Chili

Around Halloween we always have chili. I couldn't help but crave it so I decided to make it. Slight problem, chili powder doesn't exist. Multiple flavors of beans were also not too easy. But my mom thankfully sent me a recipe to make my own chili powder.

Homemade chili powder.

Final result.

No sour cream either. But I found greek yogurt, which worked perfectly. Sprinkled some shredded cheese. And now I have enough chili to last me for two weeks...

Jamon

One of my all time favorite Spanish foods...jamon. And Bea's family had the whole leg. This costs around 70 or more euros depending on the type and lasts for about a month. You use a knife to cut the jamon off the bone as you like. But you have to cover it up so it doesn't dry out. Let's just say I had more than enough jamn this weekend...

The hoof.

more to come, 

j

Weekend Three: Cuenca and Motilla

Weekend three I had a puente (bridge) because Tuesday was a holiday, Christopher Columbus Day, we didn't have class. So the bridge means we also didn't have class Monday. So I spent Friday and Saturday in  Cuenca. Saturday night one of Bea's friends came over. They got carry out from a bar for dinner. It was the best tapas food I have had yet...so many of my favorites!

Morteruelo...typical dish only found in Cuenca

Croquetas!

Chicken wings with garlic.

Tortilla española.

Then we made mojitos. It was such a process...We had the fresh mint, we had to crush the ice and put it all together but they turned out in the end.

Bea and Irene starting the mojito process.

Ta-da!

 After mojitos we went out to the bars and discos...until 7:30 in the morning. By 7:00 I was ready to go and was patiently waiting for Bea to get tired enough to leave. The next morning, well really later that day, we went to Motilla to eat with her family around 2.

Saturday October 9, 2010

Thursday, October

Thursday night Bea and I went to her friend's apartment. We brought pizza and wine. Then we headed to the botellon in the main Plaza (Plaza España). There is a chinese convenient store where you can buy any type of liquor and mix (Fanta, Coca-Cola), ice and cups for about 5 euros each. Then we headed to the Plaza where everyone stands around the fountain in the plaza and drinks and socializes before going to the bars. But it started raining so Bea and I headed to a club and danced waiting for everyone else. From there we went to another disco and called it a night around 5 am. The rest continued to the another bar until 6:30 a.m. My feet were killing me, there was no way I could have lasted...maybe tonight, we'll see.

have a great saturday!!

besossss,
j

La Abodega

Sunday morning I went to one of the places that they make wine in Santa Cruz de la Zarza. I got a tour and tried the wine straight from the vats. The owner who gave me the tour after gave me three bottles of wine as a gift, one of each that they make there : blanco (white), rosado (pink) and tinto (red). Then we went to the vineyard and picked grapes from the vines. I loved seeing how they make the wine right there and sell it to the local bars and restaurants. But even more, I loved picking the grapes! I brought back a whole bag back to Cuenca.

Grapes before going into the vats.

Tasting wine right out of the vat, one month old.

Straight off the vine.

I don't know how long I can wait until I have to open and try the wine...

xxoo,

j

Weekend Two: Segovia and La Granja

On Saturday morning, I left with Esme's family (mom, dad and sister) at 8:30 in the morning and headed for Segovia. The drive was about two hours and I couldn't keep my eyes open the entire car ride as we went out the night before until 3:30 A.M. We made it to Segovia and walked around and took pictures of the Roman aqueducts. These are the best preserved of the Roman aqueducts in the world...and they're in Spain. It really is an amazing sight. The city it built right around them but they are perfect, like they haven't been touched by time over all these years.

Aqueducts.

 It was a beautiful day too: blue skies, sunshine and warm weather. I remember visiting Segovia before when I studied in Toledo in 2008 but going back to the same spot twice never hurts, especially when it's as impressive as Segovia. I could have spent all day walking around and looking at them.

                           

Then we walked to the cathedral. We went inside and even though I couldn't take pictures it reminded me just of about every church in Spain I had been in: high ceilings, long, bronze everything, smaller rooms dedicated to saints. The outdoor patio was on of my favorite parts with the windows that looked into the garden. 

Cathedral.

Windows.

I love the ceilings.

Then we walked to the Alcazar. Inside there is the bedroom, dining room, meeting room and room with other old artifacts from the castle. The best part of the Alcazar is the view because it sits on the top of the hill in Segovia.

View from Alcazar.

Bronze ceilings.

Then we drove 15 minutes to eat lunch and visit the palace in La Granja. The palace in La Granja was one of the summer homes of the Spanish kings. I want every single chandelier I saw inside the palace. They were amazing. Apparently the queen loved to collect them and they are gorgeous! The doors from room to room were placed in the exact same spot so when you looked through the door into the next room it looked like a mirror, but really there were the doors. But the best part about the palace was the garden in the back. The palace sits in the mountains so the view of the mountain tops in the background is amazing. Going the palace in fall was probably the best time to visit because everything was still green with some trees beginning to change and fall to the ground. The gardens were full of paths and famous for the number of fountains.

With Esme and her parents.

With Esme and her sister.

After La Granja, we got back in the car for the two hour ride home and as soon as I sat down and put my seatbelt on I fell asleep. I slept the whole way home...

más luego,

j

Weekend Two: Santa Cruz de la Zarza

With Esme.

Chupitos (shots) of black liquor and blackberry.

With her friends at the local bar.

With all her friends at the disco.

I went to meet one of my roommates, Esme in her pueblo Santa Cruz de la Zarza an hour outside of Toledo. I took the train from Cuenca and she met me at the station with her mom. We went shopping for groceries. I met her dad and sister then Esme and I headed out the a bar to meet one of her friends. We drank wine that they make in her town from the vineyards. Her friend laughed when I spoke Spanish because she loved the "american" accent I have when I speak it.

Vino Rosado from Santa Cruz de la Zarza.

Mahou (beer) with tapas.

Tortilla española with jamon and cheese. My three favorites wrapped into one tapa.

Pork rinds.

Then on Saturday night we went out to the disco to meet up with all her friends. We spent the night dancing, drinking and practicing English/Spanish.

more to come,

j

Thursday, September 30 2010

On Thursday Bea invited me to her school for the opening of the Journalism building. I honestly thought it was just going to be a ceremony. Before, I walked to Alcampo to buy a universal card reader because my camera cord wasn't really working and then met up with Bea and her friends. We walked through the new building and then headed straight for Alcampo. I didn't know really what was going on, just followed along. With her group of friends, we bought 5 two-liters of coca-cola, 7 boxes of wine, cups and ice. We walked back to the university to the outdoor auditorium and started to make calimochos.

Step One: Cup with ice

Add wine.

Add Coca-Cola and you have a calimocho.

We sat on the steps for about two hours, eating sun flower seeds and drinking calimochos. The square slowly filled up with students and their Alcampo bags full of ice, wine and jamon. 

with Bea at the botellon.

Group at the botellon.

Bea and I left to go to the grocery and got food for dinner because her boyfriend Javi was coming to visit. We got stuff for caesar salad (which they love), ribs, french fries, potatas bravas and supplies for mojitos. Delicious. Javi and I talked about history for pretty much all of dinner. He knows a lot about the history of the U.S. I was impressed.

Then Bea stayed in and I went out with her friends. They picked me up and we continued the botellon in the main plaza and then went to a few bars. Around 5 am I had to call it quits I was so tired, I couldn't even keep my eyes open. I made a few new friends at the bars and danced the whole night to waka waka. I need to build up my endurance though if I am going to last until 7 am like them.

hasta luego,

j