◄Exploring the Past► 
July 2009
A Catalunyan Summer

Following In The Footsteps
of

Pere Miquel Romaguera

 

In the picture Michael stands at the door of the church where his great great great Grandfather Pere Miquel Romaguera was Baptized in 1828 before before setting off  at the age of 16 for Puerto Rico in the greater Antilles. There Pere Miquel met and married  his wife, Ana Roura Tort, in Guayama, Puerto Rico where they raised 6 children.   In 1889, his wife having died in Puerto Rico in 1878 and being in bad health, Pere Miquel decided to return to Catalunya. No cure was found and Pere Miquel died and was buried in his native land . One Hundred and twenty years later his descendant, Michael Ruddy Romaguera made a voyage to see the land of his ancestor. Michael's mother Ana María Romaguera, her life cut short, died before her dream of Michael seeing the ancient home of the Romaguera's in Catalunya could be fulfilled. In July 2009 her dream was converted to reality when Michael and his father left for Catalunya. Michael was about the same age Pere Miquel was when Pere set off for the new world. We decided stay in a "Bed and Breakfast" named Cal Fonei in the old town of Castell d'Aro where the family's church still stands. Pepe and Chris welcomed us to Cal Fonei, our home in the foothills of Castell d'Aro. Cal Fonei provided us with the flavor of old Catalunya, but in a modern setting. The house was a reconstructed old great house with all the modern conveniences. With Cal Fonei as the hub of our activities, we toured the area around Castell d'Aro for four days . Then we set out to tour the rest of Catalunya; but  even after such a short stay, it was like leaving home as we bid good bye to Pepe and Chris and and turned south towards Barcelona, Tarragona, Lleida and Aragón. Our decision had been to remain out of the tourist filled beach areas but be able to access the beaches using the roads to Platja d'Aro and Sant Feliu de Guíxols, and having done it, I would do it again! During our vacation in Spain we saw castles in Castile-León and Aragon, toured Asturias, and spent time in the French Pyrennes, but the best part of the trip was the four days we spent in Castell d'Aro living Ana María's dream.

 

Top Left: Cal Fonei   --  Top Right: Roman Ruins at Empúries
Bottom Left: Tossa de Mar -- Bottom Right; The  Streets of Castell d'Aro