Mocha Monday

 

 

Breakfast without borders.

French tartine takes a dive into Spanish café con leche.

 

¡Café olé!

 

***

 

Tomorrow: back to Paris 

Semana Sunday

 

 

 

Inside Seville's magnificent Cathedral

 

Above: Gothic splendor and the tomb of Christopher Columbus, held aloft by four heralds representing the historic Spanish kingdoms of Castile, León, Aragon, and Navarre

 

Below: a surprise procession weaves through the streets of Cádiz

 

 

 

 

 

***

 

I’d given up on ever witnessing the grandeur of Seville’s Semana Santa - those vast, candlelit processions during Holy Week that draw the world to this ancient city every Easter, a time of crushing crowds and scarce accommodations - when I turned a corner in Cádiz, of all places, and found myself face to face with the unexpected: Nuestra Señora de la Merced seated regally under a canopy of flowers and tall glowing candles, surrounded by beating drums and marching tubas, a sudden, intimate moment of devotion slowly weaving its way through the narrow streets. And it felt like a private gift. - BPJ

 

 

Andalucia

3 hours (or less) from Paris

 (2 1/2 hours direct flight)

 

Sitting Saturday

Sunset at the sea wall in Cádix.

Below: Je l'ai surpris au milieu d'un chapitre… Le plus beau des détours.

  

 

Andalucia

3 hours (or less) from Paris

 (2 1/2 hours direct flight)

Fishy Friday

 

Inside the sprawling fish and seafood market in old Cádiz.

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

*** 

 

Cádiz's historic food market, the Mercado Central de Abastos behind the Cathedral and steps from the Atlantic, feels like the beating heart of the city. Because Cádiz sits right on the sea, the seafood here is impossibly fresh. Dozens of stalls overflow with brilliant red carabineros, those huge scarlet prawns that look almost unreal (and translate to “police” in Spanish because the color of their shells matched the uniforms of the Spanish customs police), piles of glistening tuna, local white fish, clams, and mussels still tasting of the sea. Before locals and visitors get to pack the aisles, chefs and restaurateurs arrive earlier, in droves, for first picks, readying for the day’s offerings. It’s an enormous, loud, slightly chaotic visual feast where you don’t just buy fish - you experience the pure coastal soul of Andalucia. - BPJ

 

Andalucia

3 hours (or less) from Paris

 (2 1/2 hours direct flight)

 

Thursday threesome

 Popup tables that suddenly appear then vanish when you're full.

#tapas #seville #spain

 

Andalucia

3 hours (or less) from Paris

 (2 1/2 hours direct flight)

 

Walking Wednesday

Cádiz's historic quarter, the Casco Antiguo, a virtually car-free labyrinth

Below: neighbors gather; a taberna opens; a 460-year old convent on a plaza off Calle San Francisco

 

 

Tapear Tuesday

 

Tapear, that distinctly Spanish custom of going out for small, shareable plates, tapas, is alive and thriving more than ever in Andalucia.

*** 

Whenever I think of the art of tapear, which is often, I think of it as an informal food crawl - moving from bar to bar, savoring delectable small dishes typically paired with a cold caña (small draft beer), wine, sherry, or vermouth. The whole experience is less a formal meal than a social ritual.

“Tomar tapas en bares y tabernas” simply means a casual, lively way of eating and connecting. Aficionados drift from place to place, sampling house specialties of the day or a few personal favorites at each stop. The classic “one bar, one drink, one tapa” rhythm often stretches into an entire evening’s entertainment. 

Tabernas hum with energy and seem to occupy almost every corner. While tapas can certainly serve as a pre-dinner appetizer, the key difference from the French apéro is this: Spanish tapas are substantial enough to become the meal itself, usually enjoyed while taberna-hopping. The focus stays on the small plates; standing or perched at the bar is perfectly normal. The French apéro (short for apéritif), by contrast, is a pre-dinner custom centered mainly on drinks, accompanied by light, casual nibbles, typically enjoyed at home or on a café terrace before a proper sit-down meal. 

Tapas themselves range from the simplest (olives, slices of jamón, cheeses) to the more elaborate (croquetas, gambas al ajillo, tortilla, seafood/fish, and two longtime personal favorites, patatas bravas and chicharrones especiales). In parts of Andalusia, such as Granada, a free tapa still traditionally arrives with whatever drink you order. ¡Salud! - BPJ 

 

 

Andalucia

3 hours (or less) from Paris

 (2 1/2 hours direct flight)