“Imagine admiring Pyrénées peeks looming on the horizon separating Spain and France. Below down in the valley volcanic flats stretch out ahead, leading to unbelievably fertile pastoral fields where sheep graze as they have for thousands of years. Along the way stand villages developed by the hands of Roman and medieval craftsmen. The local dialect and traces of the thriving Catalan culture—a fusion of the region plus French and Spanish— appear everywhere. A fine dinner a local specialties paired with a perfect Priorat or Monsant wine awaits.
Tomorrow medieval trail walking or sea kayaking. Later perhaps discover the surreal art of Dalí, a mustachioed Spaniard whose art made clocks melt like a ice cream cone in July. Yes, this region could be a small country, if they had not selected the losing side in various wars over the centuries. In any case that makes the Catalan cultural and historic preservation movements try harder it seems. The old “Us vs Them” tactic has been around for along time also :>
Welcome to northeast Spain’s charming Catalonia.”