Autonomous Community Castilla y León: Tobera

 

The ermita.

 

Tobera is a stunning mountain village that seemingly appears out of nowhere. We approached from the dry and expansive plains of Burgos in the south. The climb up the Cantabarian Mountains (Cordillera Cantábrica) is sudden and the landscape becomes full of green pines. The change of scenery is stunning and dramatic. It's like one minute you are looking at dry wheat fields as far as the eye can see and then  the next moment there are waterfalls gushing out of steep rock faces.

One of the first buildings to appear after the ascent is a well preserved roadside ermita (a kind of monastery for recluse religious people) and then a well designed walking trail following a mountain river through the quaint village of Tobera. The water is a beautiful emerald blue and whether there are waterfalls or shallow areas, the water provides a stunning backdrop.

After visiting the three main waterfalls and pools that are woven in the town, we had a pincho at the only bar and then headed up the road to the village of Frías.

There was a trail to go around and underneath this waterfall. The local bar was also perched nearby with a great view.

Aranda de Duero restaurant: Mesón de la Villa

 

Cordero lechal

 

One dish the area is known for is cordero lechal (roasted baby lamb). I have had it a few times before but the meal today at Mesón de la Villa was so exceptional that I felt the need to blog about it. I also felt for the owner as covid-19 has absolutely affected his business negatively and he was making an effort to put his personal touch on the experience. He told us that he had to shut down twice already and I'm hoping he can stay open as he has such amazing food and great ambiance.

The entire restaurant is located underground and there is yet another level to access a bodega. There were probably 20-30 tables but only three tables were in use that day. They had installed air filters and there was good circulation but we had noticed the town was particularly covid conscious. The owner constantly checked in on us and we saw him at the oven personally roasting the cordero lechal. He even brought it out and cut it at our table even though there were other waiters that would likely take on the task if there were more customers. We had fantastic morcilla (blood sausage), croquetas de jamón y cocido, and some salad to go along with our cordero lechal. Obviously it was accompanied by a delicious red wine and we were pleased to get some desserts of chocolate cake, cheese cake, and and unbelievable hojaldre (Puff pastry).

After lunch the owner invited us to take a look at the bodega. Although it's no longer in use, it was still cool to see some of the big old barrels, bottles, and chimneys. It was also really cold down there which was refreshing on a hot August day.

The pandemic has been tough for restaurants around the world and Mesón de la Villa is no exception. I'm hoping it can stay open and thrive.

Aperitivo: Champiñón

Morcilla

Croqueta

Barcelona: Park Güell

View of the city from "Nature Square"

 

I have visited Barcelona a few times over the years and I have always prioritized visiting Park Güell. It's such a unique park and fits Barcelona's personality perfectly but this time around I was unfortunately disappointed. The biggest change that has occurred since I last visited eight years ago is the addition of an entry fee. In my previous visits the park was still functioning as an actual public park and I have wonderful memories of hanging out in the park listening to people play music, watching young people kicking around a football, or observing relaxed elders under a tree eating a bocata and drinking wine. 

This time around the park felt less like a park and more like a tourist attraction. There may have been some effect with pandemic protocols but I could not believe how poorly signed and organized the park was. My suspicion is that they have redesigned the park to control the crowds and funnel tourists in a predetermined entry/exit path. Even getting in the park was a little confusing with specific gates for entry and exit. There was a "digital map" that was broken and the available paper maps were not clear. I think we had a pretty natural flow to our walk but we were constantly met with "exit only" signs. 

Gone were the general public and in their place were throngs of tourists and some street performers that frantically picked up their goods and ran whenever the authorities passed by. I felt like no one was actually enjoying the park as a public space rather we were all just taking pictures and walking a circuit to view the most famous features of the park. 

I read online that most of the park is actually still accessible for free to the public and only the famous monuments require payment. It's entirely possible that this move not only creates revenue for the city but also funnels the tourists (myself included) away from the recreational use areas and thus improves the quality of those specific areas for the locals.

 

 

Barcelona: City Visit

 

I would not describe myself as a city person but I can appreciate the benefits of an urban environment, especially if I am on holiday as opposed to permanently living there. One of my favorite cities hands down has always been Barcelona. It's small size, location on the sea, cosmopolitan population, amazing food and weather...what is not to love? Well, apparently the secret is out and Barcelona has often been the centerpiece of discussions regarding overtourism. We certainly felt that this trip was different and we also realized that due to travel restrictions, nearly all Chinese, Japanese, and Australian tourists were not traveling during this time and we could not imagine adding them to the mix. 

It doesn't help that my wife studied for a year here in the early 2000s. Obviously things change but it was disappointing to see that places that used to be cool and used by the residents of Barcelona were now tourist traps. Mercado de La Boqueria used to be a market frequented by locals and now it's nearly totally geared towards tourists, the same goes for Park Guell. Even Las Ramblas felt like it was only tourists walking up and down looking at each other. The fun street performers and locals hanging out were absent and it felt claustrophobic at times. 

I still loved Barcelona's charm and international feel. I did get to check out two places that I had never been that contrasted quite well with each other. We went on a hike in the hills in Serra de Collserola Natural Park with beautiful vistas of the city. On the beach front the vibes were bumping at San Sebastian and Barceloneta Beach. I loved the feel with loads of young people hanging out, skateboarding, flexing on the beach, and just exuding August Mediterranean beach vibes. 

Overall the visit was still great, I was there primarily for work which made it easy to enjoy the food while not getting bogged down in the tourist activities.

Ermita de Santa Llúcia

Morning sun.

 

One of my favorite morning or evening trips in Alcossebre is the Ermita de Santa Llúcia. Located in the Parc Natural de la Serra d'Irta, the building is on the southern hillside overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. There are gorgeous views on one side of orange groves nestled into the mountains and on the other side vast expanses of coastline. There is a windy road that leads up to the lookout point and many cyclists and hikers come up in the early morning. 

The actual building is never open when I go but there are some nice information panels describing the history of the building and the area. It's absolutely worth the trip if you're in the area.

Beautiful vantage point.

Autonomous Community Aragon: Mirambel

View on the street.

 

After Morella and La Iglesuela del Cid, the final village on our little tour was Mirambel. The village of Marimbel is tiny, like 120 people tiny, and it is quite stunning to stroll through a random thousand year old village. The fuente (drinking fountain) is located in a lush green space near the church and it was the perfect place to have a drink and cool off. The majority of the buildings and roads were constructed of stone and there was a beautiful gate and archway on the north end of the town. Another interesting sight was a large building with a fun sundial on the side that was indeed accurate. 

The town had a few nice rural hotels and some trail signs for nearby hikes. We ended up getting a cold drink at the local bar but we wished we could have stayed at least a night! 

Getting a drink.

Beautiful gate.

Admirable stonework.

There are terraced hills surrounding Mirambel.

Autonomous Community Aragon: La Iglesuela del Cid

 

Main plaza.

 

Even though our trip to Morella was technically in the autonomous community (the Spanish equivalent of a US state) of Valencia, we combined that trip with some trips to nearby villages in the autonomous community of Aragon. The landscape in the area is beautiful with rugged hills, impressive canyons, and dotted with horses, cows, and sheep. There are a few villages in the area that are well preserved and deserve a good walk and drink if one is in the area. 

The first village we visited was La Iglesuela del Cid. It had an excellent restaurant (Casa Amada) where we enjoyed solomillo (sirloin steak), conejo (rabbit), and chuletas de cordero with a 7 EUR bottle of red wine. After the meal we strolled the town visiting the classic rural village spots such as the plaza, fuente (water fountain) and village outskirts. There was some really cool stonework throughout and we ran into a literal horse in the middle of the village, I mean, it was just that kinda of village!

This horse just chilling was a notable sight. 

 

That is a hell of a hand crafted stone wall.