Tag Archives: getaways

antequera getaway 2023

18 Tuesday Apr 2023

Posted by in andalucia, getaways

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antequera (1)

My last trip before Covid lockdown was March 11-12th 2020 when I went to visit some wineries in the Axarquía and also near Antequera, culminating with a visit to Bodega La Capuchina before heading home. Little did I know while I was coming back on the train that evening that the world was about to change.

Then a few weeks ago my friend Jeffrey and family moved to Marbella from LA and since then he’s been foodie-ing up a storm visiting bars and restaurants all around Andalucía. He hadn’t heard of Arte de Cozina (and I hadn’t been there since 2016 with Victor) so when he invited me for lunch I leapt at the chance to go back. As we had some extra pre-lunch time I got in touch with Susana at La Capuchina and she very generously offered to pick us up at the train station to visit her bodega and her assistant Mercedes took us to Antequera in time for lunch, dropping us off right in front of Arte de Cozina.

And what a lunch it was! Our friend Victor was supposed to meet us there but was a last minute cancellation, which was a shame not only because I was looking forward to seeing him again, but also because we really could have used an extra stomach (!!!). Jeffrey and I did the best we could but couldn’t finish everything. Chef Charo Carmona and her somm son Fran took excellent care of us, as they do with everyone, and it was a crazy delicious experience (listed below).

Afterwards we had to find our Victor-less way back to the Santa Ana station by taxi (he was going to drive us) and both of us ended up missing our connections, so a long wait ensued in the most charmless middle-of-nowhere spot imaginable. Even the Sad Café was shut. Oh well… it was still a fab day out. Lots of good memories.

antequera (2)

•Selection of porras: tomato, blanco and orange
•Croquetas de la casa (with ensaladilla): puchero, bacalao, gambas, espinacas y piones, queso de cabra, setas, chorizo
•Baby artichokes with crispy garlic and Pedroches jamón
•Pork-filled calamares a la malagueña with potato purée
•Traditional lomo de orza – a MUST HAVE
•Choto malagueña (baby goat) a la pastoril

#ampacking

31 Tuesday Jan 2023

Posted by in friends, getaways, sevilla, travel, trips

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packing

I have decided that I either have to start travelling a lot more or never again. Tomorrow I am getting on a plane for the first time since 2019 and, yep, am stressed AF. The goodish news is that Spain has decided to end the public transport mask mandate on February 8th (instead of the previously threatened Feb 1st date) so at least this trip is covered. So to speak. After this, no idea.

But I have to say… I have always hated flying. Everything about it, and not just the gut-clenching fear upon taking off that we are all going to crash and burn. It’s all the fucking lost time it takes. Sure, this flight is only 1 hour 25 minutes, but then there’s getting to the airport two hours ahead of time, and upon landing (if there are no delays) another hour or so until finally arriving at the hotel. So I will have to leave home about 10.45 in the morning to (hopefully) open my hotel room door at 3.30 pm. I have planned for this. Got my ear buds charged, got my music, etc. And of course I have already started packing.

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anne & paul in jerez

30 Monday May 2022

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anne paul 2022

It’s always a treat meeting up with Anne & Paul, either here or in Jerez, where they live. This time I got to see them twice in Jerez while I was there doing the Vinoble thing. We had one lovely afternoon tapeo and then one disastrous lunch (WORST SERVICE EVER). And yet both experiences were just fine, and enjoyable, because you can’t beat great company. Makes everything work out in the end. Thanks guys! See you soon.

back to madrid!

28 Monday Oct 2019

Posted by in andalucia, friends, gastronomy, getaways, madrid

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So while I was away in Galicia I got an invitation to the Spanish book launch of my friend José Pizarro’s Andalucía, which is being held in Madrid on October 30th. You may recall I went to London in May for a event at the Spanish Embassy that included celebrating José’s 25 years as a chef and was also the launch for the English version of this book. But you know, I want to be there to support José and so I booked my train to Madrid and a hotel for a couple of nights, even though I can’t exactly afford to travel right now.

And THEN something amazing happened. Out of the blue I was asked by Decanter Magazine to write another city break travel piece for them… on Madrid! This is my third commission from Decanter in a year, and I am thrilled about that. But also, it will end up paying for my trip and I can use my time there to do research for the article. How perfect is that?  🙂