Enjoying the Catalan winter

March 16, 2023

While I enjoyed spending time with my friends in Barcelona, I often felt the need to get away from the busy city. I wanted to relax in the quiet countryside. Luckily, some friends of my friends lived on a beautiful wine estate owned by their boss, who only cultivated the vineyards but didn’t use the old house, a charming building surrounded by nature.

View on the wine property

We got along well, and they invited me to stay for a few days, which I happily accepted. The only issue was that the gate was too small for my truck, so I had to park it outside the wall. The place was peaceful and very relaxing.

Truck parked in front of the wine property

During the day, we all worked as usual, but in the evenings, we sat together, talked, ate, and enjoyed their homemade wine.

The surrounding area was great for hiking and mountain biking, with beautiful views of Montserrat.

View on Montserrat

Seeing snow in Barcelona

Winter in Catalonia was nothing like the winters I knew back in Germany. While I often had to light the woodstove in the mornings, the days were generally mild and sunny, sometimes even warm enough to wear a t-shirt. However, I got to witness something rare: snow! Locals hadn’t seen it in years.

I was parked in Terrassa when I woke up to find my truck covered in snow.

Truck covered with snow

Even the trees around Barcelona had a thin layer of snow for a brief moment.

Trees around Barcelona covered with snow

The “winter” didn’t last long. A few days later, I was enjoying sunny, warm weather in the mountains near Mura.

Truck parked in the greenery near Mura

The air was filled with the scent of Mediterranean herbs, and the sunshine gave me an energy boost. It even motivated me to do a full spring cleaning of my truck.

All stuff cleared out the cabin of the truck

After vacuuming and tidying up the entire cabin, I felt ready to welcome spring.

View on the cabin of my truck with open doors and windows

Enjoying Costa Brava

When I wasn’t moving between the city and the mountains, I also spent some time along the northeastern coast of Barcelona, visiting a friend and coworker.

View on the beach from within my truck

The flat, sandy beaches were nice, especially for watching the beautiful sunrises, but they didn’t excite me as much.

Sunrise at the beach north east of Barcelona

I much preferred the rocky beaches further up the coast on the Costa Brava. They felt more secluded, with fewer touristic buildings around.

Nice beach at Costa Brava

There were also plenty of scenic hiking trails along the lush, green coast.

View on the sea at Costa Brava

The area was perfect during the off-season: free parking, quiet bays, and peaceful beaches with stunning sunsets.

Sunset at Costa Brave

I knew, though, that I wouldn’t be able to park my truck here during the summer when the beaches would be packed with people and parking spots hard to find.

Truck parked at a free parking

Embracing the local life

Even though I could have spent the winter in a warmer region, I never felt the urge to drive further south. Catalonia had so much to offer, and the main reason I stayed was the great people I spent time with. Spending months, rather than just a few days, allowed me to build deeper connections and make new ones, too.

I was able to experience the Calçotada, a traditional Catalan event where we grilled and ate calçots (a type of green onion) in my friends backyard.

Calçotada in the backyard of my friends

My truck even became a mini tour bus when my friends played at a punk festival in Tàrrega.

My friends playing a show in Tàrrega

There was plenty of space for everyone to hang out, have a drink, and sleep.

My friends hangout in my truck

Good times!