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. 

April catch-up

 

Besides lazing about, enjoying the great weather, what have I been up to lately? Lots, actually. I can't believe April is more than half over...feria season is just around the corner, summer is well on its way, and there's so much to do now that all of the dreary winter weather has been replaced by endless sunny skies, practically overnight. 

All that sun and playing outside has made me a bad blogger, so let's catch up. Here are some highlights from the first half of April:

-We met Spanish chef Angel León! He runs Aponiente, the (only) Michelin starred restaurant in El Puerto, where we celebrated our 6 monthiversary. 

The event was organized by the base and was really interesting - Chef León's concept is completely different than most Andalucian restaurants, focusing on the sea as a diverse and sustainable resource for creating modern versions of traditional dishes that would normally use meat. Yes, this chef is recreating the Spanish people's beloved pork products with seafood. We were immediately struck by how innovative and intelligent he is. 

Please ignore the fact that we both have terrible handwriting, like an angry 5 year old.

He explained the development of some of his signature dishes, while his team created them on the spot. Even better - we were able to taste them, along with sherry pairings! 

Jerez de la Frontera

Last Sunday, because the sun was out after many days of rain, we drove up to Jerez de la Frontera (simply Jerez or "Heresth" with that perfect local lisp). It's a quick trip, only about 20 minutes from El Puerto. We've been many times, since it's a larger town and has more to offer, but usually we're hitting up the mall or Ikea. And I'm guessing you're not really interested in pictures of any of that...

 Of course, we've gone for dinner before and some special events - feria, a flamenco show, we even went there for New Year's Eve. But on Sunday we just walked around, enjoying the weather and the character that Jerez has to offer.

The main plaza, complete with adorable old Spanish man.

Of course, there's a cathedral.

Tortilla

 One of my resolutions was to learn to make a tortilla. A tortilla española - the thick, potato-laden omelette that has just a few ingredients (eggs, potatoes, olive oil, maybe some onions) and defies reason with its simple deliciousness.

Tortilla can be found everywhere here, in casual ventas and traditional restaurants, I've even had it at fancy events cut into small squares and served as hors d'oeuvres. If you're on the go, you can grab a slice of tortilla stuffed into a small baguette. Yes, potatoes and bread all in one meal. Side note: Carb-phobic diets have not taken hold in southern Spain. And the people here are gorgeous. 

There is a venta nearby (El Nene, for any Porteños or Roteños) that makes an amazing tortilla. A phone call, 20 minutes, and €6 ($8) is all it takes for us to get our hands on a giant, deep dish, pie-sized tortilla that will feed us for days. But I started thinking about how one day in the future, when we have to leave España (nooooooooo!) there probably won't be anywhere to get a tortilla. Unless I make one myself...so, one of my resolutions was born. And it was the first one crossed off of my list, because let's be honest, food is a great motivator for me.

My amiga, Pia, is Spanish, and when I mentioned recently that I wanted to learn how to make tortilla, she said she could teach me. Although, like every Spanish woman I've talked to about cooking, she said "but my mother is a much better cook". 

On Saturday, Graham and I went over to her and her husband's casa for a little cooking and eating party. And I made a tortilla ! watched Pia intently as she cooked a perfect little tortilla, while I sipped wine and snapped some photos. She is so sweet that she even wrapped it up for us to take home and eat, along with some roasted red peppers and garlic, then made another tortilla for her family.

Either her mama is a ridiculously good cook or Pia is lying, because the tortilla was amazing, and the peppers went along with it fantastically.

Now I have no excuse but to try to make one on my own. When I do (as long as it doesn't turn out to be a hot mess), I'll be back with some step-by-step photos and a recipe. 

Any certain food you want to learn to cook? My next challenge will be paella!

A change for 2013...

from Meghann:

Because it's a new year, and it's the time for resolutions and starting fresh, I figured this was the best time to make a little change to the blog...

From now on, it will just be me, Meghann, blogging from my point of view. And here's a little secret, it's been mostly my project the whole time, although Graham does help with proofing each post. You might have noticed the "from Meghann" in the top left that shows up in many recent posts (including this one). That will disappear, but just know that it's my writing that you are reading.

When we started this blog it was simply a way to keep in touch and share pictures while living in España. As time went on, I started to really enjoy taking photos and writing posts (it's the only type of journaling I've ever been able to keep up with, and there are plenty of empty or barely written-in fancy notebooks around the casa to attest to this). But I started to feel limited by using "we" all of the time (not to mention "she" makes me feel totally third-person creepy) and trying to stay universal in describing experiences.

Don't worry, there will still be a good amount of "we" because we do so much together. Graham will be around in plenty of photos (especially since I'm the photographer of the familia) and stories. He may even stop in to do a post of his own at random times.

Some things may change though...

I will be trying to blog more and would like to include some of the smaller details of our daily life, as well as some things that are unique to España. Personal opinions, thoughts, emotions...there will probably be more of those since I'll be writing from my own point of view and not for both of us. The content of the blog may change a little as I am freed up to write about whatever strikes my fancy, without having to worry about "speaking" for Graham. (Which is also a perfect example of something Graham would never say - "strikes my fancy".) 

Also, I want to try to increase the readership. I love each and every one of you for taking the time to read, comment, give a thumbs up on facebook, or mention the blog in person. For a long time, I was pretty convinced it was just our Moms clicking over and over again (hola Moms, love you too!). But I think this little blog might be ready to get out into the world more (not like move out and get its own apartment, but just big enough to go to kindergarten and finger-paint for a few hours). Maybe I'll even do a little giveaway now and then...

What won't change...

Overall, the blog will continue to have a positive tone. I will do my best to keep it real (not loving a particular city, for example), but I won't be sharing every single crappy thing that happens, and believe me, they do. Overall, I am just so grateful to have this overseas opportunity and wouldn't want to give the impression that I am not. 

I won't be negative, use potty language, or heap on the sarcasm (although I do plenty of those things in "real" life). I won't get political or talk too much about the military. One reason is because I want to respect Graham's professional life, the other is because it's just not in my comfort zone. Plus, there are already plenty of other great blogs that cover those issues.  

Also, it may be a strange thing for someone who has a blog to say, but I'm a bit of an introvert, and just can't imagine putting everything out there. This isn't an anonymous or secret blog (although I don't use our last names) and the initial audience was our family and friends. Anyone and everyone (ha!) can read it if they choose, so I will be maintaining a certain level of privacy. If you have any specific or nitty gritty questions about life in España, living and traveling overseas, or being a Navy wife (or just want to commiserate), feel free to email or message me privately. 

This blog began as a way to share our newlywed life in España - travel, food, culture, and pictures of tiny dogs. It's a lifestyle blog, a journal of sorts, and that's the way we I intend to keep it. 

So, any thoughts? What would you like to see more/less of? And did anyone notice that I completely avoided using the phrase "big news!" or "big announcement!"? It's dangerous...

Año Nuevo Resolutions

from Meghann:

Since Nochevieja (New Year's Eve) and Dia de los Reyes Magos (Three Kings Day) have passed, it's officially the end of the holiday season and time to think about the year ahead.

Our time in España is halfway* through (it breaks my corazón to even type that). We've been here a year and a half and according to Graham's orders, have about that much time left. So instead of the usual new year resolutions (eat better, be healthier, read more - those are all good ones) I thought I'd list things to do (I do love a list) before we leave.

Not necessarily places to go (that list could go on forever, since there's pretty much nowhere that I wouldn't want to see at least once) but experiences, specifically Spanish ones. As much as we love to travel to other countries, we really want to soak in and appreciate the place that we are lucky enough to live in right now. Being here for 3 years is such a privilege and an opportunity, but sometimes it's easy to think that we'll have plenty of time to do things later - next month, next year. Sometimes it seems like we just got here... The reality is, this is, as far as we know*, our last full year.


See Spanish snow in the Sierra Nevada mountains, outside of Granada. We've seen the white-capped mountains from the Alhambra, but we want to actually visit.

Go to a soccer game futbol match. The excitement of following Spain through the Euro Championship this summer was amazing and futbol here is such a big deal. We probably won't make it to see Real Madrid (or that other big club), but would love to cheer on a local team, like Sevilla's Real Betis.

Party it up at Carnaval (Spanish Mardi Gras) in Cádiz. It's supposed to be the biggest and best Carnaval celebration in the country and it's coming up in February! Time to get our costumes together and make this happen, no excuses since it's so close.

Learn how to make paella and tortilla - two very typical and delicious Spanish dishes. This is mostly my resolution (and I have plans on Friday with an amiga to learn to make a tortilla - a typical Spanish omelette) but Graham will obviously benefit.

Spend a night in Ronda. It's one of our favorite towns and we've been many times (great place to take visitors) but we've never done an overnight. I want to see that lovely bridge all lit up...

Taste more sherry. We love the dry sherries produced in this area, like the manzanilla and fino that we had on Christmas Eve. But I've only been to one sherry bodega (winery) and Graham hasn't been to any, even though they are all around.

Hike in Grazalema and/or Zahara. These areas are known for their beautiful landscapes and in the spring they should be decked out in wildflowers.

Wine tasting in La Rioja. Obviously, we've had a glass or 1000 of Rioja since living in Spain (it is so cheap here it's ridiculous) but there's nothing like visiting the source.

Go all out for feria season. Last spring it rained a bunch and we were traveling for part of it, so we missed a lot of the biggest town festivals of the year (although we did see a bit of Rota's and Jerez's). This year,  I want to do it up right - get a dress and all the accessories, take dance lessons, then party like a local all night.

Tapas hop in Jerez de la Frontera. We had such an amazing time celebrating New Year's Eve there and every time we go, we love it. This town is full of history, charm, and good places to eat, and it's only 15 minutes away.

Be a tourist in Sevilla. We've been to Sevilla multiple times, mostly passing through while on our way to somewhere else. And of course, we've toured the cathedral. But we really need to dedicate a day or two and really see the city.

Camp on the beach for Noche de San Juan. We stumbled upon this summer solstice celebration last year while taking Chloe for a late walk. Everyone builds bonfires and stays on the beach all night.

Take another cooking class in Vejer. I loved the Moroccan cooking class I did last year and want to go back for a Spanish one. This would be a fun group activity. 

Learn all about olive oil. The olive oil here is the best in the world and a source of Spanish pride (rightfully so). I want to learn about the harvest and production, and luckily, there are tours designed just for that.

Go surfing in one of the little beach towns to the south. Okay, this one is mostly Graham, since he's the resident surfer, but while he would go for the waves, I want to check out the hippie beach vibes that these places are known for.

Participate in one of the unique Spanish festivals. There's the Tomatina (tomato battle), Batalla del Vino (wine battle), and of course, the Fiesta de San Fermin (running of the bulls - of course we would never actually run with the bulls, just watch other idiots people do it). Don't think we'll make it to all, but just one would do.

Go to the famous Jerez horse show. Horses are part of the culture of Andalucía (I even take classical riding lessons once a week) and the Real Escuela del Arte Ecuestre (royal riding school) in Jerez is world-renowned for its horses and training.

Take a million pictures of Puerto and Rota. Admittedly, I already take a metric ton of photos, but I'm more likely to do it when I'm traveling. Sometimes it's a good thing to play tourist a little closer to home (like I did in DC this fall) and I want to be more committed to capturing our daily life here.

So, there you have it, our (some just my own) Spanish resolutions for 2013. It's a lot to see and do, but I hope we can make it happen. I have a feeling our remaining time here will go by in the blink of an eye (the first half certainly did).

What do you think - anything that I should add or any tips from Españoles? Care to share some of your resolutions?


 
*This is what we call "the Navy asterisk". We never know anything for certain, we just go with what we know right now. Because Graham is in the Navy, anything (and everything) could change and our time here could be shorter or longer. All the more reason to do things now!