Plank Road: Villages of Costa Brava

Saturday is junk sale day, we noticed a couple of outdoor flea market type of gatherings in a few towns while enroute to Olot yesterday. Sunday is market day in Palafrugell, so we went to check it out and purchase some supplies. The majority of the venders sell really inexpensive but really good produce. What is so nice about food in Spain is that it is grown here, so there is no long distance shipping of produce. The shelf life is shorter, but the quality is much better, the produce is fresh.

We got a bit of a downpour while roaming around the outdoor market, the rain that was forecast finally arrived. We bought some vegetables and then went to look at the meat and fish. The whole chickens must be fresh as the birds were not eviscerated or decapitated. But we are such chicken snobs, since we raise our own heritage chickens, we just cannot bring ourselves to buy chicken anywhere.

The Catalans are quite active, there is a sports complex just across the street from our apartment. Last night a football (soccer) game took place and there are always people out there running, playing basketball or training. Some type of running event was on today, they had set up a finish line and some barriers, while a steady stream of people in running gear arrived.

We have never seen a more manicured piece of grass than that of the soccer field, every day they are doing something to it and every day a flock of seagulls takes to the field with their heads down, it is hysterical.

After taking care of domestic chores in the apartment, it had cleared and was sunny so we finally got out to see a few of the tiny old villages that are very close to Palafrugell.

The first village we visited was Pals. Our first clue that this little place is on the tourist path is the large parking lots, complete with bus parking and good signage. At the end of the 13th century, Pals was a little town on a hill. In 1401, the town went into debt to fund the enlargement of the city walls, four of the six towers of the wall still stand, although, they have been restored. Pals used to be a little agricultural town, one of the most important houses in the town was Illa Farm, there is documentation to support the existence of the Illa family back in the 15th century, the family farmed and sold cereal grains, especially rice. Illa Farm is now a cultural centre.

The origins of a castle date to the 9th century, only the tower keep, dated from the 12th to 13th centuries remains. It is known as the ‘Tower of the Hours’ as a 16th century bell gongs on the quarter hour and a larger bell from 1701 sounds the hour.

Pals was decimated during the Spanish Civil War and abandoned. It was then restored by a doctor over a 30-year period. It does feel like a bit of a museum piece, lacking the services for normal living but catering to the tourist groups with a lot of restaurants, hotels and shops. The visit is worthwhile in low season, right now, when very few are meandering around and they speak Catalan, save for us, of course.

We then drove a short distance down the road to Peratallada, which means ‘cut rock’. Peratallada is also set with large parking lots and plenty of signage. However, what makes this village interesting is that is was built on sandstone and a moat was cut out of the rock. When we gaze down at the sheer volume of work it must have taken to slice out that rock, we are in awe, thinking about the hard work of the people who did this.

Peratallada was a prosperous farming town but the modern economy is based on tourism and services. It is a neat little place of winding lanes and picturesque placas. Very few people were about, which makes it so great to explore.

Palafrugell is more of a real town, more gritty and less tourist oriented. It has a pretty decent placa with lots of bars and restaurants with tables in the placa and small shops. There seems to be a plethora of textile shops with excellent looking products.

Judging by the shops and supermarkets, the locals don’t seem to go in for the whole consumer Valentine’s Day brouhaha. To mark the occasion, we had an extra glass of cava, we really know how to go all out.

Pals