Oh, Barcelona, you stunner, you. 10 things I learned in Spain:1. A large number of the men in Catalonia are named Jordi.2. A typical Spanish breakfast consists of Jamon Iberico, chorizo, and Manchego cheese, followed by freshly baked pas...
Oh, Barcelona, you stunner, you. 10 things I learned in Spain:1. A large number of the men in Catalonia are named Jordi.2. A typical Spanish breakfast consists of Jamon Iberico, chorizo, and Manchego cheese, followed by freshly baked pastries stuffed with apples and dried fruit, and glazed with icing sugar. The breakfast of champions includes a glass of cava.3. The word for “slate” in Spanish is llicorella, a beautiful example of the seductive musicality of the language. Just try saying it: llicorella. The syllables roll off your tongue like pearls.4. The white wines of Priorat -- an appellation famous for big, bold reds -- have a lot of potential. Many of these wines are made from white Grenache and are especially delicious with crusty bread and some of the piquant local olive oil.5. Goat’s cheese, fresh anchovies, and olive tapenade on toast is an outstanding combination, the perfect accompaniment to a glass of cava and an hour of people watching at the tapas bar Quimet y Quimet.6. After a few glasses of cava, the world shimmers with possibility. Despite the fact that you have not slept for days, can’t speak Spanish (or Catalan), and have a deadline looming over your head, you will feel excited to be alive and hanging out in Barcelona.7. Getting a reservation at Tickets is difficult, but well worth the effort.8. To arrive 2 hours before your flight at 6:50 am, you need to wake up at 3:35. Arriving 2 hours before your flight at 6:50 am is entirely unnecessary. 9. Dealing with JAL is a study in misery. Air France is only marginally better.10. Even before you set foot on the plane, you will miss this country and dream of returning one day.I have not yet cracked the mystery of how the Spaniards manage to eat dinner at 10 pm and still get up early for work in the morning.Overlooking vineyards in Priorat.The days have whizzed by in a blur. It’s been an amazing trip, down the leafy boulevards of Barcelona and on through the captivating, austere terrain of Priorat, two hours southwest of the city. The Priorat is a land of tough nature: serpentine mountain roads, twisted trees and grapevines sprouting from near-vertical slopes, and forests concealing tiny villages that look as though they’ve been forgotten by time. After the last few years of scant precipitation, the winemakers have welcomed this year's unexpected, heavy rain. Usually, the Priorat is a somber monochrome of burnt sienna and dusty sepia tones. Now, spiky bushes jut up from the hillsides and brazen wildflowers pepper the ground with sprays of yellow and fuschia. The landscape wears its verdant robes like an act of defiance -- a flinty-eyed Cinderella decked out in late-spring finery, ready to dance on bare, calloused feet. Beneath this mantle of unruly foliage, you can still see the dry, slate-flecked earth that gives the wines their mineral character. Our schedule was demanding: a tasting of 50 wines before embarking on the journey to Priorat, morning vineyard visits followed by five hours of tasting and late, Spanish-style dinners. Or, on another day, a long lunch in the stone cellar of a winery, surrounded by barrels and a 12-bottle line-up of wines. To be honest, I’ve lost track. Back in Barcelona, I rushed to meet my friends Alan and Anna, who, in true rock-star style, flew all the way from Hong Kong on a whim, to have dinner with me at Tickets (a great meal, which I will write about later). One more day, a lot more food, and two hours of sleep later, I’m back in the air -- looking forward to finally being home sweet home.
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