Quirky Traveller's Tales

Ernest Hemingway wrote, “Nobody ever lives their life all the way up except bull-fighters.” In the same spirit, I believe that as life goes by so fast there are only a few moments that you really live to the max. Walking the Camino de Santiago, as opposed to bullfighting which is not for me, was one of those times where I felt truly alive. For a few days, weeks or months, I was able to extract myself from my day to day routine and focus on myself.

Camino Frances sign – photo c/o Follow the Camino

Lately, I walked the Camino Frances from St Jean de Pied to Pamplona with a company called Follow the Camino, which organises accommodation, meals, maps and heavenly luggage transfers. They have added a twist to the Camino that really attracted me and made my journey so much easier.  This twist was to link one of my favourite authors, Ernest Hemingway, to the Camino. The American author based his first and most celebrated novel ‘The Sun Also Rises’ during the Pamplona Festival, the San Fermin, which he used to attend regularly.

Bull-running Monument in Pamplona – photo by Владимир Шеляпин

The storyline follows a group of American and British expatriates who travel from Paris to the Festival of San Fermín in Pamplona to watch the running of the bulls and the bullfights. The setting was unique and memorable, showing the seedy café life in Paris, and the excitement of the Pamplona festival, with a middle section devoted to descriptions of a fishing trip in the Pyrenees and end sections in San Sebastian and Madrid.

Follow the Camino therefore launched a new walking holiday called the Camino Heming-Way where you walk in the footsteps of Jake and Bill, two of the main protagonists of the book, from Saint St Jean de Pied in France to Pamplona in Spain. It is undoubtedly one of the most scenic, challenging and rewarding of all the Camino routes and a unique journey through time and literature.

Vierge D’Orisson in French Pyrenees - photo c/o Follow the Camino

The Camino Operator booked me into charming 2-3* hotels along the Way, which was a very welcom comfort. The staff were simply lovely and so typically French and Spanish! I did not want to try walking the Camino without pre-booking hostels etc. Although this option might suit some, I find it difficult to cope with the stress of not knowing where I am sleeping and if I will find a dorm before arriving in a town. Not to mention the snoring, little levels of comforts and the smell… No, I was more than delighted to pay the tour operator services so I had my own room, bathroom and all I needed to rest and refresh after a hard day’s walk. And then was I ready for a few tapas and vino! I never had to use their 24/7 emergency phone, thank God! 

St Jean Pied de Port – photo c/o Follow the Camino

The route departs Saint Jean Pied de Port, a quaint French market village in the heart of the Pyrenee. There are lots of things to see including the ancient bridge, historic buildings, full of history and a lovely old Church for pilgrims. In only five days,  I crossed the Pyrenees (tough but so exhilarating having achieved it), experienced French gastronomy - think yummy cheese, locally-produced charcuterie and traditional baguette, discovered the legendary Basque country and finally arrived in beautiful Pamplona. En route I stayed in the small quiet village of Burguete, on the Irati River where the two friends (from the book) fished.

Hemingway’s house at Burguete – photo by Phillip Capper

In Pamplona, they treated me to a Heming-Way style city tour. Thanks to Mickel, our lovely Spanish guide I found the Cafe Iruna and had a drink beside Hemingway’s statue.  I also had the chance to try a special Hemingway favourite: trout stuffed with chorizo.  I recommend this tour to Hemingway enthusiasts and anyone looking for an alternative to the last 100km of the French Way, the most popular section. So why not follow this route and take the walk from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Pamplona?  And if you are able to make it for the San Fermin Festival in July, you’ll be able to celebrate this famous Festival in true Heming-Way style!

Hemingway at Cafe Iruna Pamplona  - photo c/o Follow the Camino

This post is brought to you by Follow the Camino, a world-wide leading tour operator specialising in organising walking, cycling and horse riding holidays along the Camino de Santiago since 2006.  They created a new approach to this ancestral pilgrimage, respecting its spirit and enhancing its values, whilst making it more accessible, enjoyable and achievable for all. Find out more about the Camino Heming-Way here.

Via de la Plata Santiago de Compostela – c/o Follow the Camino

If you like walking you will enjoy ‘Fell Wandering – Slow Travel at its best’ and also

With winter on its way out and summer fast approaching, many of us are starting to think about that long awaited holiday. For time-poor families, getting away from it all offers the perfect opportunity to reconnect with loved ones.

According to a recent Daily Mail article, a holiday really is good for you. Aside from the obvious benefits of sunshine and fresh air, we eat better on holiday, exercise more, laugh more and sleep better, so investing money in the right break for you and your family is important.  Holidays add to our general sense of wellbeing, but it’s also important that it’s relaxing. This means finding the getaway that suits our family’s needs.  Seasoned parents accustomed to travelling with the tots in tow know that picking the right venue for the yearly getaway is vital when holidaying with children, and ensuring that the whole family will have plenty to keep them entertained while they are away is the key to a fun filled, stress-free break.

Weather is also an important factor. While the UK is great when the sun is shining, the unpredictability of our climate is often a major turn off for families, especially those with young children and teenagers.  With this in mind, the Canary Islands continue to rank in the top five holiday destinations for families looking for a chilled out week in the sun.

 Tenerife, with a manageable average flight time of just over four hours, is a popular choice. The largest of the Canary Islands, Tenerife offers year-round sunshine, modern resorts and various opportunities for day-trips and sightseeing.  The island is famous for its unusual lunar-like landscape, and a trip to Teide National Park is not to be missed: a cable-car ascent to the top of Mount Teide provides spectacular views of the surrounding landscape and great photo opportunities for the family album.

Siam Park – Tenerife

Another attraction to add to your Tenerife hit-list is Siam Park Tenerife. This is Europe’s biggest water-park and offers something to entertain all ages, from tots to teens. There’s a wave pool which will keep the toddlers happy, scream-inducing rides and slides for those hard-to-please teenagers, and a mini-aquatic park just for the kids.

Siam Park is extremely popular so it’s wise to book your family tickets in advance to avoid disappointment and to get the best price – sites such as Attraction World enable you to pre-order tickets and have them sent straight to your email inbox. It’s fast and convenient and will save you time and money while you’re away.  There’s also the option of purchasing a Siam Park twin ticket which combines entrance to Siam Park and Loro Parque, another top Tenerife attraction.

But that’s just the start: there’s plenty more to see and do on the island for days away from the beach. Families looking for educational days out may wish to take a trip to the Pyramids of Güímar – six rectangular pyramid style structures which are thought to date back to the 19^th Century.  The Botanical Gardens, one of Spain’s oldest botanical gardens, is also well worth a look with over 3,000 specimens of the world’s most unusual plants and trees.

They say that families who ‘play together stay together’, and with the options of sun, sea and sightseeing, Tenerife and its attractions ticks all the right boxes  when it comes to family fun in the sun …

This article is brought to you by Attraction World.

Did you know Tenerife has one of the biggest Carnivals in the world? Every year thousands of people visit the island for a lengthy festival of craziness, colour, exhuberance and yes, quirkiness.  You can read about my magical day at Tenerife Carnival here.

The stream of clowns seemed endless, each group dressed in matching zingy, sherbet-bright costumes, gradually filling up the main promenade between the exuberantly decorated floats, marching bands and rich medley of characters that made up the extravaganza that is the Tenerife Carnival.

CARNIVAL – a festival marked by merrymaking and processions

Mardi Gras, Fat Tuesday: a carnival held in some countries on Shrove Tuesday (the last day before Lent) but especially in New Orleans and Rio de Janiero

Carnevale: from Old Italian carnelevare, Shrovetide : carne, meat + levare, to remove

I was upstairs on a big red, open-top bus on Santa Cruz promenade the waiting for the main procession of the carnival to get under way … We’d been there for almost two hours, so even by Spanish mañana standards it was a long time!  This did, however, give us a unique opportunity to see some of the amazingly intricate costumes and floats that make this one of the biggest carnivals in the world.  This year’s theme was ‘Bollywood’ and there were some beautiful Indian-influenced outfits, but to be honest, the overall vision was simply colour, glitz and vibrancy. The atmosphere was electric as adults, children and a couple of geese made their preparations for the biggest day of the year.

As a picture paints a thousand words, I’ll save you some reading time and share some of the scenes that I saw during this time.  If you can imagine an accompaniment of a very loud and excitable troupe of drummers plus various bands providing entertainment for the waiting crowds, you’ll get an idea of the sounds that accompanied this marvellous melee.

There was a great deal of adjusting of costumes, trying on of hats, practising marching, putting finishing touches to exotic makeup, twiddling with accoutrements and a huge amount of noisy laughter. 

Children of all ages were kitted out in very professional-looking costumes and were high as kites with excitement. Adults tried to keep them in place but quite a few went walk-about whilst others were kept happy with bags of crips and fizzy drinks.

As well as the groups who were marching on foot there were, of course, a great many floats.  I’d never been to a ‘real’ carnival and to be so close to these wonderful creations didn’t spoil the magic one bit.  I walked up to the head of the procession before it set off and was fortunate to get in front of the Tenerife Carnival Queen as she was getting ready for the start and posing for photographers. Even without her headress she was simply lovely and clearly enjoying all the fuss.

With the rather lengthy delay, some of the participants got rather tired so there were a few who took time out to have a sit down and rest before the procession set off.

And for one or two people, the anticipation all got too much so they grabbed the chance for a quick kip …

Eventually we heard that the parade had set off and our guide, Ancor, decided that we should abandon the bus and start walking alongside to get a real feel of what it was like to take part in the Tenerife Carnival.  So that’s what we did – and I’ll tell you about that and the crazy party nights before and after, another time.

I travelled to the lovely Canary isle of Tenerife, off the coast of Africa, courtesy of Tenerife Tourism and stayed in 5 Star luxury at the Mencey Hotel in the heart of Santa Cruz.

Oh yes, those geese. Here they are, in quite possibly the most understated outfits of the whole parade …

The Segovia Nativity scene

“Away in a Manger” has always been one of my absolute favourite Christmas carols. It has an innocent simplicity which encapsulates the meaning of this special time of year and brings a tear to the eye when sung by little children.  The manger, or crib, gently holding the baby Jesus, surrounded by his parents. shepherds, angels, wise men and sundry domestic animals, is familiar and beloved by many.   Here ‘s the story of our Christmas Nativity scene from Segovia, which we’ve had for many years, since I brought back the colourful pottery figures home from the heart of Spain.

Segovia – aerial view by McPolu

I visited Segovia on a day-trip in 2000 whilst staying with Annie, a good friend from college days, who had moved to Madrid in the same year I went to live in Athens.  We caught the strictly punctual Ave high-speed train from Madrid city centre and were zoomed across 50 miles or so of Spanish plains to Segovia, passing by Franco’s sternly impressive Bassilicca in the Valle de los Caídos (Valley of the Fallen).  

Segovia, a World Heritage City, is in many respects the archetypal Spanish town. It harmoniously blends centuries of fascinating history, imposingly and very physically evident in the enormous Roman Aquaduct, Castillian Alcazar Castle and imposing 16th century Catholic Cathedral, with the Guadarrama mountains in the distance.

Segovia city, cathedral and mountains – by Locutus Borg

First we took the steep path up to the Alcázar Castle. Originally built as a Roman fortress and then a Moorish fort on account of its position overlooking the surrounding countryside, its spires and towers  inspired Walt Disney’s Cinderella Castle.  The room I remember best is the Hall of Kings with its beautiful Islamic ceiling and golden frieze of over 50 intricate portraits of Spanish monarchs of Castile and Leone.

Having had a strong dose of Spanish history we wandered off round the ancient, narrow streets that take the visitor on a quirky journey of  discovery past tiny old houses, shops, bars and restaurants enclosed within its original stout, protective walls.  Lunch was the famous roast suckling pig at one of the popular restaurants in the shade of the Aquaduct.  The pork is roasted until softly juicy and tender; our waiter demonstrated this by expertly cutting through the meat with the edge of a plate.

Segovia Aquaduct and restaurant – photo by Manuel González Olaechea y Franco

Just before we got the return train to Madrid, I dashed back to one of the little souvenir shops I’d seen as we’d wandered the crowded lanes.  In the window was a beautifully carved wooden Nativity Scene with charming little figures representing the Holy Family and others from Christianity’s most well-known story.  I hurried in and chose my favourites from the shelves stacked ten deep with people, animals and angels.  On impulse, I included a chunky Don Quixote to represent the country I’d bought them from.  I wanted to get Sancho Panza but had no money left, so he had to stay behind …

The Holy Family

That Christmas my son’s dad made him a little wooden ‘stable’ and Alex, age three, stuck some bits of grass over it.  (It had a wooden star on the roof but somewhere over the years it’s fallen off – maybe this year we’ll make another one.)  Carefully we arranged Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus,the Angel and Shepherd, the exotic Three Wise Men on elephant, horse and camel, little Donkey (whose ear got broken in a fall some time in the past) and Don Quixote, ready to do battle with anyone daring to threaten this peaceful little scene.

But one thing kept niggling away.  Each time we placed Don Quixote beside the stable, I felt guilty that I hadn’t bought his loyal companion to join him in Far Far Away Land …

Then, a few years ago, I was on holiday in the lovely old city of Jerez in Andalucia when I came across a shop selling these same figures.  Scanning the shelves, I found Don Quixote, but no Sancho Panza.  I asked the elderly lady behind the counter if she had him?  ”Ah, just a moment”, she said and disappeared into the depths of the shops.  ”Here you are – the last one …”  Well, he didn’t look quite like the tiny chap I’d seen in Segovia, but I think you’ll agree, they look good together and Don Quixote is back tilting at windmill, so he must be happy …

Don Quixote and Sancho Panza

Away in a manger

Away in a manger,
No crib for His bed,
The little Lord Jesus
Laid down His sweet head;

The stars in the bright sky
Looked down where He lay,
The little Lord Jesus
Asleep on the hay.

In the sixth of our series of interviews with holiday homeowners from around the world, Jeff and Tish talk about how they bought a ruin in a spectacular setting in Andalucia and turned it into a stunning Moorish-style boutique villa.

 Originally from London, Jeff and Tish bought a ruin in the heart of Andalucia countryside 7 years ago. Their aim was to develop a rental property which offered all the services and facilities of a five star hotel yet had all the privacy of a home from home villa that catered for children and adults alike.  Lovingly restored in Moorish-style and beautifully furnished, Cortijo Bujio opened its doors to the public two and half years ago and since has been enjoying excellent occupancy rates.

 1.   What first made you fall in love with this area and why should people come here?  

Tish, a former teacher and myself, a property developer decided to buy Cortijo Bujio because of its close proximity to Granada airport which had just started flights from London. Set in a gorgeous valley near to Sierra Parapanda, the Cortijo offers unspoilt vistas of the neighbouring olive groves and oak forests, the panoramic expanse of the plains to the west of Granada and the snow-capped slopes of the Sierra Nevada beyond. It is ideal for those who are looking for a holiday where they can relax and enjoy peace and quiet and maybe even a bit of pampering.

2.   What’s the ‘best kept secret’ you would tell any visitors not to miss?

Our best kept secret has to be Rio Frio, a natural trout river and farm which runs through a village about 20km from the Cortijo. Here you can dine on freshly caught trout, traverse the meandering river or explore the countryside. Rio Frio is thought to be the first organic certified sturgeon farm in the world. It is also the only fish farm known to have rare species of trout indigenous to Andalusia but is thought to be extinct in the wild.

 3.   Where’s the place to go to just hang out, people watch and generally soak up the atmosphere?

8km from the Cortijo is the picturesque village of Montefrio where we live; Montefrio is exquisite. An agrarian village with plenty of modern trappings, however, it still manages to cling on to the past and is truly the real Spain, the only language spoken here is Spanish! The people are warm and welcoming and go about their business seemingly without a care in the world. We love it!

Montefrio is definitely the place to go and hang out, people watch and soak up the atmosphere; you can sit outside many of the bars and restaurants drinking good beer, wine or coffee and enjoying the great local cuisine. There are many fiestas which can also be enjoyed throughout the year. This friendly village enjoys one of the region’s most striking settings, with one of its churches perched on top of a bare, rocky pinnacle, overlooking the town and its surrounding hillsides clothed in olive groves and fields of cereal crops. It nestles between two memorable hilltop churches; you can’t miss either of them since they dominate the skyline.

4.       What would you recommend visitors either treat themselves to or take home as a souvenir?

Our most popular event and a must for all of our guests is the Flamenco evening, where local Flamenco players get together in our open courtyard overlooking the Sierra Nevada, and entertain with live music and dance, accompanied by Paella cooked al-fresco by our lovely cook Reme (who also makes divine Sangria!).

5.       Finally, what are the most ‘quirky’ things to do, see, eat, visit or experience in this place?

Quirky has to be a visit to Restaurante Piolas in the middle of nowhere, lost in the olive belt of inland Andalusia, and about 45 minutes’ drive from Cortijo Bujio. The restaurant offers a 15-course Spanish taster menu in a similar style to Heston Blumenthal but distinctly Spanish.

Leave yourself a couple of hours and sit back and enjoy. Changing by the month, the fifteen or so plates are so varied and unique. Arriving to strains of salsa and flamenco, the courses have included a strawberry salad with sardines, the most incredible ‘towers of cheese’ – looking like toadstools and made out of cheddar, Roquefort, parmesan and goats cheese – and a camembert and apple pie, with a vinaigrette of Mallorcan sausage.

Holiday Homeowner Q&A is brought to you by HomeAway.co.uk, the UK’s leading holiday rentals website with over 320,000 properties worldwide. From cute studios and city apartments to rural cottages and country homes, large luxury villas, quirky conversions and more, there are thousands of unique places to enjoy a more authentic and unusual holiday.

“Whoo – that’s the best meal I’ve had all holiday.” When a teenage boy tells a waitress that, you know something is very right.  When the main ingredient of that meal is a fish you’ve never heard of, in a foreign island far from home, then you know it is probably extraordinary.  But more of that later …

The climate, landscape and people help determine the cuisine of every region and the delicious food in Gran Canaria is the product of all that plus a unique eco-system.  This volcanic island off the west coast of Africa has succeeded in creating an appetising blend of Spanish, African, European, traditional and contemporary cuisine using the freshest and highest quality local ingredients.

Local fish include stone bass, sea bream,, combtooth blennies,  tuna, shark and the huge marlin; adventurous souls go out daily on fishing boats to do battle with these huge sea creatures.  Black Canarian pork is a real treat with rabbit and goat also found on island menus.  Other meat is imported, most especially for the tourist market.  Gran Canaria’s most treasured gastronomic secrets is the sheep and goats’ cheese produced in small quantities. Flor, Mediaflor and Guia cheeses hold the Protected Denomination of Origin label.  Possibly the most well-known are the tasty little Canarian potatoes.  Served in virtually every restaurant, most families have their own special potato recipes to bring out their lovely flavour.  Garlic is another favourite ingredient lending its distinctive essence to a wide variety of culinary delights.

During a week’s family holiday at the luxurious Holiday Club Resort at Sol Amadores my son, his best friend and I went on a fascinating tour into the heart of the island.  It was especially interesting as we were visiting places that were off the main tourist route so we got a sense of how the local live.  What surprised me most was the varied scenery and how every acre of vaguely fertile land is farmed in some way or other.   Large areas of the south-east west coast are used to grow Canary tomatoes, exported to Europe, along with magnificent varieties of peppers, cucumbers and onions. Even in the very harsh, barren areas prickly pears, aloes and various cacti are found, being used in very imaginative ways.

We stopped for lunch in the mountain village of Fontaneles at Restaurant Sibora.  In typically ‘rustic’ surroundings ie lots of ornate, highly carved wood, plenty of fading blue-tinted photos of island sights and some VERY quirky objects the use of which defeated us, we had a suberbly simple and delicious meal.  A starter of spiky peppery onion soup was followed by silky smooth goats’ cheese, delicate fish fritters and ‘Patatas Arrugadas’ and the restaurant’s red Mojo Picon, made with red peppers and garlic, complimenting the salty, dry potatoes most harmoniously.  

Here’s the recipe if you’d like to try it for yourself:

Canarian Patatas Arrugudas (wrinkled potatoes)

2lbs approx of small, clean potatoes (floury, older potatoes are fine)  2 tablespoons coarse sea salt

Place the potatoes in a large saucepan, cover with enough cold water in to cover and add the sea salt.  Bring to the boil and cook for 15-20 minutes till cooked and soft.  Pour off all the wasre then leave the potatoes to cool in the pan.  This is the most important part of the process – a layer of salt will encrust the potatoes.  Best served warm ideally with Mojo Picon or other tasty sauce.

*** Edit December 2012. Friend Liz who lives in Gran Canaria adds this to recipe (see Comments below): “I am not sure two spoons of salt is enough – I use a lot more! My local recipe says 250 gr salt for 1 kilo of potatoes. They only take as much salt as they want apparently and they never taste too salty.” Cheers Liz!

The main course was a simple dish of succulent falling-apart pieces of pork in a sweetly herby sauce (rosemary I think) and chunky, crispy chips.  The boys finished off with ice-cream and I had a crème caramel, as good as any I’ve ever eaten in Spain.  Clean plates all round.

In a nearby village we found a quirky general story selling an enormous range of local foods including cheeses, piquant cured sausages, flaky pastries including Bienmesabe, made with island almonds, lemon and cinnamon, densely scrumptious cakes, spicy sauces, flower-infused honey, fruit jams, red and white wines and the usual very sweet licqueurs that will be relegated to the back of the cupboard once you get home.  There was also a veritable pharmacy of aloe products all promising various health and beauty benefits.

In the VERY touristy resort of Puerto Rico it’s easy to find ‘English’ type food and not so easy to get find decent local food.  However, it was at Grill Costa Mar (opposite the Fishing Excursion stands in the Port area) that the boys declared their delight at the fishy dishes put before them.  This little gem of a restaurant serves supremely fresh fish straight off the nearby boats.  After smoked mackerel pate, mayonnaise and garlic bread pate we chose the specials – chunky white marlin, wahoo (tastes a bit like chicken – see photo above) and quite simply the best tuna steak I have ever eaten.  Accompanied by some citrusy Spanish white wine and crusty bread rolls it was a sublime meal.  It was the wahoo that produced the “whoo” from my son, perfectly summing up the delicious food on Gran Canaria!

We stayed at the luxurious Holiday Club Sol Amadores on Gran Canaria.  They are members of the Timeshare trade body Resort Development Organisation.  and their owners can stay in a wide variety of different properties around the world.