Exploring Andalucia...

I had never thought of travelling to Spain until we received a home exchange request from a Danish couple with the most beautiful home in a white-washed Moorish village called Frigiliana... We had just finished renovating our cottage and decided that we'd put it on the home exchange website and wait and see what requests we get. I was immediately enchanted by the idea of exploring southern Spain and started doing some research about the food and the area known as Andalucía. We realized that from Frigiliana, we would be surrounded by beautiful cities like Granada, Seville, Jerez and Malaga, only a few hours’ drive away.

Malaga

So, six months later we landed at Malaga airport. I just knew this was going to be such a great culinary adventure and I was very excited about tasting the amazing food that Andalucía has to offer. Oranges from Seville, almonds, avocados and the freshest seafood.

On our first evening in Malaga, we got horribly lost; driving on the other side of the road didn't help and only arrived at our hotel at 10pm that evening. We were starving and so relieved to hear that the kitchen was still open (did I mention this was one of the top ten restaurants in Malaga?) and sat down at 11pm to the most incredible meal with a view of the sparkling lights of Malaga below us. First port of call was a local beer for my exhausted husband and then we had some delicious local white wine and big crispy, green olives. The manager brought us a complimentary starter of aubergine pate which was just amazing and we ordered a huge pan of paella to share. It was the most magical welcome to Spain and I still remember making a toast, “to Spain, let the adventure begin!”.

The following day was my birthday and we spent the day exploring Malaga's old city and ate the most divine deep fried seafood with fresh lemon and garlic alioli. We had crumbed anchovies (a first for me), baby squid and monkfish, with small crispy crackers and ice cold white wine while people-watching for what felt like hours.

It felt like such a cliché, but I had to try the tapas, I was so excited about this simple, fuss-free eating style and wanted to sample them wherever I went. Every little restaurant seemed to have its own specialty. The best tapas we had was in Jerez, where we found what looked like a real local hang-out. We had artichokes with marinated anchovies, cold gazpacho soup and marinated pork belly to the sound of cheering local men watching bullfighting on TV. This was authentic Spain.

Jerez

The markets were just spectacular. We went to the Seville indoor market and splashed out on cherries, which we finished while shopping, beautiful bell peppers, fennel bulbs, oyster mushrooms and heirloom tomatoes. In Cadiz, we unfortunately miss the most impressive indoor market in Spain, which I was very sad about, but I guess this gives me a reason to go back. A friend of mine had written to me from Germany (she was on holiday there a few weeks before us) and told me that it’s not be be missed!

Seville indoor market

Cadiz

The closest seaside ‘resort village’ as they call them, from Frigiliana, was Nerja. This was a funny little town that kept us guessing for a week what the fuss was about. We couldn’t understand why the Brits seemed to flock there, until we discovered the beautiful old town square close to the Balcon de Europa (well worth a visit). It has a beautiful view and there are two stunning beaches just a quick walk from the viewing point. Here children played ice-cream in hand and the elderly sat for hours in the sun chatting.

 Nerja

All along the coast there are lots of rustic seaside café’s serving ‘all you can eat’ paella out of huge pans heated over coals, while the smell of smoked sardines and seafood filled the air. Spain to me was just such an unforgettable experience, one of those places you know you’ve got to come back to.
So, our two weeks came to an end too fast, but I think it will be time to start planning the next trip soon.



Amsterdam and its culinary secrets...

                              

I just got back from a six week holiday in Europe and am suffering from mild symptoms of post-holiday-blues. What better way of overcoming them than reminiscing about all the delicious food and great memories with a 'stroop wafel' in one hand and a cup of tea in the other, I thought...

There's something about travelling that makes me come alive. I've put it down to the fact that I'm the kind of person who actually enjoys being out of my comfort zone, roughing it and possibly not finding all the familiar things I'm use to, those little comforts in life. I love to see how different people all over the world do simple everyday things, how they take their coffee, get around, spend their Saturday afternoons...

We planned our holiday around three home exchanges in Paris, Amsterdam and southern Spain. The most amazing thing about staying in someone's home was really feeling like a local and getting a taste of what it would be like to live there. Just grocery shopping became an adventure; I'd spent forever browsing the isles looking at all the interesting products we don't get in South Africa. And then there were the markets, probably one of my most fond 'food memories' was shopping at the beautiful organic markets in Seville, Paris and Amsterdam.

We actually ended our holiday in Amsterdam, but for some reason I'll start there, possibly because it's the most fresh in my memory. I'd been to Amsterdam ten years ago and remember being so enchanted by it, the funky people and great food scene, the countless bicycles... This time, we stayed in a very up-and-coming area, De Jordaan and just loved exploring the surrounds. The Noordermarkt was walking distance from our apartment, as well as some buzzing restaurants where the locals gather every evening. The Noordermarkt Bio Market (every Saturday) was quite a gem and I bought some dried nettle leaves (for nettle soup - I'd tasted in the French countryside), spekulaas spice for biscuits, chamomile tea, an over-priced nut bread which we savored every crumb of.

Another amazing discovery was a little corner cafe called "Winkel" (meaning shop) where we had the most delicious Dutch apply pie imaginable. (It's on the edge of the square where the Noordermarkt is on Saturdays.) So good, that we went back the very next day because my husband said he needs to have a piece of his own! That day, we ordered one slice, thinking I'd just have a bite of his (he wasn't very impressed by this arrangement) and the waiter gave us two slightly smaller slices for the price of one, which made my day!

The other absolute must, is to try the ‘bitterballen’ or croquettes. When I was there ten years ago my mum and I found this typically Dutch butchery that sold the most delicious fresh croquettes with strong mustard which was the perfect afternoon snack between sight-seeing. But this time, we happened to stumble across Cafe van Leeuwen that looked like a bit of an institution and sold great 'bitterballen', crumbed deep fried balls with soft beef and veal ragout inside. Great with an ice cold beer.

If you are a chocolate and pastry fan, and really, who isn't, don't miss Patisserie Kuyt! We happened to stumble across this gorgeous beautifully styled patisserie while strolling down the road, but it's definitely worth the visit. They sell tiny little cakes, so you don't have to sample just one! I bought two mango macaroons, as well as two little mouse cakes we had with our tea at home. This is a photo of their beautiful display in their window.

I really loved the food scene in Amsterdam, the people are very laid back and I think this comes across in most things they do. We found the service was great and the locals seemed to really celebrate their Dutch heritage. Amsterdam is very cosmopolitan, but I think that it's an amazing foodie destination and would highly recommend it. Hopefully I don't have to wait another ten years before going there again!