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Traditional Chimneys from the Aragón region of Northern Spain -- smokeless in July Dear Citizens of the World! The new year has started and the ban on smoking seems to be holding up -- but not without some problems. I am happy to report that we were able to go out for dinner last week and we got home without smelling like smoke! This is no small feat in Spain. On a cold Saturday evening, the sidewalks were packed with smokers... a good sign that the ban is working. Most bars and cafes seem to be following the rules, but the first time I went into a café in January (partly to support the ban by spending more money in cafés and restaurants... and partly because I just wanted a coffee) was a no-go. As soon as I entered the cafe, a women lit up a cigarette and practically blew the smoke at me. Slightly shocked and frustrated, I turned around and left. Like all changes in society, it will take time to take root and for the holdouts to accept the change. Not so far in the past, teachers us...

Fresh tomatoes and Mushrooms the size of a baby's head! ..................... Dear citizens of the world, Wine is definitely important in the Rioja region... and the pilgrimage. But it is only part of the balanced diet. Food from this part of Spain is important as well. We were lucky to see the end of the wine harvest ( see last blog ), but it was also mushroom season. The hills and forests are infested with mushroom pickers. I don't collect shrooms since I can't tell a delicious boletus edulis from a poisonous Boletus reticulatus ! I just enjoy eating them, especially when they are sauteed with olive oil and garlic. Yummy! "Tortilla" Spanish egg and potato omlette We did have some Spanish Tortilla - probably the most common cooked dish that you can find all around Spain, but we did try many other local delights: Blood Sausage from Burgos with bell pepper garnishing I highly recomend the blood sausage. The variation from Burgos is made with rice. This specifi...

"Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts. Let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more." --Proverbs 31:6-7 The origins of the " Addictive" Santiago Trail are religious, but the reasons for doing the trail have mulitipied - drinking great wine is one of those reasons. Our last stretch of the trail just happened to be through the Rioja region of Spain. Rioja is the most famous wine region in Spain and outside the country. Therefore, following scripture - and good taste - we decided to try as many glasses (and bottles) as possible. Grapes going to waste ! We crossed the Rioja region at the end of the harvest season. There were tons of sweet grapes for us to pick and eat as we went along. However, it became harder and harder to bear the sight of so many grapes going to waste. The wine growers have limits and they are punished if they pick too much. This means that on most years there a...

Gone fruity, Rioja style... Dear citizens of the world, Like many things in life, logic plays only a small role in making decisions. Most people prefer to spend their weekends and holidays relaxing in comfort, others choose to walk (or cycle) across Spain on a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. Trails of of insanity that cause addiction (750 to 1000 km long). Virgen of "locura" Insanity -- Protecting pilgrims along the trail After ten days of suffering through the heat of July and 250km, my partner had many bad memories and did not want to return. However, after the blisters dissapeared and the hours of walking in 35ºC heat were forgotten, she decided to return to the Santiago trail with great enthusiasm... twice! Marcelino, the eternal pilrim signing my credential Marcelino, the eternal pilgrim has taken this addiction to an extreme. He decided to dedicate his life to the trail and the pilgrims fourteen years ago when he became financialy independent. He spends his days...