The beautiful place of L´Empordà
It would be one more beautiful cove within this beautiful coastline, such as Canyelles Petites or Cap Norfeu to name a few, if it were not for the fact that one of the best chefs in the world made history there. Ferran Adrià is closely linked to this place, and more specifically to the restaurant located here, the well-known El Bulli. Today disappeared but reconverted as El Bulli Foundation, a large complex of more than 5,000 square meters that will have a permanent exhibition and creative activities . "A good part of my life is linked to this landscape so characteristic of the Costa Brava."
The ruins of Empuries
Cala Montjoi is to Adrià what Cadaqués is to Dalí . A space where the chef has built his own universe, dedicated to the delights of the palate, the Mediterranean flavor and technical-conceptual cuisine. It is the cove with the greatest flavor and the most creative in the world, and today it has become a place of pilgrimage. For lovers of haute cuisine and gourmets seeking new sensations, it is a must. For the rest, it is simply a true paradise for the senses, a corner that combines imagination, poetry and happiness, example of the most playful gastronomy.
GOURMET ROUTE BETWEEN PINES AND EUCALYPTUS
Cala Montjoi has been the scene of the most exciting, enriching and intense moments in the life of this brilliant chef, originally from L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona. As he himself explains, “l Cala Montjoi is almost announced to me by smell rather than by sight: a warm smell in which the balsamic of the pines and eucalyptus, the saline of the sea are mixed. For me it is a magical place ”, says Ferran Adrià excitedly. Cadaqués, Cap de Creus, the ruins of Empúries, Port de la Selva, the Aigüamolls Natural Park...
The charming fishing village of El Port de la Selva,
There are so many landscapes that L'Empordà offers, that it is difficult to stay with just one. Together they make up the characteristic Mediterranean landscape, which with its perfumes, its light and its charm will dazzle the traveler and transport him to an idealized Arcadia. “ L' Empordà is the essence of the Mediterranean civilizations. It breathes culture and creativity , where nature has worked to make a fascinating place”, describes the famous chef. The traveler will also find here a great diversity of gastronomic products and according to Adrià, no one should leave without trying them.
“The products are very varied. L' Empordà is an example of Mediterranean diversity. I would certainly start with seafood: fish, crustaceans, molluscs. One should not leave without trying the espardenyes (sea cucumber), sea urchins, cuttlefish, sea bass, prawns... And vegetables, fruits, such as peaches or apples. And the Empordà wine, increasingly renowned, the sweet Garnacha or the olive oil “. Any advice for travelers who would like to take a gastronomic journey here? “That they know the products that I have mentioned previously. Let them try the different types of cuisine: traditional, avant-garde... because all of them will allow them to better penetrate the communion between landscape, culture and cuisine”.
The coquettish Cala Montjoi and elBulli
On one occasion, the award-winning chef said that creativity is linked to happiness, and L' Empordà is the place that provides him with that state of mind, which he then processes into creativity. "Especially at the beginning, that is, from 1987 to 1993, the landscape of L'Empordà, due to the fact that El Bulli is embedded in it." Many of his dishes from that time were dedicated to this beautiful landscape . “If I wanted to highlight one that recalls Cala Montjoi from a more symbolic point of view, I could talk about “El mar”, from 2006”. A dish made with various fresh seaweeds.
FORGET THE WORLDLY NOISE
Each bend is an unforgettable experience for Adrià. Like that panorama that makes you feel at home. “When I make the last corner of the road that goes from Roses to Cala Montjoi and I see, on the right, the entrance to elBulli, on the left, Marketta's house. By the way, it is easy for me to remember when this road was not in such good condition as it is now. When one arrived it seemed to him that he had left the civilized world”.
Boquería Market, the definitive snack
THE KEYS OF FERRAN ADRIÀ
WHERE TO EAT
Rafa's (Carrer de Sant Sebastià, 56, 17480 Roses, Girona. Telephone: 972 25 40 03). It has splendid products from the sea. Do not miss its terrace in summer.
Restaurant Cal Campaner (Carrer del Mossèn Carles Feliu, 23, 17480 Roses, Girona. Telephone: 972 25 69 54) A restaurant where the raw material is treated with mastery and devotion.
The mermaid (Plaça Sant Pere, 7, 17480 Roses, Girona. Telephone: 972 25 72 94). This restaurant has Montse Núñez, a crack from Ferran Adrià's school. Fresh tapas made at the moment and seasonal products.
A PLACE TO GET LOST
The path of Ronda that goes from Roses to Cala Montjoi.
A MARKET NOT TO BE MISSED
The Boqueria market, in Barcelona.
AN ESSENTIAL EXPERIENCE
El Bulli Foundation, an innovative and sustainable space in Cap de Creus, will open in 2019. But you can already visit El Bulli Lab, in Barcelona, with projects related to creativity, knowledge, and education.
* This article has been published in Monographic number 80. Remember that, in addition to your usual kiosk and with the June issue, the monograph on Catalonia is on sale in digital format on Zinio .
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Ferran Adria