Mas la Boella -- spectacular Catalonia resort incorporates history, wine, nature, olive oil and modern amenities

The view from our balcony at Hotel Mas La Boella: tranquil, at sunset, welcoming, quiet, serene and beautiful. The resort sports a noted restaurant and convention center, with an imposing 12th Century home as its centerpiece.

The estate's thoughtful design incorporates elements of the 12th Century home and mill, honoring southern Spain's  legacy of producing some of the world's finest olive oil.  

STORY BY CHRISTENE MEYERS

PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER

and courtesy Hotel Mas La Boella

ONLY AN HOUR-PLUS drive from bustling Barcelona, an oasis of calm and pleasure awaits.

Hotel Mas La Boella is a beautifully designed boutique hotel with 13 elegant suites -- each distinct and artfully decorated -- named after the estate's bountiful variety of grapes and olives.

We discovered this paradise while researching unusual places to stay, a tradition in our ten years of visiting southern Spain with its enticing array of boutique hotels and paradors.

DRAWN TO picturesque and historic Tarragona province, we were intrigued by the allure of La Boella. Foodies and olive fanciers, we loved that we'd douse our bread with oil made from the estate's own trees.  We appreciated that one of southern Spain's famed chefs creates the restaurant's delicacies.  Fragrant Tarragona wines and 300 other global offerings complement Manuel Ramirez' beautifully presented plates.

A simple, delicious appetizer olive begins the feast at Espai Fortuny.

BEAUTY AWAITS the beholder everywhere.  Various elements are at play, all enhanced by nature.  The place has history -- a 12th Century country house is equipped with the latest technology.  So the hotel is pampering and serene, yet completely modern.  Our balcony offered stunning views of the olive groves, gardens and vineyards.  Our suite was beautifully enhanced with pleasing paintings evoking nearby nature. Yet we could be on line, catching up on work.

La Boella's stunning beauty extends inside and outside the estate. Everything is constructed with the highest standards in the estate, popular for weddings, parties, luxurious events and conferences.

We strolled the grounds, admiring the mill where La Boella's famous extra virgin olive oil is made -- and we toured the factory, enjoying a tasting after. 

Olive oil is serious business in  Mediterranean countries, each believing its product is superior.  We'd be hard pressed (no pun intended) to  find more delicious olive oil than that produced at La Boella.  We poured it over our beautifully cooked eggs.  We dipped our bread in it.  We became olive oil junkies in our several days there.  And we came home with bottles which we proudly and sparingly use, remembering a special time in a peaceful place.

Lauded Catalan chef, Manuel Ramirez, sets the tone for exquisite meals,  artfully prepared with quality ingredients, including the estate's own olive oil.

THE LOVELY HOTEL is recently constructed, but has the feeling of  age -- with lacquered wood, huge windows, gorgeous giant beds ("more for dreaming than sleeping," they say. And it's true.)

Breakfast at La Boella features freshly made muffins and rosquilla (donuts.)

Service is an art at a La Boella meal. Here, Cookie chooses cheeses for dessert.

WE ENJOYED leisurely meals at the resort's highly regarded restaurant, which even in late autumn was frequented by locals as well as other lucky travelers. Service is an art form at restaurant Espai Fortuny, where we capped the day with elegant, tasty lamb

and fish, handsomely presented, accented with the resort's greens. 

Olive oils, made on the estate's mill, and other condiments await guests. La Boella's fine wines and extra virgin olive oils are sold in a lovely shop.

Stairway to the stars (and our suite) with a leather covered hand rail. For more information: website: laboella.com; email: info@laboella.com 

Keller took this photo on our last night at one of our most memorable resorts:  peaceful, beautiful, satisfying. OUR HOME on the Costa Daurada was as fragrant as it was picturesque.  Orange trees, lavender, magnolia, rosemary and soothing sounds of a fountain all beckon us back. .

A bighorn sheep waits out the winter near Nye, Montana.

UP NEXT: Taking a break from winter, Montana is truly a state for all seasons and reasons, but our favorite times are when the sun shines brightly so we can look for birds, the leaves aren't yet on the trees (or have just been shed) and we don't need three layers of clothing to fend off the freeze.  Coming up: a look at Montana in all its seasonal splendors -- including the transition from autumn to winter, for many, the favorite time to view birds and wildlife, and truly feel the change of seasons. Remember to explore, learn and live and catch us each Friday for a fresh look travel, art, nature, family and whatever strikes our fancy.