When I Fell in Love with Catalonia
For food and restaurant lovers, Spain’s Catalonia (aka Catalan region) is first and foremost known for El Bulli, the birthplace of molecular gastronomy. The surprisingly humble cliffside restaurant is now a museum I visited, lined with experimental plateware, dish prototypes and exhibits on food through the intersection of fields from art to science.
The Catalan region also birthed many iconic dishes (pan con tomate!), holds over 900 wineries, has the greatest density of over 60 restaurants with Michelin stars, and the only world region with three number one restaurants in the World’s 50 Best Restaurants (where I am an Academy Chairperson). Locally, the libre de Sent Sovi book, dating back to 1324, was the first cookbook printed in all Spain.
The region is also known for its art and architecture, the birthplace of whimsical, boundary-pushing Catalan Modernisme, aka Catalan Art Nouveau. The region is home to some of the most famous artists of all time, including Miro, Gaudi, Dali. It’s also widely varied in terrain, winding from mountains to vineyards to ocean.
My initial impressions of Barcelona over 25 years ago aside (all that below), the region is beautiful, diverse and easy to love. But it was on my little rooftop patio in room #8 at MontRubi’s Casa Gran 1771 (reviewed under hotels and wineries), gazing from my nestling cocoon of Spanish roof tiles over surrounding vineyards and hills, I met with one of the most fiery and vibrant sunsets of my life.
It set me ablaze with life, spirit, hope, possibility… and in the midst of painful, slow rebuild after 30 years of life is taken overnight. It was a significant moment forward, a marker I can point to with vivid, colorful imagery. Spain and the Catalan region echoes my California home. This terrain looked like home, while that sunset was like being met by the Divine across the world with a passionate kiss and personal message. And it happened in the vineyards of the enchanting Penedès wine region.
My Catalonia Guide below…
Read the rest on Substack: Catalonia’s Gifts to the World