Foodie Break #2 or How to Travel Without Really Traveling

I've got the travel bug again and that shouldn't be new to anyone who knows me. I seem to get the itch a few months after my last big trip has ended.

But, if you're anything like me, you're not rich and leaving your job to travel for a few weeks isn't always possible so what options do we really have? We could do some nice, little, extended weekend trips in or around where we live (like I did a couple of weeks ago) or we could find some kind of substitute for the actual travel. This blog sort of helps me to do that.

The other thing we can do is eat!

Yes, you heard me, we can EAT! If you can find an authentic, ethnic restaurant in your city that reminds you of that little trattoria down the street from your B&B in Italy, or maybe a pub around the corner from your job that kind of looks like the place you ate at while you were in London, go there and EAT!

Enjoy the food, pretend you're in London or Italy. If you're lucky, the owners might actually be from there and if you're extra lucky, maybe they'll be serving some of the original recipes from their country. Don't go to Olive Garden and pretend it's Italy because they don't even come close! Don't head to Long John Silver's and put vinegar on your fries and pretend it's the same as the fish and chips you bought in London because malt vinegar does not make it British fish and chips! Go as authentic as you can and immerse yourself in the cuisine, the ambiance, and the food. Don't just plow through it all. Examine the decor, sniff the air, and talk to waitstaff or the owner. Find out what prompted them to open this restaurant. Take your time and eat like an Italian or Spaniard or whatever culture you're enjoying. Eat several courses and enjoy each one with some wine. You don't do this all the time so indulge yourself a little!

I have the good fortune of living in a city with some nice alternatives for food, restaurants, and eating.We're also fortunate enough to have several cooking schools as well. We have The Culinary Institute of America-San Antonio which hosts a regular cooking school as well as classes for the cooking enthusiast and we have Central Market Cooking School which brings in some great chefs from all over the world for demonstrations and tastings. We also have smaller, private schools that teach private lessons for all age ranges.

I mention the cooking schools, Central Market in particular, because In my next post, I'm going to write a bit about how I was able to leave San Antonio and visit Tuscany for a few hours and show you how to get away, even if it's just for an evening, and either recapture a recent trip or whet your appetite for the one to come.

Monday in Madrid (Originally Posted 3/10/09)

Well, my luggage arrived! Thank God for that.

Today, we woke up a bit late and made our way downstairs for breakfast. Before I left the U.S., I had dinner with my mom Thursday night and we went to Cracker Barrel where I proceeded to order a big breakfast for dinner because I figured it would be a while before I would see eggs and bacon or sausage for breakfast. I couldn't have been more wrong.

EGGS. Spaniards eat eggs and lots of them. In Texas, when we say "tortilla" we mean tortillas...flat breads that come in either corn or flour versions that are rolled or hand patted into circular shapes and toasted on a griddle or "comal" on the stovetop. When you say "tortilla" in Spain, you get an omelet with onions and potatoes. Eggs can be eaten at every meal but they are usually fried or sunny side up. Well...I didn't have eggs for breakfast. I had toasted bread and coffe or "cafe con leche" because if you order straight up coffee, you end up with espresso. Butter with your bread is not the norm, you have to order it specifically and pay extra for it.

Anyway, after breakfast, we walked down to the Royal Palace and took a tour of it. The Palace is currently used by the King of Spain for ceremonial events but is not lived in. It took 26 years to build and it has approximately 2800 rooms, of which you can visit about 25 or so when you take the tour. It's impressive and beautiful but unfortunately, no pictures allowed so you all have to content yourselves with pictures of the exterior.

After a visit to the Palace and the neighboring Almudena Cathedrel. Construction began for this church in 1883 and it was finally finished in 1993! Both the Palace and the Cathedral were built on grounds that were originally those of Spain's first mosque, an alcazar that burned down in 1734. Both places were quite beautiful.

After our tours there, we went for lunch at a restaurant named, Restaurante Botin which is reputed to be the oldest restaurant in the world (according to Guiness Book). It was an interesting place and apparently pretty much everyone has dined there at one time or another. There specialty is a "roasted suckling pig" and so, being the adventurer that I am, that's what I ordered for lunch. Let's just say that lunch was very interesting. It started with a course of soup. Not just any kind of soup my friend, a "garlic and egg" soup. (Eggs again!). It was ok. It was brought to the table straight out of the oven in a clay-type bowl and it was bubbling and boiling, it was so hot. It had an egg in the middle of it and I think it also had bread in it. It was an interesting flavor but the texture wasn't really to my liking. The next course was the pig. It wasn't a whole pig but the pieces were straight from a whole pig. Again, interesting food. The skin was crispy and pretty tasty...sort of like pork rinds but with a different sort of smoky, "gamey" flavor. The meat was tender and also "gamey" tasting. The pig came with some oven roasted potatoes. I also got ice cream for dessert and a half-bottle of the house wine. I wouldn't order it again, but it was definitely as experience!!

After lunch, we found our way to a convent where the nuns have no contact with the outside world but they sell "dulces" or candy and confections to the public. It's pretty cool and sort of subversive-feeling to buy cookies here. You have to find the place and it's not really easy to locate. Then you press the buzzer and speak into the speaker, code word "dulces". The nuns buzz you in and you make your way into the convent where you find a "turin" or a huge lazy-susan kind of thing and a sign on the side with the items they sell. As soon as you get into the room, the nun is somewhere behind the turin and asks you what you'd like. You tell her what you want and she puts it into the turin and turns it out for you to collect. You put the money into the turin and she turns it back with your change. Very top secret feeling!

After all that spy work, we made our way back to the hotel for a nap because Thomas, my cousin, surprised us with tickets to a flamenco show. I'll write about the show on my next blog. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that on our way to the Palace, we came across some excitement near the city hall and found ourselves in the middle of the arrival of the President of Serbia! Secret Service types and snipers in the apartment terraces nearby...very exciting!!!