Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Spain's Costa Brava awaits

Mediterranean vacation this way.
Mediterranean vacation this way.

The road was treacherous.

It was mid-Feburary. The blustery weather showed no signs of mercy. Driving along the northeastern coast of Spain from France, I felt like I was living some kind of nocturnal Spanish dream.

Our six-hour road trip deposited us in the wild Catalonian coastal region of the Costa Brava, which stretches from Blanes, 60 km northeast of Barcelona, to the French border. Its rocky shoreline bears witness to small hidden coves and towering jagged-edge cliffs, softened by the turquoise sea – a former hideout for bold pirates of the Mediterranean.

Sponsored
Sponsored

Though densely populated, the region gets busy during the summer solstice. Swarms of international holiday makers congregate, visiting medieval towns adorned by exquisite architecture, castles and old passageways. For Salvador Dali worshippers, it's Mecca.

Somewhere in this rustic location, our feet discovered an elegant Spanish colonial haven. Nestled in a suburban corner of the town of Begur, Aigua Clara surprises off-the-beaten-track travelers with its vintage vibe and delightful traditional look. Its rich history dates back to 1866, when it was built by a local negociante (merchant) whose business flourished in Cuba.

Our bedroom was a combination of antiques and a light touch of modern comfort. After the long drive, we were content just to remove our stuffy shoes and feel the texture of the old wooden floors while lying in bed gazing out the classical floor-to-ceiling windows.

“There was always something about this place that captured both the imagination and the senses. Joan and I, right from the beginning, knew all along that it was love at first sight,” said Clara, the charming property owner. “It took us time to renovate the place and we had to do the restoration floor-by-floor. It was a time-consuming, worthwhile effort.”

Spanish culture is traditionally known for its warmth and hospitality, and Aigua Clara is no exception to the rule. The appetizing Catalan and Mediterranean dishes are par for the course in fulfilling the gastronomical needs of itinerant travelers. The memories on that journey were short and spontaneous, and everything was made up of beautiful details.

Awoken from my Spanish dream, I stared out the window from the passenger’s seat. I turned around to check the time. It was almost five hours since we left the Costa Brava and we had another hour to get us into France.

I looked at my companion with dreamy eyes.

Before I could utter a word, I heard him saying, “We are almost home.”

The latest copy of the Reader

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

San Diego Holiday Experiences

As soon as Halloween is over, it's Christmas time in my mind
Next Article

Gonzo Report: Jazz jam at a private party

A couple of accidental crashes at California English
Mediterranean vacation this way.
Mediterranean vacation this way.

The road was treacherous.

It was mid-Feburary. The blustery weather showed no signs of mercy. Driving along the northeastern coast of Spain from France, I felt like I was living some kind of nocturnal Spanish dream.

Our six-hour road trip deposited us in the wild Catalonian coastal region of the Costa Brava, which stretches from Blanes, 60 km northeast of Barcelona, to the French border. Its rocky shoreline bears witness to small hidden coves and towering jagged-edge cliffs, softened by the turquoise sea – a former hideout for bold pirates of the Mediterranean.

Sponsored
Sponsored

Though densely populated, the region gets busy during the summer solstice. Swarms of international holiday makers congregate, visiting medieval towns adorned by exquisite architecture, castles and old passageways. For Salvador Dali worshippers, it's Mecca.

Somewhere in this rustic location, our feet discovered an elegant Spanish colonial haven. Nestled in a suburban corner of the town of Begur, Aigua Clara surprises off-the-beaten-track travelers with its vintage vibe and delightful traditional look. Its rich history dates back to 1866, when it was built by a local negociante (merchant) whose business flourished in Cuba.

Our bedroom was a combination of antiques and a light touch of modern comfort. After the long drive, we were content just to remove our stuffy shoes and feel the texture of the old wooden floors while lying in bed gazing out the classical floor-to-ceiling windows.

“There was always something about this place that captured both the imagination and the senses. Joan and I, right from the beginning, knew all along that it was love at first sight,” said Clara, the charming property owner. “It took us time to renovate the place and we had to do the restoration floor-by-floor. It was a time-consuming, worthwhile effort.”

Spanish culture is traditionally known for its warmth and hospitality, and Aigua Clara is no exception to the rule. The appetizing Catalan and Mediterranean dishes are par for the course in fulfilling the gastronomical needs of itinerant travelers. The memories on that journey were short and spontaneous, and everything was made up of beautiful details.

Awoken from my Spanish dream, I stared out the window from the passenger’s seat. I turned around to check the time. It was almost five hours since we left the Costa Brava and we had another hour to get us into France.

I looked at my companion with dreamy eyes.

Before I could utter a word, I heard him saying, “We are almost home.”

Comments
Sponsored

The latest copy of the Reader

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

San Diego Reader 2024 Holiday Guide – like none other

Candle-making, tree lighting, pajama jam
Next Article

O’side Tree Lighting & Gift Market, Holiday Lights at the Museum, The Elovaters and Little Stranger

Events December 5-December 6, 2024
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader