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 Meet
Marta Marta
Staples, Doorways' new Spanish program director, joined the staff in September
and soon found herself en route to Spain. Her dual mission was to visit Doorways'
Spanish villas and to search for new properties. Marta is fluent in Spanish, having
spent a good bit of her childhood in Central and South America. She had previously
traveled to Spain a few times, but this was her first trip to Catalonia. "When
I first saw the breath-taking photos of our new property, Santa
Bartomeu, it was love at first sight and I could not wait to see it in person
during my next visit to Spain in April," said Marta. "Maybe it was the
striking décor of the villa, or maybe it was its fascinating history."
 Bequeathed
to a nobleman who returned from the Crusades with a thorn from Christ's coronet,
Santa Bartomeu was later used as a retreat for Benedictine monks. The building
fell into disrepair until it was rescued by the present owners, who put a great
deal of effort and love into the restoration, carefully balancing elegance and
style with simplicity and creating an ambience that is inviting and atmospheric.
While
it is not unusual for staff to install custom screensavers on their computers
- photographs of children, grandchildren, even tropical vacations - Marta is the
first to install a photograph of a villa on hers. | TECHNO-CUISINE
IN CATALONIA Some
people consider El Bulli the finest restaurant in Europe, while others claim it's
the best in the entire world. But one thing is for sure - El Bulli is no ordinary
restaurant.  Well
off the beaten tourist track, El Bulli is a destination in its own right. Food
lovers from around the globe make reservations up to a year in advance for the
unique experience of dining at El Bulli. Located at the end of a long mountain
road along the Costa Brava, El Bulli is open from March through September and
serves about 50 people per night, or 8,000 guests per year. In 2004, El Bulli
received over 400,000 requests for reservations!
Art
meets science at El Bulli. The star of the show is Chef Ferran Adrià, known as
the Salvador Dalí of the Spanish kitchen and considered by many to be the most
famous chef in the world. Renowned for his unusual combinations of tastes and
textures, Adrià has created signature dishes like almond ice cream on a swirl
of garlic oil and balsamic vinegar, various foods frozen into lollipop shapes,
and espumas, delicate foams created from whipped cream canisters but using ingredients
like vegetables, shellfish, even fois gras. A leading proponent of "techno cuisine,"
Chef Adrià spends the winter months, when the restaurant is closed, at El Taller,
his laboratory workshop, where he experiments with new techniques and tastes for
the coming season, when an entirely new menu will be created from scratch. The
price of a meal, which includes at least 25 courses, is 145 euros, or about $180
per person, plus beverages and service. To make a reservation, call 011 34 972
150 457. Nearby villas include Castell
de la Reina Juana, just fifteen minutes away. Or try visiting one of the Adrià-inspired
restaurants opened by his American disciples: Aria Restaurant at the Ritz-Carlton
in Key Biscayne, Clio, in Boston's Eliot Suite Hotel, or Jaleo, upscale tapas
restaurants in Washington, D.C. and Bethesda, Md.
 TOP
10 REASONS TO GO TO CATALONIA
1.
Cities - Barcelona, Spain's largest city and one
of Europe's most vibrant, full of fantastical Gaudí architecture; Figueres, birthplace
of Salvador Dalí, with a museum of his finest works; Girona, one of the oldest
and most beautiful Catalan cities, with its fascinating Jewish Quarter.  2.
Beaches - The Costa Brava is an area of great
natural beauty, with
steep cliffs, hidden coves, and sandy beaches. Some of its towns have become quite
touristy, but others maintain their original fishing-village charm. Enjoy dazzling
views of the coast and sea from Villa
Ramon.
3.
Museums - Teatro Museo Dalí
(Figueres), Casa de Salvador Dalí in Port Lligat (Cadaqués), Museo Arqueológico
(Tarragona), Museo Diocesano (Lérida), Museu d'Art Contemporani de Barcelona (Barcelona),
Picasso Museum (Barcelona) 4.
Architecture - Spanish architecture is imported -
Moorish from North Africa, Romanesque and Gothic from France, and Renaissance
from Italy - but with a distinctly Spanish twist. You'll see many fine examples
of Antonio Gaudí's modernist architecture throughout Barcelona, including his
masterpiece, La Sagrada Familia, an immense cathedral with intricately twisting
towers that has been under construction for over a century and still isn't finished.
Stay at Val
de Llobrega, famous for its thousand-year-old olive tree, to experience authentic
Spanish architecture.  5.
Sports - Catalonia is home to more than forty-five
golf courses. Water sports like scuba diving, sea kayaking, and sailing are available
on the Costa Brava. Casa
Aracelli is conveniently located near beaches and port towns.
6.
Food -Try the fine sausages, hams, and cheeses of Catalonia, and
don't forget the tapas, small portions of food served with drinks. Originally,
tapas were free tidbits on slices of bread, served with a drink and set on top
of the glass to keep the fruit flies out of the wine (tapa means lid, or cover).
Try tapas with ice-cold Sangria, another Spanish specialty. 7.
Shopping - Visit Bisbal, known for its colorful pottery
and antiques. In Catalonia, you'll find everything from leather goods to lace,
jewelry and metalwork to Lladro porcelain and musical instruments. 8.
Festivals - Every village, town, and city celebrates
its patron saint or the changing seasons. Catalonia is famous for its castellers
festivals, where teams of men stand on each other's shoulders in an effort to
build the tallest human tower, up to seven stories high. 9.
Nature - Many species of butterfly can be found in the
mountains and valleys of the Pyrenees, especially between May and July. The matorral,
a scrubland rich in wildflowers, is the landscape of the eastern Mediterranean
coast. 10.
Vineyards - Spain cultivates more acres of vineyards
than any other country in Europe. Cava, a Catalan sparkling wine, is like champagne,
but a little less formal and a lot less expensive.
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2005
IN CATALONIA
MAY 28-JUNE 6: INTER-NATIONAL THEATER FESTIVAL Sitges hosts its 35th innovative
and experimental celebration of theatre with drama, concerts, and dance performances.
JULY
14-18: EUROPEAN BALLOON FESTIVAL In the town of Igualada, 40 hot air balloons
take to the sky during Spain's biggest balloon festival, one of Europe's largest.
AUGUST
3-6: INTERNATIONAL CERAMICS FAIR Around the Feast of Saint Dominic, more than
a hundred thousand visitors gather for the Grand Summer Festival in the village
of Argentona, just north of Barcelona. Visit the fair from El
Pino, in nearby Cabrils, where many of Spain's largest flower growers are
based. SEPTEMBER
23-27:CATALAN WINE AND CAVA SHOW To coincide with the grape harvest, more
than 400 exhibitors gather in Barcelona to swap tips and tastings. After a day
of tasting, walk home to Casa
Quixote, located in the heart of Barcelona's fascinating Gothic Quarter.
US
Airways Announces new service !
US
Airways recently announced service from Philadelphia to two new European destinations.
Starting in May, 2005, US Airways will operate nonstop flights to Barcelona and
Venice. |
RECIPE:
PAELLA VALENCIANA
(serves 6-8) Literally, the
word "paella" means "frying pan" in Catalan. Created in the rice fields of Valencia,
paella was originally as a lunch dish for rice-field workers who cooked it outdoors
over an open fire, using whatever ingredients were available. The three main components
are short-grained rice, saffron, and olive oil. The rest is up to you. Feel free
to be creative and to include whatever you have or like. Traditionally cooked
in a special paella pan (you can use a roasting pan or a large sauté pan), paella
is most often eaten communally, right from the pan. It is typically prepared by
men, often on Sunday afternoons. One of the best parts is the "socarrat," the
brown, crusty layer of rice at the bottom of the pan. 6-8
pieces chicken 1 lb rabbit (or substitute shrimp)
6 oz. peas 6
oz. lima beans 1 green pepper, cut in pieces
3 ripe tomatoes, skinned 1
lb short-grain rice (bomba or Arborio) saffron,
salt, olive oil 10 c. hot water
In
a large frying pan, sauté meat and/or fish in olive oil. Add green pepper, peas,
and limas. Cook 5 minutes. Chop tomatoes and add to pan; cook 5 minutes more.
Add hot water and cook over a high flame 40 minutes, until meat is tender. Season
with saffron and salt. Add rice to pan and stir. Cook 10 minutes over high heat,
then lower heat and cook for 8-10 minutes more. Let paella cool 5 minutes before
serving.
According to the Guiness
Book of World Records, the world's largest paella was made by Juan Carlos Calbis
and helpers in Valencia, Spain on March 8, 1992. It had a diameter of 20 meters
(65 ft. 7 in.) and was eaten by 100,000 people! |
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Also
called Catalunya or Cataluña, Catalonia is one of the seventeen independent regions
of Spain. Flanked on one side by the Pyrenees and on another by the Mediterranean
Sea, this area offers an incredible range of sights and activities, from the wide
sandy beaches of the Costa Brava to snow-capped mountain summits, from historical
castles and monasteries to the modern attractions of its cities, including fabulous
Barcelona. Despite its small size (slightly more than twice the size of Oregon),
Catalonia maintains a unique culture, a strong independent identity, and even
its own language, Catalan. 