The City Life

The view of Cardona - an impressive fortress in Catalonia.

A statue with the emblem of the town.

The back streets of Cardona.

Although I now feel that I'm more of a 'country person,' I still enjoy cities and what they have to offer. I love any city with medieval walls, a castle or cathedral - some wonderful cities come to mind, such as York and Chester in England, and Carcassonne in France. Spain and Catalonia have their fair share of castles and walls too, and the next place on my list to visit has a very impressive castle. The Medieval town of Cardona, located 90kms away from Barcelona and abut 20kms from Manresa, isn't exactly on top of the list for most foreign tourists, but it's quite a popular spot for domestic tourists. How do I find these places? Some are recommendations by friends, others I get taken there, but some I actually find completely by accident. Cardona was a somewhere a friend had told me I needed to go - I'm a fan of castles and city walls, history, and taking photos, so she said it was a must. I'd been wanting to come here for some time and now - with Easter holidays, now was the time. Coming off the highway and up the small road into town, I got the view of the castle - I was so impressed that I stopped right there in the middle of the road and pulled out my camera for a quick snap. Driving right past the castle to my left, the town on my right, I found a parking spot and headed in. The town, although not as beautiful as some Catalan towns, like Camprodon, has it's own charm - steep, cobbled alleys leading to cute houses with gardens that had views of the surrounding countryside and castle. I wandered these little streets, enjoying the peace of them, some houses were in disrepair and looked ready to fall, but I knew that they'd been standing for decades if not centuries, and weren't going anywhere.  I got my uninterrupted view of the castle and some photos, then headed back down through the main parts of the city.

Inside the Església de Sant Miquel.

The view of the town from the castle.

The imposing fortress that is Cardona.

Not quite historically accurate.

With only a population of 5,000 it can't really be called a city, but then it doesn't have a village feel about it either. The actual town isn't that big, sitting on the side of a hill, a huge salt mine close by (that has been mined since Roman times), but the thing that changes this place is the imposing castle. I walked up the steep path which zig-zagged it's way up, past huge the huge stone walls of the keep, more corners going around the defence system and finally up to the main entrance - quite a walk, but imagine trying to take the castle by force while being fired upon?  On the steep climb up I came across a couple dressed up in time-appropriate clothing, but clearly on a break as both were walking along eyes glued to their smartphones. I decided to go on a tour, as this is the only way of getting to see inside the Church of Sant Vicenç, the Romaneque church inside the castle itself. I don't normally do these tours, especially not in another language, but I figured 'what the hell.' If I'm here I might as well see the most that I can - you never know if you'll have the chance to come back to a place or not, no matter how close it is.

The Torre de Minyona.

A Cardona Duke.

The crypt.

Inside the Church of Sant Vicenç.

The tour guide talked far too much and bored me immensely, but it served it's purpose and I got in. In the entryway, just before walking though the large wooden doors, are paintings dating from the mid-12th Century, showing the image of Christ in Majesty, surrounded byt smaller depictions of various religious scenes including The Assumption, The Glorfication of Mary and the Flagellation of Christ. There are more paintings, from the 14th Century, showing the defence of Girona, a siege during the French Crusade against the Crown of Aragon in 1285. Once inside, the ceiling lifts up to an almost impossible height, columns reaching for the sky and light seeping in, making me lift my head and open my mouth in wonder. Although not heavily decorated, in fact the walls are basically bare apart from two tombs of marble at the far end as well as a large crucifix hanging over the altar. Staying a step ahead of the pack of tourists listening to the guide waffle on, I managed to appreciate everything in peace, taking photos when I wanted (without people in the way), and I was able to go where I wanted when I wanted, not shuffling around like a sheep. I saw the crypt (without being squeezed in with the rest), and was able to read the inscriptions on the two tombs without the guide chattering on. Once outside, we went up to the Torre de Minyona, the round defensive tower in the castle. This tower was built when the castle was first built by Wilfred the Hairy in the 12th Century, as was later upgraded to support cannons, a second wall being added to absorb shock and protect the explosive within. During the War of Succession (1702 - 1715), the battle which tore through Europe after the death of Charles II, the castle was one of the last Spanish positions to surrender, and only did so after the defeat of Barcelona in 1705.

The impressive Cardona Castle.

A painted scene showing the siege of Girona.

Kiss it's bum for good luck!

The Xics de Granollers in Girona.

Next on my list of cities to visit was Girona. This is a city that I've visited many times and every single time I've thoroughly enjoyed it. This time was a little different however, as there were two special events happening. Castells are a great Catalan tradition and cultural event, and I'm sure I've mentioned them before, but today the teams were performing in Girona - a great city and a great event! One thing I like about this city is the ease of access - the train stops just across the river from the centre, and there is also free parking 2 minutes walk away from the first bridge that lets you into the city - and it's free (if you can find a space!). Starting from the North of the city and the car park, you cross a wooden-planked bridge over the Onyar River and you get a great view of Basílica de Sant Feliu standing tall over the city, white and beautiful bell tower reaching for the sky. You may be mistaken and this that this is the cathedral, but that is around the corner, not immediately visible from the river. In this square there is the La Lleona, The Lioness, sometimes called the Cul de la Lleona, the bum of the lioness. It's a little bronze sculpture of a lion-like creature, the face looking a little like a man's, holding on to a stone pillar. Dating from the 12th Century, it has a little story and mystery about it - the plaque next to it says that if you kiss the bum of the lioness, you will get the 'compliance and respect of the city.' It's now a stop on the tourist trail and people line up to kiss it's arse, posing for a photo at the same time. I've kissed it before and once is enough thank you - no need to push my luck with hygiene!

The doorway to Girona Cathedral.

Chilling at the Cathedral, waiting for the rain to stop.

Let's get out heads in the way of the beautiful background!

This was THE sport for selfies today.

As I mentioned before, I'd been to Girona on several occasions, but never had I walked along the city walls. Today was the day. I watched the Castellers do their thing (and what a thing it is!), had a quick snack while a light shower washed over the city, then hit the streets in search of the entrance to the wall walk. The second special thing that was happening in the city today was the 'Temps de Flors,' the local Girona Flower Festival. During this time the city is covered in colourful flowers and other decorations, but all related to colour and life. The city was full of people, enjoying the festival, but also enjoying themselves and taking selfies everywhere, that fake smile while you try and get the framing right and touch the screen for the picture. It was a little difficult to avoid this photo-fest of faces, but I managed to get away from the main pedestrian ways and find the way up to the wall, something most people were less inclined to do as it involved stairs and walking. From these huge walls, more than 15m tall in some parts I would reckon, you are able to get a great view of the city. Girona was lived in by the Iberians until the Romans came over and built a citadel here in the first century, along with the first walls. The city has since been besieged 25 times and was captured 7 times. The French did most of that it seems - the city was attacked in 1653, 1684, and twice in 1694. In 1809 is was again surrounded and besieged by Napoleonic forces for 7 months and only surrendered due to disease and famine, and remained under French control until 1813. There is a memorial in Plaça de la Independència dedicated to all of the defenders in the siege of 1809, the square is encircled by beautiful neo-classical buildings with bars and restaurants supplying the city and it's visitors with local treats. The city now boasts nearly 100,000 residents and is the capital city of the Province of Girona - a wonderful city, full of restaurants, history, culture - I've always said that I could easily live here!

The back of Girona Cathedral.

The view of the Old Town of Girona from the walls.

Chimneys are visible all around the city.

Sabadell's chimneys - a reminder of it's past.

Now to mention the last city on my list - this one I have been living in for the past 9 months though. Sabadell is the second largest city in the 'Comarca' of the Valles Oxidental, just 20kms from Barcelona. A comarca is a group of cities forming an area for local Government and law, much like a County in England - in fact, in the Spanish translation of J.R.R Tolkien's books, 'The Shire' (where  Frodo and Bilbo lived) was called 'La Comarca.' A small Roman settlement called Arragone was built just on the river where the La Salud church now stands, but by the Middle Ages another town sprung up on the other side of the river Ripoll, this one called Sabadell. By the mid 14th Century it had 600 people, and by the 16th Century it had outgrown it's city wall, some of which you can still see today around the centre of the city, including some very interesting remains inside the Bank Sabadell office in the main square. What really got this city on the map was the wool and textile industry in the 18th and 19th Century, aided by the first railroad in 1856, and was dubbed a city in 1877 with around 23,000 people. Alongside it's arch nemesis Terrassa, a city just a few kilometres away, Sabadell grew to be a textile powerhouse, producing the best fabric in Spain and shipping them worldwide. By the early 1900s, Sabadell's population had multiplied by eight, and the 'Modernisme' movement had it's effect here too, not just in Barcelona. I've always though of Sabadell as a little Barcelona - less people, not as big or busy, but still with touches Gaudi-style buildings, stone churches and remains from a time far gone. The "West Side Story" rivalry between the Sabadell and Terrassa still exists, even though the textile and metal industries are pretty much dead - there are some popular sayings by the locals which I find quite funny: "Sabadell mala pell" (Sabadell bad skin) and "Terrassa mala raça" (Terrassa bad race).

Rooftops.

The church and city hall in Sabadell.

Look up and be surprised.

The 'Modernist' Water Tower

Today Sabadell is still a busy business city, being close to Barcelona by motorway and train link, but it's industrial past is still visible in the numerous chimneys sticking up around the city. In fact, it's so close to the Catalan capital that if it weren't for the hills on the bigger cities outskirts, Sabadell would have been swallowed up by urban sprawl long ago. It's a handy location, close to many things, not just Barcelona. La Mola is a mountain in the Sant Llorenç del Munt National Park, visible from both Terrassa and Sabadell, and a popular spot for some light hiking - families walk up here on Sunday to the 11th Century Monastery to enjoy the view and sometimes even have lunch at the (very expensive) restaurant. The Torre de l'Aigua (Water Tower) is a famous landmark in the city - built in the 20s to bring water to Sabadell, it was in use between 1922 and 1967, and it is considered one of the 100 "Elements of the Industrial Heritage of Catalonia," due to it's Modernist construction. The main reason for construction was the shortage of water at the time due to the booming textile industry, and something to note is that it was one of the first buildings in the area to use reinforced concrete. There are a few Modernist building scattered around the city too, but you have to hunt a little to find them - Sabadell has many little secrets. I still enjoy walking the streets and looking up - most people don't bother as they live here and don't think Sabadell is much compared to Barcelona, but I like it. You have to enjoy what you have, appreciate the small things, and stop complaining - things are brighter and better than you think most of the time, there is usually a silver lining to things if you really look.

Sabadell on a beautiful day.

Sunset of the rooftops of Sabadell.