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Ripoll
- Lunch - Vall de Núria
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This
trip will take you way off the beaten track into the foothills
and into the heart of Cataluña. This day trip is
definitely not in any guidebook. In fact, we only found
out about these places because we were taken to them by
a Catalan couple. The wife could barely speak Spanish much
less English… this is how authentic this day trip is!
First you can visit one of the most famous monasteries of
the region and then go have lunch with a 180-degree view
of the Pyrenees and a surrounding valley. If you are feeling
particularly ambitious you can then take a cog train to
a beautiful valley called Vall de Núria. This is
an ambitious day because you will have to drive about 2
hours to arrive at the monastery and then an additional
40 minutes to get to the restaurant. If it's too much to
do in one day you can always spend the night at the lodge
in Vall de Núria or you can skip one portion of the
day.
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Visiting
the monastery in the town of Ripoll:
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The
medieval Benedictine monastery in Ripoll is one of the most
famous of its kind in Cataluña. Originally built
in 879, it is the home of the remains of many counts, bishops
and monks. It's most noted for two things: the impressive
Romanesque entranceway (or portal) that is one of the finest
examples of Romanesque architecture in Europe and the fact
that Guifré el Pelós (Wilfred the Hairy) is
buried here. Who is Guifré el Pelós? He is
one of the most important figures in Catalan history because
legend has it that during the battle to reconquer Cataluña
from the Moorish invaders he became fatally wounded and
he drew four bloody stripes on his golden shield. The image
of four bloody stripes on a golden shield has since become
the flag of Cataluña.
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Eating
lunch at Restaurant Ana:
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After
getting your fill of culture it's time to head to the foothills
and eat some authentic Catalan country food at Restaurant
Ana. Unlike Catalan city food, country food typically includes
complex sauces and is served in larger portions. Ask for
the table upstairs in front of the plate glass window. I
suggest beginning with pan con tomate (tomate bread) and
a plate of embutidos (dried meats, like salami). They will
bring you a monstrous tray of dried meats and you cut off
and eat what you'd like. The offering of second courses
varies depending on what is in season.
If
you have the energy and time take the cog train from Ribes
(Ribes de Freser) up to the Nuria
Valley. With dramatic inclines and cascading waterfalls,
half of the fun is getting up there! Depending on the season,
you can either go hiking, horseback riding, skiing or sledding.
You can even spend the night.
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Directions
from Barcelona to Ripoll:
Getting to Ripoll is easy; drive north from Barcelona
into the heartland of Cataluña. From Barcelona
take C-17 (formerly N-152) north past the town of
Granollers and then past the town of Vic. Stay on
C-17 but after Vic it will become a smaller and windier
road. You will drive right into Ripoll.
Directions
from Ripoll to Restaurant Ana:
Leave Ripoll heading north on N-152 in the direction
of Puigcerdà. About 20 minutes later you will
arrive into the little town of Ribes (Ribes de Freser).
Drive through the town and exit the other side. Here's
the tricky part, after town drive about 5 minutes
until you see a sharp hairpin turnoff on your right.
I don't think there is a sign; you will recognize
it because it is the first sharp right turn you can
take onto a little paved road. Make this turn and
follow the little road up the mountain to the small
town of Queralbs. (When I say "small town"
I really mean only a collection of houses!)
Directions
to the Cog Train in Ribes:
Just back track down the mountain and go back to Ribes.
This is the town you had to go through to get to the
restaurant. There are two train stations in Ribes.
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How
to eat lunch at a "Masia"
and not feel like a
complete tourist:
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In
Cataluña it is very typical for families
to go out to the countryside and eat a large
lunch at a rural restaurant, a "Masia".
Weekends are the norm, but most Masias are
also opened during the week. Plan on staying
at least 2 hours for lunch.
You
will order a "primero", a first
course (salad, soup, roasted vegetables, dried
meats, etc.) and then a "segundo",
a second course (fish, meat, lamb, duck, rabbit
or pork.) Most primeros should be accompanied
by "pan con tomate", bread with
tomato. In Masias you are typically brought
a plate of sliced and toasted peasant bread,
some tomatoes and cloves of garlic.
Take
the toast, rub garlic on it. Cut the tomato
in half and rub the inside of the tomato on
the toast. (The riper the tomato the better.)
Then drizzle olive oil on the bread and top
it off with a dash of salt. It is t-a-s-t-y!
After you have finished eating your main course
you order dessert. Then after dessert (I stress
after) you will have the chance to order a
coffee. The most typical coffees are a "cortado",
an espresso with a splash of milk or a "café
solo", an espresso. If you are feeling
up for it you can then order an after-dinner
drink.
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