Seville is one of the most celebrated cities in southern Spain. It is truly one of the most romantic cities I have seen in all of this region. Andalucia is a spectacular region of white hill towns winding through olive groves. This is old Spain; horses drawn carriages, cobble stones, flamenco and wrought iron adornments.
The only dish required is a paella pan. I bought mine at Williams-Sonoma years ago. Gather some help to assist with chopping and ingredients to make it more fun. Then, open a really good Spanish wine like this one from the Ribero Del Duero region. Of course you must have music and if you own an iPod there is a station on shoutcast radio under classical called flamenco guitar and this station is sure to bring out the fun while you chop. It's not a hard dish to make but the timing is important.
Last night I opened the Condado de Oriza Crianza from my favorite Spanish wine region Ribero Del Duero. The deep purple color begs for the old world crystal goblet. The bouquet was lovely with scents of dark fruit and spice. As I taste the first sip silky cherry fruit glides over my tongue, with chocolate notes. Wow. Gorgeous texture of leather and chewy tannins.
Natural wines are made with as little chemical and technological intervention as possible, either in the way the grapes are grown or the way they are made into wine. The term is used to distinguish such wine from organic wine. Organic wine is organic in the sense of having been produced from organically grown grapes, but it may be subject to technical manipulation in the winemaking process.
It happened. I didn't notice it after my luggage was delivered to my room, but suspected when filling out the breakfast request. During dinner I observed the portraits on the wall had a dark mood. The people of the 13th century were staring at me, dark and brooding reflected in their eyes. Something was very different during my stay in the city of Cordoba. As if nothing has changed for the past 800 years; clippity-clop sounds of the horse drawn carriage make the turn at the corner below my bedroom window. A blacksmiths horseshoes on cobble stones. Was I dreaming? Tired and full I was fast asleep under the heavy blankets of wool and skins. The next morning the staff rolled breakfast in and everything became clear; I felt like a ruler.
Ronda is a great first stop on a list of towns to drive in Andalucia. Winding my way up the mountain road is a white knuckle drive with winds swirling along and what looks to be snow drifting in the wind. Most people visit Ronda by car from the Costa del Sol, via San Pedro de Alcantara on the A376/C-3. The route through the Sierra Bermeja mountains is dramatic, and in winter the peaks attract low cloud and even snow. A gentler route leaves Malaga on the A357, bypassing the interior towns of Ardales, Carratraca and Cuevas de Becerra. Of course, I opted for the dramatic route.
