Tag Archives: trips

jaén getaway

18 Monday Aug 2014

Posted by in spain, travel, trips, work

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , ,

jaen getaway
As I knew I had to get up at stupid o’clock today to catch an early train, I prepared this post before going to bed. So by the time you read this I will (most likely) be sitting on a train heading to Jaén. All part of summer research for my trip planning biz, but also part holiday. I’ve never been to Jaén – the olive oil capital of Spain! – and so booked a few days away. After this the only Andalusian province I won’t have visited (yet) will be Almería, but I reckon I’ve got enough knowledge and info to at least get started. As you can see on the map (click on it to find out more about Jaén on Andalucía.com) the province of Jaén is just north of Granada, about a three-hour train ride from Sevilla. After arriving in Jaén city I’ll catch a bus up to Baeza and stay there one night, then I’ll be in Úbeda for two nights, and after that one night in Jaén city before coming home on Friday afternoon.

At first I’d booked two nights in Jaén city thinking that, being the capital city and all, it would have more going on. But various Twitter pals convinced me to change my travel plans and spend two nights in the smaller, and apparently more charming, Úbeda. It was all very last minute and at first my hotel in Úbeda told me they had nothing available for Wednesday, but then miraculously they did, so that all worked out. I also got way more tapas bar recommendations for both Baeza and Úbeda – and next to nothing for Jaén – from Twitter pals, which also swayed my choice. Also I just like saying OO-bay-da.

Follow AzaharTravels and AzaharTapas on Twitter for updates!

the sanlúcar

02 Saturday Aug 2014

Posted by in andalucia, summer, travel, trips

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, , , , ,

the sanlucar
I’m not much for cocktails but one of my most pleasant memories during the #SanlúcarGetaway was sitting at a beach bar on the Bajo de Guia at sunset. This cocktail is called the Sanlúcar and is made with manzanilla sherry, lime juice, olive oil, sugar, egg white, with hierbabuena & angostura bitters to finish. Delicious.

sherry tasting marathon

24 Thursday Jul 2014

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

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, , , , , ,

sherry marathon
Thursday was sherry tasting madness with three bodega tours booked starting at 9.30 am and finishing around 3.30 pm. But unlike the regular tourist tour I did at Gonzalez Byass on Wednesday, these were all private visits, and I felt both honoured and privileged that these very special wineries made me feel so welcome. And talk about educational! I had previously found out that I wasn’t able to get into this September’s Sherry Educator course (though I was promised a place for next year). But this sherry tasting marathon was almost like doing a mini course in a few hours. I just let each person take me through the sherry making process from the beginning, in their own way, and it was very interesting how I learned different things at each place. Each bodega was unique and everyone I spoke to was incredibly passionate about their work. And the wines! Stunning. I will be doing a more indepth report on all this a bit later on Azahar Travels, but I have to say that the more I learn about sherry, the more I realise what a wonderfully complex wine it is. As my friend (and sherry educator) Annie Manson says, you never stop learning about sherry.

Anyhow, I thoroughly enjoyed the day, being treated like a VIP and getting caught up in all the stories and discussions. After the final tasting Peter and I popped over to Bar Arturo, renowned for its no-nonsense décor and fabulous fish and seafood. Absolute fishy heaven. And crazy good tomatoes too.

bar arturo

The three bodegas we visited were: Bodegas Lustau, Bodegas Tradición and Bodegas Urium.

tíopepeville

23 Wednesday Jul 2014

Posted by in andalucia, azahartravels, food & drink, tapas, trips, work

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, , , , , ,

jerez wednesday
Wednesday in Jerez started off with a bang… just enough time to get from the train station to the hotel to drop off bags before heading over to Bodegas Gonzalez Byass for one of their winery tours. It’s almost ridiculous that I have only got over to the G-B bodega now as I’ve known people there for so long, but there you go. Anyhow, it was quite a show and you are immediately impressed by the size and importance of the place. But it’s not just show as the wines are excellent and – I can’t help it – I adore the iconic Tío Pepe logo.

The hotel which shall not remain nameless – THE BELLAS ARTES HOTEL – was so disappointing I wanted to weep. The first room we were shown was so small, dark and cheerless (and this was after splashing out on their “executive” twin option) that I immediately asked for another room. Well, the next one was even worse, though it did have a window facing the square. Finally I was promised one of their best rooms, with floor-to-ceiling windows and blah blah blah, and it was okay. Barely. Anyhow, will go into this more when I write the official review, but let’s just say I wasn’t happy. And I would’ve changed hotels but the not-so-nice people at Belles Artes said they wouldn’t refund my second night as I’d booked a “special offer”. Fuck. Them.

Likewise our lunchtime tapeo was a bit of a bust. The two places we tried were okay, but nothing special. We did a bit better in the evening, finding a special “ruta” of tabancos and tuna, finishing off at La Cruz Blanca for a last snack. Basically we stayed out until bedtime so that we didn’t have to spend any more time in the hotel room as necessary. Ah well… with three more bodega tours booked for the next day we had that to look forward to.

jerez getaway

22 Tuesday Jul 2014

Posted by in cats, spain, travel, trips, work

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , ,

jerez getaway
So what went from thinking of spending a few days in Granada yesterday somehow morphed into this very impromptu Jerez getaway today. Two nights, three days, all thrown together in less than a few hours. A couple of bodegas have been booked, along with what I hope is a nice hotel, and so off I go mañana. Peter is coming with me and will stay over the first night. Second night he’ll go home to check on the cats (it’s just an hour by train) and will come back early Friday morning. Then we’ll both come home Friday evening. I’m probably being over-protective but it’s hard enough leaving the beasts overnight. Somehow I’d be fine leaving Luna and Loki for two nights, but I worry about Morcilla. Too much, I know. Well. We’ll see how it goes. If I’m feeling more relaxed about this on Thursday evening then maybe Peter won’t go back to check on them.

Meanwhile, it’s going to be three days of sherry research and spending some quality time in Jerez when it isn’t Feria. Looking forward to it!