Travel stories
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We just kept on going…to the tower
The walking notes from Catalan Adventures were detailed. Easy to follow. There were even photos of turnoffs we needed to look out for. Plus we had GPX tracks. My husband generally held the paper walking notes and I checked the GPS. It was pretty simple. Walk 3: Coastal trail to Cadaqués. Total Accumulated Ascent: 550 meters, Maximum Elevation: 229 meters. Distance: 15.3 km. Day 3 was a strenuous hike along rugged coastal cliffs. An optional detour to Cap de Norfeu would add significant elevation and time to the 5 hour hike. We were undecided whether we would do the detour. Let’s see how we feel when we get there, we…
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Hiking in Catalonia from the Mediterranean sea to mountain tops
We were greeted in Barcelona train station with loud chants, shrill whistles and a sea of flags. Flags with red and yellow stripes and a white star on blue triangle. My husband and I had landed in Barcelona a mere hour earlier so we weren’t yet familiar with the flags, but it looked similar to the Catalan flag. Surely we hadn’t stumbled upon an independence rally? The autonomous community of Catalonia, with its own language and traditions, has pushed for independence in past, inspired in fact by the Québec sovereignty movement. But this movement was not still alive today, as far as I knew. When we finally made our way through…
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Letters from across the Atlantic
In 1966 my parents travelled around Europe right after getting married. They purchased a beige VW Beetle direct from the factory in Wolfsburg Germany and embarked on their “four-month motor tour of Europe”. I only heard tidbits about this trip over the years, like their $5 a day budget or the Iberian cowbell they purchased that signals dinner call at the cottage, but overall not a lot. I was aware of the trip. That’s about it. Even for my mother, most details were long forgotten. But apparently not lost. Sorting through my father’s belongings, we discovered my Dad’s little green travel journal and my Mom’s letters to her parents. A…
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Warm memories of Mexico
It’s been cold this winter. Polar vortex cold. So when I stepped into Nostalgia Latin Market on Kerr street, it was a wee escape to the tropics. Two women were talking in Spanish. Shelves full of Mexican canned good, spices, dried chiles, and other interesting looking products. Fresh made tamales cooling in a basket. I left with some chicken tamales and salsa verde, and knew I would return. On another visit I started talking to the convivial owner. He tells me more about some of the unique Latin and Mexican products he stocks. They offer cooking lessons too. I ask him where he grew up. “Guadalajara, though I spent a lot of…
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The languages of Bilbao
“The universal language in Bilbao is eating and drinking,” my guide Sylvia said. Our group gave an appreciative chuckle. We were in Plaza Nueva in the heart of the old town (Casco Viejo). The neo-classical square is full of bars and restaurants tucked into the colonnades. It’s lively any time of day but especially at lunch and dinner. The main building on Plaza Nueva is the academy (Euskaltzaindia) that researches and protects the Basque language Euskara. The origins of this pre-European language are unknown. For generations it was passed down orally. Now children learn Euskara in public school. Curiously you don’t hear it spoken much in Bilbao compared to elsewhere…
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A simple guide to a fútbol game in Bilbao
1. You should know Bilbao has two cathedrals: Santiago and San Mames. 53,000 fútbol worshippers stream into San Mames stadium every time their team Athletic Bilbao plays. Locals have nicknamed the stadium El Catedral. 2. Didn’t know Bilbao had a football team? You will as soon as you arrive in the city. The team’s logo is everywhere. That bridge on the logo is one of the city’s oldest landmarks: San Anton bridge. The team is not quite as old as the 14th century bridge (reconstructed many times) but it’s old, established in 1898. 3. Every newborn in Bilbao receives an Athletic Bilbao jersey. On game day everyone will be wearing…
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Covadonga, Conga de Onis and a paella party in Picos de Europa
The Basilica of Covadonga appeared magically in the mountains. “It reminds me of Harry Potter”, Julián said. In a mountain landscape of stone huts the two soaring spires of the rose hued church was a Hogwarts-like surprise. As enchanting as the Basilica was, the church within a cave was even more beguiling. Covadonga was the site of an important battle against the Moors in 722. The Moors swept through Spain in 711 but they never really got a stronghold in the north. The battle at Covadonga a mere 11 years later marked the start of the Catholic reconquest (which you may recall ended in 1492 at the Alhambra in Granada).…
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Artisan mountain cheese
It was a good workout hiking up a mountain. Heartbeat up, layers off. I was down to my T-shirt when I caught a glimpse of an elderly gentleman coming up behind us. He was dressed in a navy knit sweater, collared shirt and hiking pants. No backpack, no water bottle. His only accessory a palo, the wooden staff of shepherds. His stride soon matched ours and he started chatting with Julián like old friends. Luciano, or Lucio for short, was 75 years young. An ankle injury was forcing him to walk a slower than usual pace. In a deep gravelly voice he tells us he’s going to check on his…
