Churros - A Popular Spanish Snack Food

On a recent trip to Carmona, I fell in love with Churros! No, churros is no olive-skinned Spanish soccer heartthrob, but the humble breakfast and snack food that is so popular in Spain, Portugal and Latin American countries.

A First Taste of Churros

We arrived at a very shut Carmona market square and were told by our guide that we had twenty minutes to kill. I later find out that there is quite a lot to see in Carmona, and why he chose for us to hang around in an empty square made no sense.

The market stalls have finished their day’s trade, except for a couple of stallholders in the process of shutting down, one being a churros vendor. The stall didn’t look very flash, but with twenty minutes to spare, I decided to give the churros a try. And this was where my churros love affair began.  I liked the churro so much that I had it every morning for breakfast from there on.

Who Invented the Churro?

My instant liking of churros was no coincidence of the taste-bud. The churro is believed to be a derivation of Youzagwei, a Chinese fried dough bread that I’ve had my fair share of when growing up in Asia. According to one theory, the churro was brought to Europe by the Portuguese.  During their travels to the Orient and trade with the Chinese during the Ming Dynasty they brought home with them some of the Oriental recipes.

A Churros Vendor in Carmona

There are of course other theories on the origin of the churro, including one linking its creation to Spanish shepherds.  But we’ll leave this theory for another time, since the Spanish shepherds seem to be credited with the invention of many other Spanish foods.

Varieties of Churros

The various churros-eating countries have developed their own spin of the humble churro such as in Brazil where churro sticks are filled with a thick caramel-like sauce (dulce de leche) or in Uruguay where churros can come with melted cheese. Churros can be shaped straight and stick-like, spiral-shaped or horseshoe-shaped like the ones we had in Carmona. In Spain you can have churros sprinkled with sugar, dipped in chocolate or plain.

Churros are gaining popularity elsewhere in the non-Latin world and churrerías have even begun popping up in various suburbs in London.

To get a flavour of Carmona, see Travelsignposts Carmona photo gallery Here.

Olive Oil Tasting at the Hacienda Merrha

Spain produces some 45 percent of the world’s supply of olive oil, which makes it the largest olive oil producer in the world. So on any holiday in Spain, especially to the Andalucia region, an olive oil tasting tour is an opportunity that’s not to be passed up, especially for those who love this liquid gold.

On our journey from the city of Seville to Carmona we made a detour to the Basilippo Olive Oil Cultural Centre on the estate of the  Hacienda Merrha. Basilippo makes extra virgin olive oil from the arbequina olive, one of the four most important varieties in Spain.

A Tour of the Olive Farm

Before tasting the olive oil, we were taken on a walk amongst some olive trees to learn about the trees on the estate, the soil, the quality of the olives and when the fruits are harvested.

Next we were shown how olive oil was traditionally produced in the past and how it is extracted at the present time by Basilippo.

Tasting Liquid Gold

Whilst olive oil is used regularly in our meals at home, I had never previously attended a proper olive oil tasting.  Like many, I thought we were going to be given some bread to taste the olive oil with, but this was not the case. The olive oil tasting can be likened to wine tasting, but unlike wine, there’s a limit to how much olive oil one can taste.

Olive Oil Tasting at Basilippo Olive Farm

Olive Oil Tasting Process

We were each given two small covered tumblers of Basilippo’s Arbequina Extra Virgin Olive Oil – one that was spicy with hints of tomato, grass and spices and the other a bit sweeter with citrus flavour.

Before tasting the olive oil, we firstly warmed the tumbler in the palm of our hands to get it to about 28ºC (82.4ºF). This was easily done in the heat of the Spanish summer.  We smelled the first tumbler to see if we could pick up the ‘hints of tomato, grass and spices’ and then a quick swig of tumbler to taste the oil.  Some coughing and choking followed as the spiciness of first olive oil caught some people off guard. Next we tasted the sweeter citrusy oil and there was no drama here. Finally, we tasted the spicy olive oil again, but this time with chocolate ice-cream.

I must admit that whilst I like olive oil and love chocolate ice cream, combining the two didn’t do too much for me.  Chocolate ice-cream is rich enough on its own and the chocolate flavour seemed to drown the taste of the olive oil.  To the Spanish however, this seems to be a taste sensation.

Overall, the olive oil tasting was an interesting and educational experience. Whereas in the past I would only look for the colour of the oil and the label to tell me that it is first cold pressed extra virgin olive oil, I now know that there are other qualities to look out for.

Buying Olive Oil

After the olive oil tasting session, you can buy bottles of olive oil and gift sets from the small Basilippo shop. The olive oil is not cheap, about 16 Euros for two 250 ml bottles, but what you are buying is extra virgin olive oils that have won a number of overseas show medals.

To do a guided visit at Basilippo and olive oil tasting, it is recommended that you make a reservation. Meanwhile you can see more photos of olive oil tasting at Travelsignposts photo gallery Here.

Address:

Basilippo
Hacienda Merrha
El Viso del Alcor
Seville
Website:  www.basilippo.com
Tel :  +34 955 740 695

Map of Seville:

Mesón Rincón de la Cava, Madrid

Mesón Rincón de la Cava was the first Madrid restaurant where we had a taste of the famous Madrid tapas. Many of us had just arrived in Madrid, but the mention of tapas and we were very prepared to throw off our jetlag and head out for an evening Madrid city tour, which included a taste of tapas.

Tapas in Madrid

The Mesón Rincón de la Cava is just off Plaza Mayor in Calle Cava de La San Miguel. This obviously is a restaurant area as we saw and passed many restaurants on the way to our tapas rendevous.

Enter the Mesón Rincón de la Cava, and it reminds one of a dungeon, but one that you would feel very comfortable in. The restaurant is made up of small cosy alcoves and it’s a case of finding a seat and settling yourself in.

The interior decoration is traditional and attractive and as we took time to take snaps of the restaurant, others were getting stuck into the tapas. By the time we were ready to eat, all that was left were some olives, tortilla de patata and plenty of pimientos de Padrón. These small green peppers, fried in olive oil and salt are served in many tapas bars, but they were a bit spicey for the group so we scored.

Although we didn’t get to have a good sampling of the tapas at the Mesón Rincón, we like the atmosphere of the restaurant. The visit to Mesón Rincón was not meant to be a meal, but the taste of tapas left us wanting more. Next stop was the Mercado de San Miguel where we had more time to enjoy the pinchos.

See more photos of Mesón Rincón de la Cava at our Madrid photo gallery Here>

Address:
Mesón Rincón de la Cava
Calle Cava de San Miguel, 17
Madrid

Map of Madrid:

Montserrat Funicular

The Monestir de Montserrat is about an hour’s drive north-west of Barcelona and for most visitors, the easiest way to visit Montserrat is to join a day trip from Barcelona. However, if you prefer to get there on your own, these are your options:

By train from Barcelona:

• From the Plaça Espanya Station, there are hourly FGC (Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat) trains to Montserrat.  Catch the R5 line (Barcelona – Manresa) and get off at Monistrol de Montserrat station.  (www.fgc.net)
  From there the Montserrat Cremallera rack railway will take you up to the Monestir de Montserrat station.The journey from the Monistrol de Montserrat station to the Monastery covers 5 kilometres and takes about 15 minutes.
  The journey takes 15 minutes, with departures from Monistrol Vila every 20 minutes.
• The R5 line (Barcelona – Manresa) also links up with the Aeri de Montserrat cable car which is the quickest way to get to the Sanctuary.  To catch the cable car you’ll need to get off at the  Aeri de Montserrat stop .
• You can also catch the Montserrat Cremallera rack railway to the Sanctuary from the new FGC Monistrol-Vila station.

       Buying your train tickets

• If you are travelling from Barcelona, you can make the most of your trip by buying one of the following Trans Montserrat or Tot Montserrat combination tickets which offer a range of benefits such as transport, culture and gastronomy. These can be bought from the FGC train station:
  
  
  

  Aeri de Montserrat - Cable Car

  -  Trans Montserrat – Return Train ticket (Pl.Espanya – Monistrol de Montserrat)  + Metro de Barcelona (Return ticket) + Rack Railway (Return ticket) or the Cable Car + unlimited use of the Sant Joan and Santa Cova Funiculars.
  -  Tot Montserrat – Same as the Trans Montserrat plus admission to the Audiovisual Gallery, admission to the Museu de Montserrat and a self-service lunch at the Montserrat restaurant.

By Car

Montserrat is in the centre of Catalonia and is well connected by the main road network. If driving, make your way to  Monistrol-Vila station and take the rack railway up to the sanctuary.  Monistrol-Vila station is off the C-55 and there is free and secure parking for 1,000 cars and 70 coaches. At the station you can buy your ticket for the rack railway, which takes you to the centre of Montserrat Monastery.

On Foot

There are several paths to the sanctuary from neighbouring towns and villages. The walks take approximately 1h 45 min.

Map of Montserrat:

Our Lady of Montserrat

The Monestir de Montserrat is located in an area of breathtaking natural beauty and there is plenty for visitors to do here. However, the biggest attraction of Montserrat is the statue of Our Lady of Montserrat, the Patron Saint of Catalonia. The Black Madonna is popularly known as La Moreneta (the Dark One) and her presence here makes the Monestir de Montserrat one of the holiest places in Catalonia.

Our Lady of Montserrat

Our Lady of Montserrat was proclaimed as the Patron Saint of Catalonia by Pope Leo XIII in 1881. In the upper section of the Montserrat Basilica apse, above the altar, is a beautiful 12th-century Romanesque carving which is about a metre in height. She has the child Jesus on her lap and in her outstretched hand is a globe, a symbol of the cosmos. Many pilgrims and devotees come here to venerate La Moreneta and to touch the orb.

The Legend of La Moreneta

Due to the presence of the Black Madonna image, pilgrims have been coming to worship her and Montserrat has been a holy place for centuries.

How La Moreneta came to be in Montserrat may be linked to a local legend which tells of the sighting of a vision by some shepherd boys in the year 880.

On a Saturday evening as the sun was setting over Montserrat, the boys saw a bright light shining down from the sky and it was accompanied by beautiful music. The following Saturday they returned with their parents and the same vision came to them again. On the following four Saturdays the Rector of Olesa went with them and everyone saw the vision.
According to this legend, the statue of the Black Madonna was discovered in a cave where the light shone. 

The Basilica at the Monestir de Montserrat

The cave where the shepherd boys are believed to have found the image of Mare de Déu de Montserrat can be visited today by taking the Santa Cova Funicular Railway. The Santa Cova Funicular was built in 1929 to take pilgrims to the cave and pilgrims have been visiting the site since that time.

On the Feast of the Virgin of Montserrat, celebrated on April 27th, the Sanctuary gets lots of visitors, especially the young,  who come to share in the activities and atmosphere of the day.

Address:
Monestir de Montserrat
Montserrat, Barcelona Province

Map of Montserrat:

Monestir de Montserrat

One of Catalonia’s holiest place is the Monestir de Montserrat (Monastery of Montserrat). Located against the beautiful backdrop of Mont Serrat, (Serrated Mountain) the Montserrat Basilica houses the Black Madonna or La Moreneta, the patron saint of Catalonia.

About the Monestir

Montserrat is a Benedictine monastery whose history goes back all the way to the 11th century when Abbot Oliba founded a small monastery next to the Chapel of Santa Maria. The site gradually grew in importance and by the 14th century, Montserrat’s fame had spread all over Europe. During the French War of Independence the monastery was attacked by Napoleon’s troops and many of the monks were killed.  After the violence and suppression of the Spanish Civil War, the monks returned again to Montserrat in 1844 and a program of reconstruction began.

Today Montserrat is a place of pilgrimage and many young people from Barcelona make overnight hikes up to the Monastery (1,234 metres high) at least once in their lives.

Visiting the Black Madonna

There are many things to see and do in Montserrat, but many come here especially to visit the Royal Basilica and to see the Black Madonna or La Moreneta. Our Lady of Montserrat is located in the Niche above the altar of the Basilica. The wooden statue is not big, only about a metre tall, and is protected behind glass casing. Many pilgrims come to Montserrat to venerate the Black Madonna and to touch her wooden orb which protrudes through a small cutout in the glass. If you are planning on doing this, be warned that the queue can be quite long.

Visiting the Black Madonna has its challenges – during our visit, our guide advised that it would take about 45 minutes to reach the Madonna.   We joined the queue when we noticed that the line had shortened but our hope of seeing the Black Madonna was dashed when a Basilica official appeared and announced that visiting time was over!  We were there within visiting hours and no reason was given, causing extreme upset amongst a German group that had been waiting a long time.

La Moreneta at Montserrat Monastery

We were very lucky though.  One of the tour guides showed us a way in for a quick view and we got to see La Moreneta.

Other Things to Do at Montserrat

• Montserrat is home to the Escolania Boys’ Choir, one of the oldest in Europe.  If you are lucky, you may be able to hear them singing at religious ceremonies and communal prayers in the Basilica.
• Join the monks at communal prayers
• The Museo de Montserrat has about 1,300 pieces of artwork by Monet, Sisley, Degas, Pissarro as well as works by many of the greatest contemporary artists such as Chagall, Braque, Le Corbusier, Rouault, Miró, Dalí and Picasso.
• Montserrat is a nature park and there are many interesting walks that you can do in the area.

Places to Stay at Montserrat

If you’re planning on staying in Montserrat the most conveniently located accommodation are the Hotel Abat Cisneros Montserrat and the Abat Marcet Apartments (Email:  reserves@larsa-montserrat.com) as these are right by the Monastery.  For other hotels in the vicinity of Montserrat see HERE.

Things to Buy at Montserrat

At the Monestir de Montserrat there is a gift shop where you can buy postcards and other souvenirs bearing the image of the Madonna.  More interesting are the roadside market stalls selling local honey, curds, cheese and a specialty fig loaf. I bought a small round for Euro 3.00 and it was delicious.

How to Get to Montserrat

We came here on a day tour from Barcelona but if you want to make your own way here, see our related post on How to Get to Montserrat.

See our Monestir de Montserrat photos at Travelsignposts Montserrat photo gallery HERE.

Map of Montserrat:

La Esperanza de Triana - CC BY-SA 3.0

Semana Santa in Seville is one of the most important religious events on the Sevillian calendar and Seville’s Holy Week celebrations are also one of the most well-known in Spain. As such, Seville’s Semana Santa attracts many Spanish devotees and hordes of tourists.

Semana Santa Dates for 2012

Holy Week in Spain is a week-long celebration running from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday.  The Semana Santa dates for 2012 are April 1st to April 8th.

Semana Santa Pasos

On each day of Holy Week, there are various events taking place in Seville. However, the central activities of any Semana Santa celebrations are the procession of pasos. Visitors to Seville can expect to see over 100

guilded floats inching their way through the streets. Brotherhoods of robed men carry pasos bearing life-size sculptures and religious images depicting the Virgin, Christ or scenes of the Passion. Most brotherhoods usually carry two floats, one with Christ and the other with the Virgin. However, some do carry a third float.

Holy Week processions are organized by the hermandades and cofradías, the brotherhoods whose religious associations care for the images of Christ and Mary that are used in the processions.  There are some 60 brotherhoods in Seville and each of these will  pay a visit to the Cathedral of Seville during Holy Week.

A spectacular sight at the procession are the nazarenos, dressed in penitential robes and hoods and they are usually accompanied by brass bands.  Many of the processions pass through an official viewing area which includes some of Seville’s main streets. Beginning in Campana, they go through Calle Sierpes, Plaza San Francisco, and Avenida de la Constitución, before reaching the Cathedral.

La Macarena by Carolus/Wiki

Accommodation in Seville

Seville is a hive of activity during Holy Week so if you are planning on joining in the celebrations, you should book your Seville hotel and flights no less than three months in advance. Hotels in districts like Macarena and Triana will be especially in demand as the Virgen de la Macarena and the Virgen de la Esperanza of Triana are housed in their respective churches in Macarena and Triana.  For the complete list of hotels in Seville, see HERE.

If you can handle the crowds and the madness during Holy Week,  Semana Santa in Seville  is a spectacle and an experience not to be missed.

Map of Seville:

Semana Santa Spain - Holy Week

Easter for many is celebrated over the Easter weekend, however in fiesta-obsessed Spain, the Spanish Easter is an entire week of festivities known as Semana Santa, or Holy Week. During Holy Week, festivals can be seen throughout the whole of Spain. The most spectacular of the Semana Santa celebrations are in the cities of Andalucia, such as Seville, Granada, Malaga, Murcia and Valladolid.

Semana Santa in Spain

Holy Week celebrations in Spain are not just about doleful repentence. In Andalucia for instance, the emphasis is more on celebrating the central figures of Christianity.  Processions are a common feature of Holy Week activities that take place in every town in the region. In these emotive processions, floats carry unique and creative constructions that contain a figure of Jesus, Mary or an important saint. The times, participants and styles may vary from town to town, but almost all have some common themes.

Holy Week Celebrations

Local Spaniards are not the only participants of Holy Week. Semana Santa is one of the more important religious events in Spain and church officials from Rome and elsewhere come to take part in it. The event is also a tourist attraction, with visitors from around the world coming to merely witness or participate in the Holy Week festivals.

Typically, streets are closed off to allow for the floats and the hundreds or sometimes even thousands of people who precede or follow the procession. The festival is marked by religious figures dressed in Church finery carrying candles and directing the parade.

Semana Santa - Good Friday Float

The floats are the focus of the event and they carry statues of saints such as Saint Rocco who is regarded as a patron of the sick. The hopeful will often toss money onto the float, seeking relief from ailments or improvement. Other floats may depict Biblical scenes, early Christian stories, or any of the thousands of different images that evoke memories of tales that have been passed down through hundreds of generations. There is the Gitano del Polvorín, the Virgen de la Victoria and La Macarena de Sevilla, among many more.

The Ongoing Tradition of Semana Santa

Holy Week processions, like the stories, are an ongoing tradition that has its roots in the early Middle Ages. Going as far back as 1,500 years ago the faithful annually walked with the platforms to celebrate the Annunciation, the Sermon on the Mount, the Rising from the Dead and other well-known scenes from the Bible.

However, during the period when Spain was under the Islamic Moorish rule, Berbers, Arabs and others from North Africa, Semana Santa festivals were forbidden. Not surprisingly, after the Reconquest by the Catholic kings and the re-establishment of Christianity in the country, the festivals started anew. In Andalucia, Holy Week celebrations have been a regular event, with few interruptions, ever since.

Visiting Spain During Holy Week

The celebrations ramp up a notch during the final few days before Easter, so if you are planning to join in the Holy Week celebrations, this is an especially good time to visit.

Musicians will play and sing as others carry banners, followed by Nazarenos dressed in penitential robes and hoods.  At the end of the procession, which often takes place from dusk to the following dawn, the float enters its individual sponsoring church and a hush comes over the crowd, signifying the culmination of Semana Santa.

Hotels in Spain

Semana Santa is a very busy time in Spain and if you are planning on visiting during Easter week, do book your hotel well ahead of time. Cities like Seville are packed during Holy Week and popular hotels may become fully booked quite early.

Basilica de la Macarena, Seville

Across the road from our hotel the Tryp Macarena is the Basilica de la Macarena, home to the most revered image in Seville, Nuestra Señora de la Esperanza or Virgen de la Esperanza (The Virgin of Hope). This 17th-century holy icon is commonly referred to as La Macarena by locals. She is the patron saint of matadors and is also a favorite of Spanish gypsies.

La Macarena

The neo-Baroque Basilica de la Macarena was completed in 1949 as the new home for La Macarena. Until a fire in 1936, the Virgen de la Esperanza was previously housed in the 13th century Iglesia de San Gil.

Dressed in magnificent robes of gold and silver, the beautiful statue of La Macarena sits in a place of honor above the main altar in the Basilica. According to locals, the five teardrops which run down her elegant cheeks inspire them to want to comfort her. The four large emeralds on the statue were bought by Seville-born matador Joselito. He spent a large portion of his fortune acquiring these emeralds for the statue and when he died in the ring in 1920, the Macarena was dressed as a widow for a month.

La Macarena at Semana Santa

Since the 17th century, La Macarena has also taken pride of place in Seville’s Holy Week celebrations. During the seven days before Easter the streets of Seville are abuzz with numerous processions and floats.

La Macarena - Carolus/Wiki

The Basilica’s treasury also houses a collection of rare ecclesiastical relics, including La Macarena’s rich vestments and other lavish Semana Santa accoutrements.

Next to the Basilica are the remains of the Arab wall that once surrounded the city and the Puerta de la Macarena.

A visit to La Macarena is part of this Seville Afternoon Sightseeing Tour. See Here.

Opening times:

Basilica: Daily 09:00 – 13:00 and 17:00 – 20:00
Treasury: Daily 09:30 – 13:00 and 17:00 – 20:00

Address:

Calle Becquer 1
Seville

La Torre del Oro, Seville

La Torre del Oro or the Golden Tower was given its name because it was originally covered in golden tiles. But even without its gold covering, this 13th century Moorish watchtower by the banks of the Guadalquivir River is still a magnificent landmark.

La Torre del Oro dates from the year 1220 and was once part of the city fortification. With its gold tiles, it must have been an impressive sight.

A Prison and Gold Storage

During the Middle Ages, Torre del Oro was used as a prison and later the tower became a storage depot for gold and other precious metals that were brought back by the Spanish treasure fleets.

The tower is made up of three levels with the top circular section being added in 1760.

At one stage, the tower came under threat, but not from invading forces – road widening threatened the demolition of the tower. There was also an attempt in 1868 to put it up for sale as scrap, but thanks to the strong opposition from the locals the tower survived.

La Torre del Oro was eventually restored and today, this riverfront landmark appropriately houses a small Naval Museum containing models, navigation charts, compasses and ancient documents that showcase Seville’s maritime history.

Opening Times:

Tuesday to Friday – From 9:30 am to 1:30 pm
Weekends – From 11:00 am to 2:00 pm

Address:

Paseo de Cristóbal Colón s/n
41001 Seville, Sevilla (Sevilla)