ActivitiesGastronomy
SPAIN
GASTRONOMIC WEEK-END IN BARCELONA
ON THE TAPAS TRAIL – Saturday 8th to Sunday 9th of May - BOOK
Saturday 17th to Sunday 18th July - BOOK
Visit or revisit Barcelona and explore it whilst following the culinary trail. A week-end break like no other. We'll be walking along the medieval town, the old fisherman's neighbourhood of la Barceloneta, the trendy Borne area, following the trail of the best tapas bars and discovering hidden gems with the help of an insider in the know. So, leave your tourist book guide at home and jump on that plane.
This is a budget break. We'll be sharing quality apartments and the price includes accommodation, your Women On Tour support person for the duration of the visit and last but not least all guided walks. There'll be free-time for you to enjoy a spot of shopping or simply sit outdoors and enjoy a long drink in good company or solo whilst you watch the World go by. The beauty of eating tapas is that you decide how much or how little you spend on food so everyone can afford to enjoy this gastronomic break.
Book now to be able to find cheap flights!
Visit the Price & Payment page for further details and to book.
Booking will close 7 days before event date. Upon booking you will receive information on contact and accommodation details including an apartment location map. All apartments are located centrally.
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NEAR BARCELONA...A TRADITIONAL MEDITERRANEAN FEAST!
CALÇOTADA IN VALLS - Saturday 13th to Monday 15th March - BOOK
We wanted to share this very special tradition with you, it's quite unique and very tasty, here's the proposed activity for March 2010...
What is a calçotada? This is a traditional meal consisting mainly of calçots. A calçot is a type of spring onion resembling a leek, it's sweet and delicious and it's carefully grown by a method of re-sprouting. They are left to sprout and then they are unearthed only to be half-covered in earth again to maintain a white, succulent stem. This method takes the better part of one year and the resulting delicacy is eaten traditionally between November and the end of March.
Calçots are originally from Valls in the province of Tarragona, a hidden area south of Barcelona and little known to tourists. The typical way to have this meal consists of a large number of people, friends, family, work colleagues and a large appetite. The calçots are chargrilled over a large fire made with local vine shoots prepared on the ground. Once the calçots are cooked they are piled into the hollow grooves of terracota roofing tiles and served on the table, there's no limit to how many calçots you can have, they'll keep on bringing heaped tiles until you say stop.
The way to eat the calçot is to pinch its head and pull from the green stem until you uncover the luscious creamy white stem, then you dip it in the delicious romesco sauce, tip your head back and drop it in your mouth. Everyone is given a bib and soon you understand why.
To help the calçot down, wine is drank from the typically Spanish porron, a spouted round glass bottle. Tip your head back , point the tip of the spout to your mouth and lift the porron as high as you can, you are supposed to drink wine without spilling a drop, this is when the bib starts to look less silly. Next, grilled lamb and longaniza ( a white chorizo type sausage) are served in a terracota pot over a bed of coals, next to them, generous servings of black butifarra sausage, barbecued artichokes and tender ganxet white beans are presented on large dishes and everyone tucks in.
For dessert, oranges, a lusty crema catalana and lashings of cava.
If you only do a gastronomic break this year, make sure you don't miss out on the opportunity to enjoy a calçotada or you'll have to wait a whole year to experience this unique traditional meal.
The setting
The setting for this calcotada couldn't be more authentic, we'll be going to a medieval hamlet consisting of four houses. The restaurant is housed in a pairal house ( a grand medieval house) with gothic remnants. Its cellar and large dining rooms date from the XVIII century and they are unique in the area. The main dining room is situated at the centre of the cellar and a large wine press still dominates the space.
The accommodation
We'll be staying in Barcelona and we'll share quality apartments.Upon booking you will receive information on contact and accommodation details including an apartment location map. All apartments are located centrally.
The schedule
Saturday 13th March 2010
- Meeting and greeting at Barcelona where you'll be shown to your apartment accommodation.
- Dinner
Sunday 14th March 2010
- Optional morning walk with the group along Barcelona's Ramblas Boulevard.
- Shuttle service pick up. Journey to Valls, Tarragona ( a 2 hour drive approximately).
- Calçotada
- Drive to Barcelona and free time to explore the city in the evening with the group or solo.
Monday 15th March 2010
- Leaving Barcelona
Please, book in advance to avoid disappointment as places are limited. Early booking will also help when looking for cheap flights.
See the gallery to get the picture...
Visit the Price & Payment page for further details and to book.
CALÇOTADA IN VALLS FOR LOCALS - Sunday 14th March
ARE YOU A LOCAL? JOIN US ON SUNDAY 14TH MARCH - BOOK
The schedule
Sunday 14th March 2010
- Optional morning walk with the group along Barcelona's Ramblas Boulevard.
- Shuttle service pick up. Journey to Valls, Tarragona ( a 2 hour drive approximately).
- Calçotada
- Drive to Barcelona.
