Away to live

Our visit to MAC Empúries is a highlights of our Costa Brava vacation.

Although many people travel to the Costa Brava for its sunny beaches, we're dodging raindrops on our March trip to this northeastern corner of Spain in the Catalonia region. Soggy times call for creative measures, and we end up bringing home memories and knowledge that we might have otherwise missed had the weather cooperated.

Certainly this rain won't continue all day, so we head to Palamós, one of the main seaports in the province of Girona. Parking is free at the port on weekdays this time of year, and we easily find the tourism office across the street. Given the rain, the tourism worker suggests we check out Museu de la Pesca, the Fishing Museum, and if we're still here in the afternoon, we can go to the fish auction. Now, I can't say I've always wanted to know more about fishing, but surprisingly, this museum turns out to be a real gem.

This fishing boat is the centerpiece of Museu de la Pesca in Palamós,

Our visit starts with a short film and then we're free to wander around the various fishing-related exhibits with placards in English. The museum also houses a documentation center relating to fishing and the sea, and is the headquarters of the Chair of Maritime Studies of the University of Girona. There's a strong emphasis on sustainable fishing that is presented in a relatable and easily understandable way.

The Fishing Museum in Palamós is a great place to visit when
the weather isn't ideal.

After an hour of exploring the museum, we decide to forego the fish auction and to continue onto our next destination, the charming medieval village of Pals.

The lovely medieval village of Pals is quiet today
but comes alive at night.

I've been to dozens of tourism offices — it's usually my first stop — and I have to say, the worker here is one of the finest. She spends some time talking to us about the history of Pals and gives us a well-designed little map. (Trust me, tourism specialists should consider that tourists want a map that can fit in one hand rather than an oversized flimsy map that is awkward to handle.) She tells us to not be fooled by how empty and quiet the streets are because most people are at work. At night, she says, the bars and restaurants will be lively.

The views from Palos are quite stunning.

Our stroll is a pleasant one along narrow cobbled streets and through arches to a viewpoint at the top of the town. Tall trees and shrubs nearly obstruct the celebrated views of the Montgr Massif and the Medes Islands; maybe they're trimmed in the high season.

Pertadalla is one of Catalonia's best conserved medieval villages.

We make a brief stop in Peratallada, where we never do find the tourism office, before heading back to our cozy studio in Llambilles. A word about Llambilles: This suburban community near Girona is not a cultural hub, but it's very conveninent for our explorations. Best of all, the local cafeteria is open all day and serves up snacks, small meals and drinks. We become regulars there, popping in for breakfast bocadillos in the morning and croquettes and spritzers in the evening. There's no way we'd be able to stay up late enough to eat dinner in a restaurant in Spain.

Bike sculptures provide a touch of whimsy in Llambilles.

Colorful houses sit along the Onyar River in Girona.

We spend the next two days in Girona. We've been here before, but only for a few hours, so this time we do it right. At 10:50 we meet our guide at Plaça de la Independència for a walking tour of this beautiful city. Although many of the sites we visit on the tour are associated with "Game of Thrones," which no one in our group had watched, our guide tells us the rich history of Girona's Jewish population.

This sculpture at the Jewish History Museum in Girona,
was created by Frank Meisler (1925-2018), a Holocaust survivor.

The Jewish population here was a key influence on Girona's social, political, economic, cultural, and religious life in the 12th through 14th centuries. The city's Jewish Quarter is one of the most important and best preserved such neighborhoods on the Iberian Peninsula. Today we see the site of the oldest synagogue. Tomorrow we'll return and visit the fascinating Jewish History Museum. Our visit is capped with a traditional Catalonian lunch at Casa Marieta.

Flies hold an unusual place of honor in Girona's history.

Although not of Arab origin, Girona's Arab Baths date back to
the 14th century.

On our final day on the Costa Brava, we visit Empúries, one of Catalonia's most iconic archaeological sites. Here we find the remains of the only Greek city to be excavated on the Iberian Peninsula, alongside ruins of a Roman city, one of the first built in this area. Armed with a map and audio guide we make our way through the ancient streets of this Greek city that founded in 575 B.C. by a group of Phocaean Greeks as a port to handle trade with the Phonecians and Indigetes (one of the Iberian peoples living in Catalonia). Its original name, Emporion, comes from the Greek word for trading port.

The Greek settlement at Empúries was established as a strategic trading port.

The city thrived in the 5th and 4th centuries B.C., but eventually help was needed from the Romans. What was initially a military fort, grew into a Roman city. After a couple hundred years existing as friendly neighbors, the two cities merged under Roman control until it was eventually abandoned. A part of Roman Empúries was somewhat revived in the 9th-11th centuries as the capital of Ampurias County.