The #CatalunyaExperience Revealed: Photos from Spain

Our trip kicked off in Barcelona where we stayed for a few days to explore the city and some of the activities it has to offer, including sailing along the coast, a stop at the F1 Gran Premi Circuit de Catalunya and a guided tour of the city – discovering Modernism in Barcelona.

High on the list of our gastronomic experiences in the city was dinner at a secret restaurant, disguised as a Dry Cleaners! We had only one clue to find it, “Laundry time”. If I told you just the address (Aribau, 55), I’d have to shoot you. Oops!

Our next stop was Terres de Lleida where we enjoyed a birds-eye view of the Catalunya countryside by Paragliding in Serra del Montsec. Afterwards we got to see some locals who enjoy the same perspective –  Egyptian Vultures.  On a birdwatching trip in the hills above the village of Tremp, we were lucky enough to get close  to these giant birds while they were feeding.

Monestir de les Avellanes, an old monastery, offered us the opportunity to enjoy a 12th century abbey adapted to the needs of the 21st century. The quiet surroundings of the Catalunya countryside were the perfect setting to gaze at the stars and planets at Observatory, Parc Astronòmic del Montsec. It was also a chance to relax and build some energy for our next stop – a hiking journey at “Aigüestortes i Estanys de Sant Maurici” Pyrenees National Park.

No Catalunya road trip (or blogtrip) would be complete without experiencing the taste of local cuisine and produce. This came in the form of Calçots prepared Catalan style at Mas Trucafort link, biodynamic wine tasting at Mas Blanc Pinord wine cellar and olive Oil tasting at Celler de l’Aspic. More local delicacies waited at out next stop, but this time it was seaside. Sant Carles de la Ràpita introduced us to the “Mussel route” for mussel and oyster tastings. Courtesy of Diputació de Tarragona Terres de l’Ebre

Our last couple of days on the #catalunyaexperience blogtrip included traditional activities in Terres de l’Ebre like rise planting and “perxar”, navigation and fishing with the “rall”, discovering Roman ruins in Tarragona and finally, back to Barcelona for a private museum tour and dinner at FC Barcelona Stadium.

Thanks to @theplanetd @earthXplorer @theroadforks and @buzztrips for sharing some of your awesome pictures with us for this post. Also, once again, great trip organised by the Tourist Board of Catalunya. We were spoiled with luxurious accomodation throughout the trip. A big thank you to these hotels for putting us up.

Hotel Abadia del Priorat in Priorat, Town of Espot,  Hotel Roca Blanca Hotel l’Algadir del Delta and Hotel Derby, Barcelona