An eighty minute ride north from Barcelona on the “R3” train route takes you to Vic, a city of about 40,000. The site has been occupied since pre-roman times, and today it remains an important regional center of commerce.

Once the train surfaces after its passage below the streets of Barcelona, it traverses spillover urban sprawl of that city. Eventually however, you reach agricultural lands with rolling hills and views of distant mountains.

The old part of the city is not too large and can easily be explored on foot.

My wanderings began at an 11th century Romanesque bridge that was part of the old route to Barcelona.

(by the way, all of the photos in this set are low-resolution. Sorry!)

 

 

The bridge is close to the cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle (Sant Pere).

A notable aspect of the cathedral is the beautifully embellished Gothic arches that define a passage around the cloister.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Although the town was lovely, and merits a return visit, I had actually come to Vic specifically to attend its Saturday open air market. A previous year, we had gotten some tasty “embutidos” (sausage) that were made in Vic. Apparently the town is famous for its embutidos, and I was on a mission to get some more!

The market was incredible. It takes up the entire “Plaça Major” in the old quarter of town, and then spills over into adjoining streets, and down along the “Rambla Davallades.”

The market seems to sell just about everything, and is far more comprehensive than the bi-weekly market in Xàtiva.

There is clothing, shoes, kitchen utensils, and purses. There are booths selling handmade pottery, and stands promoting political causes. Stands loaded with fresh fruits and vegetables caught my eye. It is only the impracticability of buying these items so far from home that allow me to move on.

You can buy baked goods and artisanal cheeses.

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are more varieties of mushrooms on display than I could imagine, along with truffles.

 

 

 

 

 

There are gourds, and domestic fowl: ducklings, chicks, hens, roosters (crowing away!), along with birds I could not identify.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A whole row of stalls sells cut flowers and potted plants.

When I first got to the market, I was able to explore most of it. But by noon, you could barely make your way through the dense crowds!
My advice is: go early!

 

 

There was one thing that I did not see for sale in the market at any stall: Embutidos! Yet that was what I had come for!

Luckily, in the nearby streets a dozen butcher shops each sold a wide variety of meats and sausages. I did not leave empty handed!