Destinations
-
Wine tasting in Spain: Notes from a winery
Given the gallons of wine I have consumed while in Spain, it is only natural to end my trip with a wine tasting in Spain. Spain is the third largest wine producing country in the world and that reflects well through Spanish gastronomy. No meal in Spain is taken without wine. In Spanish restaurants, both red and white wine always make it to the table simultaneously. In a tiny village in Castile y Leon region, at the Bodegas Zarraguilla winery, I find the ‘behind-the-scenes’ of this beverage’s production. Is this a video game (think Witcher)? Is this a fantasy novel (think GoT)? The vibe seems hardly real, and far from…
-
At the Royal Palace of La Granja de San Ildefonso, I experience fall colours
The baroque palace fails to retain my attention. The tall trees in its garden have rivaled and even surpassed its beauty. Gold-laced, they reach for the clouds and run in thickets till they hit the mountain in the horizon. In this garden, every leaf is bright yellow. For years, I have only seen ‘autumn(fall) colours’ virtually. But this time they are real, touchable. I enjoy this natural spectacle for the first time in my life in the gardens of the Royal Palace of La Granja de San Ildefonso, 10 kilometres from the town of Segovia in Spain. It is November and the sky is opening up in intervals, drenching everyone…
-
Royal Glass Factory of La Granja, Spain: All about glass
A blob of glowing orange wobbles on the tip of a pipe. The craftsman pulls the pipe out of the crucible, spins it and splashes water over it. He perches himself up on a ladder, places his mouth near the other end of the pipe and blows. The frail mass at the opposite tip changes shape and loses colour rapidly. The wind in the pipe manipulates the metamorphosis of the blob and soon it takes the form of a glass pitcher. The crafter separates the pitcher from the pipe and cuts the excess glass away from it’s mouth. This process of glass making from the 1st century BC is preserved…
-
Cooking class in Spain: In a chef’s kitchen in Segovia
From the windows, I see people move around in hoodies, their hands dunked deep inside their jacket pockets. It’s comfortably warm indoors, but not hot at all. Still beads of sweat crop on my forehead. The clink of pots brings my attention back to the present. Olive oil sizzles on the pan. Jars and bottles surround me. Herbs, vegetables, fresh fruits, dry fruits and animal proteins occupy the centre of the mammoth round counter in front of me. In the kitchen of Kuma, a restaurant in Segovia, the chef directs us on how to start our Spanish cooking adventure. Start with Spanish comfort food We are five novices, mere tourists…
-
Pedraza, Spain: One of the best-preserved medieval settlement
It is a cold November morning with a cloud sheathed sky and light drizzle. The wind hasn’t been particularly kind and slaps me across the face once again. Villas from 14th, 15th, 16th and 17th centuries border the cobblestone road as I climb uphill. Rock-cut washbasins inspired from the classical times stand intact in the façades of some houses. I see tiny windows, placed extremely low on the walls, almost touching the road. I am in Pedraza, a medieval village in Spain. My one-week itinerary in Spain includes only Madrid and Segovia. Pedraza features here as a short half day trip from Segovia. I always knew in my heart that…
-
Offbeat Spain: A Medieval ruin and an art hub tucked inside a forest
Among the pine groves in Segovia province of Spain, away from the chaos of the city, with the natural forest noise in the background, I am playing with Meena, a friendly Labrador. A film of mist surrounds us. Occasionally, it clears revealing stunning view of the woods that thrive on the cliff below. Meena runs along with me. A little ahead on the dirt road, we come across the ruins of a 13th century Christian monastery known as the Cistercian Monastery of Santa Maria de la Sierra, which is classified now as a national monument of Spain. Most of the site has now crumbled, except the church that still stands…
-
At El Corte Ingles in Madrid, a personal shopper and Pata Negra ham
A man with a stubble, in a golf cap, equipped with a knife, carves a massive chunk of pork leg attached to a rotisserie. His hold on the tool is firm but never forceful. Effortlessly, he cuts thin slices of meat and hands one to each of us. No cutlery is involved in this hamon de Ibero fiesta. I am at the ham-cutting exhibit of Cinco Jotas at El Corte Ingles, Madrid. Decoding the Pata Negra One bite into the tender meat and I see my companions fawn with adoration. Impressed by the cured ham, they ask for more, and finally end up buying many packs—something to munch back at…
-
Where to eat and drink in Madrid: Treats and sweets
Four food experiences in Madrid are featured in this article in a narrative way (listicle hater here). If you are searching for where to eat and drink in Madrid, you may click on the name of the restaurant in the list below to jump to the section related to the said restaurant/food plaza. If you are here solely as a reader and not just as a planner, I encourage you to read the piece as a continuous whole. Where to eat and drink in Madrid Restaurante Villa Magna Platea Taberna Puertalsol Patio de Leones Restaurante Villa Magna: Elite dining Restaurante Villa Magna is a part of the Green Globe certified…
-
Flamenco Dance Performance in Spain: Mind those steps
Slowly, the lights overhead dim. The tapping on the wooden stage, known as the tablao, grows louder. The metal strum of the guitar builds up the mood. The singer picks up the higher pitches and, in his shrill voice, syncs the lyrics effortlessly in the leaps and dips of the musical notes. The entourage claps hard in rhythmic intervals. A woman graces the foreground. Dressed in black and red Sevillana outfit, she taps her feet in rapid motions and rotates with simultaneous hand movements. In Madrid’s Café de Chinitas, a flamenco dance performance is in progress. In popular opinion, Flamenco is mistakenly considered just a Spanish dance form. While dance…
-
A visit to Puerta del Sol and Plaza Mayor in Madrid: Thriving squares
Save a bunch of people here and there, at first the cobblestoned road in Madrid is quiet. Around me are buildings— some residential, some offices. As I keep walking, I feel human noise amplifying. Street artists perform illusive stunts; inside makeshift white tents, flea markets are abuzz. The street is not so quiet anymore. Finally, the road opens to a square, cluttered with a crowd of leisure seekers and overlooked by a bell tower with a ticking clock. This is Puerta del Sol, the literal centre of Madrid as well as Spain. Puerta del Sol facts that attract Puerta del Sol which means “the gate of the Sun” served as…
