Serendipity in mountains

Barcelona is one of the major tourist destinations in Spain, but few people think of the city as a gateway to the mighty mountains and ski resorts during the winter season. The glittering Mediterranean, stretching endlessly on the horizon under the warm sun, even warming in the winter months, creates the perception that Barcelona belongs to the sea, sun and beaches under blue skies. Yet, there is a whole world of mountain wonders within a couple of hours’ reach for those who wish to explore the road less traveled.

Thanks to our Spanish colleagues, this year’s annual meeting of the SCIJ Ski Club of International Journalists took place in the Spanish Pyrenees Mountains in Vall de Boí (Boí Valley), a historic region of Catalonia, Spain. SCIJ gatherings take place in a different country every year, where member journalists arrange and pay for their own travel and contribute a moderate fee to the club. The hosting country organizes the rest, especially the cultural tours exploring the history, architecture and gastronomy of the region. The 71st event this year brought together over 90 colleagues together, from 23 different countries, spending a week together between 1 and 7 March 2026; a week full of activities from giant-slalom to cross country racing, the excitement of the elections of the general assembly and think tank meetings covering a wide range of critical topics, from developments in the Middle East to the threat of global warming on ski resorts, and the ethical and structural challenges the press faces due to the rapid spread of artificial intelligence.

Taste of mountains: GastroPirineus

Set against the foothills of the Pyrenees, there was a surprise waiting for me at the Boí-Taüll Ski Resort: GastroPirienus, an event dedicated to the gastronomic delights of the mountains. Fortunately, the event coincided with our first day on the slopes, giving us a great introduction to the exclusive tastes of the mighty mountains. The Pyrenees, like many mountain ranges around the world, is home to ovine and bovine breeding, a haven for shepherding and herding. Here, shepherding is celebrated as a cultural heritage; one can even see the silhouette of a lonely shepherd statue perched on a distant mountain ridge, celebrating the true owners of the rocky hills. The local cheeses and air-cured sausages of the valley are exceptional, carrying the flavor of wild herbs and foliage. When we are talking about foliage, it all reflects in local produce. The alluring aromas of the mountains are encapsulated in the region’s exceptional honeys, some amber-colored, some creamily cloudy, but all with a heavenly perfume.

The local cuisine is earthy and hearty, fulfilling, simple yet satisfying. A simple soup of beans, chickpeas and pasta will sustain you for the whole day; a chicken or rabbit stew will ensure a satisfying dinner. Sometimes, you do not even need a dessert; mató cheese, similar to ricotta, doused generously with aromatic mountain honey and sprinkled with crushed walnuts, is more than enough. In a way, the cuisine of the mountains depends solely on the taste of its components. The pure taste of the mountain ingredients is akin to the vernacular architecture of the valley. The small, picturesque villages dotting the Pyrenees valleys feature well-preserved local architecture with exceptional stone masonry. The Romanesque churches are fascinating with their bold, pure, no-frills style. Yet, the colorful interior frescoes open a different world to the viewer. They are like the hidden flavors that explode in your mouth when you taste the unique flavor of a local product in a humble-looking peasant dish.

High cuisine at high altitude

Much to my excitement, the 11th edition of GastroPirineus celebrated not only local products but also had presentations by outstanding top chefs, both from the region and the Catalan capital, Barcelona. To name a few, chefs from the Pyrenees such as Eli Farrero from El Ventador (Barruera), Miriam Oliva from L’Aüt (Erill la Vall), Marcos Pedarròs from Er Occitan (Bossòst in Vall d’Aran), Mariano Gonzalvo from Lo Paller de Coc (Surp) and Axier Arbilla from Arbeletxe (La Seu d’Urgell) were there, each presenting their mountain-inspired dishes. Situated at an altitude of 2,035 meters in a makeshift tent near the ski slopes, GastroPirineus proved that high altitude can indeed equal high cuisine, all chefs doing their best, despite the chill of the weather.

The real surprise was meeting chef Oriol Castro, from 3-Michelin-starred restaurant Disfrutar in Barcelona, which also holds the title of the Best Restaurant in the World at the 50 Best List. I know Oriol from various gastronomy events in Türkiye and in Spain, and I’ve celebrated my birthday twice at Disfrutar. I was already planning an interview with him and his two partners, chefs Eduard Xatruch and Mateu Casañas, so it was like serendipity to meet him at the peak of the mountains. Oriol’s presentation was titled “The Latest Techniques from Disfrutar,” and another surprise: one new playful creation was a snow-like candy floss, almost like our “pişmaniye.” When plating the feathery sugar threads on a plate, he saluted me, saying that it was very similar to what we have in Turkish cuisine. The surprise chain was not over yet. To his surprise, I had some variations of “pişmaniye” with me, one from Kastamonu, “çekme helva,” and another from Eskişehir, “met helva.” Both were intended for sharing with SCIJ friends, but ended up in Oriol’s bag, to be shared by another legendary Oriol. Unfortunately, the day before, I missed the presentation by master pastry chef and chocolatier Oriol Balaguer from Barcelona, when he created “Vall de Boí Snow Cake," a sweet metaphor for the surrounding landscape. But, at least, I did have the opportunity to meet him in person. Now, I have another reason to come back to have a bite of his creations. To admit, I was a bit reluctant to join and was thinking of skipping this year. But in the end, I surrendered to the mountains, and it proved to be full of serendipitous encounters.