Masia Mas Palou - Entourisme al Penedès

blog-en

Blog

Featured
On Language and Belonging, by Adebola Rayo
On Language and Belonging, by Adebola Rayo

I cannot remember how old I was when my parents insisted that we speak Yoruba at home because we were learning and speaking English in school. It must have been before I turned 6, because my brother’s first sentences were a mash of Yoruba and English.

For my parents, it was about giving us a heritage that would be ours in a way they probably did not think English could fully be. Now, English and Yoruba are the languages in which I think, speak, and move through the world easiest. Still, these languages, on their own, were never able to give me an easy pass into community in Nigeria.

Read More →
Small steps toward a sustainable future
Small steps toward a sustainable future

Yesterday we spoke to Clàudia Barea. Known under the handle @nananyawn, Clàudia is an expert in zero waste. You can watch the conversation in our IGTV.

The conversation gave us a lot to think about. For example, it is not enough to say we are an “environmentally responsible” villa in the rural part of Spain. To truly commit to the environment, we have to approach sustainability with small changes applied diligently.

Read More →
Leaving Mas Palou to come back
Leaving Mas Palou to come back

I cried tears of joy the moment my parents gave me, who’d just turned 18, the most amazing gift – a ticket to join their friends on a road trip through Senegal that summer.

I’d never cried happy tears before. Those who know me are aware that I am not one to show her feelings very openly – and that’s when it dawned on me that travel was my passion.

Read More →
What to do in Penedès
What to do in Penedès

We went out to Vilafranca in the afternoon, hoping to catch a rehearsal of the Castellers Vilafranca Human towers team. We had some time to spare before it started, so we sat at L'Àngelus: a wine bar in the shadow of the Basílica de Santa Maria. The owner, a kind and incredibly knowledgeable sommelier, served us a selection of local wines and some pecorino cheese as we talked and watched the people come and go.
Human towers is a uniquely Catalan sport, where participants stand on each other’s shoulders in structures up to ten people high: it’s been called a Masterpiece of Human Intangible Tradition by UNESCO. They organize by weight, from burly men at the bottom to small, helmet-wearing girls at the top. Everyone wears the same outfit: a waist cloth with two bandanas tied around it, to provide footing for the people climbing over them. They practice several times a week in a wide and well-equipped gym—the Vilafranca team is by far the best in the region, and they are rich in sponsors. T

Read More →
What to do Around Mas Palou
What to do Around Mas Palou

The Catalan tradition of Vermut is emblematic of the Spanish culture of leisure. You gather with friends on lazy weekend mornings for a type of low-effort brunch which includes chips, cheese, fruit, many different constellations of anchovies and olives (anchovies wrapped around olives, olives filled with anchovies, just anchovies, olives and hot peppers skewered on a pick), and most importantly, a glass of the spiced wine aperitif with a large chunk of ice, a slice of orange, and an olive. Lazing in the garden and nibbling on chips while waiting for lunch to be ready, chatting with friends while getting progressively more drunk, is a simple pleasure which feels like the height of luxury.

Read More →
Making Paella
Making Paella

With the deft hand of a long-time homemaker, Adelina took some spoonfuls of the bell-pepper sauce out of the pan and spread it onto a sheet of flatbread dough, to make coca de recapte—which she topped off with anchovies and olive tapenade. “I think I will also make you a cake” she said as she plopped heavy dollops of orange confiture and sweet pumpkin puree on another sheet of dough, rolled on to make tiny holes.

Read More →

Small steps toward a sustainable future

Yesterday we spoke to Clàudia Barea. Known under the handle @nananyawn, Clàudia is an expert in zero waste. You can watch the conversation in our IGTV.  

The conversation gave us a lot to think about. For example, it is not enough to say we are an “environmentally responsible” villa in the rural part of Spain. To truly commit to the environment, we have to approach sustainability with small changes applied diligently.

Although there’s still a long road ahead, I am proud of our journey. With every passing day, we’ve been taking small steps toward a sustainable future:

  • Since our inception, Mas Palou built a system that collected rainwater to irrigate our gardens, clean our tractors and water our vegetable garden.

  • In 2011, we installed solar panels to heat our villas and our showers. 

  • We minimize our energy usage by turning off the lights whenever we leave the room and advise our guests to do the same.

  • We stopped offering small toiletry bottles, opting for refillable dispensers.

  • For any produce purchases, we use reusable bags and boxes.

  • We also integrated recycling systems at each of our villas.

  • We eliminated single-use plastic from all our events and stopped offering plastic water bottles.

  • We produce our own extra virgin olive oil, eat vegetables from our orchard, and collect eggs from our chickens. If we don’t produce it ourselves, we buy locally.

  • We avoid processed foods, choosing homemade bread, granola, and kéfir.

  • We don’t throw away food. If our dog doesn’t get to the leftovers first, we use the food scraps as chicken-feed or compost.

Anyway, these are small steps. But hopefully, they gear us in the right direction. Thanks for reading and contributing your grain of sand!

Maria Valles