Travel stories
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Snowfall… or nevada
I have been studying Spanish since I returned from my trip. Among the tools I use, a Spanish Dictionary app helps expand my vocabulary with a new word each day. I have recently learned some wintery words: la nevada (snowfall), invernar (to winter), friolento (sensitive to cold), el copo de nieve (snowflake) A winter wonderland is not the typical image of Spain that comes to mind (though a huge snowfall hit Madrid last winter and skiers zip down the slopes of the Sierra de Nevada north of Granada). I don’t imagine I will use these words in Spain unless I am talking about snowy winters in Canada. Right now we…
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Trying new things
It’s a new year. I am not one to make New Years resolutions but I do like to try new things. In fact that was one motivation for setting up this blog. Trying something new can break the monotony of routine, stimulate creativity, or get me looking at things from a new perspective. Sometimes simply cooking a new dish or listening to new music can reinvigorate me. One of the new things I am so glad I tried in 2021 was forest bathing. Distinct from walking or hiking in nature, forest bathing encourages you to slow down, even sit down, and connect with the forest (see Forest bathing invitations for…
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A very special night for Málaga
The joy in the unexpected is so often about the little things. A fun interaction. A quiet plaza. A new taste. Málaga held a wonderfully unexpected experience but I cannot classify it as small. It was on a grand scale. It started as I checked in to my hotel. The greeting from the hostess was unusual: “Let me explain what’s happening tonight.” By the excited tone in her voice it was clear this had nothing to do with the wi-fi password. “It’s like a mini Semana Santa.” A week earlier I was in Sevilla so I had heard a little about Semana Santa or Holy Week. Sevillanos spend the entire…
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Plazas and pebbled tapestries in Córdoba
Córdoba is jam-packed with treasures from its storied past. It was exhilarating, and overwhelming. One moment I was admiring the pretty flower pots climbing whitewashed walls and then I turned a corner to be confronted by a stretch of the massive Game of Throne-esque wall that encircled the city in Roman times. Another day I unexpectedly walked under an archway into the huge 17th century Plaza del Corredera (similar to Plaza Mayor in Madrid without the sculpture of a king on a horse and far quieter). Exiting the other side of the rectangular plaza I was soon face-to-face with the remains of a Roman temple from the 1st century. Eleven Corinthian marble…
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A simple guide to dining out in Spain
Check the time. You may be hungry or simply eager to commence your culinary adventure but don’t head out too early. It may be tempting. But don’t. Don’t attempt lunch before 1:30 pm or dinner before 8:30 pm. If the restaurant is open earlier it’s not where locals eat. Consider the later dining hours warm up for a leisurely paced meal. Ask for a table. Step inside the restaurant and try your Spanish: “Una mesa para dos, por favor”. Alternatively, hold up the appropriate number of fingers. Be ready with your drink order. Service starts with a drink. Pronto. Your server may ask what you would like to drink as…
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The beauty of ceramics in Sevilla
The glazed tiles preserved a hand written message in vibrant blue lettering. I studied the words as I ate my tangy marinated carrots at the narrow bar curving through the small space. When I needed a break from my meagre attempts to translate the message, I shifted my gaze to the huge bowls of radishes and large green olives on the upper shelf of the bar. I could only decipher a few words. Magica (magical) Taverna (tavern) Amigo (friend) Vino (wine) Alma (soul) If I had had more courage I would have asked the server about its meaning. He had already advised me to eat downstairs at the bar where…
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The joy of the unexpected
I am home from Spain and listening to the band Triana. The sound is 70s psychodelic rock, the fine guitar work Andalusian, the voice soulful. Expressive. This rock band is one of the wonderful discoveries I unearthed in Spain. One in a long list. Delightful, unexpected, small discoveries and interactions that made my trip memorable. In Cordoba, I was lost. After strolling the haphazard streets on my first afternoon I wanted to return to my hotel and rest. I was tired. Perhaps it was the endless distractions around every corner (let’s see what’s down this cute street…) or my impending exhaustion but I got totally mixed up. The map in…
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Savouring the ambience
I am sitting on a high speed train from Málaga to Madrid. Leaving the coast the train tunnels through the mountains and into the expansive countryside: white houses scattered on the hillsides, olive trees as far as I can see, stone walls crisscrossing the landscape. In Málaga I visited the delightful Muséo Carmen Thyssen. The collection focuses on 19th Spanish art and Andalusia in particular. It was a nice way to see traditions I learned about (like the Sevilla April fair) and the places I visited (like Cadiz) during my trip, as depicted in the 19th century. As I stood in front of a large painting by a Spanish naturalist…
