Costa Brava gives us lessons in history, culture, and fish

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. 

Visitors to the Greek and Roman ruins at Empúries can also visit
a museum containing artifacts unearth by archaeologists.

Our day at Empúries has provided us with another history lesson that we unexpectedly — yet happily — found along the Costa Brava.

For more information:

Museu de la Pesca (Palamós Fishing Museum) 

Pals Tourism Office 

Girona's Jewish Quarter

Mac Empúries

We're game for Girona

Braavos and Arya Stark are not familiar to me, but for fans of "Game of Thrones," the names may ring a bell. The Catalan city of Girona, which we visit today, was the setting for Braavos in Season Six of the popular TV series, and it was here that the blind princess Arya Stark was attacked by the Waif. Radiotimenews.com, my source for the dish on Game of Thrones, says that the filming in Girona's Barri Vell (Medieval Quarter) was top-secret.

View of Girona's cathedral from the ancient murallas (walls) of the city

It's easy to see why Girona, about an hour north of Barcelona, was chosen as a locale. This is a beautifully preserved city, and on the winter day of our visit we are lucky enough to have splendid weather befitting the locale.

La Punxa in Girona, Spain, was designed by Rafael Masó,
one of the most notable Catalan architects of the
early 20th century.

After parking in an underground garage on the more modern side of the city, we take note of a nearby landmark so we can find our car at the end of the day. A striking pink Moderinsta-style structure is just down the block. We later find out out that this is La Punxa, a building designed by Rafael Masó, Girona's most famous architect, which now contains the offices of city's architectural society.

Colorful houses line the Onyar River in Girona.

With help from a local, we find our way to the River Onyar and cross into Girona's old city. The Oficina de Turismo is just on the other side of the bridge, and now that we have our map, we strategize over coffee on the Rambla de Libertat.

Pont de les Pescateries in Girona was designed by Gustave Eiffel

Girona's complex history includes periods of being inhabited by Iberians, Romans, Visigoths, and Moors. The city has undergone more than two dozen sieges and been conquered seven times. A thriving Jewish population lived here in the 12th through 15th centuries, and Girona's Jewish ghetto is one of Europe's best preserved.

Stairways in Girona's Barri Vell neighborhood

Eighty-six steps lead to La Catedral, which features a Baroque facade, a Catalan-Gothic Nave and Romanesque tower and cloister. Like many churches in Spain, this was once a mosque. Also of Moorish origin are the Arab Baths, built in the 11th century and restored in the 20th century. The baths were a public bathing space for several centuries, then they were privately owned, and from the 17th century through 1929, the baths were used exclusively by convent nuns.

A section of Girona's Passeig de la Muralla (ancient walls)

It's understandable from Girona's numerous invasions, that city walls would be vital. The first walls were built in the 1st century during Roman times. In the 14th century, the walls were rebuilt under the reign of Peter III the Ceremonious. Since then, the walls have been demolished at times to allow for urban expansion, rebuilt and repaired, providing tourists the opportunity to walk along the Passeig de la Muralla.

View of Girona from the city's ancient murallas (walls)

Steps are a big part of the experience of walking along
Girona's walls.

View from Girona's ancient murallas

Our stroll along the murallas has tuckered us out, but we still have enough energy and daylight left to check out a few more sites on the way back to our car.

A site along Ruta 171, one of the monuments dedicated to Catalan's role
in the Spanish War of Succession

Girona storefront

Coffee breaks are regular parts of our day — for rest, refreshments and restrooms.

As the first week of our winter 2017 trip to Spain winds down, we turn our attention to the seaside area south of Barcelona.