Mad Dash to Madrid & Sunday in Segovia

Posted on May 14, 2013 by kshap

The weekend was almost a disaster when I work up 10 minutes before my train was to leave the station. (My fault, but I’ll blame it on the karaoke competition the night before.) By some miracle, I managed to throw stuff in a bag and run the kilometer to the station in about five minutes (definitely a personal best). It was a panicked and dramatic ten minutes!

I would have been so mad at myself had I missed the tennis tournament, so it was my lucky day. I spent the whole day at La Caja Magica. Seeing Nadal play in the semifinals agains fellow Spaniard Andújar, and in front of a Spanish crowd was so much fun…and totally worth the mad dash.

On Sunday, my friend Elvira and I went to Segovia for the day. The streets were full of puppeteers, musicians, and children’s shows. We walked through the entertainment to see the famous (and incredibly impressive — there is no cement between those stoens!) aqueduct, the castle that inspired Disney’s, and the ornate cathedral.

We finished the weekend back in Madrid, and as I was wandering the sunny streets Monday morning it hit me that I only have three weeks left in Spain… a karaoke win (and being subsequently interviewed on Huelva radio?!), a full day of pro tennis, a day trip to yet another beautiful Spanish town, and a last day of exploring the capital city…it wasn’t a bad way to enjoy one of my last weekends here! Hope your weekends were great as well! Un beso:)

Perfecto Cinco de Mayo

Posted on May 5, 2013 by kshap

A homemade Mexican feast, sunny southern Spain, day drinking, and lovely girlfriends…definitely a perfect Sunday afternoon and a perfect Cinco de Mayo.It’s the kind of sunny afternoon that you’d want to last forever (which I kind of managed to do, with an evening siesta and a walk along the pier at sunset). It was summertime in Andalucía, and the living is easy…
(My contribution to our lunch was my go-to one bowl chocolate cake– just added cinnamon and orange zest to the cake, and lime zest to the cupcakes to make things slightly more “Mexican” in a pinch!)

Granada: Ciudad Poética

Posted on April 19, 2013 by kshap

Last weekend seemed to announce the beginning of summer in Andalucia with temperatures up to 30 degrees and brilliant sunshine all over the south.
It was the perfect weekend for walking the old streets of the Albaicín, exploring the Alhambra, and finishing off the days with tapas, tapas, and more tapas. The atmosphere in the city was just lovely with music on every street corner and colourful art everywhere you looked. I particularly liked this guy handing out free poems at his typewriter. As if Granada needed to be more poetic!

Live Entertainment at Nevsehir Airport

Posted on March 27, 2013 by kshap

I’ve done a lot of waiting in airports this year, and I think I’ve found a new pass time: watching travellers fudge up going through the security metal detectors. It could be a Monty Python sketch. I’m not alone in enjoying this humorous procession– mum and I are trying to contain our giggles, and the American couple beside me are providing some great commentary and play by play of the poor people confused about whether or not their large metal belts might set off the metal detectors.
Oh my goodness. It’s as though the group of Korean tourists across the room just wanted to entertain me some more– they are asking security if they can have the bottled water in the garbage can that was confiscated after security…and they’ve succeeded! That’s resourcefulness, folks. Sorry for the stream of consciousness post, but it was just too good.

On the Road — Mañana

Posted on March 19, 2013 by kshap

I read On the Road in high school, but I don’t think I really got into it, and I had picked it up mostly because my favourite English teacher always raved about it and didn’t we all “dig the beat generation?!”. So when I saw a cheap paperback copy of it at home before I left for Spain I figured it was a perfect read for a my year abroad. And this quote…man. I love it. I know Kerouac wasn’t writing about Spain, but that’s what it will always make me think of — seems like one of the most fitting quotes for Andalucia, anyway.

“It was always mañana . For the next week that was all I heard– mañana , a lovely word and one that probably means heaven.”

-Jack Kerouac, On the Road (1957)

As for my mañana…I’m off to meet my parents in Turkey for the Easter Break! I’m recovering from a bout of conjunctivitis (ew– don’t worry, no eye pictures!), but am so happy to be on the road.

Aracena (Everything With Ham On It)

Posted on February 5, 2013 by kshap

The last weekend of January saw us take a lovely little road trip up the Sierra de Aracena; a little mountain town just north of Huelva. After a few scary moments as our intrepid driver got used to our standard rental car, we were off for a short drive through beautiful scenery up to the pueblo.

Famous for their ham and mushrooms, the food did not disappoint and we tried a lot of it in great, cozy restaurants. The sunny January weekend was perfect for exploring. Las Grutas de la Maravillas, the ham museum (where I bought a little cookbook…we’ll see if I can recreate any of the mountain specialties!), hiking up to an old castle, and wandering around the white washed town– it was all a lovely change from the city.

Despite an incredible amount of fog, we stopped to look in awe at the Rio Tinto mines on our drive back to Huelva. (This is where NASA is doing research on what life would be like on Mars!)

Thanks to my mum and dad for suggesting this gem, and to lovely Emma for the picture of me (you can see her fabulous photography here!). If you’re in the mood for some fresh air and the best ham in Spain, Aracena might just be your town!

Monday Morning

Posted on February 4, 2013 by kshap

Jane and I took advantage of our day off and enjoyed a sunny winter’s day at the beautiful beach in Punta Umbria. The few people who walked by were dressed in layers, but the Canuck in me couldn’t resist fully enjoying a February beach day, bikini and all. Hopefully this becomes a Monday morning routine — not sure if there is a better place for a sun salutation.

Sueños de juventud

Posted on January 30, 2013 by kshap

I think I might suffer from just a teeny bit of FOMO, which I’m working on curing (and which might be why when I really should be going to sleep I head out to salsa, because when will I next be living in the south of Spain where there are salsa parties seemingly every day of the week?! When will I next live right next to Portugal?! Or have access to 19€ flights to Paris?! You see my dilemma?). I love being busy, but I’m sure you all know how it is when your lack of sleep catches up with you — now I get to whine about a sore throat and a stuffy nose; it will be an early night tonight. Today has been one of those days that have me daydreaming about the next time I can possibly fit in a siesta (pronto, por favor!), preferably with this gentle melody as my soundtrack.
This is a beautiful song that stuck with me from the Argentinian film ‘Infancia clandestina’. There was a film festival in Huelva last November, and despite not being able to understand 89% of the dialogue, I was completely drawn into the movie (based on a true story) and have had the song on repeat ever since.

La Comida Casera [Spanish Cooking Bucketlist]

Posted on January 21, 2013 by kshap

I’ll admit that having to trek through the city to three different grocery stores to find one ingredient makes for good exercise (and a decent way to learn my way around!). But when “one quick grocery shop” turned into the marathon of all errands last semester, I decided that this semester I had to stop wasting my time perusing all the aisles of Huelva’s grocery stores and cook more like a Spaniard. So, here is my little bucket list of things I’d like to accomplish in la cocina– suggestions are more than welcome, and I’ll keep the list updated as we go. Hasta pronto!

Comida Casera– My Spanish Cooking Bucketlist

•Salmorejo
•Ajo blanco
•Gazpacho
•Tortilla (Spanish omelette)
•Paella
•Espinacas con garbanzos
•Flan
•Tarta de Santiago
•Polvorónes

That’s all for now…vamos a ver cómo va!

Sautéed Garlic: The Cure for Homesickness?

Posted on January 12, 2013 by kshap

After five days, I think I’ve shaken off the jetlag (I’ve been unlucky with my flights — delays and missed connections made for a tiring 28 hour trip from Ottawa to Huelva), and am getting back in to the swing of things in Spain (ie. getting back to my salsa classes!).

I’m not going to lie: after such a nice holiday at home I was having a hard time getting excited about coming back to Huelva. I kept a positive attitude on my way back, but upon arriving at my empty apartment on Saturday night I immediately felt incredibly homesick. (This may or may not have included a call home and a good cry…)

Sunny winter day in Christopher Columbus’ Huelva.

I know I’m a homebody (and have probably written it too many times now, on this blog — you will all think that I am faking my love of travel! Damnit.), but I was surprised and kind of embarrassed by how homesick I felt the first few days I was here. I figured coming back would be way easier than when I first arrived in September, but I guess I still needed a few days to adjust after enjoying the cozy familiarity of being at home.

Industrial Huelva.

All the shops were closed when I arrived in Huelva on a holiday weekend but I had pasta, canned tomatoes, garlic, and olive oil on hand. I didn’t much feel like cooking (a sure sign that I am down in the dumps) — but the smell of sautéed garlic? Probably one of the best in the world. It’s a smell that carries the promise of something tasty and comforting on the way. Food has that magical way of evoking memories of times, places, and people. This tomato and garlic sauce is a way simplified version of the pasta sauce my parents always make at home. The smell of garlic on the stove with tomatoes will forever make me think of my Dad; this is the pasta he’d whip up for us when we would get back from a long day of sightseeing during our family travels. All you need is a can of tomatoes, a tablespoon of olive oil, a few cloves of garlic, and some pasta (I’d recommend some kind of cheese as well, herbs, olives, and any other veggies you like to throw in your sauce, but the results will be delicious even if your fridge is empty!).

Despite feeling a little rocky at the start, I know I have a lot to look forward to here and am looking forward to sticking with my resolution for 2013! I hope the year has gotten off to a great start for all of you! xo

Following my Dad’s advice for a little bout of homesickness: cook and read a book.

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