Webmaster introduction. The following (translated) text originates from the book, of the same name, provided to me by Rafael Reynal, of California, documenting a family branch descending originally from Northern Spain through South America. Click on the "thumbnail" images to bring up an enlargement (then push BACK button to return to story).
MEMORY
OF ONE "TROBADA" (REUNION)
OF THE REYNAL FAMILY
Sant Climent Sescebes (Saint Clement Sescebes)
Comarca
de Alt Empordà (High Emporda Region)
Diputacío de Girona (Gerona County Council)
Catalunya (Catalonia)
1st "TROBADA" OF THE REYNAL FAMILY
All depends, know it!
of faith, of love,
of the works.
All depends of us,
all depends especially about all of you,
the young people!
Saint Clement Sescebes - April 1994
2nd "TROBADA" OF THE REYNAL FAMILY
To turn means to follow,
to follow means to carry on,
The second "Trobada" of the Reynal Family means:
to turn, to follow, to carry on:
Saint Clement Sescebes, June, 1996
Text and picture compilation
Rafael Reynal
Edited by
William J. Reynal
General Production
Ecos en Palermo
Design and diagram work
Sergio R. Marin
Printing place
Buenos Aires, Argentina
First edition
September, 1996
1st Reunion of the Reynal Family in Saint Clement Sescebes (April, 1994). Were assisted from the Argentina branch: Raquel Llauró Reynal de Celoria, her daughter, María Cristina Araujoreynal de Masson.
MEMORY OF ONE "TROBADA" OF THE REYNAL FAMILY
We have designed this album thinking to create a family memory. The idea was born from some of us experience, that we have had the joy of living during our visit to Saint Clement Sescebes, in Gerona, Juan Reynal's native town, our father, grandfather, great-grandfather or great-great-grandfather, according to the case. Juan (Joan or Joanet Reynal Gene, as better known in Catalonia) was the third son of Jaume Reynal and Caterina Gene marriage. His oldest brother, Pere (Peter), and his sister Margarita, completed the family. This work is about the members who form that family: The Reynal Family.
Here we are not going to tell the Joan history, because is already delightfully told and documented in the Raquel Llauró de Celoria's book: "Doña Paula and Don Juan". Our purpose is to diffuse that book and complete it with this album that updates some family information, add some images, pictures and impressions of our recently reunion. We want to spread between us all things that make a family, as our roots, our histories and, above anything else, our love link.
Our purpose is this album be a continuation or second part of the "Trobadas" (reunions) of the Reynal Family, that the Catalonia Reynals organized. We want to carry on with their initiative and to deepen our mutual approach or, in other words, our family bonds.
A family! For us, the Argentina Reynals, this word need an explanation that for our Catalonia cousins perhaps doesn't. Between us, for all sort of reasons, in rare occasions family is more than our first cousins. Maybe because we are a lot (Joan and Paula have a big descent), because some of us live far away (in different places in Argentina and out of there, especially in the United States of America), or because rhythm and lifestyle take us to it. The majority, the last generations, left the country for the cities and different activities. We don't know and recognize each other in a close or familiar way, like we do with our cousins in Catalonia (it is important to recognize the same thing happen to them with the Reynals that live in France). No doubt, the absent of a physical and emotional space in common, has to do with the fact that happens like this. While Paula and Joan were alive, the Sunday reunions in their house were a unavoidable "rite" of the family. But later, that common place was not recreated, and without it, it's hard to maintain the union of an increasing family.
Family needs share time and experiences to maintain its bonds through the next generations. It's natural when this doesn't happen, bonds weakens slowly from generation to generation. Therefore, if between a lot of us in Argentina we don't know each other, in consequence it's not amazing that we don't know ourselves with the Catalonia's Reynals and even less, with the residents in Agde, to the other side of the border in France. For the same reason, it would seem natural that the Catalonia's Reynals were who have thought in all of us, as "family." They never left the common place: the paternal house. Even now, a lot of them keep on living and forming integral part of our original town, Saint Clement Sescebes, where every day a history is rebuilt, in which one the Argentina's Reynals have been physically absent for four generations.
The "Trobadas", notwithstanding, have shown that the rootlessness is just our, from the Argentina's Reynals. The "Trobadas" have shown also, by good fortune, that this status quo doesn't mean an inevitable situation or even irreparable. Joan never closed the door behind him when he was very young and left Saint Clement Sescedes "to make it in America" in Argentina. His affection and concern for his relatives in Catalonia, was converted in hard times with no doubt in firm help. This was product of a big love that he knew how to keep during his whole life. That fact, evidently, is the other element that has made possible this family reunions since more than a century from his departure. Joan left a great value precedent and with that, the seed that today fructifies.
The family meaning that Catalonia's Reynals preserves and the image of Uncle Joan that remains in their memories, have made possible this reencounter, which was surrounded with sincere affection. Anyone who have the pleasure to enjoy these experiences, knows that the welcomes were extended to every one of us. In one sense, therefore, we are only passing the message. Also we are trying to be reciprocal composing an album that works to update our link. That's why as we said in the beginning, this album does not pretend to be more than a family memory. Our hope is to incentive a lot of us in both latitudinal extremes to continue and to reinforcement our bonds making good use of the wonderful idea that our Catalonia cousins had.
2nd. Reunion of the Reynal Family in Saint Clement Sescebes (June, 1996). We're assisted from de Argentina branch: William J. ("Billy"), his daughter Shalimar Reynal de Cogevinas and his son Rafael Reynal.
The "Argentine" Reynals participants in the 2nd "Trobada" in front of the Reynal House. The Joan's descendants are the only ones in the family that we have still the last name "Reynal", due to Pere, his only brother, just two of his daughters had descendants. The Reynals that live in Saint Clement Sescebes are Margarita's descendants, his sister.
2nd TROBADA OF THE
REYNAL FAMILY
JUNE 1996
It is not easy to talk about the experience that with my father, William J. (Billy) Reynal, and my sister, Shalimar Reynal de Cogevinas, have had the pleasure to live. Really is more than that. It is the wonderful experience that the Catalonia Reynals have made us to live. Though no one stop thinking about it and to talk to the rest, the translation in words is not easy and I am afraid that the try to do it won't be fair.
The experience, as is said, has left us "without words", it has to be "lived" to understand its real dimensions. Therefore, here I am going to limit transcribing in words my impressions of the encounter. As it will be seen, this are irremediably tied to my emotions and feelings. I haven't found more appropriate way to transmit and to share this personal experience.
REGARDING THE
REENCOUNTER IN
SAINT CLEMENT SESCEBES
The Saint Clement Sescebes town, as Capmany town (they are 5 kilometers distance from each other), forms part of the High Emporda Region located in the northeast extreme of the Girona province. The High Emporda is the Spain northeast extreme, located between France to the north and the Mediterranean sea to the east in the Costa Brava. The proximity to the coast and the relative low height of the Pyrenees in its proximity to the sea, have converted this region in the "obliged" pass between the Iberic Penynsul and the rest of the European continent. Regarding this, this region has played a permanent roll in the West history since the greeks of the antiquity until the current continental configuration.
The High Emporda, as a result, is a history "museum" where is plentiful of ancient civilizations vestiges -dolmens (funeral monument as table shape), mehenires (arab monument), greek and roman ruins, masias (country house of Arragon and Catalonia), ermits (small chapel outside of a town), and medieval castles. But this heritage is not only archeological or architectonic, most important cultural: In spite of suffering a long time spanish domination, this historic legacy is alive in a People that has known how to incorporate, to preserve and to exist inside it. The catalan proud, his sense of identity, is marked by this sense of membership: to be catalan is to be a synthesis of all this and at the same time, a distinctive and homogenous cultural unity. This wealthy complementation, for example, emerges clearly from our last name origin (see "Reynal Surname Origin") where we find how the aboriginal blood (romanesque or romanized strongly) was mixed with the germanic invaders groups blood (as the visigoths and franks). For the same reason, though there were not comparable evidences, the dark skin and the eye color of one of us, sometimes have done to think in the probably existence of aboriginal arab ancestor. This possibility is not too faint considering the long time presence of these people in the rest of the Iberic Peninsula.
The High Emporda Region is closely related with the autonomy of the small villages (Saint Clement Sescebes has a little more than four hundred habitants, and Capmany has a little less) and the wine production. The wine production is a tradition and a proud source and, of course, source of jobs and income. Today, the individual (or family) private production is made at the same time than the cooperatives that have been organized in every village. The Saint Clement Sescebes Agricultural Cooperative, presided by Salvador Planas Soler, recently was 25 years of existence. There, the production of the Family is added to the production of the neighbors. Capmany also has a lot of reputation for the quality of its wine and typical food.
Following the little wavy roads that go through cultivated agricultural plots with grapevine, olive trees, and cork oak woods, every bunch of kilometers we pass little villages and towns (with as little as 100 to 500 habitants), houses with a stone front and red tiles, and the protuberant churches with bell tower of romanesque or gothic architecture. While this villages frequently are associated surrounding some antique monastery or castle, and the vestiges of its walls (walled cities) remind us of instability and world conquest times; traveling through its paths we can find the mehenires and dolmens spread along the region. If the amount of castles and monasteries that were sacked and on ruins is a memory about our past of violence and oppression, that kept on until Francisco Franco regime, the restoration works mean strong determination of the Catalan people trying to recover their historic legacy.
The Catalan resurrection is not limited to the language recovering but to its culture in all the expressions. The traditional celebrations are recuperating their site in their villages, as the Corpus celebration (when the catholic church celebrates the festivity of eucharist or the christian sacrament that remembers the sacrifice of Christ with the transformation of flesh and blood) where we were assisted in Borrassa. To say mass is consisted in a procession that walks around the streets covered with flowers, while the balconies and windows show the best tables cloth (local handy craft), and it concludes with the traditional sardana dance (traditional catalan dance with music) that reunifies all together in a Catalan "ritual-hug-dance" at central square. The courage and talent of the Catalan people is also shown in the remarkable intellectuals and artist whit Salvador Dali's level, whose museum in Figueres or his house in Cadaqués are testimony of contemporary art. No less magnificent is the efficient capacity of work and industry (see "Doña Paula y Don Juan") that makes Catalonia the most prosperous in Spain region.
But it is not only the Costa Brava geographical beauty, the millennial architecture exuberance or, even, the notorious talent and industrious character of the people, that make High Emporda a very attractive place for immigration from other Spain regions or for the tourism of whole world. To all of us, the Argentine Reynals that have had the delight to visit our aboriginal country, we are amazed above all for the sensibility and kindness of the people. Everybody has been impacted for the "human ware". All of us have the feeling of "belonging". The Catalonia Reynals have made us feel part of all this, genuine members of a family history that even the time, distance or any other contingency couldn't make it dissapear. We are "family": we are, symbolically, uncle Joan that is born again in any of his sons, daughters, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, great-great-grandchildren. That's the purpose of the "Trobadas": to invite to go back to Uncle Joan's "home," as long time ago he invited his Catalonia brothers to Argentina.
The "Trobadas" are product of the brilliant idea and effort of three Catalonia cousins: María Rosa Camps de Perxés, Salvador Planas Soler and Jordi Planas Soler. The purpose was the reunion of the Reynals who were Jaume Reynal and Caterina Gené's descendants, who are disseminated in three branches and, most important, in three geographical areas: Catalonia (basically on High Emporda), Agde (France) and Argentina (residents in United States included). The principal reason, I think, was to celebrate the reunion of a family. To update and to close our link, and to give us ourselves and our children the possibility to know us and, why not, to love each other as brothers as we are.
If one of the purpose of the reunion was to know those relatives that in different times and circumstances had to emigrate to another region, another motive, for sure, was that we could know our aboriginal place: not just the house where he was born or the town where Joan grew up, but, also, all that history that even now is drawing in the character, customs and activities of its people. To know Saint Clement Sescebes and the Catalonia Reynals is to know ourselves a little bit better. Even that way, our trip was not an introspective trip [toward our identity interior] or retrospective [toward the back of our family history], but, basically an updated physical and affective reencounter. The idea was that we know each other and so we could have the chance to link us more actively, it means, that the common roots were useful to consolidate something more valuable and current than the reconstruction of a genealogical tree.
They made it! They really made it! Every one of us feel that in Catalonia has found something more than a family. All of us feel that we have made friends. And we want to carry on and to deepen our friendship. They also made possible, even when it was not in their plans, that the Argentine Reynals started to link more actively. When we came back from the trip, some of the participants of the two "Trobadas" had a meeting in Aunt Nota's house (Catalina Reynal Llauró) to share experiences and to dream on future visits. It's worth to remember that Aunt Nota and Uncle Paquín (Martín Reynal Llauró) were present, they made that first visit to Saint Clement Sescebes in 1930 (see the narration of Paula "Puita" Reynal Llauró in "Doña Paula and Don Juan"). For this reason, just for a reciprocity matter, we believe that it belongs to us the work to plan the next reencounter. It also belongs to us the transmission of our experience to others that have not had the chance to live, in Billy Reynal's words "the most beautiful experience of my life."
REGARDING CATALONIA REYNAL FAMILY
Just looking at the pictures of the two reunions it can be appreciated that we are a big family: we are a lot. If it is looked with more detail, we will discover that some of the faces change: the French branch participating in the 1st. "Trobada" couldn't attend the 2nd. The fact is that we have five generations: Note, Puita y Paquín's first cousins (Encarnació, Caterina y Paula); second cousins of the generation of Raquel, María Cristina and Billy (Silvestre, Floreci and Cremenci); third cousins of the generation of María, Shalimar and Rafael (María Rosa, Salvador y Jordi); and fourth cousins of the Reynals new generation.
These bonds, that to us seem very distant, for them it is a single generic term of "cousins." Although between some of them the generation distance are equals than the distance that we have with them, they try themselves as family members: everyone is family. Then, for our genuine amazement, we didn't delay even an instant, to realize that we were in our family. Therefore, the feeling an sensation of belonging to the physical and affective space was immediate and total. We were in home. As far as an ocean of distance from Argentina and, however we were in "our" home. That was incredible!
Maybe because they still live in Saint Clement Sescebes and surrounding areas, the closer relationship during the 2nd. "Trobada" were materialized with Margarita's descendants, the Joan's loved sister. Especially her grandchildren Silvestre and María Planas Soler, Florenci and Dolores Planas Jou, and Cremenci and Salvadora Camps Planas. Also the children of them: Salvador and Carmen Planas Grabuleda, Jordi and Angels Planas Font, and María Rosa and Pere Perxés Camps, who were generous with care and affection, without forgetting Carles Camps Planas, Albert and Deli Planas Martínez, and Joseph and Margarita Edo Llaste. And her numerous grandchildren: Marta, Pere (and Carme), María, Silvia, Eduard, Carmen, Esther, Josep, Genis, Nuria, and Cristina. Obviously, I want to apologize to all of them that I forgot to mention.
Perhaps, also, because we stayed for a while in their house ("Reynal Home"), we shared the most intimate moments and, no doubt, for their neverending enthusiasm, Silvestre and María Planas were recorded in our memory. Silvestre, the "patriarch" as they call him, is a truly charming person. It's a pleasure to share his good sense of humor, and his excellent dominion of sardana and tango, and his collection of memories (letters and pictures) of the family. There we found, for instance, the letters that Joan wrote to his sister with newspaper cuttings about the Saint Paula polo team exploit. Billy's face had to be seen when Silvestre took out from an envelope his father's picture (Juan Reynal Llauró) and his polo team, in a tour to England.
When I came back, I was reading "Doña Paula and Don Juan," I felt glad to see how Puita, in her letter which tells about her visit to Saint Clement Sescebes in 1930, she talks about her "second nephews" Silvestre and Florenci, 16 and 14 years old respectively, (and her already passed away sister and brother: Lola and Cosme) and relates how Paquin was the driver during the visit trip. This last fact we already knew it, because, for Silvestre, the impression and amazement to the arrive of his Uncle and Aunt in that impressive automobile is even now as it had been yesterday.
Not only "Reynal Home" opened its doors to us. In every relative home we were welcome with same affection. And as they are (or we are) a lot, I feel that we had (and we have) a home in every corner of the Gerona province: Saint Clement Sescebes, Figueres, Vilabertan, L'Escala, and Gerona. In Saint Clement Sescebes I was received in the Camps Planas family house; in Figueres by the Planas Jou family; in Vilabertan by the Planas Font family; in Gerona by the Perxés Camps family. Silvestre was my trip and "mischief" partner (always we were late to the delicious dinner that María cooked). His son Salvador took us to visit the Empúries ruins and he made me to know the wine production cooperative where he is the chairman, and with his other son, Jordi, we traveled by Vilabertran and Saint María monastery, and we assisted to the local team soccer game, the U.E. Figueres. Jordi's daughter, María, took me to Borrassa and its colorful and touching Corpus celebration. Salvadora and her granddaughter guided me in the Gerona trip. An interesting note: Esther Perxés Camps owes her name to one of the Joan's daughter and Raquel's mother, Esther Reynal Llauró.
Regarding the activities and professions of our Catalonia cousins, only I can tell the little bit that I remember. Silvestre was working until last year when a car accident without major consequences forced him since that day, when he was 80, to dedicate to the "family amusement." Same activity is performed by the marriage Planas Jou, Dolores and Florenci, both are retired from their hair cut activities in Figueres. Salvador has a bus and travel agency in figueres (Ampurdán-Bus S. L.) where he works till noon, while in the afternoon he presides the Saint Clement Sescebes Agricultural Cooperative and he works in the vineyard and family orchard, with his wife Carmen. Jordi presides (Managing Director) a branch of Figueres del Gros Mercat, a big wholesale supermarkets, and his wife, Angels, helps him on bookkeeping. Jordi is also involved in the restoration and conservation of the historical and architectural legacy of his village, Vilabertan. Albert Planas Jou is the owner of a nautical items store and also of the nautical keeper office in Empuria-brava. Carles Camps Planas is the medical doctor in his native town, L'Escala, and the director of the delightful chorus of Saint Clement Sescebes church.
From the youngest generation: Marta has a doctorate in Chemistry, she works at Gerona University and she is planning to study a post-doctorate on the University of Minnesota; Pere, the banker, in the afternoons is the representative of Caixa of Gerona in the Saint Clement Sescebes branch, activity that also does in the mornings on Biure, and the last year he personified Jesus in the Crucifixion Procession on Saint Clement Sescebes. María studies architecture in Barcelona; and Esther studies Jurisprudence in Gerona. As we see, our cousins are working people with a diversity of motivations and duties, in addition they know how to maintain compromises with their people, traditions and villages.
REGARDING A TRADITION
THAT
DESERVES TO PRESERVE
The original idea of the "Trobadas" or "Reynaladas," that took us with a lot of surprise and amazement, it's also consequent of the tradition to respect -to keep or, to recover- the traditional link. Therefore, it is an idea that has its origin in a cultural tradition (family name), that over there goes on with stronger force than we are used to think in our beloved Argentina, big country, perpetual change society, and with lives marked by continuos moving. Therefore the natural way that they received us in their house, increased the amazement and emotion to our emotive welcome to "our house." Consequently, also, the sincere feelings that they expressed with the same strong in spite of they were in their own land.
All of this reminds me the kindness and affection that Joan always showed for his Catalonia brothers, despite that he just came back to his native town once (in 1930) and older (soon to be 63 years old). Joan never stopped to worry about his family, and they remember this and respect it as something invaluable. That's why, I believe this marvelous experience also can be understood as a legacy the he left to all of us. Family is to share. To enjoy the happiness and solidarity at every moment. The family, then, accomplish the union function, that it's the primary element and essential of the RE-union or "Trobada". This whole thing have been understood by María Rosa, Salvador and Jordi, and fed as milk right from the cradle, and thanks God, they decided to take it to the highest and most wonderful expression: make it come true. No doubt a brilliant idea. Thanks! Thanks a lot for a gift that for us has been (and will be) a wonderful and unforgettable experience. They have obtained a family reunion. They gained that we, the Argentine Reynals had recuperated our bonds with a physical an affective place to that is proud to belong.
A PERSONAL NOTE: Much more than a dream
I already have expressed it personally in the occasion of the 2nd. "Trobada", and I wish to reiterate it now. I do it under my name because I know, that being this my particular case, it's not necessarily the other's case. I remember that more than 15 years ago when I was in Angélica Reynal de Thieriot's house, in San Francisco, California, I saw for first and only time a copy of the book "Doña Paula and Don Juan". It awaked my interest, though, perhaps for the hurried young eagerness, I didn't give it the importance than now I know it deserved.
Life and academic work, from then, have taken me to study History in detail and the events that have happened in the American and European societies during the last centuries. And so many times my imagination led me to speculate where my ancestors could be all that time: where they were living, in what kind of activity they were spending their lives, etceteras. I had a vague idea about all this, even I never counted on completed information. Life in American continent is absorbent, and the bonds with the old continent have been losing little by little and generation to generation. As it was an inevitable process, I was resigned to it… until some day, when I was by chance in Angélica's place, I received the new of the "Trobada."
My first impulse was clearly "selfish": I wanted to know our original place, its people lifestyle and history. Lately I thought over and I realized that somebody was inviting me to make that trip; it means, it was not a merely tourist trip, it was a family reunion. My confusion was natural. I never thought that some day I would be able to know our original land, instead I realize that I was in some place of the Catalans Pyrenes near the France border. Far from that I couldn't have imagined to know my great -grandfather's native house, and much less, to know my Catalonia relatives. But everything that I could image, even that I knew of the trip that I was ready to take, I couldn't anticipate the things that followed.
The "Trobada" did all this and even more, no doubt much more. It was not just a visit, it was, as I said before, to be back home. They hugged and accommodated us not only as travelers, they did it as a brother who came back home. And like that, in an instant, they skipped more than a century and the distance of an ocean. The happiness was seen in our faces and it was flown out from every word we said.
Our Catalonia brothers gave us back a family and a paternal home, and they did it with naturalness and affection to whom loves their brother, and wants to know them. Anything in my more fantastic imagination could have anticipated something like this. It's wonderful!
Rafael Reynal
Buenos Aires, July 4, 1996
THE REYNAL FAMILY
Pictures of the 2nd. Reunion of the Reynal family
In front, to the left, Rafael Reynal, the author, and María Rosa Camps de Perxés, one of the organizers of the "Reynalada".
Stand, left, María Rosa's parents, the marriage Camps Planas (Cremenci Camps Carré and Salvadora Planas. Right, next to me, Pere Perxés Roura (María Rosa's husband) and Pere Planas Grabuleda.
Left, between William J. and Shalimar Reynal, Angels Font de Planas, who had the kindness and "courage" to borrow his car to me for the numerous trips. To the bottom, with a heavy beard, doctor Carles Camps Planas, medical doctor in L'Escala and chorus director in Saint Clement Sescebes.
Rafael Reynal, Silvestre Planas Carré, and his son, Jordi Planas Soler. Jordi was another organizer of the "Reynalada".
William J. Reynal, Angels Font de Planas, Marta Planas Grabuleda and Rafael Reynal.
Rafael Reynal with the marriages Planas Soler and Planas Jou.
María Planas Font and her grandfather Silvestre Planas Carré during Corpus celebration in Borrassa.
The marriages Planas Soler and Planas Jou in the balcony of "Reynal House"
María Soler de Planas, Dolores ("Lola") Jou de Planas, Florenci and Silvestre Planas Carré.
Silvestre Planas Carré, in his house, "Reynal House," where we were hosted. To the bottom are the vineyards and the Saint Clement Sescebes Agriculture Cooperative presided by his son, Salvador Planas Soler. In that place the local wine is produced, stored and distributed.
Salvador Planas Soler, the third organizer of the "Reynalada", and his wife Carmen Grabuleda de Planas, working in their vineyards in Saint Clement Sescebes.
Salvador is "sulfatating" (adding ammonium sulfate) and Carmen is trimming. The low high in the vineyard is to protect them against "Tramontana", strong wind blown often from Pyrenes.
William J. Reynal in front of his grandfather's natal home, Joan Reynal Gené, and Jordi Planas Soler, its current owner. In "Doña Paula and Don Juan" is related when Joanel was born, in 1867, and then the reencounter with her sister Margarita, in 1930, in this same house. It is also related the encounter of their children and grandchildren: Paquin, Nota y Puita Reynal Llauró with her nephews Lola, Silvestre, Florenci and Cosme Planas Carré.
Esther Perxés Camps, our guide in Gerona.
María Planas Font, our guide in Borrassa.
Salvador Planas Soler and Rafael Reynal in our visit to Ruines d'Empuries.
Silvestre Planas Carré in our visit to Saint Pere de Rodes Monastery
Saint Clement Sescebes
High Emorda Region
Gerona County Council
Catalonia
SAINT CLEMENT SESCEBES - original town of the Reynal family.
The sign in catalan language would read: Sant Climent Sescebes, Figueres, Girona. This signs, common in all regions, are residue of the Spanish dictatorship.
Original house of the Reynal family (brown door), Jaume and Catherina Reynal Gené's home. Their great-great-grandchildren, Salvador Planas Soler, was the last that used to live there. Today it is rented.
Can Reynal (Reynal House) - current home for the marriages of Planas Soler and Planas Grabuleda. Years ago it worked as a guest house, managed by Silvestre and María Planas Soler.
Front view (brown house). In the first level they park tractors and the agriculture equipment. In other times they also stored the wine.
Bottom view (from the white balcony to the palm tree). Across the highway is the vineyard and the Saint Clement Sescebes Agricultural Cooperative.
Marriage Camps Planas's house (left building).
Saint Clement Sescebes church (work of the 17th. Century). In that place mass was said commemorating both "Trobadas", with the delightful participation of the chorus directed by Carles Camps Planas. In this church, Joan was altar boy, same as others Reynals before and after him.
Residues of the ancient walls. Saint Clement Sescebes, as old villages and ancient cities, long time ago had a big wall surronding it to protect from attacking and sacking. By night, entrance was permanently close and the village remained protected. Today is just a remembrance but in some cases walls are in a remarkable state of preservation.
Stretch streets with waiving curse, are the common denominator of all the ancient towns. In Saint Clement Sescebes even now is possible to see the urban route of medieval origin. María Celoria told us that in her visit two years ago, a lot of those streets still had its typical paving stone.
The town is surrounded by orchards and fields, separated from those by the local road, the Anyet river, or a street. The proximity to the traditional employment and supplies sources is still kept, although it does not depend of those as an exclusive or even principal source of income and supplies. As soon as economy is transforming, individuals and families do it too, working on professions and new development areas and also in the nearest and dynamic urban centers. As a result, villages experiences the impact of that change process. The picturesque village environment, even now preserves its charm: Perxes Camps family told me that they want to turn back to their father's town, Darnius, after they were living for a long time in Gerona. The short distances, if we compare to the distances in the american continent, and the efficient net of farm roads, roads and high ways, make possible the daily carrying to the urban centers from every village.
The stone bridge over Anyet river, is part of the road that unifies Saint Clement Sescebes with Capmany and another village and ends in Figueres (7 miles away), that is a trade center of High Emporda Region. The above picture shows a view from the bridge of Saint Clement Sescebes.
Panoramic view of Saint Clement Sescebes aside the Pyrenes with the Mediterranean Sea (Roses Bay) to the bottom. (The village is shown to the right).
Capmany - Paula Llauró Cerra's native town.
Even when we know that Jose Llauró, Paula's father, came from Capmany, and the Llauró family is still numerous in that town, our family relationship to them has not been determined in a certain way. During the Civil War a lot of persons official documents were lost, so now we depend of those that could remain in the relatives. Hard work to do if we realize that Jose Llauró emigrated to Argentina time before Joan Reynal did it, their bonds never could be reestablished, even when in 1930 his daughter Paula Llauró visited Capmany for a very short time and his grandson, Paquin took pictures of the front of "Papa Jose" house. The subsequent inquiries, as one made for the father Jose Luis Padros, about twenty years ago, it neither showed the hoping results. Therefore, this remains as a pending job.
In the highest part of the town, Saint Agata de Campmany bell tower is observed; it is a Romanesque church from 17th. or 18th. Century. In front, the vineyards that have given a good prestige to Campmany.
Capmany village keeps important remains of its ancient medieval defense wall and also a beautiful old village center. The traditional festivities, as Santa Agata celebration and the picturesque sardanas are starting to perform enthusiastically as in the past.
VILABERTAN - town where the family Planas Font live.
Jordi Planas Soler in the open hall of the Santa María Vilabeltran Monastery. Ancient Abbey established in the 11th. Century and which basilica was consecrated in 1100 B.C. In the church is also preserved the Villabertan Creu (Cross), a magnificent gold work piece of 14th. Century. Jordi Planas Soler works actively in the preservation and restoration of this important historical place.
Corpus celebration in Borrassa.
The traditional festivity begins with the mass in Saint Andrew of Borrassa's church and, from there, the procession continues passing by the streets of the village covered with flowers. The floral carpet begins in the church altar.
The last church boy on the line is Jordi, María Planas Font's fiancé. Thanks to his advice, we had the delight to enjoy this touching experience.
The house balcony shows its better hand made table cloths. (María Soler Planas, for instance, knitted table cloths for every one of her grandchildren, as a wedding gift when they get marry).
When mass is over, all people meet at the central litlle square and dance the traditional sardana (Silvestre Planas Carré couldn't stand his festive sense and soon got into the celebration).
SAINT PERE DE RODES Monastery
The monastery shows the hard restoration work that is performed in a lot of historical and architectonic monuments of the region. The monastery was built in several stages staring the 9th. Century. The importance of the monastery began to decline in the 14th. Century and was abandoned to the end of 19th Century. Then the monastery was sacked and ruined, but in 1930 was officially declared a national monument. In 1935 the restoration work started, interrupted and restarted at the 60's decade, and finally, the Catalonian Generalitat (Parlament) assumed the works in 1981. Most of the valuable pieces are in Paris, Barcelona, and Gerona museums.
Costa Brava panoramic view from the monastery.
Port de la Selva. Ten kilometers over the coast to the other side of the hills, is Cadaqués, place where Salvador Dalí lived, which beaches and houses are widely painted in his works.
Llanca. There, at the Guest House Beri, Reynal family celebrated the 2nd. "Trobada". Summer tourism is a big important part of this coast village and the economic activity of the High Emporda Region.
View of Empúries archeological ruins (greeks and romans remains).
Salvador Planas Soler with Rafael and Shalimar Reynal.
Las Ruines d'Empuries are dated since III B.C. to VII A.D. century. The greek settlement began at century IV B.C. and romans came in 218 A.D. The ruins were discovered in 1908 and even now there is works in the excavation and recovering. The coastal position in the Gulf or Roses at Costa Brava, made easy the arrival of the ancient civilizations to the Mediterranean sea. Because most of the relics were underground, some of the remains, included the roman floor mosaic, are in a remarkable preservation stage.
"REYNAL" SURNAME ORIGIN
As a result of the Germanic people invasions the local names changed a lot. The Catalonian territory was occupied by Visighods, Germanic speakers, but they found that the aboriginal population, Roman and strongly Romanesque, had a superior culture than the conquers, and after a few centuries, the Visighods lost the German language and all of them spoke latin. The same happened with the Frank invasion, also Germanic origin. They lost the Germanic language, visighods and franks kept a trace of that language the hundreds of people names that remain until today.
Most of these names, that were a great success inside Romanesque countries, are composed of one noun and one adjective, commonly with a meaning related with working or hunting. The novelty, the special resonance of the compounded name, and the fact that those names were used for conquers and important persons of the court, for sure were the reasons for the big popularity that those names had and the extraordinary diffusion they got.
Under these names we can find:
REYNAL, also written as REINALT; REINAL; REINALS; REINAU; RENAU; that comes from RAGINALD or RAINALD, compounded of RAGIN or RAGAN, that means "COUNCIL" and WALD that means "GOVERNMENT".
Saint Clement Sescebes, April, 1994
See the TREE DIAGRAM of the S.A. Reynal family!
FINAL MESSAGE OF DESIRE AND AFFIRMATION
In occasion of the two Reynal family "Trobadas", Albert Planas Jou welcomed us with the next verses:
All depends, know it!
of faith, of love,
of the works.
All depends of us,
all depends especially about all of you,
the young people!
1st Trobada, Saint Clement Sescebes - April 1994
To turn means to follow,
to follow means to carry on,
The second "Trobada" of the Reynal Family means:
to turn, to follow, to carry on:
2nd "Trobada, Saint Clement Sescebes, June, 1996
Today we can declare as follows:
If every change is an opportunity,
every final is a beginning,
every continuation is a reaffirmation.
(With and for love) today we have the opportunity
to begin to reaffirm our link.
3rd. "Trobada", Buenos Aires, November 1996
