Spain

Once you go to Spain, you’ll leave a part of yourself behind. There is so much to do, so much to cover, photograph, write about and talk about, that no one blog can possibly cover it all. Nor can any one visit. No less than Anthony Bourdain, the super chef/author/TV personality/culinary rockstar has opined that “outside of Asia, Spain is the single greatest place for culinary achievement in the world.” We are going again, just to be sure.

And the coffee? The café con leche? It was the very first post on this blog and will likely be the very first thing I do as soon as the plane lands in Madrid.

Café con leche. Madrid.

There are few sights more welcome, while jetlagged, than a freshly made café con leche in a tiny bar in Madrid. Sugar is strictly optional.

Memories of paellas past

What is the trick to a good paella? Persistence. Other techniques come in handy and we will revisit them here periodically. I have many Spanish friends who taught me their own tricks for the proper paella. Some work and others do not. In any case…read more

The streets of Barcelona

The streets of Barcelona hold a special place for me. It was there seven years ago that I discovered my love for photography…when a friend lent me his DSLR to shoot with for the first time. I always say it was love at first click! I…read more

Amor en Barcelona

David recently shared an article with me and I could not agree more with the 12 Things Spaniards Get Right That Americans Get Wrong.  I had to laugh when I read #2 because it is so true and something that struck me since the first time I…read more

When in Spain: Tapas, Pintxos, and You

Tapas are what makes eating out in Spain pure magic. They are well known in the United States with a growing list of restaurants offering tapas on their menus. But where tapas in the U.S. may be little more than overpriced appetizers on small plates,…read more

San Sebastián | A Day in the Life

Here’s the funny thing that Americans need to know about Europe: it’s not Disneyland. It’s not some faraway, fantasy place that is just so, well, unrealistic. More than a few Americans I’ve known have seen Europe and then returned to their homes in the U.S….read more

Summer Sundays and Cold, Garlicky Gazpacho Soup

So we are in mid-move and mid-summer. Charla is just days away from having to leave her house. We just signed the lease on the place next door. It is hot and humid. We are tired and grouchy. It may be Sunday, but we are…read more

Catalonia, Spain: Now what?

At summer’s end of 2014, the voters in Scotland soundly rejected a proposal to split off from the United Kingdom and become their own country. Barely a week before that vote, polls showed the “yes” vote – in favor of separation – opening an unexpected…read more

Mercat de Sant Josep de La Boqueria, Barcelona

The Mercat de Sant Josep de la Boqueria lies in the heart of Barcelona, next to the Rambla, a major pedestrian street that is central to the city’s identity. “La Boqueria” is a traditional marketplace. It existed before supermarkets, before Trader Joes, before car-focused suburbs….read more

To Madrid, a love letter

This is the first of a three-part series. To arrive in Spain in grand fashion you cannot do better than Madrid’s Atocha train station. Our high-speed train glided into the giant terminal after reaching speeds of over 300 kilometers per hour on its three-hour trip from Barcelona….read more