,
It’s a dark,
gloomy, rain-soaked day and my mind couldn’t help but wander back to the very
first time that I travelled to Spain a couple of years ago in October, where it
rained and rained and rained. My pink-sneakered feet were drenched as I jumped
from puddle to puddle, seeking refuge from the elements. It
seemed like the sun was hiding behind the rain clouds and wasn’t budging
anytime soon. Nothing was going to rain
on my parade and stop me from enjoying my vacation, and I was determined to explore
the sights of beautiful sunny Spain (at least that’s what the picturesque
travel books had promised).
One always
has to be prepared and pack for all types of weather and once again, I had
failed Packing 101 and had brought all of the wrong attire! Where were my chic
Wellingtons, my all weather rain coat and my hat? Flip flops, shorts, tank tops
and bikini were all that I was able to find in my over-stuffed suitcases. This
is almost the reverse situation of when I travelled to Paris in April, attired
in cold weather gear, only to be greeted by an unprecedented Parisian heat
wave!
Needing to
keep warm and dry, I was forced to purchase rain boots, a warm coat and an
umbrella. My long-awaited European holiday was not going to be spoiled by a little
bit of rain, so sporting my newly purchased rain gear I was now well equipped
to battle this unseasonable weather.
Running up
and down the rain-soaked cobble-stoned narrow pathways of Barcelona’s Gothic
Quarter, my pink rain boots darted from shop to shop, seeking refuge from the
torrential downpour. My travel buddy didn’t seem fazed by the rain, large golf
umbrella in hand, standing outside of the shops, puffing on cigarette after
cigarette. I, on the other hand, looked and felt like a drenched rat. Unable to
concentrate and appreciate the architectural beauty of the medieval cathedrals,
my only focus was on keeping warm and dry.
A
long-forgotten phrase...the rain in Spain
falls mainly on the plain, churned incessantly in my mind, over and over
and over again. I seriously thought that we would have to start building that
ark sometime soon.
Neither
shopping nor touring the numerous museums or cathedrals would suffice today.
The only thing that would be able to satiate me at this point was some
home-made chicken noodle soup. We were only a few blocks away from our rental
apartment, so we just needed to stop at the market, pick up some key
ingredients and start cooking!
The closest store
was El Cortes Ingles, Spain’s largest department store, selling everything from
high end designer fashions to gourmet and supermarket foodstuffs in their
basement level. The food hall boasted an impressive collection of spices, olive
oils, Iberian hams, salmon, cheese, Belgian chocolates and wine... just a few
of the tantalizing choices of delectable goodies on display.
Had I not
been so utterly rain-soaked, miserable and wet, I would have been in shopping
nirvana, content to have spent the rest of my vacation wandering from floor to
floor, gleefully sampling the exquisite gourmet delicacies, ending up amongst
the Carolina Herrera, Armani and Gucci
collections located in the upper echelons of this magnificent Spanish store.
Craving some
comfort food, I decided that I’d also prepare a tomato and grill-cheese
sandwich to complement my steaming hot bowl of home-made chicken noodle soup.
Reaching for a bright shiny orange-red tomato that I had purchased at the
market the previous day, I noticed that it seemed slightly squashed and more
fragile looking than a tomato should be. Thinking that it was just a unique
Spanish version of my favourite fruit, I sliced into the red glistening tomato
and observed that the texture, seeds and consistency were somewhat mushier and
jelly-like than the Canadian ones that I was accustomed to devouring. Hmmm.
Perhaps the Mediterranean sun (or lack of) had somehow genetically altered
these European specimens. Biting into a mushy slice, my taste buds were
surprised to be greeted by an intensely syrupy sweet mango apricot flavour
instead. It was only when I travelled back to Canada and boasted to my friends
about having sampled a uniquely sweet Spanish tomato, that I was informed that
I had been dining on not so unique persimmons instead. Ouch!
Maybe I will
have better luck with the chicken noodle soup. Tearing open the bright yellow
cardboard container, I started to pour the soup into the pot. Where were the
noodles? Where were the chicken pieces? This was clearly chicken broth, not
chicken noodle soup! Yikes! Had I misread the label? Grabbing the box, I
inspected it a little more closely. The label showed a smiling chicken (the
cluck, cluck kind) and the word “POLLO” (chicken in Spanish) was clearly labelled
on the package. Yup, I had successfully purchased Spanish chicken broth!
Pink Sneaker Tip when
shopping for food in a foreign land
Don’t
look for eggs, milk and yogurt products in the refrigerated section of a store,
which is where you would find them in North America. On my recent travels to Spain, I knew to look
for eggs in the non-refrigerated section, as that is where I had found them on
my previous travels, but I forgot and spent at least a half hour desperately
searching for milk and yogurt in the refrigerated section only to realize that
they are displayed elsewhere.Purchase fresh food every day from the local market, bakery or butcher shop. You are guaranteed fresh and delectable cuisine. Only buy what you need that day as that is what the locals do.
Wake up early and stand in line at the bakery. There is nothing like the melt in your mouth taste of freshly baked bread. Most definitely worth waking up with the roosters! I have wonderful memories of standing in line waiting for the patisserie to open, trying to converse with the locals. Just a smile, a nod of the head, a collective anticipation of savouring that delicious first bite of a freshly baked croissant.
Visit the local markets. Every city has a weekly outdoor/indoor market which is open to the public on different days of the week. This is an integral part of the Spanish/European shopping experience where one is able to purchase in season fruits, vegetables, meats and produce.
At least I know where to purchase the vino tinto!!
Come seek refuge from the rain with
me...enjoy chicken broth and persimmons with me...come travel with
me....
0 Response to "The rain in Spain..."
Post a Comment