Jerez Alcazar, the oldest Almohad Monument

Jerez Alcazar is the oldest almohad monument preserved in the Iberian Peninsula (12th-13th century). Very intense works of restoration and reconstruction were done in the medieval ruins. In the head picture of this post, you can see a miniature of the medieval town of Jerez. The miniature is located in Villavicencio palace, also in the Alcazar itself. Let’s make zoom in the lower left corner … Continue reading Jerez Alcazar, the oldest Almohad Monument

Alcalá of the bakers

My mother always said bread belongs to God and my home we were raised eating bread from ‘Alcalá of the bakers’, nicknamed given to the town Alcalá the Guadaíra. I recently visited the place to know everything about its historical bread production. Its flour mills route by the Guadaíra river consists on industrial, gastronomical, historical, cultural and natural heritage. All them in once, just because … Continue reading Alcalá of the bakers

Christmas sweets: mantecados and polvorones

Our traditional and delicious Christmas sweets, polvorones and mantecados, are originally from Estepa or Antequera, the most important Andalusian towns in production of these sweets. It is said that in the 16th century there was an excess of wheat and lard at the beginning of the winter season and so the nuns started to sell them in their convents. Nowadays these goodies are famous all … Continue reading Christmas sweets: mantecados and polvorones

Lebrija, more than bread and wine

Last week I was invited to the Fam Trip “Siente Lebrija. Descubrir un Destino” (Feel Lebrija. Discovering a destination). The city hall is making every effort to promote this small town, completely off the beaten path, as a tourist destination because Lebrija has many charms to offer to visitors, specially its gastronomy. Let’s start with the two elements mentioned in the title of this post. … Continue reading Lebrija, more than bread and wine

En un lugar de La Mancha…

“En un lugar de La Mancha…” (Somewhere in La Mancha) are the first words of the worldwide famous novel “Don Quijote” by Miguel de Cervantes. It took me almost a year to read it and I thought it was the best novel I’ve ever read and probably the best book. Here I bring a synopsis of its content: “The story follows the adventures of a … Continue reading En un lugar de La Mancha…

Say yes to the flamenca dress!

These days we are celebrating the Seville April Fair or Feria de Sevilla, which is one of the most important celebrations in the city. A big area in the neighborhood of Los Remedios is covered by hundreds of casetas, temporal decorated tents, where people dance sevillanas, drink wine and have fun with family and friends. Most of the women wear their flamenco dress and flowers … Continue reading Say yes to the flamenca dress!

Montilla-Moriles wines are unique wines

When talking about Montilla-Moriles wines from the province of Cordoba, people usually compare them with sherry wines, because they have some things in common, but I think it is a mistake. I am not a wine expert or sommelier, I am just talking from the point of view of a simple wine drinker. The Sherry D.O. is more popular than Montilla-Moriles D.O. and much more … Continue reading Montilla-Moriles wines are unique wines

The region of Aracena: magic and mysticism over acorns

Aracena is one of my most visited places in Andalusia. It is the name of the mountainous northern region in the province of Huelva and also the name of the largest town in the area. I have been visiting the town of Aracena since I was very young. In primary school my first excursion was to La Gruta de las Maravillas (The Cave of Wonders) … Continue reading The region of Aracena: magic and mysticism over acorns

Vejer de la Frontera, a town frozen in time

Vejer de la Frontera is a hilltop town in the province of Cadiz, close to the Strait of Gibraltar, around 200 metres above sea level. The old part is very well conserved and it contains a lot of ancient churches and convents within a labyrinth of white-washed houses, narrow winding streets and stone pavement. Vejer was used as a defensive town for centuries and its … Continue reading Vejer de la Frontera, a town frozen in time

Wine&History: Acinipo and Bodega Schatz, Ronda

The history behind this wine is the story of Fiedrich Schatz on his arrival to Ronda. After a stay in France and Italy studying the wines of those areas, he was on his way to Morocco but a miraculous thing happened in Ronda. He knew that Finca Sanguijuela had been put on sale by a bank, which means that even the bank didn’t want to … Continue reading Wine&History: Acinipo and Bodega Schatz, Ronda