Category Archives: Aragón

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On the road to Spain – driving around the Moncayo and returning to Catalonia

It is November 2019. We are travelling in Spain. Now we leave Soria and return to Catalonia. On the way, we stop in the Moncayo area.

Source: Googlemaps

 

The Moncayo mountain and the wine area Campo de Borja

We have looked at the Moncayo from the window of our room in the Posada de Soria. It reaches about 2300m and is covered with snow.

The Moncayo is located east of Soria. We are travelling eastwards today, to Catalonia, and the shortest way means driving around the Moncayo – first north of it, than east of it. And east of the Moncayo is the DO Campo de Borja wine area. The Moncayo creates a microclimate that allows to grow wine here. The Campo de Borja belongs to Aragón and we have already reached the Ebro valley, west of Zaragoza.

We stop at a small bodega, Prados Bodega Pagos del Moncayo in Vera de Moncayo. The bodega is young and family owned. It produces wines from the grapes Garnacha and Syrah, and their “Fusion” is a blend of the two grapes. We speak with the son. He shows us his cellar and tells us that they use traditional methods to make their wine, mostly working manually. He also mentions a wind, called el cierzo. I later find that the “cierzo” comes from the north or northwest from the Cantabrian mountains into the Ebro valley and towards Zaragoza drying out the area which is beneficial for the grapes. We feel welcomed and I buy a bottle of Garnacha and a bottle of Syrah Privé, the latter being their most valued wine.

Then we look at the mountains of the Moncayo massif from the east…

… most of which is now – like from the other side, from Soria – hiding in the clouds.

We drive down to the Ebro river. I can see the snowy Moncayo massif in my rear mirror almost up to Zaragoza. We continue our way to Lleida and Flix – through the Catalan mountains and down to L’Hospitalet de l’Infant on the Mediterranean coastline, where we reach the small apartment of our friends. Here we will rest from two weeks travelling and may continue to explore the area.

Source: “Vinos de España”, Edition Larousse, Barcelona 2008, p. 201.

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Back to Catalonia (Hospitalet), with two stops in the mountains

On Saturday, May 19th, we drive from Zaragoza through the mountains to Hospitalet de l’Infant, south of Tarragona in Catalonia. On the way, we stop in Alcañiz and Horta de San Joan.

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Alcañiz – domicile of the Calatrava order (still in Aragón)

We follow the road to Morella up to Alcañiz. Here we maneuver our Audi through narrow-narrow streets, find the last parking slot near the city wall and walk to the  Iglesia de Santa Maria Mayor – baroque  from the 18th century – where we have a café solo.

We do not find the way out of the small town and land on top with its castle (now a parador) and this gorgeous view. This was the domicile of the order of the Calatrava.

Does our famous architect Calatrava have a relation with this order?

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Culture and lunch break in Horta de San Joan (now in Catalonia)

Horta de San Joan is a pretty small town in the mountains El Ports. Young Picasso was here twice, once as a teenager, when he stayed with the family of a friend of his and about ten years later again. This quote in Catalonian says: “Everything that I know, I have learnt at Horta”.

We visit the museum that tells the story of Picasso and Horta de San Joan. All the places that he painted are documented with photos. When he was here the first time, he recovered from an illness. And when he was here for the second time, he is said to have started his cubist way of painting.

Horta de San Joan also appears in literature. Perucho in his “Las historias naturales” described, how the scientist Montpalau (an invented figure) visited Horta de San Joan, when looking for the vampire Dip that terrorized the area in the first Carlist War, in 1840 (p. 164f): “Días más tarde… nuestras caballeros… abandaron Gandesa, en busca de la pista sangrante del vampiro… En Horta de San Juan visitaron la Plaza gótica porticada…

… y el convento de San Salvador…

… El aíre era muy frío y tuvieron que abrocharse hasta el último botón de la levita…El paisaje había cambiado ahora: Salvaje, grandioso, y como telón de fondo las altas montañas del Maestrazgo…”

(Some days later, our men left Gandesa, looking for the bloody track of the vampire… in Horta San Joan they visited the gothic square with the arches… the monastery of San Salvador… The air was very cold and they had to close their jackets up to the last button… The landscape had changed now: Wild, magnificent, and in the background the high mountains of the Maestrazgo…).

We do what  Perucho’s Montpalau has done… we visit the gothic square, enjoy the view of the wild mountains and the monastery and stroll through the narrow streets…

… adorned with Amaryllis…

… and barked at by cute little dogs,…

… until we lose our way and in the maze of streets and end up in front of this door. It is the restaurant “Gran Parrado”. It is one o’clock and we are hungry.

All tables are taken… the friendly manager offers a table in the bar. Lucky we are. We have a delicious lunch. This is the first course, cannelloni (yes, the Catalonians picked that up in Italy) and codfish salad. My second course is oxtail in chocolate sauce – very tasty. For dessert we choose fresh goat cheese with honey – a marvellous Catalonian specialty.

The host has a small wine cellar that he is proud of. Already Perucho’s Montpalau praised the wines from Terra Alta: “Se consumieron grandes bocoyes de vino de lágrima, finísimo al paladar…” (we drank large glasses of Lagrima wine, very fine in the palate”), p.163. I buy two bottles, one of them produced in Horta de San Joan (Els Costums made from Granatxa negra).

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Back at Hospitalet in the apartment of or friends

About one hour later, we are in Hospitalet. The full moon welcomes us.

Two quiet weeks are ahead of us. Reading, swimming, going for excursions and enjoying the Mediterranean.

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Looking back at our tour that we have completed in Northern Spain

Our route through Northern Spain started with a short break in Donzenac in France and then continued to

  • Hondarribia (with excursions to Bayonne, Biaritz, St-Jean-de-Luz and Hendaye as well as San Sebastián)
  • Bilbao (visiting Getaria on the way)
  • Santillana del Mar (with excursions to Altamira, Comillas, Bárçena Mayor and the origin of the Ebro, Cabrales)
  • Oviedo (visiting Covadonga on the way)
  • León
  • Zamora (visiting Benavente on the way, excursions to El Campillo and Toro)
  • Santo Domingo de Silos (visiting Peñafiel on the way)
  • Zaragoza (or Sarragossa)
  • Back to Catalonia (visiting Alcañiz and Horta de San Joan on the way)

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In Catalonia (Spain): Excursion to Zaragoza

Zaragoza, the capital of Aragón is our longest excursion. It is a three hours’ drive from Hospitalet de l’Infant. In Hospitalet we spend a few days in the apartment of our friends end October until mid November 2016.

We start in sunny Hospitalet crossing the hills to reach the Ebro valley where the scenery is hidden in grey fog. After three hours, we park our car right in the center under the Plaza del Pilar. With Ursula we always first enter the Tourist Office to get some maps and advice about what to see. We are told that the old Islamic Palace and Parliament Seat (Aljaferia) is closed for renovation. That means our sightseeing will be restricted to the very city center.

We feel like hot chocolate in the famous Gran Café. What a disappointment! We are served churros that are not fresh and melted chocolate that is dense and tepid. Well, it seems that this is how chocolate is made in Spain, but I do not think that “old” churros are a particular Spanish specialty. As for the chocolate drink it is a pity that Spain seems not to have adopted the Mexican way of preparing it – the Mexicans prepare much lighter chocolate using hot water.

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The Catedral-Basilica de Nuestra Señora de Pilar – an important stop on the Way of St. James

In front of the Catedral-Basilica de Nuestra Señora de Pilar four pilgrims are absorbed by their prayings. This cathedral is important on the Way of St. James. Right here, it is said, the Virgin Maria appeared to St. James (Jakob) on a pillar (in Spanish “pilar”) in 40 AD. In the hazy background, the Cathedral of Seo can be seen.

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The Catedral-Basilica de Nuestra Señora de Pilar has been built in Baroque style in the late 17th century. Inside it is richly decorated. Some vaults (or domes) are painted with frescos by Francisco Goya. It is not allowed to take photos inside the cathedral. This is the view of the Cathedral of Pilar from the Plaza Pilar.

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Eleven vaults (or domes) decorate the roof of the cathedral.

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From the Ebro river we take more photos of the Cathedral of Pilar with the stone bridge.

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Fishing seems to be a rewarding activity here.

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The Archbishop’s Catedral de Seo with Mudejar elements

Also on the Plaza Pilar, there is the Archbishop Cathedral of Seo. The construction started in the 12th century (some Roman elements are left in the apsis), and it was newly built in the 14th century (hence primarily Gothic in style). The tower is the late 17th century work of an Italian architect. The Cathedral of Seo has been UNESCO world heritage since 2001.

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The northern wall is of fine Gothic-Mudejar style.

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Inside we find innumerable chapels – some of them of Renaissance and some of Baroque style. Each chapel is explained in detail. A nice detail: A statue of Joseph holding his baby – I saw that only in Tarragona before. One chapel is devoted to the young Domingo that was said to have been murdered by Jews – which was taken as a reason for pogroms. Later it was concluded that the crime never took place, which makes me feel bad. Why do we invent crimes and make someone guilty for them?

 

The Lonja (bourse) 

The Lonja (bourse) was built in the 16th century to provide a public space for traders that so far have used the churches for trading.

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It is Renaissance in style. Ursula focuses on some details of the façade.

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Iglesia Parroquial de San Pablo

Outside of the old town wall we look for the Iglesia Parroquial de San Pablo from the 13/14th century. It contains Mudejar elements, in particular the octagonal tower. It has been UNESCO world heritage since 2001. Unfortunately, we find the church closed.

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This is the Puerta Tramontana with Christ in the middle and Maria, Saint John and Saint Blasius. One of the saints cannot be identified.

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Ursula’s photographic eye spots the lamp with the ornaments.

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In the Calle San Pablo we have delicious tapas in a friendly small bar. We have chat with the people from the area and with a lady from Vladivostok in Russia – far, far away from here.

 

More sights in the city center: The Central Market, the Roman Wall and the Museum of Goya

The Central Market was built in 1903. Plants on the roof add to the decoration. The market is now closed – it is afternoon.

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Across the market a shop sells traditional regional clothing.

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In front of the ruins of the Roman Wall, Augustus watches a carousel being demounted. Augustus gave his name to Zaragoza (Caesaraugusta).

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We finish visiting Zaragoza with the Museum of Francisco Goya (1746-1828). He is from Aragon. First, he painted for churches, then portraits at the court (pretty realistic portraits) and in his last years he made engravings of the war with France that was a nightmare for him (Zaragoza was occupied by the French from 1809-13). Goya is considered to be a predecessor of the Surrealists.

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We take our car out of the garage (rather a spacious garage, if I remember right) and drive back home – another three hours. It was a long day. Zaragoza was worth visiting.