august-2010

BEYOND BARCELONA
A
fantastic melting pot of cultures combining history with
quirky modernism, Catalonia is a nation within a nation
that boasts its own language and parliament. Sandwiched
between the sandy coast and the hinterland’s spectacular
mountains you’ll find splashes of surreal architecture, funky
sculptural art and palate-warping molecular gastronomy cheek
by jowl with Roman remains and charming medieval towns.
So wave adios to Barcelona and hola to the following…
Reus
Situated in the south, Catalonia’s second city is the birthplace
of surrealist maestro Antoni Gaudí and a great introduction to
Spain’s most vibrant region. The slick, modern form of the Gaudí
Centre in the old town is the perfect starting place, with three
floors of touchy-feely interactive (and occasionally eye-popping)
66JetAway
So much for the city… Andrew Catchpole
goes in search of the real Catalonia
architectural forms crowned by Michelin-starred chef Diego
Campos’s top-floor restaurant serving modern Catalan cuisine.
By a quirk of fate, Gaudí never actually built anything here, but
there’s a modernist route through town, which passes buildings by
Lluís Domènech i Montaner and co while never straying far from
the town’s shady tapas bars and their lazy siren call. Each has its
own house speciality so the trick is to check what the locals are
grazing on, order (or point) to the same, wash it down with some
local vino, then move on. Shopaholics should be in heaven too,
as Reus has a wealth of modern stores and one-off shops selling
everything from cool Catalan clothing to luscious local produce.
Cambrils De Mer
After Reus, the only difficulty is deciding which way to turn.
For sun, sand, superb seafood and a lively backdrop, the best