Spanish gastronomy: winter getaways

In summer, Spain receives millions of tourists: its thousands of kilometers of beaches and good weather are a lure that attracts English, German, Dutch, American and other travelers from all over the world. But there is a different and unknown Spain, of which we hardly hear about: the Spain that gathers in winter to enjoy the gastronomy of the season.

These are some of the Spanish provinces where you can enjoy Spanish gastronomy dishes designed for winter: León, Asturias, Cáceres, Teruel and Ávila are five of them. Winter dishes include meats and preserves, but also different types of stew, among them the surprising cocido maragato, and different elaborations of the seasonal product of each area.

The unknown Cathedrals of Spain

In Spain there are 74 cathedrals of different periods and styles. About 50 of them are located in the provincial capitals and are more or less well known. The best are probably those of Seville, Leon and Santiago de Compostela, which without being a provincial capital is one of the most important cities in Catholic Europe. Some cathedrals are located in important towns, but there are a few that remain forgotten in small towns and villages that knew a better past.

Astorga: with about 10,000 inhabitants, this city is known for its rich gastronomy. Astorga was one of the first episcopal seats of Roman Hispania, but the importance of the city declined over the centuries. Already in the Middle Ages its inhabitants took three centuries to finish the construction of the Cathedral, in which the different architectural styles of the masters who passed through it can be perfectly distinguished. Its baroque façade is a work of art and the Museum houses authentic jewels, although it needs a good reform.

Ciudad Rodrigo: located next to the border with Portugal, its wall is one of the best preserved in the Peninsula. Its Cathedral, built during the Reconquest, is also fortified. In its walls can be seen impacts of projectiles from the Spanish Civil War.

Tarazona: one of the most amazing cathedrals. It was closed for security reasons between 1991 and 2011. It was built on an unsuitable site, which gradually led to its deterioration, leading to fears for its integrity. Fortunately, it was intervened in time to save it and it was consecrated again. Today it is a source of pride for the inhabitants of Tarazona.

Street art in a lost Spanish village

The northwest of Spain accumulates the worst socio-economic data in the country. The provinces of Orense, León and Zamora are at the epicentre of all the negative statistics: a very old population, a low birth rate, a weakened economy... And there is nothing to suggest that the situation will change. Tourism, infected by the rest of the economic indicators, is also languishing. Amidst all this negative data, there is a small town of some 10,000 inhabitants that has opted for street art to reclaim its place on the map: welcome to La Bañeza.

Every summer, in mid-August, La Bañeza organises a festival of urban music and street art: Art Aero Rap. The musical performances go on from mid-afternoon until late at night - we are still in Spain. And street artists from all over the world give free rein to their imagination on the old facades of the town. Art Aero Rap was born in 2013 and today more than 200 works of art can be seen in La Bañeza. Some of them have been recognised as the best graffiti in the world in different editions of the competition. The truth is that none of them is as impressive as the whole. Strolling through the streets of La Bañeza aimlessly and letting yourself be surprised is an incredible experience for the whole family.

Graffiti artists consider travel to be part of their culture: getting to know other places, other cities, and making works that fit into their context is a fundamental part of their creative process. Dinho Bento (Brazil), Artez (Serbia), Theic Licuado (Uruguay), Gamze Yalcin (Turkey), NSN997 (Italy), Simian Switch and Serge KB (Netherlands), Daniele Geniale (Italy), Thiago Mazza (Brazil) and Chris Butcher (United Kingdom), among many others, have visited La Bañeza. One of the regulars at the festival is the Spanish artist Da2.0, perhaps the one who has signed the most murals in La Bañeza and also the author of several works in neighbouring Astorga.

Northwest Spain has much more to offer than a village lost in the middle of a Spanish motorway that has become an open-air museum of street art. But La Bañeza is as good a reason as any to visit the emptied and forgotten Spain, where by the way, the food is very good.

Inland Spain by car

The west of inland Spain is the least visited area of the country. Let's take the A66 highway and the provinces it crosses as a reference to discover some of Spain's most surprising and lesser-known destinations. The A66 motorway links Gijón and Seville, crossing the provinces of Asturias, León, Zamora, Salamanca, Cáceres, Badajoz and Seville.

Travelling around Spain by car is a real pleasure, but it is important to know the local rules before you get behind the wheel. Let's start the journey!

Gijón is the most important port in Asturias. The city is turned towards the sea and its beach is one of the most visited in the north of Spain. One of the first stops on the route will be in Oviedo, the capital of Asturias, to discover some of the most important monuments of Pre-Romanesque Art in Spain.

Crossing the Pajares pass we enter the second province on our route, León. In the capital of the kingdom of the same name, the Cathedral of León and the Basilica of San Isidoro are a must-see. In the Barrio Húmedo we will enjoy one of the best tapas areas in Spain. And for lunch, we will go deep into the heart of the province to discover the cocido maragato (chickpea stew) and the gastronomy of Astorga. Make the most of your visit to discover Astorga Cathedral and the Episcopal Palace, the work of Gaudí.

We enter the province of Zamora via Benavente, but we'll stop off in the capital, located on the banks of the Duero River. It is one of the smallest provincial capitals in Spain, a good example of what has been called "empty Spain". Its quiet streets are full of monuments that tell us about a past that has little to do with today.

Next stop: Salamanca. Thousands of Erasmus students from all over Europe know Salamanca. The city lives at the pace of the academic calendar. The quality and quantity of monumental buildings that adorn its streets is impressive. If we want to get to know the province in more detail we can consider a trip to Ciudad Rodrigo, a town on the border with Portugal known for its impressive walled enclosure and its Cathedral.

On the way to Cáceres. Like Salamanca, Cáceres is a World Heritage City. Several scenes from Game of Thrones were filmed in its streets. If you liked the series, you'll enjoy strolling through its streets and discovering them for yourself.

We continue our route towards Badajoz. The motorway crosses the province without passing through the capital, but it is well worth a visit to discover it. And we must also visit Mérida, which has some of the best-preserved Roman monuments in Spain. A curiosity: a Roman road linked Mérida and Astorga (in León) following a trade route known since antiquity. The A66 motorway is the current version of this millenary route, revised and extended.

End of journey: Seville. We have left behind the forgotten Spain of the west to arrive in one of the most famous and visited cities in Spain. Let's enjoy it!Tsite

Urban tourism in Spain: more than Madrid

We all agre that Madrid and the Prado Museum are a must, but there are other cities in Spain worth the trip. Salamanca is one of my favourites.

Salamanca is a historic city well known for its University (it's one of the best destinations to learn Spanish).

Fantasy beaches in Valencia

If you are looking for the best beaches in Valencia, you better look for new destinations. Malaga, Tenerife or Galicia all have fantasy beaches, so forget Valencia and look for a new destination in Spain.

Why forget Valencia? Well, the regional government has been accused of using chlore to disguise the contamination in the beaches of Valencia. You can use your online translation tool of choice to read the report, which is already a scandal in Spain. We recommend Deepl.

Spain by train

This is what James Rhodes thinks about the high-speed trains in Spain.

As a Brit, this astonishes me. Spanish trains hurtling along at 300km/h. Cheap, spotless, always on time. Amazing. pic.twitter.com/VP5NU4Zl2j

— James Rhodes (@JRhodesPianist) November 27, 2016