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Live...from spain!!! Cordoba, costa de da luz (vejer de la frontera area, madrid

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Live...from spain!!! Cordoba, costa de da luz (vejer de la frontera area, madrid

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Old May 17th, 2024, 08:15 AM
  #521  
 
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No, their store on Ayala, a block away from the Mercado de la Paz closed. It lasted only a year.

Enjoy your sun, and I hope it continues on to La Toja and then to Pontevedra!

The Romería is done by horseback and by horse-drawn buggy and it's a rough ride, although far, far shorter.
Have you read this NY Times article?
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/08/t...smid=url-share


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Old May 17th, 2024, 08:28 AM
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Originally Posted by ekscrunchy
Petaca Chico closed?

The Romeria looks like a real haul!! Which would be more difficult..that or the Camino?
You know the streets here are jam packed with the pilgrims.....today there was a huge group of ladies from Ghana.
I joked with Jeff that this is the only place that more people have canes than not...!
The Main Street in the old quarter today was as crowded as Times Square!!!!

More soon.....finally there is some sun!
eks,
I enjoy following your posts and adventures.
Is there any chance you could start a new thread ? This one is getting looooog.
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Old May 17th, 2024, 08:49 AM
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Danon you are right!

This is getting very convoluted with a lots of twists and turns....

But what do you and Maribel, and anyone else following this, think...can we start a thread on food in Spain, or food experiences?
I apologize because I am the one who keep diverting onto various topics...


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Old May 17th, 2024, 08:55 AM
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I'm laughing eks, as we two go on and on with diversions. You're not the only one diverting. I'm also a culprit. I think that a great idea would be to start a thread on food in Spain, as this thread is way too long! You choose the title!
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Old May 17th, 2024, 09:44 AM
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Originally Posted by Maribel
You choose the title!
Title? Papeo in Spain.
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Old May 17th, 2024, 11:58 AM
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For non Spanish speakers, perhaps another more understandable title, eks.
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Old May 17th, 2024, 12:12 PM
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Chowing?
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Old May 17th, 2024, 12:15 PM
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That could work.....
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Old May 23rd, 2024, 12:02 AM
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Wait..."papeo??"

I think we need our own website!
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Old Jun 13th, 2024, 08:10 PM
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Originally Posted by ekscrunchy
The drive from the Hospes in Cordoba to the airport outside of Jerez (the nearest airport to my next destination, outside Vejer de la Frontera and, therefore, the closest rental pick up spot) took about 2 hours 15 minutes along the route that Maribel had surmised: We traveled the very smooth, exceptionally maintained highways staying mainly on the E-5 which skirts Sevilla to the East and South, so I got no view of Sevilla itself. But now that I've taken this drive, I see how easy it would be for someone wanting to include Sevilla, to collect the car at the end of their city stay, and take that easy drive to the Costa de La Luz, which was to be my next destination for one day shy of two full weeks (!!!!!).

There are, of course, many, many options for staying in this area of Andalucia but outside Cadiz and Jerez, I think a car allows a traveler to get the most of a visit, since bus service outside the main towns (and even to and from some of these) can be infrequent and there are many points of interest that are either not reached by public transport or reached by such infrequent service that all but the most determined and hardy traveler would end up missing so many of the small delights with w which this region brims.

Just as last year during the same month, my destination was a small (6 bedrooms and a couple of self-catering accommodation within the property) rural hotel outside the dazzling white hill town of Vejer. I wonder if staying here is something like being invited to spend time at a very rich friends manor in the English countryside (I've never had the pleasure so maybe I am way off base here..). My room, the same one as last year (they've joked that they are going to mount a plaque with my name on the door!) is one roomy space with a spacious terrace facing brick-paved gardens abloom with lemon, orange and kumquat trees. Beyond this garden is, for me, a highlight of a stay here: A salt-water swimming pool kept at a temperature that allows lap swimming even if the thermometer outside reads in the 50s'F. The only days so far that I was unable to swim (the pool was kept covered) were the first two days which were drizzly and damp and windy (the Costa de la Luz is known for its often high winds coming across the strait from North Africa, and there are probably other winds, too. That's the reason that this coast is a favorite of wind surfers, whose Mecca seems to be Tarifa, under an hour's drive from here. The beaches I've seen so far in the area of Vejer, Bolonia, and Zahara de los Atunes, tend to be wide and often windswept expanses of fine white sand with waves that can range from gentle to surf-able. (Indeed the beach nearest Vejer appears to be a favored surfing spot--wet-suited young people pile out of vans pulled up at the sandy lots near the shore, and congregate in a line of casual places for snacking and lounging over beers. It looks like a very youthful scene and one I imagine might resemble California's SouthBay as depicted in countless films... I think El Palmar attracts lots of Spanish outdoor sports enthusiasts as well as those from northern European countries; some beaches along this immediate coast are 'naturist," but I've yet to come across any. But if I have time I'd like to explore Zahora, Canos de Meca and some of the other popular spots; these are mostly connected by paved roads but some roads are sandy...its an area very different than any other I've visited in Spain and sure to be interesting.



Getting way ahead of myself here, so back to my hotel:

Breakfast is always served (not buffet style) and on most (but not all) evenings Connie, the lovely cook originally from the Philippines, prepares dinner. Every morning she posts that night's menu on a blackboard and guests can decide whether to eat onsite or venture out to one of the many, many excellent restaurants both in the town of Vejer and in the surroundings towns. But dinner out means driving in there dark on small, unlit roads, some not paved. So I usually take a big lunch and skip dinner unless the day's menu appears unmissable.

By now I'm beginning my ninth day in my own little paradise. As I mentioned, days begin with breakfast, then time back in the room for catching up on e-mails, reading their newspaper online, playing around with the cat, and feverishly attempting to squeeze out more of this report!

By 1pm it's time to prepare for lunch. II always book ahead but often show up late due to getting a little lost or having to make an "essential" stop (today's essential stop will be tag a butcher highly recommended by Connie in a tiny hamlet not too far away. It looks easy to find but who knows......things are not always what they appear, right??? The reason for this stop will be to further investigate the red (colora) lard that I first tried yesterday in a sandwich at VENTA PINTO.

Who knew that lard could be considered fairly healthy???? In my very scant reading, I learned that in some ways lard has more health benefits than butter...I will be reading more later...
And it's a real culinary highlight in these parts. Imagine that I was here for 10 days last year and had heard of it only in passing and when I glanced into the vitrine at VENTA PINTO where they had lines of rustic terra cotta jars, plastic clamshell containers and glass jars filled with....red and white lard; some with slices of pork inside and some with just the lard.

I'm sure some people reading this want toga, but then, when you're traveled to northern Italy, I'd guess that many of you have sampled lardo di Colonnata in Tuscany (its home is near Carrara) or even in Venice, where I first fell in love with this delicacy, laid in gossamer sheets over toast as a starter welcoming us to AI GONDOLIERI. (I remember swooning about the taste back then and asking the waiter if I could have another taste, and he set the entire platter on our table!!!


So now I'm off, late as usual, to the butcher shop and then on to El Palmar where I have a lunch plan at the new AZOTEA.

Scrunchita , my apologies if I missed i but what was the name of the hotel in Vejer please?
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Old Jun 14th, 2024, 01:02 PM
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Originally Posted by amsdon
Scrunchita , my apologies if I missed i but what was the name of the hotel in Vejer please?

Amsdon: Casa la Siesta; Here are some photos; I can only post a few at a time......will post more after these.




Connie, the chef, originally from Pilipinos..guests have option of dinner almost very night but I usually drove for lunch at a restaurant and skipped dinner, or snacked in my room...I was always welcome to watch in the kitchen..learned some great tricks, especially: Use oranges as well as lemons in salad dressings!! I hung around the kitchen a lot!!

Every morning, dinner menu is posted......dinner is an extra cost ($$$) there is also an honour bar with vinos generosos....sherries......I made use of this!! You can also keep your snacks in the fridge, like cheeses and jamon.....for dinner snacks instead of eating full dinner...

My faithful companion who slept in my room most nights......SOMBRA..I am already collecting toys for her for next trip!!

Amsdon, you will like one of these upcoming events....I know which one!!

Oh, Sombra, silly girl....always exploring but kept me company all the time.....sneaking in and out of my room at night..

Menu at nearby venta where I went for small meals...a real local place where I discovered the lomo with red lard sandwiches!!!!

Me with my friends, and our star, in front of our group!! I was very sad cause I was leaving in a few minutes, to drive back to Jerez airport..then fly to Madrid....

Not a flattering pic of me, but.. Jessica, at far left, introduced me to LA PERLA DE HUEVLA and many others, and also is tutoring me in the local Vejer accent.....very different than that from Sevilla..... "THERPIENTE," NOT 'serpiente!"
Every night when she is not busy we put on classic flamenco and we listened and I learned! Needless to say, I am a fan of CAMARON...did you see see the film on Netflix?????


Last edited by ekscrunchy; Jun 14th, 2024 at 01:23 PM.
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Old Jun 14th, 2024, 01:16 PM
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Casa La Siesta..I think there are about 6 rooms..this is the rear of the building

View of pool....farmlands around the inn mean lots of crowing early mornings, and mooing at all times......

I think (I KNOW!) my happiest times recently are when I am here...its become the highlight of my year......

Bedroom..messy as usual..never used tub cause I thought I would never get out of it alone!..scattered around are cat treats...and water bowls

Unpaved road to the inn....about 20 minutes from hill town of Vejer...scary to drive at night.....last year I had to be escorted out of town by police after I was driving wrong way on road filled with little school kids..but police were very kind....put sirens on like I was a lost celebrity!!! Truly, streets are very narrow and for me it impeded my visits to the town...I usually ate in restaurants on the flatlands below town, or on the coast, near Barbate...very scary to drive up there even in daylight.....

Last edited by ekscrunchy; Jun 14th, 2024 at 01:19 PM.
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Old Jun 25th, 2024, 01:30 PM
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Amazing trip, this is on my bucket list. I'm hearing so many lost baggage stories these days!
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Old Jul 20th, 2024, 05:41 AM
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Condé Nast Traveler on the Costa de la Luz:


https://www.cntraveler.com/story/costa-de-la-luz-spain
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