Chasing Windmills: A Road Trip Through La Mancha

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Chasing Windmills: A Road Trip Through La Mancha

April 9, 2018

Something you probably don't know about me is that I'm 50% Manchego (yes, like the cheese) on my father's side and I visit the Spanish region of La Mancha at least once a year. During Holy Week (our Spring break) we chased Don Quixote across the Spanish plains of La Mancha. The two most well-known things about this region are Don Quixote and Manchego cheese. Four centuries after the publication of El Quixote, the adventures of the most famous knight-errant, his loyal squire Sancho Panza and his lady Dulcinea are still alive in the towns and villages of La Mancha. Just as famous are the historic white windmills which Don Quixote fought in one of his adventures thinking they were giants.

Today I want to show you some of the most representative places in La Mancha, its beautiful villages and traditional cuisine.

PUERTO LAPICE
Our first stop in our road trip through La Mancha was Puerto Lapice. In this village, named specifically in El Quijote, you can find the famous inn, Venta del Quijote, which Don Quixote mistook for a castle and the inn keeper pretended to make him a knight. Nowadays it's a popular restaurant and has a small museum with beautiful illustrations of El Quijote made by artists from all around the world. A hidden gem.

Many houses in La Mancha are painted white and indigo blue which is not a coincidence. This region gets temperatures over 40ºC (100º F) most summer days, white reflect light so it keeps houses cooler on scorching days. Indigo on the base is a Mediterranean influence. It protects the base from splashes or brushes. Also, back in the day many painted their doors or windows this shade of blue to banish the devil. Finally, indigo has been used to mark the houses where young women that were of courting age lived.

ALMAGRO

Considered to be one of the most beautiful villages in Spain, Almagro was a very important place in the 15th and 16th centuries. The highlight of Almagro is its Plaza Mayor with its green framed window buildings. On one side of the square is the Corral de Comedias, a 16th century open air theater, the only one in Spain of this period. Every summer in July there is a festival where you can watch plays from the 16th and 17th Spanish theater. If you walk around Almagro you'll also find grand houses like the Maestri palace, and the place of the Counts of Valparaiso which are architectural marvels.

The best place to stay in Almagro is El Parador, a former convent turned into a hotel. If you go during Easter you can watch religious processions and the parade of  Los Armaos which represent troops of the Roman Empire during Holy Week. 

CAMPO DE CRIPTANA
This town is crowned by wonderfully preserved 16th century windmills visible from kilometers away. The purpose of windmills is to grind grain into flour by using the power of wind. For a few euros you can visit some of them and a guide will explain how they work. It's actually really interesting. In a nutshell, the leaning pole outside of the windmill is used to turn the roof in the direction of the wind so the blades start moving and the machinery starts working. Needless to say this place is really windy so don't bother bringing a hat!

TYPICAL FOOD

I've already mentioned cheese as the most famous food in La Mancha, but there are plenty of traditional dishes worth naming. On our last day we went to a typical food restaurant aptly called La Mancha in Alcazar de San Juan.

First, we had this appetizer which looks like a nest and then for starters we had a few of the most typical dishes of the region. 

Migas (bread crumbs), is probably the best known and most beloved typical dish of La Mancha. Sometimes called migas de pastor (shepherd's bread crumbs), it was originally a pastoral dish. It was created to make the best of the bread's leftovers. Basically, you soak the crumbs in water and fry them in a skillet with garlic and small slices of pork called torreznos. They are best paired with grapes, because the contrast of sweet and savory is so good!

Gachas which is similar to porridge. Its main ingredients are flour, water, olive oil, garlic, paprika and salt. Long time ago it was considered a rural dish because, like migas, it was cooked by shepherds and it's ingredients and methods are rather "unrefined".

Asadillo is made with roasted red peppers, cut into pieces and with a bit of plain tomato sauce to bind the peppers, then sprinkled with mashed garlic and cumin seeds. It's basically a hearty pepper and tomato salad.

Tiznao means "dirty with ashes and slightly burnt" and it's also the name of this singular dish. It consist of salt cod (not desalted before used) with veggies such as potato, red pepper, garlic and onions which are grilled until the are slightly charred over a charcoal fire.

As the main dish with had a variety of fish and meat.

And finished with some decadent desserts such as carrot cake and cheesecake.

WATCHING A PLAY AT CORRAL DE COMEDIAS IN ALMAGRO
On our last night in La Mancha we want back to the picturesque village of Almagro to watch a play at Corral de Comedias.

If you want to read more about La Mancha or want to try one of their traditional recipes, you should check out these posts:
In Search of Don Quixote
Somewhere in La Mancha: Almagro
How to make Spanish pastries: perrunas
xo Cristina

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Somewhere in La Mancha: Puerto Lapice

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Somewhere in La Mancha: Puerto Lapice

January 16, 2015

Happy Friday! If you've been following the blog lately you'll now we've been in search of Don Quixote visiting the places that appear on Cervantes' novel. The last stop is Puerto Lapice, another town somewhere in La Mancha.

Best Fiestas in Spain: Carnival

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Best Fiestas in Spain: Carnival

March 4, 2019

One of the most popular and traditional fiestas in Spain is Carnival. This colorful and cheerful festival takes over cities and towns all around the country every year in February. The week leading up to Lent is a time for putting a costume, dancing to Caribbean music to forget all your woes and have fun. Sounds appealing, right?

In a lot of places in Europe, we celebrate carnival as the primary occasion for dressing up instead of Halloween. That's why those who celebrate Halloween here only wear scary costumes. Spain hosts some Europe’s biggest and best Carnival festivals which I'm going to tell you about today.

Without further ado, welcome to the complete guide to Carnival in Spain. I'm going to cover all the things you need to know about this traditional festival:

• History of Carnival
• When is Carnival celebrated?
• Best Carnivals in Spain
• Carnival food
• Carnival music
• Useful vocabulary

Tip: listen to this playlist while you read to set you in the mood. Warning: you'll have a hard time trying not to dance!

HISTORY OF CARNIVAL

It is believed that the word Carnival derives from the words carne (meat) and vale (latin for "bye"). In other words, it's the time when Lent starts and we say bye bye to meat. The celebrations of Carnival spread across Europe during the Middle Ages and were related to religion although they probably have a pagan origin.

It is believed that Carnival originated in Europe in the pagan festivities celebrated in honor of the roman god of wine, Bacchus. Many historians say that they started around 5000 years ago in Egypt where the celebrations were pretty similar to those of the Romans. It was spread throughout South America by Spanish and Portuguese sailors in the 15th century.

WHEN IS CARNIVAL CELEBRATED?

Carnival day is always celebrated on a Tuesday because it has to be the day before Ash Wednesday. However, celebrations usually last for the whole week. Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent, when Christians celebrate the 40 days Jesus spent in the desert. So the date of Carnival depends on when Easter Sunday is set every year. This is related to the moon calendar since Good Friday is always full moon.

In 2019, martes de Carnaval is on March 5th and Ash Wednesday March 6th.

In most Spanish towns and cities, Carnival begins with an opening speech by an important local person or a celebrity, El Pregon. Then, the celebrations begin. It all ends with El Entierro de la Sardina -literally the burial of the sardine-, this parody represents the burial of vice and corruption to enter a period of reflection. It consists of of a funeral in which a large figure of a sardine is burned.

BEST CARNIVALS IN SPAIN
These are the must-see carnivals in Spain:

TENERIFE (CANARY ISLANDS)
The most colorful Carnival of Spain is celebrated in the island of Tenerife. The whole island celebrates Carnival with great enthusiasm. Colorful parades, contests and parties fill the island. The Carnival in Tenerife is the second biggest in the world only after the one in Rio de Janeiro.

There's an important competition to choose the Carnival Queen (reina del carnaval). It's similar to a beauty pageant but with spectacular dresses made of beads and satin and feathers and built with frames and wheels because they can weigh up to 450 pounds.

VERIN (GALICIA)
In Galicia Carnival is called entroido and its highlight is a popular figure: el cigarron. Cigarrons are the modern version of shamans with animal masks. It all comes from the time of the colonization of South America. Lords came back from Peru and used similar costumes from those they had seen there to scare the population and force them to pay taxes. The intricate costumes feature cowbells and whips that they move while running in the streets making a deafening noise.

MIGUELTURRA (CASTILLA LA MANCHA)
The origins of Carnival in the town of Miguelturra are lost in time, the tradition has been transmitted by word of mouth through generations. This fiesta maintains its original essence in this part of La Mancha. The Carnival of Miguelturra was declared of Regional Tourist Interest in 1983 and of National Tourist Interest in 2018. This town houses the Museum of Carnival where you can see incredible costumes not only from this town but from other countries.

The Carnival you can see in Miguelturra is very traditional. However, it is far from the sophistication of Venice's Carnival and has a naughty side. On the streets you can find a bed with wheels with the girl from The Exorcist on it, people eating churros from a chamber pot filled with chocolate... You get the idea.

The most important character in Miguelturra's Carnival is the street mask, mascara callejera. The costume consists of a rag or a mask that covers your face and old colorful clothes that you can find in your house. The street mask comes and talks to you repeating something like "I'm sure you don't know me" in a funny voice.

CADIZ (ANDALUSIA)
Music plays an important part in the Carnival here. In Cadiz the famous "Chirigotas" make the funniest sung parodies. They are music bands that make up songs whose hilarious lyrics are based on popular culture and current events. People in Cadiz are known all over Spain to have the best sense of humour and the music they create for Carnival certainly reflects this.

If you can't make it to those places don't worry because you can find parades and parties in every single city.

CARNIVAL FOOD
Carnival may be related to the consumption of meat but what we actually eat during the celebrations are sweets. In many regions of Spain orejas (Spanish for ears) and flores (flowers) are popular. The recipe is similar, the difference is the shape.

Orejas are a delicious, crunchy dessert typical of the north of Spain. Its main ingredients are eggs, flour, oil and lots of white sugar. The anise-flavored dough is rolled out very thin, then fried and dusted with powdered sugar. They were given this peculiar name because they look like human ears even though the size is much bigger. In other parts of Spain they are known as hojuelas.

Flores are made with an iron flower-shaped mold and are very popular in Galicia or Castilla-La Mancha.

CARNIVAL MUSIC
Apart from the aforementioned chirigotas, Caribbean music that makes you want to start dancing is played all around. Song's like Celia Cruz's La Vida es un Carnaval or Georgie Dann's Carnaval, Carnaval appear in every single celebration.

USEFUL VOCABULARY
comparsa or charanga - a group of singers, musicians and dancers that take part in carnivals
chirigota - is a genre of Spanish choral folk song originating in the region of Cadiz. The songs are satirical and performed in the streets by performers wearing costumes during carnival.
murga - a form of popular musical theater

I hope you enjoyed this guide to Carnival in Spain.
Do you celebrate carnival where you are?

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Somewhere in La Mancha: Almagro

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Somewhere in La Mancha: Almagro

January 11, 2015

Happy Sunday, sweeties! I hope you are enjoying the weekend. Today, we continue our tour in search of Don Quixote. Our next stop is another town "Somwhere in La Mancha...". Almagro, heart of La Mancha and one of Spain's most historic towns, where every street tells a story.

20 Unique Things to Buy in Spain

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20 Unique Things to Buy in Spain

February 18, 2019

I like to buy unique things when I travel, special items that you won't find at a regular souvenir shop. I have an Aboriginal art silk scarf and a hand-painted boomerang from Australia and an embroidered table runner from Santorini. That's the kind of stuff I'm talking about. I mean, there's nothing wrong with touristy souvenirs but I like having one of a kind objects.

When you think of things you can buy in Spain, fans and flamenco dresses quickly spring to mind. But, come on, Spain is much more than that! We have amazing craftsmanship, our food is recognized internationally and we produce the best olive oil in the world. This is what I want to talk to you about today. On this post you are going to find a list of the best gifts to buy for those seeking unique things to help you remember your Spanish vacation that no-one else will have.

Without further ado, here are 20 unique things to buy in Spain.

What should I buy in Spain?

20 Unique Things to Buy in Spain: apparel & homewear 

Being the capital of Spain, Madrid is the best place for shopping. There's a plethora of gourmet shops, fashion shops and even antiques -you can find a spectacular one in Claudio Coello street- that you can have shipped home. I recommend you do some fashion shopping in Madrid, there are plenty of cool Spanish fashion brands!
Read my shopping guide for Madrid

Speaking of clothes, Spanish espadrilles are world famous. You can find them in ever color, shape and price. From affordable ones you can find in Alpargatería Casa Hernanz, to the luxury ones by Castañer that are all over the internet.
Read about great quality and affordable Spanish fashion brands

Fans (abanicos in Spanish) can be both a tacky souvenir or a hand painted work of art. It all depends on where you buy them. Back home you can display them on your living-room or use them on a hot summer day. How cool would that look? You can find this great fan store in Puerta del Sol in Madrid. Oh, and since you are there, I recommend you check out these two amazing high-quality hat stores in Plaza Mayor: La Favorita and Casa Yustas. The latter has the biggest selection of hats I've ever seen and it even has its own workshop.

Spanish embroidered shawls, or mantillas, can be a work of art. They can look amazing worn over a wedding guest dress or to a fancy dinner when you are back home.

If you are a music fan, or you know someone who is, a Spanish guitar is a wonderful gift. Guitarras Ramírez in Madrid is a family business that has been making guitars for generations.

Toledo is one of the must-see places near Madrid and it's famous for its marzipan which we usually eat for Christmas. In the same region you can find Oropesa and Talavera de la Reina both well known for their premium ceramics and embroidery. Fun fact: Gwyneth Paltrow used to come to Talavera to learn Spanish. Another place famous for ceramics and pottery is Sargadelos in Galicia.

Lladro is a Spanish porcelain brand exported all around the world. Buying it in Spain is cheaper and you can find designs that aren't available anywhere else.

In the region of Cadiz, in Andalusia, you can find leather goods in Ubrique and there's a great leather store in the beautiful Andalusian town of Vejer de la Frontera, unfortunately I can't remember the name of that one.

When someone mentions La Rioja, you immediately think of wine, right? This may come as  a surprise to you but one unique thing you can buy in that northern region are blankets. Ezcaray is a small town in La Roija well-known for its high quality blankets made of angora, mohair, cashmere or wool.

20 Unique Things to Buy in Spain: food

For me, the number one thing you must buy in Spain is food. However, make sure you check out the rules and regulations that your country has about food. For example, you won't be able to take jamon Iberico to the USA. Because there's nothing worse than having your gifts thrown away when you reach your homeland...

Depending on where you are going there are different local delicacies like Manchego cheese in La Mancha, saffron -the spice that gives paella its distinctive color and taste- both in La Mancha and in Granada, gin in Menorca or quesada (similar to cheesecake) in Cantabria. There are other things that you can find everywhere like jamon, turron, olive oil or wine.

If you can, take some jamon Iberico back home. This Spanish high quality delicacy is made from black pigs who are fed with acorn in the Spanish countryside. Taking an entire leg -and slicing it after- is tricky so opt for a packet of slices instead.

Turron -a.k.a. nougat- is our favorite Christmas treat together with marzipan. The main ingredient for both of them are almonds.
Read how we celebrate the holidays in Spain

Spanish wine and virgin extra olive oil are part of our Mediterranean diet and have unique flavors that you can't find anywhere else. Sherry in Jerez and red wines from the spectacular wineries in La Rioja are a must for wine enthusiasts. As for olive oil, Jaen in Andalusia is the best place to buy it.
Read about the best Spanish wineries

If you have a sweet tooth like me, you must try our pastries. Tip: buy your pastries from convents. Nuns are famous for making scrumptious sweet treats and you can be sure that they use the best ingredients.

Finally, I recommend food markets to try locale delicacies even though you will consume those goods before you go back home.
Read about the best food markets in Madrid and how to order coffee in Spain

What do you buy when you travel abroad?

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