Checking In....Alhambra Palace Hotel, Granada (Spain)

 

 

 

 

 

The Alhambra Palace is a 4-star hotel that is located on the Alhambra hill. It was inaugurated by His Majesty the King Alfonso XIII in 1910, and is just a five minute walk to the Alhambra (14th C. Moorish palace) and the Generalife (summer palace & garden retreat).

The hotel offers Standard rooms, some of which have balconies and sweeping views of the city, as well as Garden Suites, which have sitting areas and a separate bedroom.

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On the Menu...Restaurante Oliver, Granada (Spain)

After visiting the treasures of the Cathedral, take a short walk to Restaurante Oliver to sample the delicious local cuisine. You can take in the ambiance alongside the locals who frequent this restaurant and make a meal of the many savory tapas (small appetizer portions) served in the bar area.

If you prefer a more leisurely meal, you can sit in the dining room or terrace area and enjoy some of the specialties on the menu, including Andalusian gazpacho, mixed seafood paella, lamb chops, or one of the many fish dishes.

The wine list includes selections from the famed wine regions of La Rioja and Ribera del Duero, as well as some local wines from the Granada region. Be sure to finish off your meal with a homemade dessert, such as rice pudding, flan, or a popular Andalusian dessert called tocino de cielo (heavenly treat) made from egg yolks and sugar.

Plaza Pescadería, 12                Phone: (958) 262 200
Granada, Spain                       Web: Restaurante Oliver

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Time to Save...Lisbon Card (Portugal)

On your next trip to Lisbon, get more for less by purchasing one or more of the special discount cards available to visitors:

The Lisboa Card has a wide range of benefits, including:

• Free admission to 26 museums, monuments and places of interest
• Free use of the Metro and some other buses and trams
• 10% to 50% discounts on local services and cultural places of interest
• 5% to 10% discount in some shops

Cards are valid for either 24, 48 or 72 hours, and range in cost from €17.50 to €36.00

There is also a Lisboa Restaurant Card which provides cardholders with discounts of 10% or more at its 36+ subscribing restaurants. Cards are valid for 72 hours, and range in cost from €6.15 (single) to €10.75 (family).

Lastly, there is the Lisboa Shopping Card which provides cardholders with discounts between 5% and 20% at over 200 member shops. Cards are valid for either 24 or 72 hours, and range in cost from €3.70 to €5.80.

The more you spend, the more you will save, so purchase your cards today! For more information on all three Lisboa Cards click here.

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On the Menu...Cozinha de São Humberto, Évora (Portugal)

Located just off the Praço do Giraldo in an old wine cellar, this cozy and atmospheric restaurant has been delighting diners since it opened in 1971. The traditional dishes served highlight the many specialties of the Alentejo region, including the Sopa de Cação (shark soup with bread and coriander), baked duck rice, Alentejo pork with clams, and regional lamb stew, to name just a few.

Rua da Moeda, 39                        Phone: (26) 670 42 51
Évora, Portugal

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Checking In...Hotel Casa Romana, Seville (Spain)

The Hotel Casa Romana is located on a residential street in the heart of Seville. The 19th C. building originally served as a private mansion.

It was converted to a boutique hotel and maintains all of the charm and elegance of the original private home, including a tranquil interior courtyard that is framed by columns and stone arches, along with traditional ceramic-tiled floors.

The hotel’s 26 rooms are tastefully designed and decorated in a soothing color palette. The bathrooms are well appointed and many have hydro-massage tubs and separate showers.

After taking in the sites of this beautiful city, you can enjoy the peaceful oasis of the rooftop terrace, where there is a solarium and Jacuzzi waiting to help you relax. The Casa Romana will truly be your home away from home in Seville. For more information on the hotel click here.


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Next Stop...Palacio Real de la Granja, Segovia (Spain)

 

 

 

 

 

If you are planning a day trip to Segovia, be sure to include in your itinerary a stop in the town of La Granja de San Idelfonso to see the Royal Palace of La Granja. It is located about 15 minutes southeast of Segovia, or about an hour drive north of Madrid.

La Granja was the summer palace of the Bourbon kings. It was built from 1719-1739 by Philip V, the grandson of Louis XIV, who attempted to replicate the grandeur of his birthplace, Versailles. The word granja means farm, and there was once a farm on the site of the palace. Visitors to La Granja can tour the palace and gardens, and see a collection of antiques, paintings, and an impressive collection of Flemish tapestries.

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Sites to See...Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago (Spain)

Overlooking the Plaza del Obradoiro in the heart of the old town is the majestic Catedral de Santiago, which was completed in 1211. The Cathedral is the largest Romanesque church in Spain, and one of the largest in Europe.

The Cathedral is the destination point for the millions of pilgrims who follow the Way of St. James each year, a route that begins in France and traverses northern Spain. They make the pilgrimage to visit the Cathedral, which holds what are believed to be the remains of the Apostle St. James. Legend has it that St. James’ remains were brought back to Galicia in 44 AD, after he was beheaded in Jerusalem. For more information click here

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Next Stop...Queluz (Portugal)

 

 

 

Only 20 minutes northwest of Lisbon is the town of Queluz. It makes a perfect day trip out of Lisbon and is easily accessed by car, train or bus. When you arrive, head straight for the Queluz Palace.

In the early 1800s the town's proximity to Lisbon and pristine country setting made it the perfect location for the royal family's estate and hunting lodge. In the latter part of the century the country estate was converted into a grander Summer Palace by the Infante Dom Pedro, and was the home of Queen Maria I during her reign. Today the Summer Palace and its gardens remain one of the finest examples of late 18th C. Portuguese architecture; it is often referred to as the "Portuguese Versailles." For more information on the Palace click here

If you would like to experience what it was like to stay in one of these fine buildings firsthand, you now can, as one of the buildings on the palace grounds once used by the Royal Guard of the Court is now a hotel - the Pousada de Queluz (Dona Maria I). For more information on the Pousada click here

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Checking In...Hotel Pestana Porto, Porto (Portugal)

Located along the Rio Douro, the 4-star Pestana Porto Hotel is as charming as the city of Porto. This boutique hotel was formed by combining 11 traditional buildings dating from the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries.

Located in the heart of the city's historical center, on the Praça de Ribeira, you can see the port wine lodges that dot the Vila Nova de Gaia side of the river from the balconies of the hotel. The hotel is located just minutes from the Casa do Infante (Prince Henry the Navigator’s birthplace), the 14th C. Igreja de São Francisco, and the 19th C. Palácio de Bolsa (stock exchange).

 

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On The Menu...Tarta de Santiago (Spain)

When you visit Santiago, be sure you leave room for dessert, because you don’t want to miss the famous treat that takes its name from the St. James cross that adorns it.

The Tarta de Santiago is a delicious almond cake that you will see displayed in bakery and restaurant windows throughout the city, and should be on every visitors’ gastronomic “must try” list during their stay. The recipe for the cake dates back to the 16th C. and traditionally is made with exact proportions of Mediterranean almonds, sugar, and eggs.

Pasteleria Casa Mora, located a short walk from the Cathedral at Rúa do Vilar 34-60, is known for being the first pastry shop to adorn the cake with the Cross of St. James in 1924, and some say they make the best Tarta de Santiago in town. We’ll let you be the judge!

However, if you don't feel like waiting for your next trip to Spain, why not try this recipe at home:

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• ½ lb. (1 ¾ cup) of whole almonds
• Zest from 1 lemon
• Confectioner’s sugar for dusting

Directions:

Finely ground the almonds in a food processor.

With an electric mixer, beat the eggs and the sugar to a smooth pale cream. By hand, beat in the lemon zest and ground almond, and mix very well. Grease a 9 inch springform pan with butter. Pour the mixture into the pan and bake in a pre-heated 350° oven for about 30 minutes, or until it feels firm to the touch. Let cool and then take it out of the pan.

To decorate with the Cross of Santiago, print a cross on paper and cut it out to make a stencil.  Place the cross stencil in the center of the cake and then dust the cake with the confectioner’s sugar until it is fully covered. Lift the cross stencil to reveal the design left on the cake.

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Foodie Friday...Cafe Majestic, Porto (Portugal)

Entering through the doors of the Café Majestic, diners are transported back to the Belle Époque period of the 1920's when the café opened its doors, with its marble walls, ornate cherubs, and gilded mirrors.

In its heyday, intellectuals, bohemians, and Porto's high society all met at this café, located on the Rua de Santa Catarina, a pedestrian street that is at the heart of the city's main shopping area. Today, locals and tourists gather to sip their morning espresso, have their afternoon tea and rabanadas (a Portuguese version of French toast), or enjoy a traditional dish of "Bacalhau á moda do Porto" over a leisurely dinner. Bom apetite!

Rua de Santa Catarina, 112              Phone: (22) 200 38 87
Porto, Portugal                               Web: Café Majestic

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Next Stop...El Escorial (Spain)

El Escorial is a great place to visit if you are looking for a day trip outside of Madrid. Located about an hour’s drive northwest of Madrid, the Real Monasterio de San Lorenzo de El Escorial is a royal site that functions as a monastery, royal palace, museum and school.

The monastery was commissioned by Felipe II in 1563 and was completed in just 21 years. It contains the Panteón de los Reyes (Royal Pantheon), which is the burial site for most of the Spanish kings of the last five centuries. You can also visit the Royal Library that houses a priceless collection of 60,000 volumes, the Philip II Apartments, and the Basilica of San Lorenzo el Real. For more information from the tourist office of San Lorenzo click here.

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Cheers...History of Sherry, Jerez (Spain)

Sherry is the fortified wine produced in the Jerez area of the province of Cádiz. Its origin dates back to 1100 B.C. when the Phoenicians brought the first vines to the region. The name "sherry" is derived from the name "Sherish," which was the 12th C. Arabic name of the city.

In 1933, the Consejo Regulador was created to protect sherry's consistency. The EU ruled in the 1990s that all EU nations must recognize that Sherry only comes from this region of Spain. Today visitors to Jerez can visit a number of the sherry "bodegas" or cellars to learn more about the different types of sherry and how they are made, and of course enjoy a sherry tasting.

Just a few bodegas you may want to visit - click on name to visit their website:

• Gonzalez Byass
• Sandeman Bodegas
• Bodegas Tio Pepe / Gonzalez Byass

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Next Stop...Palmela (Portugal)

 

 

 

 

Located just 20 minutes southeast of Lisbon, Palmela is perhaps best known for the 12th C. fortress perched on a hilltop at an altitude of 1,200 meters, at the edge of the Arrábida mountain range. From its hilltop location you can enjoy sweeping views of the surrounding farmlands and vineyards, the Sado estuary, and even Lisbon to the north.

Palmela is also an important wine growing region, producing table wines and a fortified wine called Muscatel of Setúbal. If you visit at the beginning of September, don’t miss the grape harvest festival that takes place, offering processions, performances, and the release of bulls.

The 12th C. fortress has been converted into the Pousada de Palmela, so you can see what it’s like to stay in a castle.

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On The Menu...Discover Salmorejo, Córdoba (Spain)

Many people are familiar with gazpacho, the cold tomato soup that is well known both inside and outside of Spain. But not as many people are familiar with a variation of gazpacho that is a staple in homes throughout Córdoba - salmorejo. Salmorejo is a richer and creamier version of gazpacho. Like gazpacho, it is made with tomatoes, oil, vinegar and garlic, but the addition of bread gives this soup a creamy texture that is thick and velvety. It is served chilled and topped off with chopped eggs and diced Serrano ham.

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