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Next Stop…Besalú (Spain)

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Besalú is a historic and picturesque village that is one of Catalonia’s best preserved villages. Located about an hour and a half north of Barcelona (half hour north of Girona), it is a perfect day trip for visitors who want to explore the historic region of Cataluña. Besalú is a quintessential Medieval village with a Romanesque arched bridge at the entrance to the Old Town, narrow cobblestone streets and charming houses built from brick and stone. The oldest remains found in town date back to 650-600 BC, and in Roman times it became a prosperous urban center in the region. Over a thousand years ago it was the capital of an important independent county.

Besalú was also an important Jewish settlement and is known for having a well preserved Jewish Quarter with a restored 12th C. mikveh (ritual purification bathhouse). In the 13th C. the Jewish community in Besalú accounted for a quarter of the population, and they lived in a relatively peaceful coexistence with the Christians until 1415. The baths were discovered in 1964 by chance and have been dated back to the 12th C. It is believed that the mikveh probably belonged to the synagogue located near the Plaça dels Jueus (Jew’s Square). Most of the synagogue is now gone, but the mikveh is surprisingly well preserved. It is one of only three Jewish bathhouses left in Europe.

Photo credit: Mikipons

For assistance with your travel plans, including hotel and private tour reservations, click here.

On the Menu…Ultramarinos Quintín Restaurante, Madrid (Spain)

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Ultramarinos Quintín is a local favorite restaurant that is part market, part restaurant and bar. It is located on the corner of a lovely tree-lined street in Madrid’s upscale Salamanca neighborhood. Prior to being converted into a restaurant, the building had been home to a grocery store – ultramarinos in Spanish – so the name is a nod to the store that had long-occupied the space, as well as a reference to the market offerings found inside of the building today.

Quintín’s inviting interior is lined with food counters and shelves offering a wide variety of fresh fruits, vegetables, cured meats, freshly baked bread, prepared dishes and much more. Tables are spread throughout the large space surrounded by exposed brick walls. The ambiance of this trendy restaurant is lively and vibrant, but there is also a cozy feel to this trendy restaurant that attracts a nice mix of neighborhood locals and visitors from near and far.

The cuisine at Quintín highlights a broad selection of Spanish dishes made with locally sourced ingredients. The menu includes a variety of small dishes to share, salads, a selection of hams that includes their own Jamón Ibérico (cured ham), and main entrees of meat, fish and traditional stews. There is even a selection of pasta dishes and pizzas to choose from.

  • Calle Jorge Juan, 17
  • Madrid, Spain
  • Phone: +34 (91) 786 46 24 / +34 (91) 431 71 03
  • Website: Ultramarinos Quintín

Photo Credit: Ultramarinos Quintín Restaurante

For assistance with your travel plans, including hotel and private tour reservations, click here.

Cheers…Alella Wine Region, Barcelona (Spain)

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Wine enthusiasts who travel to Barcelona and want to explore the local wineries in the region would probably be surprised to find out that they don’t have to venture too far away to find one. Located just 20 minutes outside of the city center (15 kms.), Alella is the closest wine region to the city and one of the best kept secrets in the area. With just 9 wineries and a little over 300 hectares of vineyards, the wine appellation (Denominación de Origen DO) Alella is the smallest DO in Spain.

Alella is a coastal town that has a long tradition of winemaking that dates back to Roman times. The town itself overlooks the Mediterranean and is charming, with architectural highlights from the ancient Roman, Baroque and Modernist periods. The combination of terraced landscapes, layers of limestone, and cooling breezes from the sea produce a wide variety of grapes, including the Pansa Blanca grape (also known as Xarel·lo) that goes into most of the white wines produced in the area. Cava (Spanish sparkling wine) and rustic red wines are also produced in the region.

Alella was designated a DO in 1956. Since then it has shrunk to about a third of its original size, due to the urban expansion that has taken place in the past decades. There do still remain a number of the original farmhouses (called masies in Catalan) that have been passed down through the generations in the families that continue the winemaking tradition to this day. A number of them are open to the public and welcome visitors to tour their wineries and enjoy tastings.

For assistance with your travel plans, including hotel and private tour reservations, click here.