Gran Canaria
A Sunday Stroll from the Parador to Tejeda on Gran Canaria
The Tejeda walk is bookended by two basaltic towers; Roque Nublo (without the clouds that inspired its name) at the start and Roque Bentayga, once the dramatic… […]
Month: July 2012
Hotels
Review of La Gomera Parador, Colonial Comforts
La Gomera’s Parador has 112 rooms but feels intimate. The good sized rooms fit with the colonial style with polished wooden floors and antique furnishings. […]
Gran Canaria
Review of Rural Hotel Las Calas, Gran Canaria
Las Calas is the sort of place that makes you want to kick off your hiking boots, tuck your sketch pad and pencils under your arm and head barefoot to the lawn to sketch the tree festooned with coloured glass baubles… […]
Asturias
Astounding Asturias, The Picos de Europa
The Picos de Europa have a Tolkienesque grandeur to them. They were a natural barrier to the invading Moors who marauded through most of the rest of Spain in… […]
Food & drink
Favourite World Recipes, Spicy Moroccan Potato & Tomato Stew
This is a killer of a dish. Its combination of spices mixed with the humble potato performs such an addictive belly dance on the tongue that once enjoyed you have to come back for more. […]
Catalonia
Touring Historic Tarragona on a Segway
But within a couple of minutes of tuition by Segway Tarragona I could spin that baby on a centimo, safely whizz past pedestrians closer than a barber gets to his client’s chin… […]
Food & drink
Favourite World Recipes, Thai Green Curry with Fish
We like to recreate dishes that rob us of all alphabet letters except ‘M’ and Thai green curry is one such delight. It’s relatively easy and quick to make even if you’re not exactly Ferran Adría. […]
Food & drink
Thai Green Curry Paste Recipe
To make a good green curry, you need a feisty green curry paste. If you aren’t fortunate enough to be anywhere that sells jars of the stuff, then we might just be able to help out. […]
Hotels
Being Pampered at the Hotel Botánico Oriental Spa
I became aware of the delicious scent of jasmine, the perfect ambient temperature, the gentle flutter of the candlelight and the soft melody of the Oriental relaxation music. I smiled and breathed deeply. Let the pampering begin. […]
Catalonia
Hotel Roca Blanca in Espot, A Relaxing Base for an Active Holiday
This is THE base for people like us who relish exploring rural paradises like the Catalonian Pyrenees before returning to a sanctuary that is cosy, comfortable… […]
Barcelona
Classic Cars, a 3D Stripper & The Best Tapas Trail Ever in Barcelona
We were having an absolute hoot on an urban adventure that was turning out to be the best and most unusual tapas trail that I’m ever likely to experience. […]
Food & drink
Restaurant Verde Mar, A Lanzarote Secret
An artistic yet rustic interior and a menu that included traditional Spanish and Canario dishes combined with some imaginative offerings like sea bass with a Thai and lime glaze drew us in. […]
Food & drink
A Taste of Rural Idyll at El Mondalón on Gran Canaria
At first glance the menu appears to be typically Canarian with favourites such as papas con mojo (potatoes with hot sauces), albóndigas (meatballs) and solomillo (fillet steak) but closer study reveals an intriguing creative slant from Chef Pepe Gonzalez… […]
Catalonia
Seafood Surprises at Restaurant l’Estany, Delta del Ebro
We’d been presented with five different dishes at the Restaurant l’Estany on the Delta del Ebro and, despite boasting a few foodies amongst us, had not been able to identify a single one. […]
Barcelona
Stylish Sanctuary, The Claris Hotel Grand Luxe in Barcelona
Just what I want from a hotel in the centre of Barcelona, the Claris Hotel is relatively close to La Rambla and some of the best examples of Modernisme architecture; near the shops and cafés on Passeig Gràcia and yet tucked away up a side-street […]