A Visit to Pals

 

After a hot summer day, a light mist rolls in from the visible sea shores of Tamariu over hazy hay-wheel dotted farms surrounding the pueblo. Within it winds quaint cobblestone streets with Romanesque walls and arches dripping with hundreds of years of Catalan history. Sprinkled along these passages are shops selling locally made products like wine straight from the barrel, cheese, sausage, dark chocolate and a gelateria where we’ve stopped to have some of the richest ice cream we’ve had in a long time. This is just what we needed—a peaceful stroll through Pals. We cannot hide we’re in love with Pals.

A walk through the medieval town of Pals—just a short inland drive from intimate fishing villages nearby—makes you feel like you’ve walked into another time altogether. But the town has also been through its share of tumult, including the Spanish Civil Wars in the early 1900s, which completely vacated the area. Fortunately, visitors like us can thank the memory of a local doctor who rediscovered the town some time after and started a careful and award-winning restoration of the area.

Pals is also home to the oldest rice mill in Europe and the city’s economy is still greatly benefited by its successful rice production.  The short grain rice harvested in its marshlands then often becomes the essential ingredient for paella, a classic dish made by families all over Spain. These rice paddies also provide another treat: the beautiful spectacle of over 300 species of birds inhabiting it.

Many of our Gourmand Breaks Tours include visits to the beautiful village of Pals and other medieval villages- why not try our Costa Brava Luxury Tour to visit these areas and to indulge in delicious local food and wine.