Spain Travelogue

As we live so far south in France we visit Spain on a regular basis. We go at least once a month, Richard likes to stock up on Rioja and cheap cigarettes! It's weird, when we lived in London we drank lots of French wine and now we live in France we drink lots of Spanish wine!

FIGUERES

The main place we visit in Spain when we fancy a day out is Figueres. It's about a two hour drive from our home, and is a lively little town with more than enough on offer to keep us occupied. There are lots of small shops selling a variety of goods, and a large number of cafes and restaurants. Figueres was the first city in Girona province to have a pedestrian shopping zone in the city centre. Figueres' historical centre (Rovell de l'Ou) is a great open air shopping area.

The Dali Museum

The first time we visited Figueres we went to see the Salvador Dali Museum, (Open July-Sept 9am-7:45pm, plus 10:30pm-12:30am in Aug; Oct-June Tues-Sun 10:30am-5:45pm € 7:20; www.dali-estate.org). This is an amazing museum if you are interested in surrealism, and I think even non art lovers would enjoy a visit. Salvador Dali was born in Figueres in 1904, giving his first exhibition there aged just fourteen. The museum building itself is an exhibit, on the very top of the museum is a huge metallic dome, and all around the edges are large white egg shapes. The exterior walls are painted a pink red colour with terracota coloured shapes stuck all over them, these look like bread men to me? You can buy these 'bread men' from the nearby museum shop, we have one at home outside on our terrace wall. The main museum shops sells everything you would expect and associate with Salvador Dali, from cheap postcards to more expensive clocks. Once inside the museum you won't know where to look first, there is so much of interest. Inside the circular central well is a black Cadillac complete with snail infested passengers, you can water the occupants by putting coins in. There is also a boat on top of a stack of car tyres, one of the most popular exhibits whilst we were there was the Mae West portrait. You view the face of Mae West once you have walked up some stairs then you peer through a mirror at the huge nostrils, red lips and the luscious locks. The queues for Mae West were very long, and we made our visit to the museum out of the summer season when it gets even busier. We have seen the entrance queue for the museum trailing right back down into the town, mainly with coach parties of students. When we visited the Dali museum one of our guests was in a wheelchair, and although we were welcomed it is not very wheelchair friendly at all. There are lots of stairs and narrow doorways. We particularly enjoyed the jewels at the museum, which you can see in a separate part of the building, which you enter by a different entrance to the main museum. The doorman there was very helpful indeed, arranging for us and the wheelchair to be taken in through a side entrance, and we were helped into a lift so we could enjoy all of the fabulous jewellery on show. All of the items of jewellery are displayed in separate carefully lit show cases in a darkened room. One of our favourite pieces was a beautiful gold and ruby heart, which gently beats, amazing. As the Salvador Dali museum attracts a huge number of tourist, there are as you would expect, many restaurants to cater for them. You don't have to eat at these places though as Figueres does have other good restaurants, such as L'Agora on the corner of c/Ample and c/Peralada, this is a modern bar/restaurant with a good menu including Catalan specialities. Viernes, Pujada del Castell 23 serves very generous portions of traditional Spanish food. La Churraskia at c/Magre 5 is good for Italian and Argentinian dishes. There are also lots of pavement cafes where you can sit drinking whilst you watch the world go by, most of these also offer pastries and snacks.

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As well as driving to Figueres regularly we have visited other places in Spain, including Besalu, Bilbao, San Vincente de la Barquera, Gijon, Oviedo, Santiago de Compostela, Vigo, Tarragona, Cardona and more.

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BESALU

Besalu is a beautiful place, a medieval town with steep narrow streets, pretty squares, and shops that resemble caves. Besalu was an important town before the medieval period, seeing Roman, Visigothic, Frankish, and Moorish rulers. One of the monuments from the eleventh century is a very grand bridge where the rivers Fluvia and Capellada meet. In the centre of the bridge is a fortified gate house with portcullis. In the old Jewish quarter along the river bank at the heart of the old town is the Miqwe or Jewish bathhouse which was originally joined to a synagogue. The key for the Miqwe can be obtained from the tourist office for € 0:60. In the centre of Besalu is Placa Llibertat which is completely surrounded by medieval buildings, the most interesting of these is the thirteenth century Casa de la Vila, which is now home to the turisme. The c/Tallaferro takes you to the ruins of Santa Maria, unfortunately you can not enter. For two years; 1018-1020, this was the designated Cathedral of the Bishopric of Besalu until union with Barcelona ended it's short lived episcopal independence. The only building to remain from the towns Benedictine community is the twelfth century monastery church of Sant Pere founded in 977. The Catalan Romanesque church of Sant Vincenc stands in a square with a cafe/restaurant and outside seating. There were lots of people in Besalu whilst we were there mainly students and the craft and souvenir shops were very busy. Some of these shops actually sold some nice bits, not just the usual tourist tat. There were quite a few places to eat and we chose the Pont Vel, c/Pont Vell 28. This restaurant was in a really beautiful location, with a large outdoor eating area which was practically under the beautiful bridge. The service was good and the food; classic Spanish dishes, well cooked and nicely presented ... delicious!

BILBAO ~ Guggenheim Museum

We went to Bilbao to visit the Guggenheim Museum. As we drove nearer to the city it didn't appear that welcoming, as it is surrounded by graffiti covered tower blocks and factories whose smokes billows out across the sky. Once we were right in the centre of the city though it felt more accommodating. Lots of large buildings old and new, bars, cafes, restaurants, shops and friendly inhabitants. We drove round for some time looking for parking only to find an underground car park right along the road from the Guggenheim Museum, excellent. The walk from the car park was a very pleasant stroll along the river with hundreds of other people, mainly young families. We could see the museum long before we entered it, the huge silver exterior gleaming in the bright sunlight. The opening of the Guggenheim Museum in 1997 was responsible for the city's rebirth after the collapse of its traditional industrial base, with luxury flats where the shipyards and steel mills once stood. Bilbao is home to some of the best eating places in the Euskal Herria. As we spent the bulk of the day in the museum we didn't really get to explore much more of the city. But apart from the Guggenheim Museum there are many other places of interest such as the Gothic Cathedral de Santiago and the Museo Arqueologico, Ethnografico e Historico Vasco, c/Cruz 4 (Tues-Sat 10:30am-1:30pm and 4pm-7pm, Sun 10:30am-1:30pm; € 1:80). The museum is housed in the former school of San Andres, it has a beautiful cloister and a large collection of coats of arms of the former Bizkaian nobility. The collection also includes a huge three dimensional map of Bizkaia and an exhibition on Basque emigrants to the Americas. In the old town in the Siete Calles (seven streets) you will find the best bars/restaurants the city has to offer. Frank O Gehry's Guggenheim Museum, (Tues-Sun: July and Aug 9am-9pm, Sept-June 10am-8pm; € 7:20), is why we were in Bilbao and it is definitely the biggest attraction in the city. The building dominates the quay side, and there are great photographic opportunities from the Zubizuri foot bridge. We had wanted to visit the Guggenheim for some time, and on first sight of the exterior we were not disappointed. Once we were inside though it was slightly disappointing as far as I was concerned. The Guggenheim houses a large collection of twentieth century art and yet I felt the art was secondary to the building, the interior space is vast, but there seemed to be a lack of substance. There was nothing inside that particularly held my attention, and it wasn't because I don't enjoy galleries, I have spent many happy, contented hours in the art galleries that London has to offer and many others around the world. Maybe I just wasn't in the mood to appreciate it (I was feeling slightly unwell) Richard was not as disappointed as I was. The Guggenheim Museum Restaurant Tel: 944 239333, serves good food at surprisingly inexpensive prices, booking by 1pm for lunch is advisable. The museum also has a website, www.guggenheim-bilbao.es or you can call Tel: 944 359 080.

SAN VICENTE de la BARQUERA

San Vicente de la Barquera is a pretty little coastal town just along from Santander. There is an impressive Renaissance ducal palace and a Romanesque Gothic church, Santa Maria de los Angeles. The church has a reclining statue of the Inquisitor Corro. San Vincente de la Barquera is a thriving fishing port, with the days catch being quickly sold, cooked and eaten in the many restaurants around town. Unlike where we live in France, where the locals start lunch at midday, here in Spain lunch was much later and a far more leisurely, relaxed affair. There was not that much of interest for us but it was a very pleasant place for an overnight stay, which we did. We stayed at the Hotel Luzon, Avenida Miramar, Tel: 942 710 050. Situated right on the main road with ample street parking, the rooms were clean and pleasant. At the time we visited we had not been living in France for long, so our French was not that great (nothing much has changed there)! Our Spanish at the time was practically non existent, so securing a room for the night took slightly longer than usual, as the owners did not speak any English, and why should they this is Spain! Once we had made ourselves understood we had a stroll around the town before settling in at the large cafe-snack bar directly across the road, there was lots of seating both inside and out. I cannot remember the name of it but it was very busy and popular, the service was excellent too. Next to our hotel was a small square with a selection of food shops and a chemist, behind out hotel there were lots of other every day shops.

GIJON

Gijon is the largest city in Asturias on the Bay of Biscay. Along with Aviles Gijon is an industrial city with factory chimneys smoking the skies. Gijon has a summer film festival in late June early July. The centre of the city is a small area and the bus station is worth a look as it is an amazing piece of Art Deco. The tourismo Tel: 985 346 046 is off of the Plaza del Marques. In the old part of the town is an eighteenth century Palacio de Revillagigedo (Open summer Tues-Sat 11am-1:30pm, and 4pm-9pm, Sun noon-2:30pm, Winter Tues-Sat 10am-1pm and 4pm-8pm, Sun noon-2:30pm, free admission). Constructed in a combination of neo-Baroque and neo-Renaissance styles it is now home to a gallery exhibiting twentieth century art. There is a bagpipe museum, the Museo de la Gaita, Paseo Dr Fleming (Open Summer Tues-Sat 11am-1:30pm, and 5pm-9pm, Sun 11am-2pm, Winter Tues-Sat 10am-1pm and 5pm-8pm, Sun 11am-2pm, free admission) which has instruments from all over the Celtic world and beyond.

OVIEDO

Oviedo is the Asturian capital, with a wealthy history evident in the grand buildings, it is very different from other cities in the region. In the old quarter are narrow streets and squares, the newer part is home to a huge public park. There are lots of great bars and restaurants which keep the student population happy. The main sites in this city are the three small churches, which are said to be among the most extraordinary in Spain. They were built in a style that is unique to Asturias, which emerged following the Visigoths and before the Romanesque style that spread from France. All of these churches date from the first half of the ninth century during which time the Asturian kingdom was in total isolation. The Asturian kingdom covered an area of only 65km by 50km at that time and was the only part of Spain under Christian rule. In 810 Oviedo became the centre of this settlement with the residence of King Alfonso II, the son of the victorious Pelayo. At the centre of Oviedo is the Campo de San Francisco; the Cathedral is to the east with the Plaza de la Constitucion to its south. The tourismo is in Plaza Alfonso II, (Open Mon-Fri 9:30am-1:30pm and 4:30pm-7:30pm, Sat 9am-2pm, Tel: 985 213 385). Oviedo's Cathedral (Open Mon-Sat; March to mid May and Oct 10am-1pm and 4pm-7pm; mid May to June 10am-1pm and 4pm-8pm; July-Sept 10am-8pm; Nov-Feb 10am-1pm and 4pm-6pm; € 2:40) is a Gothic building in the heart of the city. In the ninth century King Alfonso II built a chapel the Camara Santa to house holy relics that were rescued from the moors when Toledo fell. It was remodeled in the twelfth century and now forms the inner sanctuary of the Cathedral. San Julian de los Prados (Open Tues-Sun May, June and Oct 11am-1pm and 4:30pm-6pm; July-Sept 9:30am-1pm and 4:30pm-6pm; Nov-Apr noon-1pm and 4pm-5pm, free admission), is along the c/de Gijon and was built around 830. It has a 'secret chamber' built into the outer wall. Inside you can see original frescoes whose style resembles those of Roman villas. To gain entry you will need to obtain the keys from the priest's house to the left, as the church is kept locked. The greatest of the Asturian churches is the Santa Maria del Naranco (Open May to mid Oct 9:30am-1pm and 3pm-7pm; mid Oct to April 10am-1pm and 3pm-5pm; closed on Sun and Mon mornings; € 1:20). Santa Maria is situated 3km above the city on a wooded slope. The tourist office has marked out a walk to this church, which takes about an hour from the centre of town. Originally designed as a palace or hunting lodge for Alfonso's successor Ramiro I; 842-52. The present building was once the main hall of a complex that would have housed baths. Beyond Santa Maria is the palace chapel of King Ramiro; San Miguel de Lillo (Open: same hours as Santa Maria del Naranco). Most of its interior sculpture has been rehoused in the archeological museum, but you can see window grills that were carved from single slabs of limestone. The Byzantine style carved doorframes depict the investiture of a Roman consul. Up further from these churches is a figure of Christ that is illuminated at night looking over the city, it is not that attractive up close as it was constructed from concrete blocks by Republican prisoners of war. The best places for something to eat or drink are found in the area around the cathedral. This is where you will find the spit and sawdust joints (sidrerias), and you can have a go at pouring your drink into your mouth from a great height. A bottle costs about €1:70, so it doesn't matter how much you spill whilst you practice your aim!

SANTIAGO de COMPOSTELA

This was one place that both Richard and I had wanted to visit for a long time. Santiago de Compostela is an absolutely beautiful medieval city, which has been declared as both a national monument and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Most of the city has been pedestrianised, which makes exploring it a real pleasure. The city is the third holiest site in Christendom after Jerusalem and Rome. In the eleventh and twelfth centuries the city was inundated by over half a million pilgrims each year, wanting to visit the supposed shrine of St James the Apostle (Santiago to the Spanish and Saint Jaques to the French). Today the city attracts tourists as much for its art as for religion. Each year the Festival of Saint James; July 25, a ceremony is held dedicating the country and government to the saint at his shrine. If the saint's day falls on a Sunday designated 'Holy Years' then everything is even more intense, the next Holy Year is 2015. Santiago de Compostela has a large student population so it has a lively young feel to it. Apparently known for it's rain as it is situated in the wettest fold of the gallego hills, receiving constant showers. We can testify to this as it rained for the whole time we were there, we got soaked! We were staying at the Hostal dos Reis Catolicos, Praza do Obradoiro 1, Tel: 981 582 200, www.santiago@parador.es. We drove across the cobbles to the hotel entrance where we handed our car over to the valet before rushing inside out of the wet. This Hotel is allegedly the oldest hotel in the world, but I have read that about quite a few other hotels so who knows? The Hostal dos Reis Catolicos dominates the northern side of the Praza do Obradoiro in front of the cathedral. The hotel is a Parador so unless you are a guest it is not that easy to gain entry, though you can always stop for a drink in the bar. Once you have imbibed you can then wander around and see the four superb patios, the chapel and it's amazing Gothic stone carving, and also the vaulted crypt bar which once housed dead bodies. Although it was raining we still managed to get out and walk around the patios admiring the stone work and we even took the odd photo, which would obviously have been better if the sun was out. Our room was very large with a lovely comfortable bed, just what we needed after being in the car. We couldn't wait to get out and explore the area so we took one of the numerous umbrellas from reception and braved the cold and wet outside. Considering the weather was less than pleasant the streets were quite busy with people, I guess the locals are used to the rain. There are some pleasant squares around the cathedral so we began exploring the largest one which is the Praza da Quintana. A flight of steps joins the back of the cathedral to the convents high walls. Praza das Praterias, the silversmith's square has an ornate fountain of four horses with webbed feet. The Praza da Immaculada is dominated by the Baroqu facade of the San Martino Pinario. the Benedictine monastery of San Martino Pinario (Open Tues-Sun 10:30am-1:30pm, and 4:30pm-6:30pm; € 1:20). San Francisco (Open Tues-sun 11am-1:30pm, and 4pm-7pm; free admission), was supposedly founded by the saint himself during his pilgrimage to Santiago. There is an interesting museum of pilgrimage at the Museo das Peregrinacions (Open Tues-Fri 10am-8pm, Sat 10:30am-1:30pm and 5pm-8pm, Sun 10:30am-1:30pm; free admission), is a sixteenth century mansion. The main attraction here is the original copy of the twelfth century 'Codex Calixtinus', a travel guide for pilgrims which recommended routes and lodgings as well as highlighting the dangers of the camino. There were plenty of good bars and restaurants to satisfy every need, Bar Paris at the top of Rua do Franco is where the legendary Paris-Dakar race participants start with one drink at each of the other 48 bars along the way to Bar Dakar on Rua da Raina, before finishing at midnight. Seafood restaurants are popular, most of them allow you to pick from live stock, so your meal is very fresh! As well as restaurants were are some lovely delicatessens, we especially liked the traditional breast shaped cheese, queso de tetilla.

VIGO

Although we hadn't driven that far from Santiago de Compostella, and we didn't need to stretch our legs we thought we would stop and have a look at Vigo. Situated right on the coast there were lots of fishermen who sell the days catch at the market, and there were women with plates of fresh oysters for sale. There were shops selling kitsch marine souvenirs on Rua Carral, and some bars there too. Obviously seafood is the main food on many of the restaurants menus. The Marisqueria Bahia restaurant on Rua da Pescaderia is allegedly the largest seafood joint in Spain. Apparently it can seat up to 1200 people, but as we are very wary of fish since some unpleasant incidents in the past we stayed well clear of the place! There is no need to go hungry in Vigo as practically everywhere serves tapas so you can nibble on as much or little as you like.

Ria de Vigo

Across the steep ridge of the Morrazo peninsula is the amazing view over the Ria de Vigo, one of the most awe-inspiring natural harbours in the world. Long ago this region was a hotbed of witchcraft, there is a tale of a women who was accused of trafficking with the devil by the Inquisition in the seventeenth century. But she proved her claim that she was a meiga; herbalist with healing powers, so her sentence was that every Sunday she had to stand outside the Cangas church in her oldest clothes. There are charms against witches in the shape of a clasped hand on sale everywhere in Galicia.

TARRAGONA

Tarragona is situated on the coast not far from Barcelona, and although we keep saying we will we have yet to visit Barcelona. Originally established by Iberians and then Carthaginians, later used as a base for the Roman conquest of the peninsula, which began in 218 BC with Scipio's march against Hannibal. Under Augustus Terraco became capital of Rome's eastern Iberian province, becoming a most cultured city of Roman Spain. At its peak there were a quarter of a million inhabitants. Many monuments were built and there are some great Roman remains as well as some interesting museums left today. Today Tarragona is split into two sections, the medieval walled upper town and the modern are below. The Rambla Nova is at the heart of the upper town and it was there that we found lots of good restaurants and cafes. The Rambla Vella which runs parallel to the Rambla Nova is where we visited Tarragona's Roman past. There are temples, a theatre and ampitheatre. You can find out all you need to know about these sites at the tourist office which is situated at c/Major 39 (Open July-Sept Mon-Fri 9:30am-8:30pm, Sat 9:30am-2pm and 4pm-8:30pm, Sun 10-2pm; Oct-June Mon-Fri 10am-2pm and 4:30pm-7pm, Sat 10am-2pm, Sun 10am-2pm; Tel: 977 250 795, www.fut.es/~turisme). Apart from the cathedral all of the sites in Tarragona are closed on Mondays. Richard and I both thoroughly enjoyed our time in Tarragona, exploring the ancient monuments and the great selection of shops and restaurants. We stayed at the Imperial Tarraco Hotel, Placa Imperial Tarraco 5, Tel: 977 233 040, www.imperial@tinet.fut.es. Described as the best and most expensive hotel in the city, modern in a great position, perched on top of the cliff looking out over the sea. We chose this hotel simply because whilst we were driving around Tarragona looking for somewhere to stay, the location seemed excellent, and there was a huge secure car park at the front of it, and as we are both rubbish at parking it seemed perfect! The hotel was lovely, I wouldn't describe it as modern though, it felt like we had stepped back to the 1970's. The staff where very friendly and our room was great. The lovely man on reception upgraded us to a huge room with separate lounge area, large bathroom and a balcony with fantastic views down over the sea and the Roman remains of the Ampitheatre, we couldn't have been happier.

Museu i Necropolis Paleocristians

The Necropolis is just out of the centre of town, and it was from there that pagan and Christian tombs were uncovered from a period spanning from the third to the sixth century AD. These are now contained in the interesting Museu i Necropolis Paleocristians, (Open June-Sept Tues-Sat 10am-8pm, Sun 10am-2pm; Oct-May Tues-Sat 10am-1pm and 4pm-7pm, Sun 10am-2pm). The museum is lined with sarcophagi and there were some mosaics. Outside are covered trenches and the stone foundations. There were also amphorae, inscribed tablets, plinths, the remains of a mausoleum and some examples of Visigothic sculpture. St Paul preached there and after the break up of Roman power the city became an important Visigothic diocese.

Forum

Tarragona also has two Forums to visit, the remains of the ceremonial 'provincial forum' are not that extensive but there are more solid remains of the 'local forum' the western side of Rambla Nova. This site (Open April and May Tues-Sat 10am-1:30pm and 3:30pm-6:30pm, Sun 10am-2pm; June-Sept Tues-Sat 9am-9pm, Sun 10am-2pm; Oct-March Tues-Sat 10am-1:30pm and 3:30pm-5:30pm, Sun 10am-2pm), is definitely worth a visit to see where once would have existed temples and shops all set around a porticoed square. Having been split by a road and now connected by a footbridge, you can see house foundations, four columns, a water cistern and fregments of stone inscriptions.

Ampitheatre

At the seaward end of the Rambla Vella is the wonderful Amfiteatre (Open same hours as the forum). This is situated in the green slopes of a hill beneath the Imperial Terraco Hotel, which is where we stayed. The original seats are the tiered ones that back onto the sea, the other seating was reconstructed in 1969-1970, at the same time as the tunnels and buildings.

Cathedral

The cathedral (Open mid-March to June Mon-Sat 10am-1pm and 4pm-7pm; July to mid-Oct Mon-Sat 10am-7pm; mid-Oct to mid-Nov Mon-Sat 10am-12:30pm and 3pm-6pm; mid-Nov to mid-March Mon-Sat 10am-2pm) is in the medieval old town situated at the top of a flight of steps. Looking at the cathedral you can see the transition from Romanesque to Gothic forms. The facades Gothic portal is framed by Romanesque doors, crowned by a cross and an ornate rose window.

Casa Museu de Castellarnau

Tarragona has some great museums including the Casa Museu de Castellarnau (Open June-Sept Tues-Sat 9am-9pm, Sun 10am-2pm; Oct-May Tues-Sat 10am-1:30pm and 4pm-6:30pm, Sun 10am-2pm), on c/Cavallers 14. The interior courtyard is beautiful with stone coats of arms built over Roman vaults and arches, also collections of coins and jars.

Museu Nacional Arqueologic

There were some great collections to be seen at the Museu Nacional Arqueologic (Open June-Sept Tues-Sat 10am-8pm, Sun 10am-2pm; Oct-May Tues-Sat 10am-1:30pm and 4pm-7pm, Sun 10am-2pm; € 2:40). Everything in this museum is exhibited well, in the basement there was a section of the old Roman wall preserved in situ. The other floors have detailed displays of the other remains in the city accompanied with informative text and photographs. There were also displays of sculpture, jewellery, ceramics and some anchors all housed in separate rooms. There were some very interesting mosaics illustrating the different stages between the simple black and white designs from the first century AD right up until the more intricate multi coloured patterns from the second and third centuries.

Roman Aqueduct

Outside of the city walls of Tarragona is the Roman Aqueduct which would have bought water from the Riu Gayo, a distance of about 32km. The most impressive surviving section of this is almost 220 metres long and 26 metres high, situated in an overgrown valley in no mans land. Known locally as El Pont del Diable (Devil's Bridge) because of the Spanish habit of giving all praise to the Devil as Pontifex Maximus.

CARDONA

One of our fondest memories of Spain is when we stayed for a couple of nights in Cardona. We didn't do anything other than eat, drink, and relax in the sun, wonderful. Situated roughly halfway between Andorra and Barcelona, Cardona doesn't have much to offer apart from its salt mountain; salina. The salina is a massive salt deposit that has been there since the ancient times. The other site of interest is a medieval castle perched high above the town on a hilltop. The castles' eleventh century chapel houses the tombs of the counts of Cardona. Today the castle is another of the Parador hotels, Tel: 938 691 275, which is where we stayed. Paradores are state run hotels which are usually places of outstanding beauty, mostly converted from castles, monasteries and other minor Spanish monuments. Usually at the top end price wise, even if you are not a guest at these hotels most of them are worth visiting for a nose around, and you can always stop off at the bar for a drink or three! For more information try www.parador.es. We had stayed at a Parador in Santiago de Compostela which was gorgeous and everything at this hotel although very different was of the same high standard. Our room here was very large with an incredibly high ceiling and a huge bathroom complete with jacuzzi, bliss. The hotel has an excellent Catalan restaurant, where we dined once at lunchtime and once in the evening. The dining room was very large, long, and decorated in a medieval theme with a modern twist. The service was excellent, and the food fantastic. The lunch we ate there was a very quiet time but on the evening that we ate dinner it was packed. I think all of the hotel guests must have been in. The bar was a nice place for a drink too, either sitting outside during the day soaking up the sun or inside in the chillier evenings. Off of the bar area were quite a few separate seating areas all with lots of big comfy sofas and chairs. There were some tasty snacks available from the bar which seemed very popular. The town of Cardona itself was a pleasant place with pavement cafes and some basic restaurants, a covered market area and a handful of small shops. We walked down into the town for a drink which was nice, much nicer than the walk back up as it was a hard trek following the old defensive path up to the entrance, or maybe we are just lazy! We recommend this hotel and the Parador we stayed in at Santiago de Compostela as they were both such good experiences, probably because as I mentioned before, we spent most of our time eating, drinking or sleeping, what's not to love!