Hiking in Grazalema

Before the whirlwind that is feria gets started (¡mañana!) I just wanted to  share some pictures from our roadtrip weekend to area in and around the Parque Natural de la Sierra de Grazalema.

Our main reason for going was to do some hiking, now that the rain has stopped and before the crazy hot summer temperatures settle in. And we hiked! An 11 kilometer circular route, starting and ending in Grazalema, which offered gorgeous panoramic views from some of the highest peaks. And I'm not going to lie, at points it was pretty aggressive, especially for my the pups' short little legs. But we all made it and I rewarded myself with what else? Tintos de verano. 

First tinto of 2013!

Sunday was sunny. That might not seem that exciting, but after a week nearly full of rainy days and a forecast for even more rain this week, it was noteworthy, an event. Life in El Puerto revolves around being outdoors - the beach, long meals eaten outside, leisurely strolls. When it rains, people are forced indoors, life slows, monotony and boredom set in. Everyone is miserable. Or maybe that's just me, I don't deal well with a lack of sunshine...

So, when Sunday turned out to be gorgeous - in the high sixties, sun shining - I knew we had to take advantage. Sunday was also Domingo de Ramos (Palm Sunday) which marks the beginning of Semana Santa, a holiday week for many Spanish. We took the dogs for a 2 mile walk on the beach, passing many people out for a start-of-spring-break seaside paseo.

Later we went downtown for lunch and the feeling was even more festive - families out for lunch, some people still carrying their branches from church, sidewalk musicians playing, flowers blooming, everyone enjoying the weather. We sat down outside at one of our favorite places (Antojito, if you're in the area, go now!).

And I just knew...

Off to the races!

Tomorrow is the running of the Belmont Stakes and I'll Have Another, the horse that won in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, could be the first Triple Crown winner in 34 years. We normally watch the races (Graham's parents even have an annual Derby Party and we had a Preakness Party last year) but due to the time difference and traveling, we weren't able to watch the previous 2 races this year. 

Update: Turns out there will be no Triple Crown contender after all, I'll Have Another was scratched due to an injury. 

We did go to some races here in España last summer. During 2 weeks in August there are horse races on the beach in Sanlucar de Barrameda, which is a town just north of Puerto. Despite the casual atmosphere of the playa, the races are a big event. The horses are both local and from various European countries, and there are cash prizes for the winners. The first time we went, we watched from the beach, while enjoying some tintos de verano with friends.

Thirsty Jueves! Tinto de Verano edition

In celebration of our air-conditioning being fixed (woohoo!) and that it's almost the fin de semana, we are going to dedicate this blog post to a muy popular Spanish bebida.

If you said sangria, you are wrong. While delicious (and nutritious?), sangria is considered to be somewhat of a tourist drink and locals are rarely seen ordering it. Frankly, we don't quite understand this - Meghann has an unabashed amor for all things blue crab and Graham would never turn down Carolina barbecue. But that's okay, because the Spanish have come up with an equally delicioso and much easier to make drink.

Tinto de Verano! Which literally translates to "red wine of summer." Vino tinto = red wine and verano = summer.

It can be ordered out at most bars and restaurantes, either by the glass or pitcher.

It can even be bought ready-made from the local tienda, but it's so easy to make there is no reason to not DIY this drink.

Here's what you need: