Spritz Cookies:
I got together the ingredients to make, probably the best cookies. Oma’s (my grandma) recipe is always a hit, even here. I woke up the next morning after making them and saw they were almost gone. I will not be disclosing the recipe. That’s a secret I’ll never tell.
*Update* I made them a second time and they didn’t turn out so well.
Lucky Cows:
Francisco is renting a field right near the sea. Like, right up against the sea. He only needs 3 sides to the fence because the cliff stops cows from escaping. Obviously. Francisco has told me stories of some calves falling into the ocean and washing ashore twenty kilometers away. But they really are the luckiest cows because who doesn’t like a nice view of the sea.
Also, there’s a hidden nude beach that is actually in the middle of a field. The water travels through a cave. So, if the cows weren’t already lucky enough, they have that too.
Weekend Trips:
Sanxenxu – Even farmers need spa days sometimes. And that’s what we got last weekend. The goal was relaxation; and at Augusta Eco Wellness Resort, where we stayed, it was achieved. There’s a steam room, hot tubs, yoga tents, pools, a sauna, and a bunch of scary-looking equipment meant to relax you. I’m sure that place can make you so relaxed that you can be permanently relaxed. They can take you to relaxation points no other relaxing resort has taken your relaxation desires. Honestly, I’ve never intensely relaxed so much in my life and I’m still relaxed.
To cap off the day we ate an arroceria and listened to a lady perform some English songs back at the hotel. To our surprise, they also passed out little cups of queimada, a Galacian fire drink. You’re supposed to drink it in three swallows, but I did four. I don’t know what that means for me, but it can’t be good.
Santiago – As we were heading back to Ribadesella the next day, we stopped in Santiago, the final destination of the Camino de Santiago. As we walked up to the cathedral, we heard more and more noise; horns, shouting, megaphones, clapping, chants, etc. Turns out there was a big call to action in front of the Catedral de Santiago de Compostela.
It was about these small plastic pellets that had washed up on the shores of the North Western coast of Spain (Asturias and Galacia). They had spilled off a cargo ship. It is really hurting the ecosystems there.
Playa de Catedrales – The photo is what it looks like low-tide. We saw it high tide, so we didn’t see much. Although, I’m sure the fish are in awe of the formations like humans are.
Octopus is the food of Catalonia. Octopus with pepper and potatoes is a common dish really anywhere along the northern coast. We ate two dishes of that then calamari after and my stomach wasn’t built to handle that much seafood. We saw a small harbor town where all the houses were painted white.
Catedral de Burgos – Francisco, Edu, and I took a day trip to Bulgos, about three hours away from Ribadesella. The main attraction is the cathedral, located in this plaza and protected by high buildings and a river that acts like a moat. The cathedral is a Gothic marble and really makes a person admire the ingenuity and perseverance of man. Also to understand how rich the church was back then.
I loved the imperfections of the cathedral. For example, the largest peak was not a perfect octagon. I also found myself awed at the elaborate sculptures, paintings, and carpets that lined every room. And that’s one thing the cathedral wasn’t lacking: rooms.
Each room had its own feeling because. I’m guessing, a different artist was commissioned to design different rooms. It felt like the church was flexing its money and power at some points of the cathedral. There was just so much of, well, everything. I thought it was quite spectacular and I suggest everyone pay it a visit once in their lives.
Covarubbias – After the cathedral, we ate and to kill some time, we visited Covarubbias. The town is situated in Spain’s wine valley. *And there is actually a wine camino you can take through this area. Sounds fun.* This village gave the exact impression of Spanish villages you see in movies. Brick streets with adobe-wood houses, quiet cafes, clothes drying outside of houses, and old folks in bars. There’s a church, but we couldn’t enter, it was very late and they didn’t make any exceptions for young, blonde Americans I guess.
Edu and Francisco thought the town was boring, but I enjoyed it very much. A store there sells Botas, these wine-packs very typical from Spain. The botas are mentioned in the Bible as “wine-skins” and are also described in Don Quixote. They are normally vegetable-dried goat skin lined. He has an online store, so I bought two; one with goat hair and the other a traditional model.
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