31 Wednesday Aug 2016
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friends, galicia, galicia getaway, getaways, santiago de compostela, the kilomeaters, travel, trips
Santiago de Compostela is very photogenic, as you can see. You can either click on the collage above to see a bigger version of it, or see the single images below. So many nice memories…
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30 Tuesday Aug 2016
Posted in food & drink, gastronomy, getaways, restaurants, spain, tapas, travel, trips
Most of the time I was out on my own in Santiago de Compostela I opted for a couple of complimentary tapas here and there, but I also had some “proper meals” (not tapas) that were very enjoyable. The only problem for me when dining alone is that I am so used to sharing plates – over the years I’ve developed a kind of food ADD and lose interest after the first couple of bites. But these places (like everywhere else I went in Santiago) were recommended by Anna & Jorge @thekilomeaters and, as always, they were spot on.
At Cafe de Altamira, across from the market, I opted for the set lunch (13€), which is something I don’t often do, mostly because I don’t “do” desserts, but the two dishes on offer that day sounded so good I decided to go for it. The starter was an unusual take on the traditional Galician empanada, this one made with crispy wonton pastry and filled with baby sardines and sautéed onions. Main course was grilled mackerel with puréed marinated potatoes. I did try the dessert – lemon meringue “pie” in a jar – way too sweet in my opinion (even though I don’t “do” desserts, I can appreciate a good one). But overall it was a lovely lunch and front of house manager and sommelier Alex took excellent care of me.
The afternoon I was about to get thrown out of my AirBnB apartment (though I didn’t know it at the time) I stopped by Horta D’Obradoiro for some lunch, and I’m really glad I did. Not only was it an amazing lunch, but it lingered as a pleasant memory when things took an unpleasant turn later on in the day. When I arrived at the restaurant I introduced myself to co-owner Kike (blue shirt) who immediately took me on a tour of the place and then sat me at a very cosy table near a window looking out onto the patio. I tried two dishes, first a playful (and delicious) take on the traditional fritura mixta. This was followed by sous vide pork ribs with bourbon sauce. The latter was so massive that I ended up asking if I could take half of it home with me (I still had a fridge then). Great food at very reasonable prices, and very good service too.
My last night in town I really just wanted a snack, so stopped in at hipsterish A Moa to try their tapas menu. I started with octopus croquettes, which were super smooth, creamy… and super bland. Couldn’t really taste any pulpo. Then I thought I’d try the zorza, a dish I’d had during my first meal in Santiago. But rather than the subtle “prueba de chorizo” experience I’d enjoyed at Deulpo this just tasted like already cured chorizo that had been taken out of its casing and fried up. Not bad, but well, chorizo. Perhaps the restaurant menu here is more exciting, but at least they did have some tapas on offer.
Overall the food in Santiago was very good. I liked the complimentary tapas, but missed the option of being able to order tapas, rather than larger plates. Next time I will have to visit with a travel (and dining) companion.
26 Friday Aug 2016
I fell in love – nay, became slightly obsessed – with the Galician “galerías”, beautiful window-encased balconies at the front of houses, meant to trap the sun (and heat) during winter months. And as luck would have it, I ended up having my very own galería for my last two nights in Santiago.
I had booked an AirBnB apartment for my stay back in June, which I knew was small, but as I wasn’t planning to actually be in the apartment a lot, I thought it would be fine as long as it had good WIFI. Which it did. But after moving in I discovered there were a few problems with the place, the worst of which were that it was not very clean (ick) and that the cheap single bed frame SQUEAKED with every movement, all night long. But hey, it was high season, and there was no way I’d find a last minute option that wouldn’t be double the price, so I decided to stay put and make the best of it.
Then one night I discovered a pool of water around the base of the toilet… wtf? It was leaking every time I flushed it (ewww). A message to the owner had her and the plumber around the next afternoon while I was out… after which they insisted there was nothing wrong, that I must have left the shower door open. WTF?? A second message to the owner had the plumber come back in the evening – and for some reason I was told I had to be there to let him in (really? I was a paying guest on holiday) but I did so and ended up having to deal with a crazy idiot who clearly knew nothing about plumbing and seemed to think it was okay to yell at me. I shall spare you the ugly details about this encounter, but suffice it to say shortly after he left the apartment owner got in touch saying she wanted to cancel out contract. Which meant I would either be out in the street the next day, or else paying through the nose for a hotel for the rest of my stay.
So I went out for a walk. Happily I was in good spirits from having enjoyed one of the best meals of my entire Galician Getaway that afternoon (more on that later) and while I was in one of the bars I’d gone to with Anna and Jorge on our Complimentary Tapas Tour I started seriously looking at my options. Eventually I found a small family run hotel that seemed to have a room free. First I checked with A & J who recommended it for what it was – hey, with a one-star hotel I wasn’t expecting the Ritz, just wanted to know if I should book. But instead of booking online I gave them a call and talked to a lovely woman who sounded like somebody’s grandmother. She informed me that there was a single room available and when I asked her if I could please have a double bed there was a pause, and then she said they could give me a nice double room for one person on the second floor, with windows overlooking the street. Well, I was in! Especially as it was 10.30 pm and I had to be out of my dread AirBnB by 11 am the following morning. So I booked the room, informed Anna & Jorge of my plans, and went home to pack.
Yes, the hotel was double what I was paying for the AirBnB, and the room was a bit “cosy”, but it had great WiFi, a nice firm comfy double bed and … MY OWN GALERÍA!!! Also, some of the nicest people you’d ever want to meet running the place. From the receptionists to the cleaning woman, I felt so welcome and cannot say there were any complaints at all. I also have to say that AirBnB also came through and offered me compensation for my hellish experience, which pretty much covered the extra cost of the hotel, so I was happy. All’s well that ends well. Especially because I got to spend my final two nights in Santiago de Compostela in one of the best areas of town (in my opinion) AND WITH MY OWN GALERÍA. Happy.
Hotel Fonte de San Roque
Santiago de Compostela
25 Thursday Aug 2016
Posted in food & drink, friends, gastronomy, getaways, holidays, markets, spain, travel, trips
One day while Jorge was away filming Gastrópodos Anna suggested we embrace our inner guiri and spend a day, well, being guiris in the city. So we met up not far from the Cathedral and, after a short “tour” of the centre, ended up at the market. Market visits are one of my favourite things to do and the market in Santiago really is something special. And being with Anna, I also learned a lot.
Later on we stopped for a light lunch at A Maceta, a modern-style restaurant with a fusiony menu. As most of the dishes were large plates we stuck to a couple of Anna’s fabourites: crispy fried patatas bravas with a lovely spicy sauce, and an Asian take on the classic bocadito de calamares. The perfectly fried chipirones were served in a soft bao bun with citric mayo. Very tasty.
24 Wednesday Aug 2016
Posted in food & drink, gastronomy, markets, spain, travel, trips
Tags
a coruna, food tours, galicia, galicia getaway, spain, the kilomeaters, travel, trips
My first day trip with Anna and Jorge The KilomEATers was to A Coruña, a lovely coastal town about 45 minutes (by car) north of Santiago de Compostela. We started off by visiting the central market, which is renowned for its fish and seafood. After that we drove over to the second “old centre” by the port, and thus began an amazing culinary adventure.
Our first stop was Taberna Arallo, very recently opened in the Plaza Mayor, and run by the same group in charge of Michelin starred Alborada. To me the décor and general ambiance felt a bit “prefab cool”, complete with the now de rigueur long communal table and open kitchen, and smooth jazz Spotify on the sound system. Luckily we were there at opening time (no reservations taken) and got a spot at the end of the table that felt a bit more “private”.
Here we sampled just three dishes (we were saving ourselves as we knew we had at least two other places to go). The volandeiras in hot & sour sauce were spectacular, and the “nigiri” croquetas topped with salted hake were also very good. But the “flamenking” filled with zorza and potato, while tasty, came with a rather pointless sweet chilli sauce. In general it was a pleasant, if pricey, experience.
Next up was Pulpeira de Melide for their renowned pulpo a feira with potatoes boiled in the same water as the octopus. I thought it was delicious, though Anna and Jorge both insisted they’d had better pulpo there on previous occasions.
Last but not least was a visit to Boca Negra. I’d heard good things about this place and, upon arrival, we were greeted by chef and owner Pablo Pizarro who arranged a special tasting menu for us. The food and service here were excellent – definitely a “must” when you are in Coruña.
A Coruña struck me as a city of contrasts. Great natural beauty and wonderful turn of the (20th) century architecture at times clashing with patches of modernist wasteland. Though overall it’s an attractive place and well worth visiting. I was grateful to have my two very knowledgeable friends as guides, which definitely helped me get the most of my few hours in town.
23 Tuesday Aug 2016
Posted in food & drink, friends, gastronomy, getaways, spain, travel, trips
Notice that I don’t call these “free tapas” (as they are so fond of calling them in Granada). But they are complimentary, included in the price of your drink, which like in Granada, are usually more expensive than in Sevilla. I paid up to 2.80€ for a caña in Santiago, which of course is outrageous. A typical caña in Sevilla is 1.20€, though you don’t get a “free” tapa with it. To be honest, I prefer to just pay for what I want to eat without elevated drink prices.
That’s not to say the complimentary tapas in Santiago de Compostela (also in A Coruña and Lugo) aren’t delicious. Many of them are. And, as I discovered on the “Ruta of Complimentary Tapas” one evening in Santiago with Anna and Jorge @thekilomeaters, you do actually end up quite satisfied and, also, quite stuffed. As I say, I usually prefer ordering what I actually feel like eating, which may coincide with whatever bar you happen to stop into, but it also may not. But I have to say I was never disappointed with the range of complimentary tapas offered at most of the bars, and part of the experience was not knowing what I would end up eating. Definitely something fun to try now and then.
22 Monday Aug 2016
It seemed I’d been planning this trip for years, or at least ever since my friend Anna @annalibera moved from Sevilla to Galicia with her Gallego partner Jorge @jorgeguitian. Since then they have been working together as food and travel consultants on various gastronomy-related projects, including The KilomEATers @thekilometers. But finally a date was set last June when I impulsively booked a plane ticket and an AirBnB apartment – it was now or never – and my Galicia Getaway was set for August 21-28.
A lot happened between then and August 21st, including an impromptu 10-day trip to London and a shorter unplanned visit to Madrid, so by the time August 21 came along I was actually feeling a bit travelled out. But Galicia was unknown territory for me, and I had never been with Anna and Jorge on their “home turf” in Santiago de Compostela, so when my bags were finally packed I was also full of enthusiasm again.
After picking me up at the airport, Anna and Jorge made a quick stop at my AirBnB place to drop my bags, then – of course – it was off for some lunch. The place they chose for me, Deulpo, couldn’t have been a better introduction to traditional Galician food.
We had pulpo a feira (natch) and pimientos de padrón (ALL of them fiery hot), both of which I’d tried before, many times. But then we moved on to a couple of new dishes for me: zorza (think “prueba de chorizo” – pork mixed with garlic, smoked pimentón, oregano) and raxo (marinated pork sautéed with garlic). Both were super rich and super delicious. Anna ordered some local wine served in bowls, Galician style, which later fusioned into an Italian custom of dipping bread into the red wine. I loved this spot and went back to it later on my own.
That evening I was in for another gastronomical treat – and a homemade one too – when I was invited to Anna & Jorge’s for a traditional dish of Lacón (pork again!), all boiled up together and served with garbanzo beans, grelos, chorizo and potatoes. This was untraditionally washed down with two types of sherry: first a fabulous fino in rama and then a lovely palo cortado. And well, since sherry is so versatile, they were excellent pairings.
That evening Anna also helped with organising my week (we both LOVE lists) and we came up with a good variety of things for me to do, both on my own and with them as my trusty guides (including two day trips) which really made things easier for me. In fact, I would have been lost without them. Can’t stress enough how insider knowledge like this enhances a visit, so do get in touch with the KilomEATers if you are planning a trip to Santiago or pretty much anywhere in Galicia.
20 Saturday Aug 2016
I’ve been planning this since June and now it’s just one more sleep until #GaliciaGetaway! It will be my first visit to Santiago de Compostela and I’m really looking forward to it, as well as seeing Anna & Jorge again (on their home turf!). I’ll be arriving in Santiago at midday mañana… looks like it will be quite a bit cooler (and that Thursday might be a good day to stay in). But it will be very different from my recent getaways to London and Madrid. Stay tuned…
17 Wednesday Aug 2016
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Lest people think that ALL I ever do when I visit a place is look for the best places to eat and drink, here are some photos taken on various walks around Madrid. Of course one of my favourite sites is the old Tío Pepe sign, restored to its rightful place in Puerta del Sol a couple of years ago. Below are some other “postcard pics” from my most recent #MadridGetaway…
15 Monday Aug 2016
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While I was in London, staying at Jo & Mark’s place, somehow the idea came up that it would be fun to pop up to Madrid for a couple of days and visit Jo, who is there taking flamenco classes all of August. Checking the calendar I saw that I could comfortably squeeze in a quick two-night “getaway” between London and Galicia, so what the heck. I found a nice hotel – Casual Madrid del Teatro – at a good rate (which turned out to be just around the corner from Jo’s apartment and almost next door to my favourite sherry bar La Venencia) so it really couldn’t have been more perfect.
I arrived Sunday midday and, after checking in, met Jo at La Venencia for a quick sherry before heading over to David Muñoz’s fabulous StreetXO, which I was dying to try again. I also hadn’t been to their new location in calle Serrano. But it turned out to be a bit of a walk (read: Death March) in the HEAT and when we finally arrived they had just closed off the queue for the lunchtime service. Undaunted, we decided to try Cascabal next door, run by another michelin star chef, Roberto Ruíz, whose PuntoMX is the only Mexican restaurant in Europe with a star. It was a fabulous late lunch that later segued into an evening tapeo back in the centre of town, with a lot more walking and bar hopping involved. Food pics are over here.
Somewhere close to midnight we finished our outing as we’d started it, with a penúltima sherry at La Venencia. And by one of those very random of coincidences ran into our mutual friend (and sherry educator) Mómoko from Jerez (!!!).Which led to another penúltima (or two). Mómoko was just in town for the day doing research for a book she is writing. I mean, seriously, what were the odds? This was also when I decided to stay an extra night, which proved to be an excellent idea.
