Category Archives: trips

summer getaways

10 Friday Jun 2016

Posted by in london, spain, travel, trips

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passportEver since I took my first summer holiday in over twenty years (when I ended up taking with this little munchkin to Málaga with me) I have spent every summer since then frankly delighted that I am finally able to afford to take some time off and travel a bit. But I remain unused to travel plans that can’t be decided last minute and achieved by a shortish train journey.

For this summer I was suddenly faced with the delightful dilemma of having several fab and affordable opportunities present themselves in Málaga, Santiago de Compostela, San Sebastián and London. So of course I want to do them all! Well, I mean, why not, eh? I have a generous rental offer in Málaga, a free place to stay in London, great off-season airbnb price in Galicia and the offer to stay at my friend’s place in the San Sebastián. So it is ALL do-able. And this is where my panic sets in.

I almost cancelled Málaga this month because I was so busy, there was this and that to take care of, how could I justify taking time off….. until my friends Elena and Thane convinced me that the summer will feel extra long if I don’t take a few days now. So after much dithering… Málaga Getaway is GO. June 20-25th.

Once I got that far I realised I should seriously look into the Galicia Getaway, as my friends Anna & Jorge @thekilomeaters have been urging me to come up there for, well, almost forever. So today was the day! I not only booked my flights for the end of August, but also booked a cute AirBnB place just ten minutes from them. DONE.

Feeling empowered, I thought I should then go ahead and book my London Getaway… and I actually had possible flights based on the availability of my friends flat there (such a generous offer!). And then it hit me… what’s the expiry date on my passport? (turns out it’s Oct 2016) And will that affect me being able to travel to the UK in August 2016? Of course by the time I’d come to this point it was after closing hours of all consulates and embassies everywhere in Spain (ie Friday at 2 pm) so I shall have to wait until Monday morning to see what the deal is. Looks like I will have to renew my passport FAST, but can I still book my London flights? We shall see?

As for San Sebastián… that is something I was hoping to enjoy in July. Depending on the availability of the ONE PERSON in SS @tenedortours (ie, the me of the north  😉 ) who would make the whole experience worthwhile. But I still have time to book that one.

What I found interesting was how much every fibre of my being rebelled against booking flights and accommodation SO FAR IN ADVANCE (2 months?) and it made me realise how I very weirdly don’t like feeling “locked in” when it comes to plans. I’d always rather buy a last minute train ticket than feel like I have to be somewhere at a certain time. Anyhow, I also realise that some things need to be planned in advance, so I am totally thrilled now about Málaga, Santiago and London. And I suspect SS in July will be confirmed too.

What are you guys doing this summer?

sherry heaven

31 Tuesday May 2016

Posted by in andalucia, azahartravels, food & drink, getaways, sherry, spain, trips, wine, work

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vinoble 2016 (2)[click on image to enlarge]

A few images from this year’s Vinoble. It was a fabulous and frenetic sherry-packed three days, meeting up with old friends, making new ones, and trying an amazing selection of sherry and sherry-style wines from all over the world. It was my first time visiting Vinoble as a certified Sherry Educator and I felt I was better able to appreciate the wines than when I was invited to the previous edition in 2014. Looking forward to 2018!

birthday trip

09 Saturday Jan 2016

Posted by in andalucia, birthdays, food & drink, friends, getaways, spain, trips

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birthday tripThis was totally a birthday to remember. A couple of weeks ago my dear friend Eduardo said he wanted to take me on a mystery birthday trip (yay!). Then I found out my new pal Carl would be in town and so he came along with us. Having spent my “unbirthday” with Carl the day before I wasn’t feeling too chipper, and the weather wasn’t helping (all grey and drizzly), but I ADORE day trips so I was quite happy to seet off to parts unknown.

jabugoFirst stop was Jabugo, THE home of jamón Ibérico de bellota. Once there I was hoping I’d actually be visiting the dehesa and see the piggies in person (bucket list item), but the closest I got was that sculpture up there. Still, we had a wonderful and very informative visit to the 5 Jotas bodega, finishing up with a glass of fino and a fab snack of jamón. On the way back to the car we stopped at a little shop to pick up some jamón to take home and then it was off to our next mystery stop.

meson arrierosWe arrived at Linares de la Sierra (population 300) via a narrow winding road with spectacular views, which were occasionally and dramatically cut off by sudden fog. Once there we made our way to Mesón Arrieros for lunch. To call this place a hidden gem is an understatement. You are NEVER just going to happen upon this place, you will always make a specific effort to do so. And it will always be worth the effort. We were welcomed by biz (and life) partners, chef Luismi and front of house wiz Adela. Once seated Adela suggested we start with a manzanilla en rama from Barbadillo… she couldn’t have been more spot on. What a refreshing and delicious way to start a meal. We agreed to just let Adela bring us WHATEVER… and it was amazing. Starting with probably my favourite dish of the day, marinated pork liver dressed with onions and cilantro oil. This was followed by presa Ibérica carpaccio, with foie… grilled boletus mushrooms with scrambled eggs, garlic oil and cilantro… melted goat cheese on country bread, topped with a drizzle of local honey and a sprinkling of same herbs the goats eat… a comforting tomato soup with cumin, mint, oregano and a dollop of fig jam… presa Ibérico burger with peach jam… and a birthday cheesecake! After all this it was time for a walk.

linares de la sierraLuckily the misty drizzle had subsided by then, and we wandered over to the Plaza de le Fuente (fountain square) where the village women still go to wash clothes in the public fountain. Around the fountain you can see washboard edging in stone. We even saw a pair of jeans that had been left, and some soap suds floating on the surface. A village pup wisely chose to use a different nearby fountain to drink from. After that we made our climb back up, passing through the Plaza de Toros. Which is really just a normal square all year round, but during the local Feria sand is put down and barriers are put up. The stone burladeros (where you can hide from a charging bull) are there year round though. Edu and Carl posed behind one and ended up looking like a human version of whack-a-mole. We got back to the car just as the sun was setting and made our way home. But of course there had to be a penúltima (or two)…

penultimasLa Penúltima. That “next to last one” that can go on for as long as you can manage. In this case we ended up back in Sevilla at one of my favourite spots, La Azotea in barrio Santa Cruz. I love all the Azotea locations, but this one has been dubbed The Office because it’s open all day and I often have meetings there. But this time it was *just* for a penúltima. We started off with a bottle of lovely cava, with a snack of crispy tempura prawns with kimchi sauce. Then we were asked if we were in a hurry as Juan and Jeanine (the owners, and also my friends) wanted to invite us to a second bottle of cava! Well, how could we refuse? At this point Carl did his impersonation of a dodgy jamón seller and we knew it was time to head home. So my two gentlemen friends escorted me back to my neighbourhood, where we oh-so-wisely decided to have yet another penúltima at La Bodega Alfalfa, specifically so Carl could try their version of marinated pork liver with cilantro. It all gets a bit fuzzy after that. After saying our farewells the boys went off in search of further trouble, and I came home to my cosy bed and my cats.

Thank you Edu and Carl for a fabulous birthday!

ps… click on the collages to embiggen

ángela & mikel

19 Saturday Dec 2015

Posted by in food & drink, friends, Malaga, malaga getaway, travel, trips

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mikel angela

So remember when, about a year and a half ago, I went to Antequera and stayed at the Parador Hotel? Well, that was also when I finally got to meet Ángela & Mikel, the foodie couple behind Pollo y Ensalada. Aside from doing a tapeo with them I also joined them for a memorable tasting menu lunch at Arte de Cozina. And today we did it again in Málaga, trying out the new El Tres location at Malagueta Beach.

And it was WOW. We loved every bite (except maybe the fried artichokes that didn’t taste of artichokes). But everything else was exceptional. Just one amazing thing after another. More on that later over on Azahar Tapas. It was a lovely afternoon, catching up, chatting, with great food and wine. Afterwards we caught the sunset at the port (yes, it was a four-hour lunch) and then parted ways. Looking forward to seeing them again soon in Antequera, and maybe even in the Basque Country, where Mikel is from.