Mercantic: A Designer Vintage Market in Sant Cugat
Getting up early in the morning, pulling on a fluffy jumper and comfortable boots, running out into the streets of a still-sleepy Barcelona with a rucksack at my back. Getting on a half-empty train. Watching the stations pass in front of your eyes, in half an hour you find yourself in a remote town on the other side of the Tibidabo...
Sant Cugat del Vallès
San Cugat del Vallès is part of the province of Barcelona and is reportedly the most affluent city in Spain. Prosperity is in the air (it's cleaner here) and in the details as soon as you step off the train.
The cobbled streets are clean, the lampposts and flower beds tended to as if they were not state property but the property of a caring owner. There are no Pakistani supermarkets, no noisy tourists, no trendy music blasting from the bars. Places like this are called 'peace and quiet'.
We walk to see the main treasure of San Cugat - the IXth century Episcopal Monastery. Its importance cannot be overestimated, and to this day it is the starting point of one of the pilgrimage routes to Montserrat and other Catalan mountain monasteries.
From the church we walk along the main road to the liveliest place on a Saturday morning - the central market. Farmers, beekeepers and bakers have just finished displaying their wares on the square. We admire, take a deep breath, cheer ourselves up - and go to the "Mercantic"....
MERCANTIC
The very word "mercantic" perfectly reflects the atmosphere of this place - it is creativity, movement, fusion of styles and time. It is a flea market, a centre of cosiness and dimension, where you can find absolutely anything!
Colourful wooden houses - stalls, also known as workshops - are connected by paths where you can also find exhibits for sale - furniture, textured mirrors, books, toys, antiques... Not a single metre is empty and after half an hour your head will start to spin!
There's a great food area at the "Mercantic" with free toilets and a couple of stylish cafes to suit all tastes. Be sure to try the freshly baked breads, sweets and cheeses that are at the heart of the food oasis. Depending on your appetite, this tasting can be a good substitute for a snack or even a light lunch!
We approached the cheese shop to admire the local specialities. Of course, we could not leave empty-handed. Needless to say, our "shopping" left us feeling full for a long time?
