona. But in Girona, the draw is tradition. Beginning in the 1980s, the town, led by a historian-turned-mayor, rediscovered its ancient Jewish quarter, reconstructed part of the city's medieval ramparts and polished the shopping boulevards of its historic quarter. Pride in the old is so ingrained that when, on my first day of what I had termed my "beyond Barcelona" tour, I asked a local what he thought of El Celler Can Roca, a Michelin-starred destination restaurant that employs avant-garde techniques, he answered: "It's nice. But it's different."
Perhaps it's the determined focus on history that makes so many tourists overlook Girona. Serious cyclists pay the city attention: Lance Armstrong made Girona his base while he trained for several Tour de France races. But guidebooks give the city only a cursory nod. Even when discount airline Ryanair announced that it would begin flights to Girona in 2002, most tourists used it as a cheap way to get to Barcelona, about an hour away. For most, it's a day trip -- at best.
But Girona is to Barcelona what Arrezzo is to Florence in Tuscany. It's smaller, quieter and a city that would be a top destination in its own right if it didn't have such a famous neighbor. Day trips don't do it justice, because the best way to appreciate it is slowly: lounging at one of the elegant outdoor cafes, window-shopping at the boutiques housed in historic facades or wandering the circuitous, narrow lanes. There must be almost a dozen ways to wind your way up to the cathedral on the hill, and each one offers a different vantage of the Gothic spires, the Romanesque towers and the stone ramparts that once protected the city.
* * *
One piece of advice: Take a cab to your hotel.
On the hunt for history, I had chosen the aptly named Hotel Historic, which sits in the shadow of the cathedral. What looked like a short, pleasant walk from the train station -- across the river and past Girona's much-photographed, sun-washed ochre and rose-colored houses -- was a haul with a large suitcase in tow. The distance isn't great, but the direction is straight up. Up steep, cobblestone lanes. Up sets of stone stairs. By the time we arrived at our hotel, we were red-faced and out of breath.
It was, however, an excellent choice. The thick, stone walls of the family-run hotel date back as far as the 3rd century, but the rooms offer the conveniences necessary to soothe more modern souls: comfortable beds, central heating and a deep bathtub good for an end-of-the-day soak. (The staff also speaks English, something you cannot take for granted in proud Catalonia.)
At the top of our sightseeing list was Girona's top historical attraction, the Jewish quarter, or Call. The first Jewish community arrived in the city in the 9th century and formed a settlement that was protected by the crown. (The rulers of medieval Spain appreciated the Jews' medical and financial skills, especially their willingness to lend money.) By the 12th century, the vibrant population numbered 1,000, including Rabbi Moses ben Nachman, also known as Nahmanides, one of the early scholars of Jewish mysticism, Kabbalah.
About 30 percent of Girona's tourists come to see the Call, a tour guide told me. But there are few remaining signs of Jewish culture. After the Jews were expelled from Spain in 1492, Christians moved in and either destroyed the Jewish homes or built new houses on top of them. (This explains why many of the houses are three stories high, startlingly tall for medieval dwellings.) Even the much-touted Museum of Jewish History doesn't reveal much about Girona's Jewish past. Housed in an elegant building with a stunning sunny patio, the museum is designed to show what a Jewish home might have looked like. But the exhibits are geared to Spaniards, who, according to our tour guide, know little about Judaism. There's a tiny oil lamp, a mezuza and photographs of mikvahs, or Jewish baths. (It's an Us Weekly approach to history: Hey! The Jews are just like us!)
The history of the Cathedral de Santa Maria is, unsurprisingly, far better documented. A grand 18th-century stairway, with 90 steps, leads up to the gray facade that dominates Girona's skyline. The church's interior is equally imposing. The single nave is 72 feet wide, second only to that of St. Peter's in Rome. Built over the course of 500 years, the church has a Romanesque frame that houses more than a dozen baroque chapels, including one that tells the story of Saint Narcis (Narcissus), the patron saint of Girona. He was martyred in the 4th century; in 1285, French invaders broke open his tomb and, according to legend, were attacked by a swarm of monster flies. This explains the chocolate flies (mosques de Girona) that can be found in several traditional confectionery shops and why the otherwise uncommon name Narcis is so popular in Girona.
The views from the cathedral square are postcard-perfect. But there are even better ones from the city ramparts. From the cathedral, I wended my way (uphill again) through a maze of streets and walled gardens that end at an 11th-century tower. This is the access point to the Passeig de la Muralla. From the walls, the view is of a jumble of spires, red-tiled roofs and the bridges that span the River Onyar. (Only the crisscrossed red iron bridge designed by Gustav Eiffel, of Eiffel Tower fame, nods at modernism.)
Starting near the cathedral, the breezy stroll along the ramparts was, mercifully, all downhill -- a relief to my throbbing calves. (Note to self: Those Americans who wear sneakers may look obviously American, but they probably are not in pain at the end of the day.) Near the end of the ramparts walk, I spotted a well-manicured garden dotted with tables and headed for it. It turned out to be Els Jardins de la Mercè, a chic restaurant that serves the cultural center next door. Inside, the decor is contemporary: Kegs have been turned into cocktail tables, and modern art adorns the walls. But the garden, with its central fountain, potted palms and views of the old wall, was an ideal setting for a cortado (espresso with a touch of milk) or a beer. At 4 in the afternoon, it seemed only right to have both.
* * *
Girona's restaurants also reflect the city's love of tradition. Yes, there is El Celler Can Roca. But most of the others offer a sampling of simple Catalan cuisine. Casa Marieta, on the stylish Plaza Independencia, is well known for hearty dishes such as Catalan sausage butifarra with white beans. We headed to El Bistrot, a spacious cafe decorated with antique posters and mirrors, where we gorged on the set menu of rich onion tart, meaty pork cheeks with flageolet beans and a hazelnut flan. It tasted as if a Catalan grandma was at the stove.
To sample the ultimate Spanish mother's cooking, we headed out of the old city to El Restaurant Can Roca. This is where the Roca brothers, Joan, Josep and Jordi, of the famed El Celler grew up eating. The cook is their mother, Montserrat Fontoné.
This was the place where I was most excited to eat. Spanish newspapers had reported that the three brothers still eat lunch there most days; their modern temple of gastronomy is just down the road. Joan reportedly favors the poached onion and celery; Josep, the kidneys cooked in sherry; and Jordi, the Catalonian meat stew called escudella.
I was a bit surprised when we arrived. With the exception of a few smudged mirrors and wood paneling, the restaurant's decor is a series of empty wine bottles and a TV over the bar. And it took about 15 minutes before we were able to lure a waiter to our table.
It wasn't that we weren't welcome. The restaurant's focus is its regulars. There is no menu. And the only explanation you'll get of the set menu is in Catalan. On the day we visited, those options included a thick lentil soup with chunks of pork that would have made a meal in itself, chicken and rice, and a delicate grilled squid topped with baby beet greens. Not everything quite lived up to expectation: The flan was flavorless and the waiter readily admitted that the profiteroles were not house-made. But it was as authentic an experience as we had found.
Which, of course, is what we came to Girona for in the first place.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/29/AR2010042904104.html?wpisrc=nl_travel
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Gail Suber
May 5, 2010, 9:16:43 PM5/5/10
to trave...@googlegroups.com
Thanks for the article, Ken. I went to Girona and since my focus was on Jewish cultural heritage sites in Spain, had a guide who was very helpful.
Gail
> Date: Wed, 5 May 2010 14:13:57 -0700
> From: kbi...@yahoo.com
> Subject: [travelspain] My Girona (Washington Post, 2 May 2010)
> To: trave...@googlegroups.com
Gail
> Date: Wed, 5 May 2010 14:13:57 -0700
> From: kbi...@yahoo.com
> Subject: [travelspain] My Girona (Washington Post, 2 May 2010)
> To: trave...@googlegroups.com
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