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Ferran Agulló i Vidal

Sea and mountain

«Sea and mountain» is the flagship of Girona cuisine, a fusion between the territory and its traditional way of life. «Sea and mountain» is not only the ancestral chicken with lobster or langoustines; it is also the classic, traditional Sunday rice casserole, where chicken, pork, rabbit, cuttlefish, mussels and other shellfish combine with an onion and tomato sofregit base and the picada based on nuts, parsley and olive oil. The «sea and mountain» dish is found all over land.

Fish on the Costa Brava

Girona province has a powerful fishing fleet which constantly harvests raw materials from the sea: L’Escala anchovies, Palamós prawns, Roses Bay monkfish, blue fish from Sant Feliu de Guíxols, rockfish from Begur, sea urchins from L’Empordanet, wedge shells, rock mussels, and the thornback ray used for making the cimitomba speciality of Tossa de Mar. At the great fishing ports of Blanes, Sant Feliu de Guíxols, Palamós, Roses, El Port de la Selva and Llançà, local fishermen compete to make the best suquet, an emblematic fish stew traditionally cooked on deck with potatoes, garlic and tomato, from recipes that vary from fleet to fleet. Suquet is similar to other fishermen’s stews found all over the Mediterranean area.

Rice cultivation since the Middle Ages

Local rice should not be underrated. Rice has been grown on the marshlands between Pals and Torroella de Montgrí since the Middle Ages. The banks of the Ter, Fluvià and Muga rivers have vegetable farms, with turnips from Capmany, Besalú and Santa Pau, onions from Vilabertran and Figueres, broad beans and peas from Aro valley, garlic from Pla de l’Estany county, and pumpkins from Esponellà.

Fruit farming

Local fruit enjoys much popularity in its own right. Girona apples have been awarded a European Union Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) standard; apples from Sant Pere Pescador and Torroella de Montgrí are also much appreciated. Cherries are grown in Llers and Terrades, where the countryside is mantled in white at cherry blossom time. Other local products include hazelnuts from La Selva county.

Denomination of Origin (DO) olive oils

The olive groves along the road to L’Escala remind of their counterparts in Greece. This must have been the intention of the ancient Greeks who disembarked at Empúries in 580 BC and soon turned the whole region over to olive oil production, in what must have been the largest olive oil manufacturing area in Mediterranean lands. Protected Denomination of Origin (PDO) Empordà olive oil, certified since 2008, is characterised by the Argudell, Corivell and Verdal (or Llei de Cadaqués) varieties of olive. Girona also produces the world famous Arbequina variety.

Transport The set of locations that make up the Costa Brava, are connected together by a good road network, with regular bus and train, and recently the new AVE train, which connects Girona and Figueres in less than 15 minuts. This new station Figueres-Vilafant, connects to Paris Gare de Lyon in just over 5 hours and in reverse, with Barcelona in about 50 minutes.

Airports

• Girona-Costa Brava Airport: Girona-Costa Brava Airport is in a strategic position as it is close to Costa Brava, the Pyrenees and the cities of Girona and Barcelona, 10 and 85 kilometres away, respectively.
• Empuriabrava aerodrome: Distance to the centre of Empuriabrava: 2.5 km. On foot, the airport is about 2.5 km from Empuriabrava beach but is still within the city area. On public transport, the city bus connecting Empuriabrava with Castelló d'Empúries passes close by the airport.

Also, one of the top three skydivings centers in the world. Flying school for pilots and sky diving.

Buses The area has a comprehensive bus service in many towns in the Girona province. Buses station in Banyoles, Blanes, Figueres, Girona, L'Escala, La Bisbal d'Empordà, Lloret de Mar, Palafrugell, Palamós, Platja d'Aro, Roses, Sant Feliu de Guíxols, Santa Coloma de Farners, Torroella de Montgrí and Tossa de Mar.

Rail Girona is served at its railway station to the west of the Old Town, from Barcelona to Portbou and the French border. The journey time to Barcelona is approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes. Major rails station in Costa Brava are, from north to south, in Portbou, Llançà, Figueres, Flaçà, Girona, Caldes de Malavella, Sils and Maçanet-Massanes.