Vies Verdes Bike Trail

We just wrapped up a 4-day holiday weekend here in Girona. I debated going somewhere, but in the end we stayed close to home and enjoyed beach days and biking and hiking. The perfect long weekend in my book.

My kids love to go for bike rides. Any time, any weather...they just love to be outdoors. We are lucky enough to have a wonderful trail system in the Girona area called the Vies Verdes. This trail system was once a railroad track that meandered through Catalunya from the Pyrenees to the coast, but over time it became obsolete as the automobile grew in popularity. In the early 90's the Catalan government used the old railways to form this trail system and it is truly spectacular as one can walk or ride from the beach to the mountains (maybe not in one day...). The website is full of route ideas and detailed maps:

http://www.viesverdes.cat/ES/1/home.html

We can follow the trail in one of two ways: towards the coast or towards the mountains. We enjoy both directions for different reasons, but on Monday we were on a search for blackberries, so we headed towards the coast. Our favorite blackberry area is about 9km from Girona and we spent the morning filling up the containers we had brought with us. 

 The trail is packed dirt and is suitable for most any type of bike. I have even ridden my road bike on this trail without issue, so it is a great option if you want to stay away from the roads.

The trail is popular in and around the small towns, but it tends to be a peacefully silent once you are out in the countryside. There are several towns where you can stop for a drink or a snack, so this is always good when you are riding with kids.

There are various spots to camp or stay in a hotel on the trail system. Eston's dream is to ride 50km in one direction to a hotel and then stay overnight and ride home the next day. 100km in two days is quite the goal, but we will see how we end up by the end of the summer!

Spin Art

Parents are always busy during the summer and finding the time and energy for an art project can be daunting. Enter: spin art. This is an easy project that most children can do solo once they have some basic instruction.

First things first: you will need a salad spinner. Nothing fancy needed--pick one up at the dollar store or donate an old one to your young artist. The remaining supplies are easy: paint and paper. Any type of paper will do (experiment!), but you want to cut the paper to easily fit inside your spinner. 

 Directions: Place a piece of paper inside the spinner. Sprinkle a few colors of paint on the paper. Try to avoid big globs of paint in one area of the paper. Gently shaking the tub of paint as you pour usually works best.

 Put the top on the salad spinner and SPIN!! Kids always love this part. Allow them to spin as slow or fast as they want. After a few moments of spinning you can take off the top of your spinner and be amazed at the cool designs:

 That's it. Children as young as three can do this with little to no adult supervision and older children enjoy experimenting with different types of paper and paint placement. The finished art can be used for birthday cards, combined into a colorful collage, or just enjoyed on its own.

A Trip to La Rioja

We have just returned from visiting friends in Laguardia, a tiny village in the Rioja region. Our last visit was in 2014, but this picturesque place never changes, thank goodness.

Laguardia was founded by King Sancho Abarca in 1164 and was originally a fort and series of underground tunnels used for protection and defense. The village sits upon a hill that overlooks the entire valley, so it was the perfect location in that sense. In 1486 a village was built on top of the tunnels and a wall was also erected. 

Fast forward to 2017 and not much has changed in this well-preserved medieval town. The walls still stand, though many sections have been rebuilt over the years. Cars are not allowed inside the walls, so children can roam freely in this tiny pueblo. Plaza Mayor is full of children on bikes and scooters and the parents sit in the surrounding cafes enjoying a local wine or some tapas.

Though Laguardia is small, it is quite popular. There are a few small inns and casa rurals (similar to a bed and breakfast) and we stayed in one of these.  Casa Rural Mayor 35 has just four rooms and they are all freshly remodeled and lovely. Our room had plenty of space for our family and it was very quiet and peaceful at night.

 Rory brought his bike and had to train and the children of our friends were at a futbol camp during the mornings, so I found a local tour company that offers a family tour of the Rioja vineyards. We met our guide in the nearby town of Fuenmayor and set off for the vineyards. RiojaTreks offers this tour and I highly recommend it for families. Our guide Diego was super informative and answered all of the kids questions. He did not speak down to the children, but he made all of the information accessible and interesting for them--not easy to do when talking about grapes and wine!

Here we are learning about the details of growing the actual grapes---irrigation, soil, rocks, wind, humidity...we learned so many new things and have a real appreciation for wine makers!

 The tour ends in a local bodega where the kids get to learn about the fermentation and bottling process. Both kids were able to play a bit with the equipment in order to learn more about how wine is made and appreciated in this region of the world.

Laguardia is full of great restaurants and tapas bars, so it is a foodie paradise. Most of the old tunnels are now wine caves and you can tour and walk through a lot of them, which is lots of fun for the kids!

 Laguardia looks out on the Cantabrian Mountains and there is a beautiful walking path just outside the city walls. Perfect for bikes or scooters.

Our kids spent several afternoons enjoying the local park with friends. 

We are back home in Girona where the kids are enjoying the week at casal. 

Summer Stroll...La Muralla and Jardi dels Alemanys

Sunday morning is the perfect time to wander through Girona. People tend to sleep in a bit, so often one can find the streets fairly empty until quite late in the morning. I took the kids for a walk on the city wall (La Muralla) and we ended up in one of our favorite spots, the Jardi dels Alemanys.

We usually start the wall walk near the playground just south of Plaza Catalunya. The playground is on the corner of Carrer del Carme and Pujada de les Pedredes and the stairs to the wall are next to the playground. I suggest leaving the prams/strollers and scooters at home as there are several sets of narrow stairs. My kids have been doing this walk for many years and though I had to help them with the stairs when they were very young, it is the prefect walk for all ages.

The views from the wall are spectacular and kids will enjoy running down the narrow path and climbing the stairs to the various tower outlooks. The views allow you to really get a sense of the entire city and lay of the land.

Building of the wall began in 1B.C. and the walls were changed and remodeled throughout the centuries. The walls protected the city of Girona and saw countless battles over the years. It is easy for children to imagine why a wall of this size and stature would have been important for the protection of the city and they love peeking through the small openings in the rock. 

 There are several towers along the walk and we always climb all of them. The tallest tower, Torre de Sant Domenec, offers fantastic views of the city and the mountains in the distance and my kids always love looking at the rooftops and private gardens below. 

 I always have my kids imagine what it would have been like for the soldiers and residents of Girona whose job it was to be on the look out for intruders. 

 The path along the wall eventually leads you to one of our favorite spots in Girona, the Jardi dels Alemanys. The gardens contain the remains of the barracks built for German soldiers in the 17th century. Girona was under constant attack from France and barracks were needed to house the troops who defended the area. Most of it is ruins, but the facades of the main buildings still remain. 

 This area is the perfect spot for kids to run around. More often than not they are fairly deserted and kids can play hide-and-go-seek or just roam around the grounds while parents take a break. This past Sunday there was a beautiful violin player and we just sat and listened to the music. It is a great place to bring a small picnic and relax in the shade of the trees. 

A Trip to Rupit

Rupit is located about an hour drive from Girona and it is one of our favorite places to visit. This medieval town dates back to the year 955 and it is the perfect day trip. The drive from Girona is incredibly picturesque with gorgeous views of the valley as you make your way up the mountain. There are several places to stop and take photos, so be sure to do just that!

Rupit is a small village with buildings made of stone from the local area. It sounds so simple, but the construction of these houses and shops will take your breath away as you wander around town. Kids love the bridge that connects the parking area to the town. The bridge was built by locals in 1945 and be aware---only 10 people on the bridge at a time! Your feet will creak on the wooden beams as you cross over the river and my kids always think this is great fun. 

 The natural stone forms stairs throughout the village.

 Families will enjoy ambling around town and peeking in the shops. There are several good bakeries with treats and shops that sell local ratafia. 

Wandering around this beautiful village is fun, but most people come enjoy this area for the hiking. There are loads of great trails right from the village, but there are several that tend to be most popular with families.

For those with young children who want a short hike (maybe 30 minutes in total), I suggest hiking to the Ermitage--the Santa Magdalena Church. There are signs throughout town directing you towards the correct trail and the views from the church cannot be beat:

 The church was built in the early 17th century and there is plenty of space for kids to run around or enjoy a picnic.

 One of the most popular hikes in the area is walking to Salt de Sallent, the waterfall. This is a beautiful hike with lots of shady areas, so it is perfect for those warm summer months. Aurelia (age 4) is capable of walking most of this and I usually bring a pack and carry her here and there when she is fatigued. This trail is also marked from town--just follow the signs that say "Salt de Sallent."

 I apologize for not having any waterfall photographs in this post...we were crossing the rocks to sit and watch the waterfall and I managed to slip in to the water and drag Aurelia with me...whoops! Parent-of-the-year award for me! It was just a shallow pond of water, but we were both soaking wet, so I was more focused on getting her changed to dry clothes and forgot about taking my phone out for pictures. 

We did discover a colony of tadpoles after we slipped in the water, so that was super exciting and made up for the wet jeans and muddy shoes. 

We enjoyed a lovely picnic (at least our lunch was dry) near the falls and then made our way back to town:

 Yes, Aurelia is wearing my sweatshirt as that was the only dry article of clothing we had with us. She said it was a dress and didn't seem to mind.

Walking back through town is always a treat with wildflowers, beautiful views of the local gardens, succulents growing on rocks, and fun tunnels to explore!

Rupit is definitely worth a visit for anyone staying in Girona or Barcelona. Our favorite time of year would have to be summer, but I once went in February when there was a light snow and the town was completely deserted and it was amazing. 

Local Market Cooking Classes for Kids

The school year has come to an end and the kids are enjoying some time at home with me before they start casal (summer camp) in July. We have been busy doing all sorts of activities, but today was extra special. Local Market is a wonderful local company that provides catering and gastronomic experiences here in Girona. Today they offered a two-hour cooking class for children. Eston and Aurelia were thrilled as they both love to help and create in the kitchen. 

 Local Market was incredibly organized and had everything ready to go for each junior chef:

Classes for children will be held throughout the summer (check their website). On the menu today was whole wheat veggie pizza. The kids learned how to make the dough and prepped their own veggie toppings. 

What cooking class would be complete without sitting down for a meal?  Each child was able to enjoy their masterpiece for lunch and the kids were thrilled to no end about their delicious creations.

 Aurelia made a heart shaped pizza with a face made out of veggies!

Both kids loved the class and are already begging to return, so we will definitely be participating in the cooking classes this summer. Local Market also offers a variety of tours and classes in Girona, so be sure to check them out if you are a resident or visitor:

http://localmarket.cat

Having kids in the kitchen can be so much fun and there are some great cookbooks out there to help you plan meals as a family. Here are a few of the cookbooks we use in our kitchen on a regular basis:

This is a fantastic cookbook with serious recipes for kids who are really excited about learning to be in the kitchen. The recipes are sophisticated, but presented in a child-friendly way. Prior experience in the kitchen might be helpful, but all of the recipes are possible with some adult guidance.

I absolutely adore anything and everything written or cooked by Alice Waters and this book is just delightful. Some find it too wordy and the recipes too complicated, but I disagree. My children and I love reading the stories and kitchen tips and experimenting with the many recipes. There are also several simple recipes that children can make on their own. Wonderful book!

Ferran Adria is basically a god here in Catalunya, but I owned this book long before we ever moved to Girona. This is a fabulous family cookbook and older children will appreciate the careful instructions and illustrations. Fantastic recipes!

Eston received this book for his birthday a couple of years ago and it is quite the book at 416 pages. This book is full of information and tips for any cook--child or adult! Excellent recipes, though many will need adult assistance.

Also a birthday present a few years back! This book is fantastic for early readers and young cooks. My kids can peruse the pages solo and learn new information or check out recipes. Great photographs and instructions. Nothing too fancy, but a great starting point for all budding chefs.

This book is a little basic, but it was a great beginner book for Eston. Super simple recipes with easy instructions and lots of photographs. Nothing incredibly tasty or complicated, but a solid introduction to the kitchen for young children.

More adventures to come!