Agost: Potter Street, closed doors, good food

Agost is not a place that overwhelms you with sights. We were there for only a few hours, and I’ll say right away: there isn’t much to see. But it’s nice to have seen it, just like sometimes you like to meet a person who doesn’t show off anything special and precisely because of that remains memorable.

The Potter’s Street

Agost has been a potter’s town for centuries. The clay of the area, the kilns, the simple jugs and water jugs made here that keep water cool through the porous material: the craft goes far back, probably to the time of the Moors, and it has given the village its name in the whole region. Along one street, the potters’ workshops and sales rooms line up, and that’s exactly where we went first.

Unfortunately, everything was closed. The shutters down, the doors closed, no potter at the wheel to watch. We still walked along the street, looked through the windows at shelves full of jugs and bowls, and imagined what it looks like here when the shops are open. It was a pity, but it also had something: a quiet street where you have the place to yourself without hustle and bustle. Zuky and Mandy made their own interpretation along the walls.

The workers’ inn

The real highlight came at noon. We stopped at a simple inn, one more meant for the workers of the area than for travelers: Formica tables, a TV in the corner, the menu on the wall instead of on paper. Exactly the kind of place where you rarely eat badly.

And it was super delicious. Fresh, hearty, honestly cooked, in portions made to fill someone up after a long morning of work. I was even allowed to go inside with the dogs and sit in a corner, no discussion, no sideways looks. The owner himself has a dog, a black one that looks similar to Mandy, only in black, and the two sized each other up with the short, curious interest dogs reserve for one another. Such encounters are what make a short stop into a memory.

Onward

After that, we continued driving. A few hours, no more, and yet more remains from Agost than you’d expect from a place without big names: the closed potters’ workshops, the calm, the plate with good food and the black dog at the door. Sometimes that is completely enough.

Rainer Schmitz

Practical information for motorhomes and dogs

• The potters’ workshops have irregular opening hours, often closed on weekends, holidays, and during siesta. Call ahead or check with the town hall if you want to visit the workshops.

• The place is small and can be explored on foot in a few hours, also with dogs.

• Simple inns in town are often more dog-friendly than expected, best to ask kindly; a spot in a corner is usually gladly offered.

• If you want to buy ceramics, you should be lucky to come during opening hours; weekday mornings offer the best chances.

• Agost is near Alicante and is well suited as a short stop on the way inland.