Author: Victoria

Pintxos or pinchos are the Northern Basque region’s delicious bite-sized answer to Madrid and Andalucia’s larger shared tapas. Classics include layers of cured meat like chorizo, or fish like anchovies, along with olives and other garnish stacked on top of sliced bread and held together by a cocktail stick called a pincho. The word “pincho”…

Jamon Iberico de Bellota Acorn-fed Jamon with Spanish Bread, Olive Oil,  + Castellano Olives Black Spanish Iberico pigs roam the Spanish Dehesa forest, grazing underneath oak groves almost exclusively eating acorns and wild truffles. These pigs are happy and active outdoors all day which is why quality jamon Iberico is a faintly markbled dark red…

If you’re from California or the south west, you may be surprised to find that most Spanish food is not heavily spiced or spicy really at all. Key recurring flavors definitely depend on the region and season, but you always find a strong presence of smokey and sweet paprika, garlic, tomato and olive oil.  The…

Before visiting Spain for the first time, here are some not so obvious things to know about the country to help elevate your experience in Spain and relate to the culture. 1. The Spanish countryside’s sun drenched hills are covered in olive orchards. In fact, Spain is the top producer and exporter of olive oil…

If you want to experience Spain in an authentic way and be welcomed by locals as a charming traveler instead of treated as an obnoxious tourist, you have to understand the culture to a certain point. Like all cultures, Spain has unique traditions and cultural practices that if adhered to, can open a lot of…

Ronda’s thrilling history, romantic colorful details, and fantastic views make it a dreamy retreat from modern reality. Ronda is an ancient Spanish city and longtime fortress, controlled at one time by everyone from the ancient Romans to Arabic caliphate of the middle ages to the Catholic church during the Spanish inquisition. It was first chosen…

Creative, carefully placed details always make me fall in love with a place. Nowhere is that more true than the restored palace grounds of the Alhambra in Granada. Even today, when it’s completely empty and unoccupied, it exudes a regal almost magical energy. You can just imagine what it must have been like when it…

Spain has inspired a host of distinguished artists known the world over for their innovative creativity. Architecture has visionary Antonio Gaudi’s to thank for Barcelona’s unique Art Nouveau resurgence and Catalan Modern Architecture, classical art was redefined by Salvador Dali’s enthralling Surrealist paintings and Pablo Picaso’s brain melting Cubist sculptural expression. Yet it’s Spanish Flamenco…