The Costa Brava (again) in May

Beautiful Begur

Last month we made our regular weekend trip to Begur.  We ate boquerones in a bar on Sa Tuna beach, washed down with a huge Campari overlooking the sea.  We did our usual walk to Sa Riera.  We took time out to visit some of the historical buildings in Begur and I thought this blog post would be about that, but having sampled our most memorable meals of all our visits to the area this post will be about food!

We tend to eat at Pizzeta – an Italian restaurant in Begur (I know not very Spanish, but it has a lively atmosphere eating outside in a courtyard.)  That’s what we did on the Friday we arrived, having booked up a new restaurant experience at Platillos for the following night. The food at Pizzeta is always good and it is always popular.  On this particular evening they had the huge patio heaters on as it was unseasonably chilly.  The next evening we made our way to Platillos.  Having read the reviews on Trip Advisor we were looking forward to sampling the tapas style food.  At first there was confusion about our booking and we thought we were going to have to go hungry. It is a tiny establishment and we were advised that they would squeeze us in, if we could be through by 9.30pm – the Spanish eat very late so this wasn’t a problem for us.  We sampled exquisite tuna, seared on the outside and salmon with wasabi ice cream.  I had a dessert called Dracula, which was different – a concoction of red berries floating in Coca-Cola with vanilla ice cream.    All the tables were taken and people were being turned away.  The wine was good too.  The waitress seemed relieved when we had finished as their next guests had arrived for our table.

Peratallada

Friends had recommended we visit the town of Peratallada – a 20 minute drive from Begur.  We booked a table at Candelaria for Sunday lunch.  Again, this restaurant had rave reviews.  Parking the car easily, we entered Peratallada through an ancient gateway and wandered the cobbled streets.  There were a few tourist shops and I’m sure it gets crowded in high season, but on this particular Sunday morning it seemed unspoilt and peaceful.  We enjoyed sitting in the main square soaking up the colourful atmosphere.  

Looking forward to eating at Candelaria

We turned up at the restaurant at 1pm and were the first clients – there were people turning up to eath when we left at 3.30pm!  Candelaria is quirky with bright blue walls, odd chairs, floral tablecloths, a floral toilet seat in the ladies and tasteful line drawings of nude women in the men’s toilet (so I’m told!)  They served a complimentary glass of vermouth and olives.  Then followed potato foam with paprika served in a Kilner jar, a prawn risotto with pea foam and, for the main course, the choice of stir fried pork or cod.  The dessert was blood orange foam, layered with natural yoghurt and fresh melon (typing this makes my mouth water!) There was homemade bread with olive oil.  Coffee was served with mini muffins. The adventurous cuisine was beautifully presented, delicious and a bargain at 22 Euros for lunch.  It was a memorable meal and we vowed to make it a regular stop on future trips to Begur.       

Back to Begur

Is it boring to keep going back to the same place each year?  There’s no denying that the familiarity of this place makes us feel instantly at home, which is perfect when you are on a short break.  It means we know where to stay and where to eat, without the usual trailing around inspecting the restaurants only to find they haven’t got a table free anyway.    We have never visited in season before so the sight of the crowded beach at Sa Tuna was a new one.  Never mind, we knew that if we took a short walk uphill and then a scramble down the cliffs through a steep gulley we would be rewarded by a small un-crowded sandy beach.  How nice it was to rest our backs against the rough rock and to sit and read or look out at the boats anchored in the bay.  The swimming was perfect too.  On our last day a smiley Spanish lady who had been busy handing out food to her family came over to us with a Tortilla sandwich insisting we take it.  It was delicious and far better than our usual fare – we normally make do with a bag of nuts.  We felt awful as we had nothing to give in return and we couldn’t communicate how grateful we were for her kindness.  We kept exchanging smiles though so I think she knew. It was a petit moment; another experience to add to our beautiful memories of Begur.  

Begur, Costa Brava

Last weekend saw us making our annual visit to Begur on the Costa Brava.  We stayed in the family run Hotel Rosa, where we always try to stay.  And we did the scenic walk from Begur down to Sa Tuna where we sipped beer and ate boquerones and watched the wind whipping up the sea in the normally tranquil bay.   The next day, in glorious sunshine, we walked along the coast to Sa Riera and then back inland on GR92 path (the same walk we did last year see early blog entry).  In the evening we took a hike up to Begur castle. 

 

In 1577 a general royal permit was announced to build towers for defence against pirate raids and so the area is dotted with these stone defence towers.  The towers usually had two or three floors and the occupants used a removable ladder to climb up to the upper floors.   Stones and other heavy objects were kept on the roof to throw down at enemies.  Many of these towers have been restored and now form part of posh villas.  Begur has some beautiful colonial houses.   Many of which were built by inhabitants of Begur who returned after making their fortune in Cuba.  There is one for sale with a whopping price tag of 2.9 million Euros!  I think we’ll stick to visiting!

The snow-capped Pyrenees in the distance!