Canadian World Traveller Winter 2019-20 Issue

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68 Extraordinary Extremadura Article and photography by Michael Morcos So much Spain but never enough time! So much to see and do from coast to coast that it takes a lifetime to really explore the many regions and local specialties. Having traveled to three corners of this amazing country, it was time to find the best things to see and do in south west region of Spain and travel to extraordinary Extremadura. Our trip would be bookended by beautiful Madrid. This worldly city never ceases to amaze, even after multiple visits. There are my favourite haunts and always a new area or street to discover. From Madrid we would drive to northern Extremadura on a city and country trip visiting charming little villages, tranquil picturesque countryside and historic towns. Off and running Our first stop would be the village of Robledillo de Gata, population, not sure, it depends on who’s in town but could be anywhere from 50 in the winter to a few hundred on a summer weekend when people flock here for a vacation. This is why this small village has three taverns. The one we visited was old, rustic and perfect for a warm coffee or cold refreshment. The village itself can be crossed in minutes, but takes much longer as it is built upon many hills. Visitors will be enamored by the charming old buildings that have stood the test of time.
oils I would say without hesitation, this is the best I have ever tasted. It is no wonder As Pontis has won awards to be the best tasting olive oil in Spain and fourth best in the world. I bought four bottles as gifts and with that I had finished my gift list. 69 Paprika anyone? Olive Time November is the time of year Olives ripen and one of the busiest periods for the producers. With much luck and perfect timing, we would visit the As Pontis olive mill. This company acts as the central place for the growers to bring their produce and as a sort of cooperative the As Pontis bottles olives, oil by-products and Olive oil. After a day of travel and exploring we would welcome the chance to see the whole olive process in front of our eyes. Arriving even late in the night, farmers would bring in a days’ worth of collections and within no time these beauties would be processed and like magic, some of the best olive oil in the world. After a crash course on how to truly taste the difference between different This is a new one for me. I finally found out what is in this popular spice. Having used and tasted it for years, the mystery is solved. Simply put, it is ground peppers but that is too easy. We would learn the path of these red fruits form field to packaged cans. In this region of La Vera, paprika is king and not just that, the most popular here is the smoked paprika. Starting in the fields, it is handpicked and sent to be smoked in a specially built smoke house. Some hours later the dried peppers are bagged and sent for grinding and packaging. This is where we saw the final spice at Las Hermanas factory. It was a joy to meet Miguel, the senior in the family run operation and which is now being overseen by his two daughters and thus the brand name - Las Hermanas (the sisters). Thought I had completed my gift shopping, but I got some more goodies to bring home. Parador Trifecta It would be a shame visiting Spain without spending at least one night in one of these iconic hotels. The Paradores de Espana is a government owned and run chain of hotels. Founded in 1928, they were set up so that travelers could have a place to stay just about anywhere along a route through Spain. Most of the buildings have historic significance and are usually in castles and monasteries and all have been kept clean, renovated and include the most modern amenities. On our trip we would stay at no less than three paradores and each one was a gem including: Parador de Jarandilla, Parador de Plasencia and the Parador de Mérida. A visit to Jarandilla is a lesson in civil architecture, including remarkable buildings such as the house of Don Luis de Quijada and the pillory. There are also some magnificent medieval bridges of Roman design, and it is astounding to think how long they have been around and are in much better condition than some modern roadways. Paprika festival What more can be said about Extremadura, their love of Paprika and a paprika festival. Yes, its true there really is a festival for this spice. The town of Plasencia is the host and we were the guests to the second annual event and on the first minute of the first day we munched down some large wonderfully juicy paprika sausages right in the middle of the town square. Needless to say, all restaurant menus have paprika dishes and we freely indulged! Jamón Ibérico rules I am a true lover of Spanish Ham, but this is a rude way of calling a historic culinary work of art. The proper labeling should be Jamon Iberico. If anything, it sounds more romantic when describing pig parts. The essence of it all, cured pig legs are common to France, Italy and Spain. All have their curing methods, and all are delicious. The difference is how the Spanish arrive at their mouthwatering version. On this day, it would be another great lesson that shows the process from farm to table. This, by the way, takes nine years from the birth of the piglet to aging and them to market and shows a much greater application to this beautiful meat. see following page Canadian World Traveller Winter 2019-20
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Page 48 and 49: 48 A Round of Applause for The Enco
Page 50 and 51: 50 Luxury Hotels...Grand Resorts...
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Canadian World Traveller Winter 2019-20 Issue

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