Tour de French Cuisine, stage 7; Barcelona to Andorre Arcalis

Today is the first big mountain stage and this is what it is all about. So far every stage of the Tour this year has been fantastic.  Normally the first week is a little light, not too much excitement. Whoever is in the maillot jaune the first week, most likely is not in it when it reaches the mountain. The mountains is where we “separate the men from the boys”, you try riding your bike much less walk up 2200 meters of mountain and that is after already racing over 500 miles in the first 6 days.

 

After ending yesterday in Barcelona, they stayed one more night and then said goodbye to the capital of the Catalonia region and headed to the tiny country of Andorra. It may be tiny but it certainly is tall.  Just west of Barcelona is the city of Sant Cugat del Valles named after Saint Cucuphas, who legend has it martyred on the spot that now is occupied by the medieval monastery.

 

Heading out of Barcelona 23 kilometers on the route is the city Terrassa, located at the Depressio Prelotoral at the base of the Prelitoral mountain range. Here they have found vestiges that the area has been occupied since pre-historic times.  But now it also hosts a Jazz festival each March.

 

One of the most amazing views is the sharp peaks of the Montserrat in Catalonia. Literally meaning the “serrated mountain” with its highest peak rising 1236 meters. It is a perfect place for the Monastery of Montserrat which is surrounded by chapels and caves. The monastery was said to be built in the 9^th century and enlarged in the 11^th century. In 1811 when the French attacked Catalonia in the War of Independence the monastery was destroyed.  It was rebuilt in 1844 and to this day Benedictine monks live there and visitors can hear the Escolania singing the Montserrat hymn, Salve Regina y Virolai.

 

At the base of the Castillo de Cardona sits the town of Cardona, Spain. The stone castle belonged to the Dukes of Cardona, constables to the crown of Aragon. The fortress perched on a hill, at an altitude of 589meters can be traced back to the 8^th century; today the only remaining original portion is the truncated tower, the Torre de la Minyona. Surrounding it is the Vauban style walls erected in the 17^th & 18^th century. Here you can see views of the Montana de Sal, a salt mine worked since Roman times.

 

The nine towers and three gateways remain of the city of Solsona’s fortifications. The ancient town of noble mansions, cathedral and the Musee Diocesa i Comarcal houses Romanesque paintings.  The cathedral is mysterious and gothic with stained glass and 12^th century image of the virgin, much like the Montserrat icon in its own chapel.

 

Alongside the Riu Segre lies the beautiful town of La Seu d’Urgell. For years it was a quiet town with a medieval core but in 1992 the Olympic canoeing and white water sports were held in La Seu d’Urgell and the town saw resurgence in visitors. The town got its name from the Romanesque cathedral at the north end, the Cathedral of Santa Maria d'Urgell. In 820 a fight between the bishops at La Seu d’Urgell and the counts of Foix over land rights that led to Andorra’s independence late in the 13^th century.

 

 Crossing into the principality of Andorra, the 179 square mile of Pyrenees Mountains that lays in-between France and Spain. In 1933 it gained its independence and held its first ever election. Since 1279 it has been a feudal state under those pesky bishops of La Seu d’Urgell and the French count of Foix. Andorra has been a tax free paradise for shoppers, and evidence can be seen in their crowded shops and supermarkets as well as their roads in and out of France and Spain. The rural charm of Andorra is overlooked by the massive Pyrenees and the many ski resorts that have popped up all over Andorra.  But in the summer it is a perfect place for walkers, with beautiful lakes, Romanesque chapels such as Sant Marti at La Corinada and in the North the Sorteny valley where you can find small restaurants in traditional farm houses.

 

Just before the finish on the Andorre Arcalis the town of El Serrat is lovely little stop with tumbling waterfalls

 

The quaint village of Ordino sits just 18 kilometers from the finish line today and is the base town before the final climb. Follow the maze of alleyways around the charming church and make sure to admire the wrought-iron grilles, much like the ones that are used in the sanctuaries near old Catalan forges.

It is sure to be a dramatic finish at the top of the Andorre Arcalis, which is part of the Vallnord ski area, the 1942 meters of Arcalis, makes it the highest stage finish in the Pyrenees this year.

 

So what is on the menu tonight? Since we are in Andorra, I searched around and found that a typical dish is the principality is trinxat, which is a potato vegetable dish topped with bacon. Much like the Alps region of France, you can normally find heartier items like potatoes and bacon on the menu. The fantastic French chef Eric Ripert lived in Andorra for some time and he had a recipe for the traditional dish that turned out great. Potatoes, swiss chard and kale with a head of garlic. It would make for a great winter time dish dish.

 

 

Comments

[jen]

I love this idea of following the tour with regional dishes!

[m]

bacon! potatoes! kale! oh my!!!! who wouldn't want this!!

[Susan Parr]

Hi Claudine Have you seen the trailer for a new film out soon? It may already been out over there with you but it's called Julie/Julia and it's about Julia Child and Julie who cooks her way through Julia's cookbook. It has Meryl Streep and Amy Adams in and based on a true story. I thought of you when I saw the trailer, it isn't you is it? I didn't know if you had heard about it but it looks good and funny. Susie!

[mike]

bacon and potatoes? That's not French! :) Sound and LOOKS wonderful! Perfect for a weekend dish! I'm sure John is loving all this variety. I hope you're taking notes of his likes/dislikes... or maybe you don't care. :) Delicious!