Welcome to “Travel with Max,” a new monthly column exploring the art of wandering — from quick New England escapes to journeys that take you far from anywhere familiar. I’m Max Hartshorne, a longtime travel editor and the host of the GoNOMAD Travel Podcast. For more than 25 years, I’ve been publishing GoNOMAD.com from right here in South Deerfield, sharing stories, tips and discoveries with travelers near and far. I’m excited to bring that same spirit to the Recorder’s readers, offering practical advice, curious detours and inspiration for your next adventure … so here goes:
A month ago, I took a trip to a city I’d never heard of, and saw some things I had never even imagined. It started on the way to Lleida, a town about 80 miles east of Barcelona, where we made a stop in an industrial area, with gigantic cement pieces lined up, bordered by tall stacker conveyors towering over a nondescript tan building. After our welcome with Catalonia cheese, wine, and cake in an office, we set off and entered a long, wide hall. There were two huge art exhibits in this hall, one with a series of trompe-l’oeil openings and then real openings that looked the same. In a second building, another exhibit showed a grainy film playing in a giant loop as the people jumped from screen to screen. It felt like I was in the famed MASS MoCA, the gigantic avant-garde art gallery located in North Adams.
The castle’s owner
Raimat is best known for its Castell de Raimat, a fortress that has stood watch over thousands of hectares of vineyards for centuries. The castle is still owned by the Carandini family, whose stewardship has transformed what was once barren land into one of Spain’s most innovative wine regions. We met the matriarch, Elena de Carandini, who posed in front of the castle where she lives. She’s the 14th generation of Carandinis; today, they have wineries in Napa and in Argentina, as well as this 8400-acre estate in Spain.
Born in 2022 and twinned with California’s Festival Napa Valley, the Raimat Arts Festival is held every October. It’s not just a music festival — it’s a legitimate eco route. Like so many other places I found in Spain, being green is very big over here, stricter rules and more recycling.
Over four days, internationally renowned musicians and emerging talents perform in the castle courtyard and in a vineyard between the rows of grapes, blending classical music with contemporary collaborations.
Walking into the festival feels like stepping into a living tapestry: the golden light of Lleida’s vineyards, the hum of anticipation, and the resonance of violins echoing against stone walls. It’s a reminder that culture thrives not only in big cities but also in places where tradition and innovation meet.
Lleida: A city of towers and hidden gems
Just a short drive from Raimat lies Lleida, a city often overlooked by travelers rushing between Barcelona and Madrid. Yet Lleida rewards those who pause. Its skyline is dominated by La Seu Vella, the Old Cathedral, perched on a hilltop like a sentinel. Built in the 13th century, the cathedral is a masterpiece of Romanesque and Gothic architecture; climbing its bell tower offers sweeping views of the Segre River valley. The open-air colonnade is striking and different from any large church I’ve ever seen.
Barcelona: Music and football
No journey through Catalonia is complete without Barcelona, and for this trip, two sites capture the city’s soul: the Palau de la Música Catalana and the FC Barcelona Stadium Museum.
Palau de la Música Catalana
The Palau de la Música Catalana, often called the Palace of Music, is a jewel of Catalan modernism. Designed by architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner and inaugurated in 1908, it’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most beautiful concert halls in the world. Step inside and you’re enveloped by stained glass, mosaics, and sculptural flourishes that seem to turn music into architecture. The skylight alone — a cascade of colored glass — feels like sunlight transformed into melody.
The Palau isn’t just a building; it’s the beating heart of Catalan musical tradition. Founded by the choir association Orfeó Català, it continues to host performances ranging from classical symphonies to flamenco fusions. Sitting in its hall, you sense the pride of a culture that has always expressed itself through art and song.
MAX HARTSHORNE / For the Recorder
FC Barcelona Stadium Museum
Then there’s football. In Barcelona, it’s not just a sport — it’s identity, history and passion rolled into one. The FC Barcelona Museum is the most visited in the city, drawing more than a million fans annually. While the stadium undergoes renovation as part of the Espai Barça project, the museum has temporarily moved to the Palau de Gel, offering state-of-the-art interactive exhibits.
Inside, you’ll find the club’s glittering trophy room — five Champions League titles, countless domestic honors — and multimedia installations that trace Barça’s journey from its founding in 1899 to its global stature today. There’s even a section dedicated to Lionel Messi, who played some of his best football during his 17 years at FCB. But beyond the trophies, the museum tells a deeper story: Barça as “Més que un club” — more than a club. The stadium under construction now will make the existing arena much larger — it will hold up to 104,000 fans. The man who took us on the tour of the museum said he was a member of the club too, so he was entitled to buy tickets. The costs go up if it’s a great team or rivalry like Madrid, but it is still much less than the cost of American Football game tickets.
Max Hartshorne is a longtime travel editor and the host of the GoNOMAD Travel Podcast. For more than 25 years, he has been publishing GoNOMAD.com from right here in South Deerfield, sharing stories, tips, and discoveries with travelers near and far.
