We head for the hills, literally, we’re off to Vilafranca del Penedès, 40 minutes out of Barcelona and a centre of cava production, yes that’s right, Spanish champagne! The Penedés region is known for its quality cavas, as well as red and white wines… we’re keen to explore! It’s a public holiday so the town is quiet but we have a quick wander through and it has a distinctly local feel. It’s relaxed and unfussy, a nice change after the mayhem of Barcelona! In the centre square kids are kids on bikes while adults chat over a glass of wine… no one is in a rush.
On the outskirts of the village is our hotel, an attraction in itself. Nestled in the middle of the vineyards and sheltered by the Sant Pau hill, the Cava & Hotel Mastinell is an architectural gem. It has a rippled roof that resembles the curves of resting cava bottles, complete with a steel facades of bubbles. It’s fun, frivolous, delightful, and inside it’s modern and slick.
The hotel offers a cellar tour and tasting which we take up the following morning. We’re greeted by a very enthusiastic young man who takes us through the entire cava production process, from the grape varieties, to the cellaring, bottling and labelling. It’s interesting and entertaining, and the best comes with a tasting at the end. We try three different types, the Brut Rosé Reserva , the Carpe Diem, and, my favourite, the Cristina… what a great way to start the day!
Behind Mastinell (as the locals call it) are grape vines and a winding path up the Sant Pau Hill. It’s perfect for a relaxed hike and it’s a good decision as at the top and overlooking the town we stumble on Restaurant Cim. It’s basically a home set amongst olive trees, with a beer garden and they’ve added a terrace to take in the views. There’s a decent menu from a degustation to snacks and they serve a great gin and tonics. They are only open for lunch so we have tapas with the best potatoes bravos we’ve had so far. As far as hidden gems go, this one is right up there.
For dinner the Mastinell has a well reputed restaurant, En Rima, with a gastronomic tasting menu and wine pairing. The staff are fantastic, attentive and keen to please, the showmanship superb with the smoked market fish. We eat there both nights as the chef offers to change the tasting menu for us the second night. We can’t refuse. Funnily enough the second menu was far better than the first.
Being surrounded by vineyards it’s obligatory to visit a local winery so we head to the Suriol family, at Castell de Grabuac, a medieval farmhouse built in the 15th century. It’s up a narrow roads surrounded by olive trees, vineyards and farmers at work in the fields. On arrival at the Castell, Pau Suriol greets us, he’s one of two sons in the family, they’ve been farming the property since the 1600s. Nowadays it’s biodynamic and Pau has an incredible knowledge about the biodynamic process, local wines and wine production. He leads us to an outlook and explains each wine plot with great passion and enthusiasm. From there we visit the family house and the original soldiers/sentry outlook in the 5th century, it’s a step back in time. It’s been restored, updated and renovated beautifully, giving a real sense of history and heritage.
We move to the cellar door for a tasting and hear about the local and export market, it seems they have really managed to capture the spirit of Catalonian wines at the Castell. The wines are average but with the idyllic setting, family passion and desire to share, we are caught up in the moment and buy six bottles. My pick was the Suriol Grabuac Blanco. It’s always good to support locals and the community so it really doesn’t matter!
For a change of scenery we take a trip to the coast. It’s a short 30 minute drive to Sitges, a sea-side city, frequented by the wealthy of Barcelona and many visitors. It’s an ancient places that dates as far back as Neanderthal times with the discovery of bones to back it up. It’s had a turbulent history with the 11th century castle of Sitges attacked many times and ultimately destroyed. In the 18th century a trade route was established with America, and in the 19th century, Maricel Palace was built. It was a key area of the Catalan modernist movement which didn’t go down well in the Spanish Civil War, but in recent years it has thrived. Sitges is now known world-wide for its Film Festival, Carnival and LGBT culture – it’s creative, open-minded and welcoming. It’s a place that’s relaxing, comfortable and without pretense.
Don’t be put off by the drive in… it is uninspiring but once you hit the palm tree lined promenade, the ocean and long sandy beaches are superb. The village is built around the imposing church on the headland, it overlooks the rugged seas on both sides. It’s pleasantly busy, with families and couples all enjoying some fresh sea air, and surfers making the most of the powerful ocean swell that’s producing some decent waves.
Wandering through the alleyways of Sitges is dreamy. There’s an abundance of cobblestones, old buildings, quaint squares and lush gardens… this is the Spain I was looking for. It’s a thriving city packed with restaurants, cafes, bars and an eclectic mixture of people. The Casa Vilella is located on the beach front. Our room is huge, two levels and cleverly designed for the old heart of the Casa to fit in well with the renovations of a new hotel. It’s a great spot with a decent brekky and a pool area out the back that looks like it would be amazing in summer!
The old town has plenty to offer so we decide to get a bit of culture and hit the Cau Ferrat Museum and Maricel Museum (they’re linked by stairs), it was a complete waste of time, weirdly full of clutter which turns from antiques to a glass exhibition and then paintings. A lot to get your head around and no real context to the area. Having said that the location of the buildings is stunning, built on the ocean cliff face, looking out over the water with the sound of the waves hit the rocks… that was sublime.
There’s statues and memorials to the founders and a nod to the artistic community that’s such a big part of Sitges. Strolling through the streets, discovering the ancient alleyways, wandering up and down the promenade is cathartic, it delivers a real sense of peace.
To finish up my fabulous three spots of the region, we head back up into the hills to visit Montserrat. Loosely translated it means ‘serrated mountain’, it is simply stunning, a vision on the horizon that’s exciting and alluring . Easily accessible from Barcelona, we chose to drive there… I don’t think it would matter what form of transport I took, it was never going to be good climbing up that high, on a narrow road up a mountain side. It’s described as scenic… I was strangely comforted by a toddler vomiting when we got there… he was car sick too!
But the 11th century Monastery of Montserrat is well worth it. This is a place of pilgrimage for the Catalan people, apparently it is a walk they should do at least once in a lifetime (maybe the car sickness was not so bad after all).
Located inside the basilica of Santa Maria de Montserrat is Our Lady of Montserrat, one of the only black Madonnas in Europe. She is the patron saint of all dioceses in Catalonia and together with St. George (Sant Jordi) is celebrated as the patron saint of the territory. In such a deeply religious it really is a place of great importance, and you can feel it. The history and enormity of Montserrat is immense, and it’s evident at every turn.
The history of the monastery is chequered, it was founded in the 11th century and rebuilt between the 19th and 20th centuries. It has survived the Spanish War, the Civil War, Franco and even Heinrich Himmler (who came looking for the Holy Grail). Through fires, floods and wars, the Montserrat Monastery has survived and today is home to over 70 monks. It’s a breathtaking place, the history palatable, the views remarkable and the Monastery still the beating heart of the Catalans.
And that’s the thing, there is so much to offer in Catalonia, it’s not just about the cities, hillsides, mountains and beaches. It’s about the people, the culture, the history, the food and the wine. It’s interesting, exciting and a world well worth delving into.
