Gracias Valladolid

After six weeks of living in Valladolid, Castille-y-León, I have learned to speak Spanish, cook Spanish, sleep less and dodge the bull! 

Valladolid - stylish, never ending days

The generous city has hosted me for the first 6 weeks of my studies. With its grand architecture, Valladolid used to be the capital of Spain, before it recently changed to Madrid.

Plaza Mayor in valladolid

At any time of the day almost all woman can be seen wearing high heels and babies are, in my opinion, far better dressed than the British Royals.

I strongly believe that there are two South African days in one Spanish day. The morning starts at 9 when the local mercado and shops open. With hot sunny days, the city stops for its siesta from 3 - 5 pm, with the sun setting just after ten. Hereafter children will play almost until midnight and while tapas and wine will be served until well after 2 in the morning.  I have grown accustomed to this, and sleep no longer feels like a necessity.

Speaking foreign

Mornings started with Spanish classes. The first day when Norma, my Spanish teacher, spoke to me, my throat abruptly closed on the spot! Classes progressed form 'my name is...' to the list of colours, how to tell time and finally how to conjugate each verbs into its numerous forms. 

It would be nearly impossible to get by if one cannot speak Spanish here, especially in smaller villages like my new home in Asturias.

Our Spanish class on the very last day

I can't speak Spanish fluently yet, but thanks to Norma, I have the confidence to attempt a Spanish conversation - while of course, make extensive use of sign language.  

Traditional & tapas

I have had the privilege of working in a local, traditional restaurant on the Plaza Mayor in Valladolid, cooking traditional food, attempting a Spanish dialog and watching some flamenco dancing!

Ole con Ole invited me in their kitchen and taught me basics such as croquettes, tortillas, paella, octopus and my personal favourite, Rabo de torro (oxtail).

The owners, Mamen and Carlos, made sure the kitchen staff taught me as much as possible, and on Friday and Saturday nights they would often open the floor for some flamenco dancing. 

Tradition is clearly important to them and bull fighting posters, clothes and pictures can be seen everywhere. On weekend nights at 12pm, the whole restaurant would come to a stop -  lights were turned down and candles lit and staff and guests sang to the Virgin Mary.  

Bull fighting display in Ole con Ole

At Ole con Ole I have come to understand the Spanish culture and experience the warmth of the people in Spain. 

Traveling in Castille-y-León
The region of Castille-y-León is so called because it holds so many medieval castles. I have seen these beautiful works of art all over the region - Segovia, Salamanca, Simancas, Penafiel and Medina del Campo.

Castilla in Medina del Campo

Furthermore the region has allowed me to be a spectator of Corte de torro (dodging the bull),partaking in running with the bull, petting the bull - at El Capricho - and tasting the bull.

Corte del toros

In retrospect, this was a once in a life time experience, in every single form of the word!

Many thanks to everyone who has contributed to my time here int he land of Citrus and Saffron.
Liezl
(Text and pgotography)

Galicia’s perfect match – wine & seafood

In the early hours of Friday morning we board a bus to Galicia. We’ve packed our raincoats and swimsuits, as we know a typical day there can easily bring 4 seasons to its shore.

After 2 hours the typical Castille-y-León scenery of golden, straw coloured fields start a transformation and after a 5 hour drive I am surrounded by lush green forestry that seems to go on forever!

Galicia on sea

I blink my eyes twice to be sure I haven’t been teleported to Knysna, back in South Africa, but the water seems bluer and the exotic seafood on the menu cannot be found back home.

As we board the boat we sit down for a seafood feast. Platters arrive continuously and I am already baffled by the first - Barnacles. I squint at the … well it seems to possibly be an ingredient to a Harry Potter potion. Although I've seen pictures of the “percebes” before, I am not sure how to approach it. After a few laughs and some guidance, I know to break off the tip slowly to expose the slightly orange flesh and pull it out to finally eat the prawn-sized meat.

Next, the sweetest crab meat I have ever tasted! Packaged in the smaller red-orange crab shell, it’s worth every minute of work to  extract the meat. It is followed by its bigger brother, the spidercrab.

The table also enjoys mussels with a fresh onion and sweet pepper, and of course the famous Galician ‘pulpo’, or octopus – my personal favourite!

The Percebeiro food group also shows us the entire 'catch of the day' from clams, razor clams, rare giagantic blue lobster and oysters. This, and só much more is exported all over the country daily.

Mussel must see

We stop at the wooden floating island – one of the many surrounding us. These mussel rafts in Galicia produces 40 % of the worlds mussels. Naturally clinging to the ropes in the water, or gathered from nearby rocks in winter, the mussels grow here for 9 months before they are classified.

The proud fisherman tells us more detail about the process and as we cruise away we see hundreds of other mussel rafts surrounding us.

Wine to match

The second day starts with the anticipated rain – but the grey clouds only make for great photographs of the green vineyards we visit.

The first Bodega or wine farm Terras Gauda introduces us to vertical growing vineyards -  a must, as  horizontal growing, or leaves flat on top, will cause the vineyards to rot because of the high rainfall. Here the white Albarñio grape treats our taste buds well!

Afterwards it is up the mountain hills to the Altas de totrona Bodega. Here I am found drinking the voted best white wine of last year and, perhaps blowing me away more, an astonishingly beautiful sight.

On the last day we head inland to the valley of El Bierzo and we’re all very pleased to meet the Mencia grape. Here I am also treated to preserved products such as roasted sweet red products, ‘drunken cherries’ and my personal favorite, triple cooked chestnuts in sweet syrup thanks to Prada A Tope.

We arrive back in Castille-y-León just after the sun has set on another amazing weekend.

With a bottle of wine in my luggage, memories of great seafood and a heart filled with gratitude I say goodnight to the land of Citrus and Saffron…

Liezl
(text & photography)