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Issue #263, October 18, 2024 La Seu D’Urgell, Catalonia
Our fearless leader lecturing about Catalonia
We began the day with a lecture by Fran about Catalonia, that took over an hour and a half, in the lower meeting room of our hotel in La Seu D'Urgell. It was fascinating, with more information than can be conveyed here; but I did take notes and photos, so an upcoming issue will be released soon, covering this talk.
Inside the courtyard of the Cathedral of Maria de la Seu D'Urgell
We were then met by a guide who took us practically next-door, to the Cathedral of Maria de La Seu D’Urgell, and also the Parroquia Saint Miguel La Seu D’Urgell, which is an older Romanesque-style church, built in 1035 (the latter is the oldest element of the cathedral).
We toured the church and its cloister, which was very nice.
Yet another selfie from yours truly
The interior was somewhat plain, but we learned it was once covered with murals, many of which have disappeared. Many have also been preserved with a technique that ‘lifts’ them from the walls without destroying them, and were then sent to other museums.
This wall in the cathedral showing the original murals.
We also wandered through the church museum and saw some beautiful altar pieces.
Madonna and child, 15th century by Donació Manuel Carreras
Our guide’s session ended after we walked past a kayak waterpark, one that has actually been used in the Olympics.
View from Castell Lllebre's property
After a short break at the hotel, we all got back in the bus and drove about 45 minutes out of town to a place where goat milk is turned into cheese: Castell Llebre. The small, family-owned facility was in a lovely spot overlooking the reservoir ‘Panta D’Oliana’.
Inside Castell Lllebre
Once we toured their facility, we were invited to sit at three different round tables outside under a metal partition, while scrawny cats ran about, to enjoy their wares.
Ray and Stephen inspecting the goat cheeses, in process of maturation
The cheeses were a combination of mild to more acidic, and were all served with bread, olive oil and small crackers. We finished with a mild dessert cheese smothered in honey.
Now that we've looked at the process, let's eat it!
Cheese was definitely the theme of the day, as once we got back, there was a cheese festival taking place in town!
Mom and Jon at Castell Llebre
Since we had several hours to ourselves following the visit to the goat cheese factory, I left Mom for a bit, and started out by doing two drawings in the church that we had toured earlier in the day (one of the older Romansque church, and another inside the cloister. The latter I painted in gouache).
Jon's finished painting of Parroquia Saint Miguel La Seu D’Urgell, the Romanasque structure at the Cathedral de la Seu D'Urgell
I then walked down into the main square of town, where the once-yearly cheese festival was being set up.
Finished painting inside the courtyard
It was definitely a lively scene, with cheese makers from all around the region bringing in their wares.
The cheesemaker we saw just a few hours earlier, who fed and entertained us
Indeed, I saw our host from Castell Llibre, the facility we had visited earlier in the day, arranging his fine goat cheeses in his allotted booth.
I also walked down to the river, where the late afternoon light was illuminating the valley, and where cows stood grazing.
The source of all that is yummy to eat
Despite being lulled by the bucolic evening light, I decided to head back to get Mom so she could come to see everything as well before we met for dinner. (I found her sitting in the bathroom, charging her phone with a plug that she could easily get to, dictating texts).
One of the many posters of local folks who make the cheeses, which lined the center of the boulevard
Together we traced our steps through town to get to the lively street scene where cheeses of all kinds were being offered for sale. Chestnut trees lined the broad boulevard where the activity was centered and large, colorful posters of different cheese-makers stretched between wooden poles in the middle of the street.
It was here we ate the fungus, where euros were also stuck into the walls
Mom really enjoyed the lively scene. We ended up buying some sheep cheese at one counter and then met up with our group before walking back down the street to a local restaurant, Arbetxe, which was decorated with euros stuck in nooks and crannies in the walls, and where we were served what must have been a local delicacy, a mushroom/fungus dish, which I am still not sure about.
This ismage was taken as we returned from Castell Llebre
Our fearless leader lecturing about Catalonia
We began the day with a lecture by Fran about Catalonia, that took over an hour and a half, in the lower meeting room of our hotel in La Seu D'Urgell. It was fascinating, with more information than can be conveyed here; but I did take notes and photos, so an upcoming issue will be released soon, covering this talk.
Inside the courtyard of the Cathedral of Maria de la Seu D'Urgell
We were then met by a guide who took us practically next-door, to the Cathedral of Maria de La Seu D’Urgell, and also the Parroquia Saint Miguel La Seu D’Urgell, which is an older Romanesque-style church, built in 1035 (the latter is the oldest element of the cathedral).
We toured the church and its cloister, which was very nice.
Yet another selfie from yours truly
The interior was somewhat plain, but we learned it was once covered with murals, many of which have disappeared. Many have also been preserved with a technique that ‘lifts’ them from the walls without destroying them, and were then sent to other museums.
This wall in the cathedral showing the original murals.
We also wandered through the church museum and saw some beautiful altar pieces.
Madonna and child, 15th century by Donació Manuel Carreras
Our guide’s session ended after we walked past a kayak waterpark, one that has actually been used in the Olympics.
View from Castell Lllebre's property
After a short break at the hotel, we all got back in the bus and drove about 45 minutes out of town to a place where goat milk is turned into cheese: Castell Llebre. The small, family-owned facility was in a lovely spot overlooking the reservoir ‘Panta D’Oliana’.
Inside Castell Lllebre
Once we toured their facility, we were invited to sit at three different round tables outside under a metal partition, while scrawny cats ran about, to enjoy their wares.
Ray and Stephen inspecting the goat cheeses, in process of maturation
The cheeses were a combination of mild to more acidic, and were all served with bread, olive oil and small crackers. We finished with a mild dessert cheese smothered in honey.
Now that we've looked at the process, let's eat it!
Cheese was definitely the theme of the day, as once we got back, there was a cheese festival taking place in town!
Mom and Jon at Castell Llebre
Since we had several hours to ourselves following the visit to the goat cheese factory, I left Mom for a bit, and started out by doing two drawings in the church that we had toured earlier in the day (one of the older Romansque church, and another inside the cloister. The latter I painted in gouache).
Jon's finished painting of Parroquia Saint Miguel La Seu D’Urgell, the Romanasque structure at the Cathedral de la Seu D'Urgell
I then walked down into the main square of town, where the once-yearly cheese festival was being set up.
Finished painting inside the courtyard
It was definitely a lively scene, with cheese makers from all around the region bringing in their wares.
The cheesemaker we saw just a few hours earlier, who fed and entertained us
Indeed, I saw our host from Castell Llibre, the facility we had visited earlier in the day, arranging his fine goat cheeses in his allotted booth.
I also walked down to the river, where the late afternoon light was illuminating the valley, and where cows stood grazing.
The source of all that is yummy to eat
Despite being lulled by the bucolic evening light, I decided to head back to get Mom so she could come to see everything as well before we met for dinner. (I found her sitting in the bathroom, charging her phone with a plug that she could easily get to, dictating texts).
One of the many posters of local folks who make the cheeses, which lined the center of the boulevard
Together we traced our steps through town to get to the lively street scene where cheeses of all kinds were being offered for sale. Chestnut trees lined the broad boulevard where the activity was centered and large, colorful posters of different cheese-makers stretched between wooden poles in the middle of the street.
It was here we ate the fungus, where euros were also stuck into the walls
Mom really enjoyed the lively scene. We ended up buying some sheep cheese at one counter and then met up with our group before walking back down the street to a local restaurant, Arbetxe, which was decorated with euros stuck in nooks and crannies in the walls, and where we were served what must have been a local delicacy, a mushroom/fungus dish, which I am still not sure about.
This ismage was taken as we returned from Castell Llebre
solo/group kukai
drawing/writing/photography
jonathan machen
drawing/writing/photography
jonathan machen