Santa Cristina d'Aro
One of my favorite weekend activities is going with my grandparents to their house in the country side. They have a beautiful masia located in Santa Cristina d'Aro which is in Girona about an hour away from the city of Barcelona. Although I love the city of Barcelona, it is nice to get out of the city for a couple of days, smell some fresh air, enjoy the open countryside.
Their house was an old farm house that my àvia and her late husband fixed up. The house has thick stone walls with beautiful wooden windows and shutters. My grandfather has vineyards and olive orchards that he enjoys taking care of. The wine that the grapes create is not very taste, however the olive oil is amazing! The trees produce arbequina olives which have a very distinct almost bitter taste.
The house is located near the beach Sant Feliu de Guíxols which is distinguished by its beautiful rocky coastline. During the summer we take their sail boat out and drop anchor in one of the coves where we snorkel. Since it has been too cold to do so, we just enjoy the views of the beach while we walk along the coastal path or eat lunch at one of the restaurants.
My àvia has child who come with their children to Santa Cristina as well. Sometimes I will go on a bike ride with them or go on a run along the path. It is wonderful to ride through the countryside past the fields and enjoy the spring air.