Costa Brava Weekend

BCEA students sampled the delights of Figueres, Girona and the Costa Brava on the weekend of October 20-21. We started bright and early, setting off at 9am, and reaching the town of Figueres in time to meet with Ana, our guide for the day. This weekend trip really catered to lots of interests, the first one being art and more specifically the surrealist art of Salvador DalíDalí was born and raised in Figueres, and as our guide explained, he quickly revealed himself to be a genuis with the paintbrush. What´s great about the Theatre-Museum Dalí is the eclectic collection of Dalí´s working, exhibiting his early paintings as a fourteen year until his last pieces in the early 1980s. The theatre which was given to him by the town of Figueres, enabled Dalí to express himself, and proveed to be the perfect location to explore the concepts that so fascinated him. It also became increasing clear in the repetition of themes, that Gala, his muse and wife was his inspiration not only for his work but also for life itself. When Gala passed away in 1982, Dalí stopped working, and died just seven years later in 1989.

When the Museum first opened Dalí prohibited the explanation of the works on exhibition, he believed that the visitor should explore and interpret as an individual. We were grateful however to Ana for helping to explain the many images hidden within paintings, Dalí´s techniques, and the influences in his life.

We all agreed Ana was a fantastic guide, passionate and informed on Dalí and his life, with a great voice which could be heard above the crowd of tourists and their acompanying guides.From Figueres, we moved on to Girona Catalonia´s largest city. We spent the afternoon on a guided tour of this beautifully conserved town with its impressive medieval centre. We explored the city walls, its many churches and the call ( the Jewish quarter). Until 1492, when Jews had to convert to Catholicism or leave Spani, Girona was home to Catalonia´s second most important Jewish community after Barcelona.The narrow streets of the old town climb above the east bank of the River Onyar, the magnificent Cathedral and the this area of the town allow the visitor fantastic views of the surrounding valley.
By six, we were finished with visits for the day and headed to the coast and our hotel in the town of Platja d´Aro. We thought this was a tease, the hotel was just so great, situated right on the beach. We all had great views, and within five minutes of checking in, some of the guys were already swimming!!! The rugged Costa Brava is great for photography, golden sand, tiny hidden coves and the pines which hug the cliffs. A couple of students headed out early the next morning to catch the beautiful sunrise and stroll along the beach. After a group dinner at the hotel, people headed out to check out the nightlife and Marta and Joanna (Student Services) joined us at a local bar. We were up and out of the hotel on Sunday morning and on the road again. This time inland to the two charming medieval towns of Peratallada and Pals. Truly quaint little places, we really felt like we were in Spain! We also got to see the guests arriving for wedding in the church of Pals. From Pals we could see across clearly to the Pyrenees and the Medas Islands.
Ana joined us again to explain the history behind these two villages.

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The afternoon was spent in the small white town of Tossa de Mar, situated in a curved bay ending in a headland protected by medieval walls and towers. The wall and watch towers on this headland, Mont Guardí, at the southern end of the main beach, were built in the 12th and 14th centuries to protect the town from pirate attack. Tossa is an enticing location. Artist Marc Chagall called it his Blue Paradise, attracting a artists community in the 1920s and 30s and it was the first place in Spain to establish a contemporary art museum.

Some of us decided to spend the afternoon on the beach reading notes and studying before the midterms, and others explored the old town and Vila Nova (New Town) with its tangle of 18th-century lanes full of restaurants, bars and shops. This weekend was filled with something for everyone, I truly think that each and everyone found something of interest. It was great to see Catalonia, and get an idea of it as a region outside of its capital, Barcelona. We were equally lucky with the weather, and were able to see the Costa Brava at its very best, spectacular!!