Sunday, 09 March 2008
-
Un Viaje Maravilloso: Parte Uno
A coworker of mine who's getting married this summer heard about my adventures at La Tomatina and is now planning their honeymoon around the tomato fight! The two of them are the most fun-loving and "alive" people I've ever met, so this crazy festival really is the perfect way to kick-off their marriage.
BUNOL
La Tomatina - a crazy tomato fight on the streets of Bunol, Spain that's been an annual tradition for over six decades!
We got to talking about the rest of my trip last summer through Andalucia, and it brought back so many wonderful memories of the spectacular Moorish architecture and glorious gardens; the intricate rhythms of flamenco guitar and dancing; the nooks and crannies we discovered while exploring crooked, cobblestoned streets; and, of course, la comida deliciosa!
As someone with a bad case of the travel bug, I usually get much more excited over exploring new destinations than returning somewhere I've already been. But I loved Spain so much that I would be thrilled to go back! Next time, I'd like to go with my own Don Juan (i.e. my husband Derek)
. Not only would it be incredibly romantic, but he'd also be able to help explain some of the historical and biblical figures/ references that eluded me during my tours of the cathedrals.Top row: LA CATEDRAL DE GRANADA
Bottom row: LA CATEDRAL DE SEVILLA
SEVILLA
Alcazares Reales de Sevilla - The palace is famous for the colorful and intricate mosaic tiling.
One of the most fascinating things about Andalucia's past is that three major religions intersected there- Islam, Christianity, and Judaism. In many of the various cities, you can see examples of all three influences within the same structure: Islamic architecture, Gothic architecture, and Hebrew inscriptions.
Los Banos de Dona Maria de Padilla - This room with rainwater tanks beneathe the patio was remarkably cool and a much welcomed escape from the blistering heat!
CORDOBA
La Mezquita - Originally a mosque built in the 10th century, it was converted into a cathedral in the 13th century.
When I first stepped inside, I was in complete awe of the forrest of striped arches. (Don't they look like peppermint candies or candy canes?) I couldn't believe how they painstakingly built the arches out of alternating limestone and brick blocks. But upon closer inspection, I saw that the red segments are actually painted on!
It turns out that the leader who oversaw the construction wanted to impress people, but decided to take some shortcuts. I guess no society that embraces conspicuous consumption can escape the phenomenon of knock-offs!
Haha.
Alcazar de Los Reyes Cristianos - The gardens of all the palaces in Andalucia were all so beautiful and relaxing... and inspired my two friends (below left) to perform interpretive hedge impersonations.
La Cazuela de La Esparteria - This was by far my favorite meal in Spain. Everything was so delicious.. and surprisingly affordable! One of my good friends was actually living in Cordoba at the time and took us to this local gem.
If you're ever in Cordoba, you simply must try some salmorejo (top left), a local specialty that's similar to gazpacho, but thicker, and garnished with jamon serrano and hard-boiled egg. YUM!
COMIDAS FAVORITAS
For obvious reasons, la tortilla sacromonte was not a tasty experience. But there were plenty of other delicious foods in Spain that more than made up for the bad. Here are some of my absolute favorites!
Clockwise from top left: 1. Paella de mariscos (seafood paella) en Valencia, 2. Una amiga con la paella,
3. Chocolateria San Gines en Madrid, 4. Chocolate y churros,
5. Yo con horchata de chufas, 6. Horchata de chufas (a sweet drink made from ground tigernuts) y farton (a foot long donut-like pastry that you dunk into the horchata),
7, Jamon serrano (dry-cured Spanish ham) served in thin slices, 8. Jamon serrano en una restaurante
A fellow Xangan recently commented that being on my site can sometimes feel like going to class. Well, students... Professora Jerez has an important lesson for you all today.
VOCABULARIO NECESARIO
Tinto De Verano - a popular and delicious summer drink that consists of 1 part red wine and 1 part lemon soda
ex. "Camarero, quiero un tinto de verano. Gracias."Soy de... - I am from
ex. "Soy de Nueva York en los Estados Unidos. ... Si, soy china. Pero no soy de China." (often followed by confused looks)Mierda - shit
ex. "¡MIERDA! He caminando en mierda de los perros."Photos taken by yours truly with my trusty Exilim point-and-shoot.
Layouts designed by yours truly using Adobe Indesign CS2.Coming up next... my favorite Andalucian city of all: GRANADA!
-
recommend
- recs 0
-
share
-
email
- sent 0
Post a Comment
- Back to spiritedsherry's Xanga Site!
- Note: your comment will appear in spiritedsherry's local time zone: GMT -05:00 (Eastern Standard - US, Canada)
Comments (16)
kicking myself again for not following through w/ the la tomatina trip. mierda.
great pictures. the architecture in spain is amazing. regarding cordoba, i actually prefer that the stripes are painted on. more of the peppermint illusion.
spain definitely deserves a revisit.
what absolutely gorgeous pics!!
great photos!
mmmm paella... i think my only problem with spain is the fact that nothing is open between lunch and dinner.... i need my mid afternoon munchies... the photos are gorgeous!
you should save some of that delicious looking food for me next time and bring it back in a to-go box!
or at least stuff a little in your pocket for me =(
i don't mind if it's a tad lint-y.
re: your new profile pic -- can i call you "buttface"?
fun! thanks for introducing la tomatina to me - i just might have to plan a trip to spain around that event too.
spain is definitely on my list to go :)
i definitely wanna try this out someday, haha looks like crazy fun! and geez, your xanga is so visually appealing, it just makes my whole day feel better somehow.
Beautiful pictures. Not much of a travelbug, myself...but enjoy reading about other people's traveling
did you take these pictures yourself? you've been getting really good at photography or photoshop (or both!) the food looks amazing!
@janee - To be fair, the photos turned out so beautifully not because my skills have improved, but because Spain is absolutely beautiful!
@VudooSoul - Aw, thanks Chris.
I'm glad I could make your day a little bit brighter.
@eat_napa - If you do, let me know. I have to warn you that altho Tomatina was super fun, there was also a lot of petty theft and groping. So be careful!
@stephkan - Next time, I'll definitely bring back some jamon serrano for you and Nee. It tastes sort of like prosciutto. Sooo good!
@huinita - "Butthead" would also be acceptable. But only as long as they are used as terms of endearment, of course.
LOVE the photos! going to spain this summer! i can't wait!
sevilla.... my all time favorite place to just relax with the sea of naranjas and have jamon y cerveza all day long...
This entry makes me want to drop everything and go TRAVEL!!