Coming from two
different cultures has
been instrumental in
how we’ve approached
our design process.
Hello, my name is Peter FitzgeraldComing from two
different cultures has
been instrumental in
how we’ve approached
our design process.
Located in the southwest corner of Spain, on the banks of the Guadiana River and right on the border with Portugal, Ayamonte is a charming and unspoilt town. Its narrow cobbled streets, sundrenched plazas, medieval quarter and historical building create a unique ambience for locals and visitors alike.
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While on a recent short trip to Ayamonte on Spain’s Costa de la Luz coastline, I was struck by the fact that building activity was evident again, particularly on the beachside at Isla Canela. This beautiful 7 km long stretch of Atlantic beach has been developed by the Madrid based company Pryconsa and after enduring a number of poor years, it now appears that they are moving ahead strongly and that sales are beginning to reignite the market.
This superb beachfront features a fully pedestrianized promenade, a number of quality hotels and a splendid yachting marina, with shops, bars and restaurants. An 18 hole golf course is just five minutes away and the unspoilt town of Ayamonte is a mere 10 minutes by car.
I was very surprised to see one bedroom beachfront apartments on offer from € 95.000 and two bedroom units from € 123.000. These are well finished modern properties with communal swimming pools and manicured gardens. Similar two bedroom apartments were selling for in excess of € 250.000 at the peak of the market in 2006/7, so the ones on offer now appear to represent excellent value.
Plaza Mayor
I just got back from a wonderful two day visit to one of my favourite cities,Madrid. This vibrant capital is an eclectic mix of different cultures and identities , which creates a perfect ambience for the tourist. My Early Ryanair flight from Dublin arrived in Madrid at 9.45 am local time and taking advantage of the highly efficient Metro train system, I was comfortably installed in my hotel in the upmarket Salamanca area by mid morning. Now all I had to do, as I sipped my first cafe con leche, was to plan out my tapas route for the rest of the day.
I first headed to Puerta del Sol and made my way to Calle Cuchilleros to check out Ernest Hemingway’s favourite restaurant in Madrid, Sobrino de Botin, which incredibly dates back to 1725. Having always been fascinated by Hemingway’s writings on Spain, I was keen to include some of his regular haunts in my tapas trail. Botin is not a tapas bar, but a proper restaurant and when I enquired about a table later in the day, I was given the earliest option as 10.30 pm. Not wishing to miss the opportunity to sample the cochinillo ( suckling pig ) for which Botin is famous, I made the reservation.
Puerta del Sol
Sobrino de Botin
Restaurante Sobrino de Botin
Now it was time for some midday tapas and I made my way to Casa del Abuelo, where I tasted some delicious gambas gabardina ( prawns with overcoats ). This popular place with outdoor seating also specialises in gambas al ajillo ( garlic prawns ) which is a favourite lunchtime treat, washed down with a glass of Mahou beer or perhaps a chilled white wine from Albarino. The best part of the tapas experience is going from one bar to another and sampling small dishes in each. With this in mind, I moved on to Cerveceria Alemana, in Plaza de Santa Ana. This is another of Hemingway’s favourite watering holes and it retains all its old world charm. Here I sampled a dish of albondigas ( meat balls ) and ensaladilla rusa ( russian salad ). Still feeling slightly hungry, I made my way to Mercado de San Miguel, which is an amazing indoor food hall, where you can sample almost every kind of Spanish food dish such as croquetas de jamon iberico ( Iberian ham croquettes ), pulpo a la gallega ( Galician octopus ), boquerones en vinagre ( anchovies in vinaigrette ), and empanadas de atun ( tuna pasties ).
Cerveceria Alemana
Casa del Abuelo
Gambas Gabardina in Casa del Abuelo
Albondigas in Cerveceria Alemana
Finally with my hunger and thirst well satisfied, it was time to return to the hotel for a well earned siesta before setting out again in the evening . As my dinner reservation was not until 10.30, there was ample time to sample several more establishments, the first of which was Casa Toni on Calle de la Cruz. This simple but hugely popular tapas bar features the owner in full view at a flat grill preparing a variety of unusual dishes such as mollejas de cordero ( lamb sweetbreads ), setas a la plancha ( grilled wild mushrooms ) along with popular staples like papas bravas ( spicy fried potatoes ). Feeling adventurous, I ordered a plate of orejas a la plancha ( grilled pig’s ear ), which although quite fatty, was still delicious. I then took the short stroll to Calle Echegaray to visit yet another of Hemingway’s haunts, La Venenciana. This famous bar, which appears to have stood still in time and is full of Civil War history and memorabilia, only serves Wine or Sherry and cheese or cured meat tapas. A chilled glass of Manzanilla accompanied by a tapa of salchichon iberico (Iberian cured sausage ) was the perfect aperitif to prepare me for the final leg of today’s journey , dinner at Botin.
Orejas a la plancha
Casa Toni
At 10.30 in the evening, Botin was completely full with diners and the atmosphere was excellent. White coated waiters were most attentive and friendly and having over indulged all day on Tapas, I decided to to go straight to the main course, which had to be cochinillo asado ( roast suckling pig ). I ordered a half bottle of Muga, a smooth Rioja, and settled down to await my meal. When it arrived, I was certainly not disappointed. The juicy young meat just fell off the bone and the crackling was exquisite. As I looked around the restaurant, it appeared that a large number of the customers were having the same dish.
Cochinillo Asado in Sobrino del Botin
As the ever efficient Metro brought me back to my hotel on Calle Goya, I marvelled at how many food and drink places you could visit in one day in this incredible city. But tomorrow was another day and I need to restore my energy for another marathon. My plans included visiting several tapas bars in the Salamanca area and then returning to the streets around Plaza Mayor , where I was seeking the perfect arroz negro ( rice in squid ink ). Hopefully it would live up to the standards of the first day.
Arroz negro
Picture of the court of a typical Jamon Iberico ham from Spain
Top view of jabugo ham slices, closeup view
Salamanca jamon iberico iberian ham of Spain
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Jamon Iberico is a cured ham produced in Spain and Portugal and is subject to the same quality appellation system as wine, known as Denominación de Origen.
Unlike the more common Jamon Serrano, which is produced from white pigs, Jamon Iberico is only produced from the black Iberian pig which has been native to Southern Spain for centuries. The highest category of Jamon Iberico is the Jamon Iberico puro de Bellota. This delicious ham, which is regarded as the No 1 cured ham in the world, is unique in that the pigs feed solely on acorns from the oak and cork trees in the Dehesa ( Forest pastures ). The pigs are fattened over one or two winters, with each pig consuming about 10kilos of acorns per day. The acorns are rich in oleic oil which is very high in monounsaturates and this oil is essential both in the long curing process and in the resulting healthy fat that is a feature of this exquisite product.
When the pigs have reached the necessary weight the next stage is the matanza ( sacrifice ). This has traditionally been a family affair, where chorizos, salchichon and morcilla sausages are made at the time, the tender meat cuts are prepared for family or sold to restaurants while the fatty leg is wrapped in sea salt and hung to dry in the cool winter air. This process is still followed in many towns as it has been for centuries. Family owned factories have now sprung up where the drying is done on a large scale, with the hams exposed to the mountain air. Normal Iberico hams are cured for about 2 years, while the Bellota hams are cured for even longer.
One of the outstanding locations for the production of Jamon Iberico is the area surrounding the town of Jabugo in the Sierra de Aracena in Hueva. Here the micro climate in the hills is ideal for the oak trees which produce the acorns on which the pigs feed .At the Sanchez Romero Carvajal ham –producing company which dates back to 1879, up to 100,000 pigs are slaughtered annually and in the massive curing cellars up to 40,000 hams are hanging at any one time. They explain the secret of their success in simple terms, all that is required to cure quality Jabugo hams is sea salt and mountain air.
Dont forget to ask for Jamon Iberico de Bellota when next in Spain.
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SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA,SPAIN-NOVEMBER 10,2015:Ancient street in historic center of Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain.
western facade of The Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain
Santiago de Compostela is the capital city of Galicia Province in North West Spain. It is famous as the finishing point for the Camino de Santiago, which attracts thousands of pilgrims each year. This vibrant and historic city is now easily accessible with direct Aer Lingus flights 5 days a week.
On a recent visit, I stayed at the spectacular Parador Hotel ( Hostal dos Reis Católicos ) directly opposite the Cathedral in the renowned Praza do Obradoiro . This stunning hotel was built in 1499 as a hospital for pilgrims and retains a rich blend of history, art and tradition. The Cathedral is said to have been built where the remains of St James, the Apostle were buried.
The Old Town area of Santiago de Compostela is a UNESCO World Heritage site and its narrow cobblestone streets are steeped in history. But there is more to Santiago de Compostela than just a mecca for pilgrims on the Camino. It is a bustling University Town with an outstanding offering of cafes, bars and restaurants, which create a vibrant and warm atmosphere. Seafood is in abundance due to Galicia’s Atlantic coast and estuaries and fresh prawns, scallops, octopus, spider crabs, clams, cockles and goose barnacles are among the many local varieties available. The speciality of the area is Pulpo a la Gallega or Pulpo a Feira ( Octopus Galician style ), which is a mouth watering dish of boiled octopus with parprika and olive oil, served on a wooden board with cachelos (sliced boiled potatoes in their skins ) and bread and washed down with one of the many outstanding local wines..
There is so much to see and enjoy in Santiago de Compostela, that it is the ideal destination for a weekend break.
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Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver got himself in to hot water recently with his suggested paella recipe. The social media lit up with complaints from Spanish paella aficionados and restaurateurs, some of whom described his recipe as “an abomination ” and ” rice with stuff “. The main reason for the angry response was the inclusion of chorizo in the recipe, something which the experts say would never be included in an authentic paella.
The fervour with which one of Spain’s national dishes is guarded should not be underestimated. A new representative organization has recently been formed in Valencia called WIKIPAELLA which is dedicated to protecting the authenticity of the Paella Valenciana and which has given the seal of approval to 170 restaurants in the Valencia region, which follow the traditional methods and ingredients. They have identified the ten essential elements as chicken, rabbit, green beans ( ferradura), white beans ( garrofón), tomato, saffron, extra virgin olive oil, rice ( short grain, preferably bomba ), salt and water.
Absolutely not included are chorizo, onions, garlic, peas, potatoes ,stock, fish or shellfish. The latter form part of a seafood rice dish, but should never be mixed with meats. The other absolute is no stirring. Unlike risotto dishes, which are stirred continuously in order to achieve a creamy texture, paella rice is not stirred and is allowed to stick to the pan. In fact, the dark crusty pieces that are scraped from the pan are called “socarrat ” and are highly valued and known as Valencian caviar.
Traditionally, paellas were cooked over wood fires in the outdoors, but nowadays gas rings are acceptable. The wide and flat based paella pan allows for even absorption of the liquid and woks or other types of pan are not suitable. Paella is eaten straight from the pan and generally at lunchtime. If it is served as a portion for one, you can assume that it is not the real thing, but either frozen or reheated. For more information on this fascinating subject visit www.wikipaella.org
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Lanzarote, one of the Canary Islands has become a mecca for sun seeking Irish tourists in recent years. The tiny island which measures 60 km by 40 km, has a permanent resident population of just over 143,000 people, but manages to attract over 2,100,000 visitors each year. Of these , the Irish make up about 145,000 and are the fourth largest of all nationalities in terms of visitor numbers.
Daily scheduled flights with Aer Lingus and Ryanair have made access more attractive, while the year round temperatures which average 23 degrees offer a welcome respite from the harsh Northern European winters.
The three principal resorts are Puerto del Carmen, Costa Teguise and Playa Blanca but tourists will also enjoy Timanfaya National Park with is stunning volcanic landscape, Fundacion Cesar Manrique, Rancho Texas, Jameos del Agua and Mirador del Rio.
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For the past 10 months Spain has been without a government as two sets of elections have failed to produce a conclusive result. Finally the stalemate has been broken as Partido Popular leader Mariano Rajoy was elected Prime Minister on Saturday with a simple majority, due to the abstention of the PSOE delegates.
Rajoy will , therefore serve a second term of office, despite the growing unpopularity of his party due to corruption scandals and austerity measures. The PSOE ( Socialist Party ) has itself been embroiled in bitter and divisive policy disagreements and has seen its leader Pedro Sanchez ousted due to his refusal to allow delegates to abstain. The two newly emerging parties Podemos and Ciudadanos were ultimately unable to agree on potential coalition partnerships with either of the two traditional parties and it now appears that the new government will have its work cut out in trying to introduce an overdue budget which is required to reduce the budget deficit , lower the unemployment rate of 19% and prop up the public pension fund.
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Thousands of Irish and British investors lost substantial sums of money as a result of the collapse of the Spanish Property Market. These are investors who paid over deposits to developers on foot of contracts to build new properties. Many of the developers ended up in administration and their purchase clients were at the bottom of the list of creditors with little or no hope of recovering their deposits. A law which has been in existence in Spain since 1968 sought to protect such investors by requiring that a bank guarantee be provided in all cases to cover the possibilty of the development not being completed. In practice many developers did not provide such guarantees, even though they were generally provided for in the Purchase Contract.
Now the Supreme Court in Spain has ruled that the bank which received the funds is liable to the purchaser in respect of all funds paid into that bank, along with the relevant interest depending on the period of time involved. This offers the first glimmer of hope to these investors that there may eventually be a solution in sight. However it may be a long and arduous process to actually recover the funds, as the banks are likely to challenge all efforts to have the ruling applied.
A number of specialist Spanish legal firms are now offering to take cases on behalf of overseas clients on a no win, no fee basis. It will be very interesting to keep an eye on how this all unfolds over the coming months, but at least affected investors have been given some hope that all is not lost.
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