Campeones! Spain and Fútbol...

We have truly adopted our "home away from home" country of Spain, including developing a raving passion for soccer (fútbol/football/footie).  We got to attend a local Valencia game at Mestalla stadium, furthering our new-found passion.  So, of course, we have been right there with our adopted countrymen watching the Eurocup 2012.  We planned our schedules to ensure we were at our favorite local hang outs to watch all the matches and the enthusiasm was contagious.

Spain is passionate about its football, as is much of Europe, and Spain's team has consistently delivered with championships.  The Eurocup was to be the "triple crown" for Spain, after winning the 2008 Eurocup and the 2010 World Cup.  With each game, the excitement grew and the red and yellow spread.

A boost to the dismal Spanish economy?

Flags can be added to balconies, cars, even bikes!

Your ice cream cone now comes with a complimentary Spanish flag!

Yes, the Ale Hop mascot even joined in!

We joined in, buying t-shirts and gladly painting our face, arms, etc. with the little Spanish flags (how kind of Cruzcampo to provide handy little paint sticks to the bars!).  In the constant bad news about Spain's economy and the recent "bail out", football provided some positive news and levity (though ardent fans might argue with me about the levity).  In Valencia, this was even more pronounced as horrible wild fires burnt in the province.  People criticized the government cutbacks and the officials' choice of attending the match over visiting the devastated area.  As you can see, the people, stores and bars were all geared up...and hopefully the activity gave some small businesses a bit of a boost.  The "sobre manta" sellers (street vendors, generally illegally selling things they carry or place on top of blankets/sheets, thus the name) stocked up on red and yellow hats, t-shirts, patriotic sunglasses and noise horns.

We chose a local spot to watch the game after we tried in vain to figure out if there was going to be an open air viewing on a big screen (only to see the pictures afterwards of the large crowds at Nuevo Centro and get an email about it from Couchsurfing--oh well!).  We reserved a table and joined a very international crowd, all cheering for Spain however.

Spain is criticized for being a boring team at times in the media.  I personally would pick a boring, winning team as my team any day--they're effective for sure.  And, boy is that goalie amazing--people were calling for Saint Iker's official beatification on Twitter (the game set a Twitter record for most tweets/second for a sporting event and I loved following the commentary and excitement of some of my fellow "Spain twits").

It was an amazing game for Spain fans.  As this Yahoo News story states, Spain define the word domination both in gaining the three titles and in shutting out Italy for a 4-0 victory. 

As soon as the game ended, we went in search of the celebrations.  We had a feeling Plaza Ayuntamiento (Town Hall) would be one of the gathering places, and within a few minutes people begin streaming in to the plaza in all their red and yellow glory.  A big train of guys pushing their friend in a shopping cart, large crowds singing, guys with massive flags on building height poles, and fireworks (of course!)--well, the pictures give you a better idea:

 

And my three favorite pictures of the night:

The most adorable niña taking it all in n her Dad's shoulders

An excited young fan climbing a pole and waving his flag with Town Hall in background

They should have repainted it red and YELLOW!

A constant round of...
"Yo soy...
...Español
...Español
...Español!" was being sung in the crowds and we joined in many times.  While it may not technically be true, en nuestros corazones somos españoles.  Especially on a night like this one!

Guadalest Day Trip

El Castell de Guadalest is a small town in the Valencia Region, Alicante Province.  It is about 25 km inland from Benidorm on a stretch of road not for the weak of stomach.  The town has a tiny population (around 200) and survives on tourism.  Apparently, it is one of the most popular day trip destinations in Spain.

To start, the situation and views are amazing (if you aren't the driver concentrating on the hairpin turns, the drive itself is worth the trip...if you don't get car sickness).  You can visit the Baroque church, multiple museums and climb the remains of the 11th century Moorish castle.  You actually pay a small admission to Casa Orduna which is a preserved home on the site, through which you enter to see the castle.  It is a bit of a climb, but you are rewarded with panoramic views of the area.

 My favorite part was actually the little cemetery atop the castle, with a small ancient section and more recent graves with family information and pictures.  Our favorite was the tiny, old Spanish man dressed in overalls sitting at his favorite bar smoking cigarette, looking peaceful and content (who, by the way, died at age 89).

The town has some ten or more "museums", ranging from the torture museum to the microgigante museum (where you can see things like the entire Bible on a peanut--well, maybe not exactly, but something along those lines).  We found it all a bit touristy, but kind of a funny place to spend some time.  Each museum had a small entrance fee, so we stuck to the historical highlights, the views and the torture museum. The torture museum was small, but had a pretty sizable collection.  How does one describe a torture museum?  Enjoyable?  Interesting? Disturbing?  Probably the latter two.  Amazing to think of the efforts people have taken to torture fellow humans over the years.  But, we did get the requisite picture in the stocks.

It was a pleasant day to visit, though a bit windy, with sunshine and relatively small crowds since it was off-season.  My conclusion on Guadalest?  Worth a side trip if you are nearby, but I would not rank it up there with any of the top sites in Spain.  If you love quirky museums, you will get a kick out of this place.  It is an enjoyable place to spend part of a day just looking at your surroundings and rambling around town.

More Pais Vasco Highlights

If you don't enjoy food, Basque Country probably is not the place for you.  However, there is (slightly) more to the area than eating.  Despite rainy, cold weather, we enjoyed each day getting to know the Basque Country.  Here are a few highlights of our introductory trip.

LaRioja: vineyards and mountains

The Scenery
So, that rainy weather I mentioned?  That creates a lot of green and lush countryside, which combined with mountains and the sea provides a diverse terrain very different from many other areas of Spain.  As our driver gave us a historical and cultural overview of La Rioja, we were winding down the road through vineyards, picturesque hill towns and ultra contemporary wineries designed by world-famous architects.  As we drove our route between Rioja, Bilbao, San Sebastian and Pamplona, I felt a bit like I was in Switzerland--the architecture, the landscape and the sheep roaming the hills.  We saw the snow covered peaks of the Cantabrian mountains and the Pyrenees. 

And, we spent quite a bit of time gawking at the massive waves crashing over the bridges and bulkheads in San Sebastian.  You can easily understand why this is such a popular beach destination as you stand looking out at La Concha beach and the two mountains guarding the town.  A queen visited for a healthy dose of cold sea water and the town went from sleepy to ritzy.  They haven't looked back since, and today it has the added appeal as an unrivaled dining destination.

Our view of the Guggenheim

The Guggenheim
Its really all about the building...and a pretty cool building it is.  What I find most interesting about the Guggenheim in Bilbao is  its power as transformative object for the city.  Bilbao was (and still is) an industrial town largely avoided by tourists (no longer).  The museum changed all that drastically, making the museum and the city one of the more known destinations around the world. 

The collection varies, but I especially enjoyed some of the permanent installations/large pieces on the main floor and positioned outside.  I'm losing count of how many art museums I have been to, especially in recent years, but I find the contrast between ancient and modern art interesting.  We've had many conversations (and some laughs) at the Tate Modern and Valencia's IVAM over what makes art (the Tate had some particularly "deconstructed" pieces and IVAM's Surrealist exhibit contains some pieces that are almost disturbing).  And, there, I think we get to the heart of what modern art is and why I keep wanting to see more, even if it doesn't hold the visual enjoyment of a day spent at the Prado.  Staying at the Gran Domine Bilbao, directly across from the Guggenheim, we got to enjoy the view of this modern marvel while staying in our own piece of contemporary art.

Hotel Gran Domine Bilbao

The Hotels
The Gran Domine Bilbao was one of many great hotels we experienced during this trip.  I normally wouldn't include hotels on a list of trip highlights, as I feel it's more about exploring than where you sleep.  But, sometimes (especially when the weather is chilly and damp and you need a cozy retreat) a hotel can be a destination.

Hospederia de los Parajes in LaGuardia is a great example.  Perfectly situated in the enjoyable old town of LaGuardia, this exemplifies what all boutique hotels should be.  The owner has a passion for excellence, which you can see in the care she took in personally decorating to the time she spends chatting with customers in the bar/lobby.  This small hotel is big on amenities with a bar, two restaurants, a wine cellar/gift shop (in one of the old wine caves that run below the town) and a small spa.  The room was spacious and beautiful.  The layout was interesting, with most rooms overlooking the center of the building, where they had created a cozy living room.  We sat by the fire with a glass of wine and a good book...perfect after a long day exploring in snowy weather.

We stayed in Hemingway's favorite spot (albeit not the room) at Gran Hotel La Perla.  You can see why he would like it...right in the center, near everything (in Hem's case, all the bars and a hop to the bullring).  They remodeled recently and while they retained his room and some historical touches, it is now sleek and modern.  Our room was a corner room with more windows than our apartment (and just slightly smaller).  This spot would probably be a little too close to the action for any rest during San Fermin.

The hotels all got things right on a couple common notes--great beds (rare in Spain), amazing bathrooms, and deluxe amenities (I am such a sucker for good toiletries and a cozy robe!  Hospederia gave us an array of wine-based beauty products, but Gran Domine wins the award for most toiletries I have ever seen provided.)

La Concha beach, San Sebastian

There is so much to see in the Basque Country.  Here are a few things on my to-do list for next time:

• Visit a few of the history museums in the area, to get more immersed in to the long history of the Basque people.  Take a detour to Gernika and the Peace Museum.
• Take the back roads and explore some of the smaller towns along the coast and cross over the border to explore French Basque Country.
• Visit the Museo de Bellas Artes in Bilbao to experience that art contrast I mentioned, with its collection of some of the top masters.
• Take even more time to explore the food and drink wonders: perhaps visiting a Sidreria during the season, finding all the small delights at the pintxos bars, splurge on a Michelin-starred dinner and definitely at least one more day at the gastronomic society.
• Spend some time outdoors (i.e. come during summer), perhaps walking a bit of the Camino (but that's a whole other trip/discussion) or hanging out on the beach.
• I don't think I'd appreciate the craziness of San Fermin and I'm certainly not running with the bulls, but I might enjoy the smaller bull festival in Pamplona and taking in a bullfight a la Hemingway.

Eating and Drinking Our Way Through the Basque Country

Just to give you an idea of why a post about the Basque Country's highlights would inevitably have this title: 

San Sebastian (Donastia) is said to have the most Michelin stars per capita of any city in the world.

La Rioja won the prize from Wine Enthusiast in 2008 for being the "best wine producing region".

"Foodies" travel to this area like religious pilgrims to the holy land.

So, naturally some of the top highlights of our recent trip to Basque Country are food and drink-related.  These experiences were not only tasty, however, but an immersion in the culture and window in to what makes this area, the people and traditions so intriguing.  Here are my favorites:

Private Wine Tour in Rioja (highlight: Bodegas Launa)
We started with one of the larger wineries, but our guide promised us something unique at the second stop and it did not disappoint.  We were greeted by the wine maker and spent a couple hours with him.  It was not only educational but inspiring, to feel how passionate he was about his business.  What a gift (and maybe a curse at times) to love something so much that you want to work night and day and ensure all the details are done correctly.  This is a family with a long-history in wine, but with a new generation combining the old traditions with the benefits of technology...and producing some award-winning wines.

At the same time, we learned a lot about the area, from past history of how this became a great wine making region to more current developments.  Not long ago, this was one of those wine making areas where you didn't really visit wineries, whereas today you have high-end architectural wonders meant to attract visitors (a la Gehry designed Riscal or the Calatrava's Ysios).  We enjoyed seeing those buildings as we drove around the area, but I have no doubt that the true treasures are the small wineries and personal experiences like we had.  After a couple experiences with small winery tours like this, we have come to appreciate what a great way this is to get to know locals, meet passionate entrepreneurs and learn about an area--even a worthwhile experience if you aren't a wine-lover.

We learned a lot about the wine control board/inspectors and you might enjoy reading more about Rioja's wine control board/quality control.

Petritegi Tolare Sagardotegia (Sidreria in Astigarraga, outside of San Sebastian)
I was reviewing an iPhone app about Basque Culture and Cuisine during this trip and got this recommendation from the guide.  This is more than dinner and some cider--it's an event. You eat a large meal over the course of the evening, while meandering back amongst the large casks of cider to taste the different varieties.  A big group forms, hanging out back by the barrels, tasting, talking and enjoying.  There's a whole technique to holding your glass under the stream and lining up with the others.  The meal is a traditional fixed menu...and enough food to easily absorb all the cider.  Your bread is placed right on the table and the plates are served communal style.  I loved the cod tortilla and the chuleton was not only a massive slab of beef, but a delicious one.

Basque Gastronomic Society (Txoko) experience
I saved the best for last-this is really a not-to-be-missed experience!  We rejoined our same guide for this experience in San Sebastian, which made it even nicer as we had gotten to know him during our Rioja tour. He gave us a brief tour of the city and its history as we walked to the market.  We toured through the market, picking out some extra items to make during our experience.  We decided on some of the local white asparagus that was just coming in to season, a small selection of anchovies to make a special dish and a little jamon iberico for good measure.  Our guide told us part of the fun of the gastro society is the camaraderie while cooking--enjoying snacks leading up to the meal, tasting, talking with others who are there about what you are making, etc.

We got to work with the gastro society's chef, who has cooked in many top kitchens.  He was a great instructor, making the experience fun while imparting some valuable tidbits.  I walked away with a much greater appreciation for how "the little details are the difference between good food and a great meal".  We were especially excited to make a rice dish, being so enamored of all the arroces in Valencia.  A couple "tricks" in particular helped us to discover what we had been missing when trying to reproduce them in our kitchen.  All the dishes were relatively simple, but high quality ingredients and flavors, along with those "details" made them outstanding.  We learned more about the society and shared some cross cultural discovery over our meal (our guide was amazed/amused over beverage carts on golf courses in the U.S. and perhaps horrified at our story of the expose of "fake grouper" being passed off as real in Florida restaurants).  We got to share in the camaraderie while cooking and eating our meal, both with our chef and guide as well as some of the other members there that day.  We were gifted some cigalas to add to our rice, a taste of cider and some jokes from a couple of the men preparing a business lunch that day.

The Basque Country delights all the senses (and I'll share more about the other ones next time).   My most pleasing discovery about Spain has been that there is always more to explore in this diverse country.  Driving up from Valencia, we were truly transported to another country...geographically, linguistically and culturally.  I will need a lot more time in Basque Country to begin to explore all it has to offer, but I'm thankful for these special experiences that gave me a bit of a glimpse in to the locals' perspective.

A special thanks to Clara at Madrid & Beyond for putting together a great trip for us and Inaki Rubio for two delightful days discovering Rioja and San Sebastian.

Rome Wasn't Built in a Day (and related blogging challenges)

So...this is a post that started out about a trip to Rome. An amazing, action-packed trip about which I have a lot to say. Almost too much...and thus the constant blogger's dilemma. What to write about? How to narrow it down? Does anyone care? And, will they after reading thousands of words on the subject? And, thus a typical outcome...no post...for weeks and weeks...in which time inspiration runs low and memories get more vague...

I don't really have this issue when it comes to the writing I do for a living. But, perhaps that is the problem. It is so easy to blow off this blog...it's just for fun, right? It's so much easier to tweet out my thoughts in those nice, concise statements or do some reviews of places we have been and continue to ignore the blog. But, I'm feeling some inspiration after spending a lot of time recently reading some of my favorite travel blogs (and remembering how many of those articles helped me with ideas and recommendations for Rome).

So, I thought I'd start with a general overview and a "why Rome?" post. Perhaps I will get inspired to share more details later. Or, be on to the next destination...

Travel lovers all have a bucket list of sorts, and like deciding what to post, deciding where to go can be overwhelming. Italy makes the list for many people. But, most people don't have time to cover all the regions and sites of this diverse country. So...why Rome? (or why not Rome?)

Rome is awesome...if you like art and history. If that doesn't interest you (and you don't want to spend a lot of time in churches, museums and ruins), there may be a better spot for you, unless you are coming for the religious significance. Rome is a big, crowded city and if you want a relaxing slice of the "dolce vita" you're on the wrong track.

All I could think the whole time I was there is "Wow, I would have enjoyed ancient history a lot more if I could have visited here when studying". Rome is a walk through history. To be amongst such a bustling city and see remnants of ancient history each way you turn is, well, awesome.

We did all the highlights and I think it was a pretty thorough itinerary for our timeframe. We still had time to talk through the neighborhoods, enjoy nice dinners, wine and conversation with our friends (who met us there for the trip). Here's a rundown along with some links in case you are planning a visit:

Day 1 (for us a mid-day arrival): settle in, great Italian lunch and then a visit to the Borghese Gallery (you must reserve and stick to a tight time here, so check it out beforehand if you wish to go) and then some visiting over a nice dinner.

Day 2: Ancient Rome-The Colosseum, Forum and Palatine Hill (great advice from Rick Steves' book to buy the combo ticket at Palatine Hill versus the Colosseum-a huge line/time saver, we also used his audio tours on our phones/iPods for these sites), dinner at a great little restaurant recommended by our apartment manager (Marco at the Mok'House Apartments).

Day 3: The Vatican-we chose to do a guided tour to avoid the lines and it was a wise choice, especially giving context and organizing what can be very overwhelming. We did a lot of online research beforehand to find a quality tour and were pleased with the one we booked at Viator (being winter it was a fairly small group too). We took a long walk back to enjoy more of the city after sending the required Vatican postcards and revitalizing over lunch. We explored the Trastavere neighborhood for the evening-loads of great restaurants and nightlife.

Day 4: A little extra sleep followed by walking tour of the major sites (on our own, following Rick Steves' walk laid out in his guide) including Trevi fountain, Spanish Steps and visit to Pantheon (and my discovery of the frozen ice style coffees at the "world's best coffee" spot, Taza d'Oro--with fresh cream-craving one now!), the old school pizza experience at Da Baffetto.

Day 5: Wine tour/day trip to Frascati with Wine in Tour-this is the chance to get that slice of Italy's dolce vita and a highly recommended excursion and company. Probably my favorite day!

Day 6: Trip out to Ostia Antica-another recommended visit, often overlooked and described by some as "similar to Pompeii but with less tourists", a very easy trip and worth spending a bit of time if you enjoy ruins and imagining what this once thriving port city.

Day 7: Our travel day, but we had a chance to explore some additional neighborhoods and enjoy lunch before flying home. Our friends arrived a couple days in advance and one thing I know they would highly recommend is the Dark Tours' Angels and Demons tour.

Want the full visual tour? Check out our Rome photos here.

What is it about Spanish Food?

What's the deal with Spanish food? Why is it so darned delicious?

When we first traveled to Spain, the food was something that took us by surprise. Not that we expected it to be bad, or had never tried any Spanish food at restaurants in the U.S....but still...it far exceeded our expectations!

It's always so flavorful, from the simplest, homemade style dishes to cheap fried food all the way up through gourmet and "molecular gastronomy". I have eaten in roadside stands and airport cafes with tasty food. I think I've only had one bland dish in the country. And, that's all done without being particularly "spicy" (caliente) either. Of course, garlic and salt are not lacking, along with great olive oil and other spices like pimienton and saffron.

Like any culture where you find good food, a lot of it goes back to the ingredients. You'll see "according to the market" on a lot of menus, and menu del dias changing to reflect the seasons or even daily market finds. Abundant, fresh produce abounds, mostly at city markets and fruiterias...why bother with buying that stuff at the grocery store (which is often imported from elsewhere too)? I often filled up a large bag full of produce for a few Euros at the vegetable market in Denia. I saw a local fruiteria selling 25 kilos of potatoes for 6 Euro--seriously!

At the same time, the cooks obviously take pride in cooking things well and creating delicious flavors. The aromas nearly kill me when I'm in Spain...my mouth starts to water and my stomach starts to growl...

The other thing about Spanish cuisine is that the diversity and regionality of the country has produced such a diversity of good dishes. Paella may be the most identified dish of Spain world-wide, which I feel is a bit unfortunate (wait, it's not because I don't like it, it's because I love it--read on...). It has led to some really crappy paella being served, often in Spain...but typically outside of the "paella region" of Valencia. Spanish restauarants in Madrid and Barcelona have to cater to tourists' desire for paella, so they buy pre-packaged mixes or come up with something with little resemblance to the "real thing" (if you haven't had the "real thing" it will undoubtedly seem delicious but trust me on this). And, horror of horrors, many places serve it for dinner...which is your first bet it is not authentic. Rice dishes are for lunch, as any good Valencian knows. There's nothing like a large serving of starchy deliciousness served up with some wine to get you in the mood for that siesta:-)

However, those regional dishes, when done right and especially when eaten in situ, mean that this is a country with all kinds of specialties. It seems each town has its special sausage. Though less well known worldwide, the cheeses and wines of Spain are gaining popularity with many high quality regions. Along the different coasts, you'll find an amazing diversity of seafood made in a wide array of preparations. As much as I liked calamari before coming to Spain, I rarely order it anywhere else now, I'm just too spoiled. My hubby thought it always had the "rubber band" texture and was amazed to find it so tender that you rarely need a knife to cut it most places in Spain.

My best advice...get to Spain if you like food. Find Spanish food products in some of the gourmet or specialty stores in the U.S. in the meantime. Find out what the regional specialties are when visiting Spain and don't miss those (there are plenty of dishes that are generally good everywhere, particularly a lot of the simple tapas...but don't miss what the area or restaurant is known for...you won't be disappointed). And, try things you aren't usually "in to" (calamari being case in point for hubby, ham being case in point for me). Oh, and don't even get me started on the ham...you can get an idea of the national obsession by viewing my "homage to jamon".

Check back soon for some restaurant reviews and specific food recommendations...

Talking about Tampa Bay

I was recently a guest on one of my favorite podcasts, The Amateur Traveler. This great podcast (and website, Facebook community, etc.) offers a wide array of information and insights from travelers to various destinations all throughout the world. I especially enjoy the diverse locations and diverse guests.

My episode covers the Tampa Bay area including Clearwater, St. Petersburg and Tampa. Click here to listen to the Tampa Bay podcast on Amateur Traveler and learn more about why you might want to visit this area or get updates about various sites and events if you have been here before (or if you're a local looking for new things to do). Feel free to leave a comment here or on the Amateur Traveler blog about the episode or anything you think I missed.

Happy travels! (As is every Floridian's duty, I have to inform you that it has been in the 70s here lately...a nice start to December!)