Early on Saturday morning, two couples appear at Estación de França. They look like they've gotten lost. Not because they've missed their stop or their train has left, but because they are dressed as if they live in another era. Furthermore, they seem a bit surprised, even astonished, seeing that the rest of the passengers have decided to arm themselves with their usual clothes, without the feathers and hats they have chosen for that weekend day.
"We arrived at the station at 8:30 in the morning and there was no one dressed up. We waited until 9 and no one appeared either, just the four of us," says Nati Roma, one of the travelers on the first tourist train organized by Renfe and the Barcelona Provincial Council bound for modernist Mataró and Canet de Mar. "We are part of the Garriga Modernista association. They sent us information about the excursion and we thought we wouldn't be the only ones. But we ended up being the protagonists. It was a lot of fun, everyone was taking pictures of us," explains the initiator of a nice involuntary anecdote. "They were the sensation wherever they went," confirms expedition leader Lucia Vila, one of those responsible for ensuring no one got lost throughout the day.
With this initial surprise, the Rodalies train set off, customized for the occasion like Nati and her friends. Throughout the day, it took a hundred passengers through Maresme to discover architectural gems that are closer than they seem, reinforcing the feeling that it was almost a journey through time. "My partner says we come from 1900," Nati continues, "and they always tell us that we are very well preserved."
The first stop on this journey through time was the Nau Gaudí in Mataró, very close to the train station and home to the Bassat Collection of Contemporary Art. Furthermore, Vila adds, it is of special interest because it was the first work of the omnipresent Barcelona architect when he had just graduated.
Throughout the day, cultural capsules were combined with tastings at various times. "It always helps," remarks the expedition leader. In Mataró, it was strawberries in Plaza Gran, accompanied by a pairing in the Casa Coll i Regàs, taking the opportunity to visit the modernist space designed by Josep Puig i Cadafalch for a textile entrepreneur between drinks. There was even time to see the plenary hall of the City Council, also with modernist features.
After a short break for lunch, the route resumed towards Canet de Mar, 15 minutes from Mataró by train. It began with stained glass, both visiting a workshop to understand its creation process and tasting its sweet version at the Obrador Campassol, a symbol of Canet in honor of the architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner, who used to spend his summers in this municipality. Made from tea biscuit dough with colored jelly, Canet's sweet stained glass offers the opportunity to feel what it must be like to bite into a modernist rose window, without losing any teeth.
The grand finale came at Domènech i Montaner's Can Rocosa, with a theatrical visit that made Nati and her three original companions feel less alone. With actors dressed in period costumes, and a great success in the role played by the minyona, the workspace from which he projected some of his most outstanding works, such as the Hospital de Sant Pau, was discovered. To continue with the architect's legacy, they also entered the Domènech house, which was also his last work.
"People liked discovering corners of our house from another perspective. You realize that we have so many beautiful things so close and we don't know it. Now I see both cities in a very different way," says Vila, who emphasizes that she didn't see anyone say "oh, how ugly!" at any of the stops on the route. "Modernism is a dance of color that appears before you. It's hard not to like it because it's pleasant to see, even if you don't want to, you're there and it awakens your senses. It's almost like being in front of a painting," she defends. "I don't know if it's been noticed, but I really like Gaudí. And now even more," she elaborates. "It's an interesting route, especially if you like train travel," adds Anna, another traveler who spent "an intense, but profitable day" with her father, coming from Osona.
New routes
After a first trip last Saturday, May 13, the route El modernisme gourmet, which also aims to pay homage to the 175th anniversary of the first train between Barcelona and Mataró, will be repeated on Saturday, June 10. Tickets are still available, priced at 50 euros for adults and 20 euros for children aged 4 to 13. It is free for children under 3 years old.
Renfe plans to launch more routes for autumn, including more trips on the modernist route through Mataró and Canet de Mar. "We are working together with the Barcelona Provincial Council to offer new destinations. We want to show the Barcelona coastline, not only that of the city but also that of all coastal towns, with natural and gastronomic interest. There are also mountain destinations, museums, wine tourism... There are many options for a very intense autumn," says Renfe's Director of Development and Design of New Products, Fèlix Martín.
"We want to show the Barcelona coastline, not only that of the city but also that of all coastal towns, with natural and gastronomic interest. There are also mountain destinations, museums, wine tourism... There are many options"In other autonomous communities, the tourist train routes offer excursions such as discovering Don Quixote's windmills and confronting them in Campo de Criptana; a dramatized visit to medieval Sigüenza, entering one of the castles of Game of Thrones; tour the lighthouses of the Galician coast or enter the Estrella Galicia Museum, with a cameo included by Emilia Pardo Bazán. There are excursions that even include boat tickets to round out the experience.
The offer of tourist trains complements the wide variety of combined tickets already offered by the public operator, including the train journey and entry to tourist attractions. Among them are visits to the Freixenet cellars, the Vichy Catalan Spa, PortAventura or the Montseny Natural Park. "We want to change the role of the train when the weekend arrives so that it is a train for celebration, enjoyment, rest, leisure and tourism," defends Martín.