Tag: travel

Yunquera’s Gold

azahar

As part of my weekend break in Ronda, I had the opportunity to visit a small olive farm in Yunquera, a village in the mountains between Ronda and Málaga, run by Kenton Smith and Ann Larson. The 35km ride from Ronda to Yunquera turned out to be on some narrow winding mountain roads that were a bit hard on the nerves, but we made it in one piece and were met near Yunquera’s Napoleonic “watchtower” by Kenton and his land rover – a vehicle that proved essential on the last leg of the journey up to the farm.

Ann and Kenton left their London IT jobs nine years ago to come and live the “slow life” in southern Spain (though I think they work harder than most city-dwellers I know), tending their steeply-sloping olive orchards and working on various other projects – they really have achieved an impressive amount. The house, almost a ruin when they bought it, now has a terrace over a pleasant patio, a modern kitchen, workshops, a small swimming pool and even a custom-made totem pole which looks down over the village. As it’s “off the grid” they have to generate their own electricity (wind and solar power, though they have a generator for emergencies) and their water comes from a private well. You can read more about their life and adventures on their blog.

After taking a short walk into the grove to see the olive trees, accompanied by two large, boisterous and very friendly boxer dogs, we sat out on the patio and were treated to a sampling of Ann and Kenton’s own olive oil – Yunquera Gold – along with freshly baked foccacia for dipping and locally produced jamón, washed down with some excellent home brewed beer. We were also given some olive oil to take home. But there were still more treats in store!

While the others were discussing battery packs and the possibility of engineering students installing a hydraulic ram pump, Ann took me upstair so show me her Lujos range of olive oil based skincare products, which she developed herself and makes to order. They all looked – and smelled – wonderful, and so I was delighted when she gave me a gift package including Lovely Hands (luxury hand cream), Absolutely Fab (intensive face cream) and Orange & Black (body cream). Now that I’ve had a chance to try them out I can say that they are all terrific but the body cream is particularly fine and smells delicious, like a sweet soothing custard.

All too soon it was time to leave, but I’m looking forward to seeing Ann and Kenton in Sevilla before too long. In the meantime it’s fun staying in touch on twitter and by email – sometimes a short visit is enough to know when you’ve met kindred spirits.


Lujos skincare products

Baraka Boutique B & B in Ronda

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[click on images to enlarge]

One of the nicest things about travelling is the chance encounters you have with people, and the places that you could so easily have missed. On my recent trip to Ronda with friends to the beautiful town of Ronda we were lucky to find this pretty little B & B in the old town, just around a corner from the Puente Nuevo. Baraka is an Arabic word that loosely translates into English as a blessing – you use it when you want to wish someone all the best in their lives.

     

We were met at Baraka by its owner and very charming hostess Anahid Blannin, a Lebanese of Armenian extraction who had arrived in Ronda by way of California and London, and who helped make our short stay such a pleasant one. Indeed, almost as soon as we arrived, some friends dropped in for a visit, and we ended up sitting around the table in the patio drinking sherry and eating biscuits. It’s the kind of impromptu get together that adds something unexpected and special to a holiday.

   

The building itself is one of those “typical” Andalusian houses built around a small internal patio that is all tiles and greenery, with a lovely rooftop terrace. There is one suite, and two double bedrooms, all with ensuite bathrooms. Ours had a partially timbered ceiling, a pretty street view, and most importantly, clean, comfortable beds. I liked that there were little extras like a kettle and fixings in the rooms for tea or coffee, and a fridge in the kitchen where you could purchase drinks and mineral water. And although there is free WiFi available, Anahid has also thoughtfully put in a desktop computer that clients are welcome to use.

   

The highlight of the stay, however, was probably the breakfast that Anahid served us round the table in the patio the next morning. Lovely fresh coffee, orange juice, fruit, and toasted rolls with tomatoes, basil and olive oil, and a fabulous Lebanese dish called labne, which is a sort of yoghurt cheese with olive oil and herbs that was perfect with the toast and tomatoes. It was just what we needed to set us up for what turned out to be a fairly strenuous, but fun and interesting day in Ronda. It was late in the afternoon when we finally picked up our bags and said goodbye to Anahid, vowing to be back when we got the chance.

     

One of the delights of staying in a personally run B & B like this is that you are made to feel at home and comfortable, which is ideal for a relaxed visit. If you are more used to hotels a couple of things to keep in mind is that the parking is about a ten-minute walk away but Anahid gives you easy-to-follow instructions and a map to the parking options. Also, there is no central heating or air-conditioning, but space heaters are provided in winter and ceiling fans make sleeping comfortable in summer. I think I would personally miss having air-con in July and August for an extended stay, but for a weekend get-away it wasn’t an issue. The location of the Baraka is perfect for exploring and it’s close to pretty much everything you’ll want to see in Ronda. Anahid puts out information leaflets in the patio about tapas bars, flamenco, and things going on in town. It’s all these personal touches that made our stay so wonderful and we would definitely go back again.

Baraka Boutique Bed & Breakfast
Calle Ruedo Doña Elvira 16
Ronda, Málaga
Tel. +34 952 872 843

The Flavour of Seville

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It was not long after I’d started my Sevilla Tapas Tours that I met travel and food writer Shaney Hudson. On Twitter, natch. Shaney had said she was going to be in town doing some research and we met up to spend a very pleasant evening visiting a few tapas bars and ending up having late night cocktails on a rooftop bar somewhere… who, us?

So when Shaney came back to Sevilla this past April to do a feature for Virgin Australia’s Voyeur magazine it was great to get together once again and “do tapas”. We went to three of my favourite places (Vineria San Telmo, La Azotea and Bodeguita Romero) and we had a great time. We tasted the best pringá in Sevilla, totally melt-in-your mouth slow-cooked pig’s cheeks in red wine, and beautiful langoustine carpaccio. I know, it’s a tough job but…

Because this article was about feasts for the eyes as well as for the tummy, my lovely friend Fourat (aka Lebanicious) very generously arranged an interview with Seville’s most prominent living architect, Rafael Manzano, so Shaney could get a unique insight into the city’s history and culture.

As always, Shaney writes with heart and with a style that really captures the essence of a place, and what couldn’t be said with words was brilliantly captured by photographer Helen Cathcart. Read all about it…

The Flavour of Seville

words by Shaney Hudson
photos by Helen Cathcart


veoapartment

azahar1 Comment

As you can imagine, I’m often asked to recommend places to stay in Sevilla. Awhile ago I came up with my top 30 hotel picks, but the truth is that when I’m staying somewhere for more than a couple of days I always prefer to rent a holiday apartment. I like having the extra space and a kitchen to make coffee and snacks in. I seldom cook full meals on holiday but it’s nice (and cheaper) to have the option of not eating every meal at a restaurant. Plus most apartments come with washing machines, which is great for longer stays. But mostly I just like being able to “come home” from being out and about and having a comfy livingroom to relax in, rather than having to sit on my hotel bed.

I’ve known the gang at Sevilla 5 for years and can vouch that their apartment selection, and especially their personal service, makes them one of the best in town. I also love their newer “sister site” veoapartment. I mean, just check it out. The apartments are gorgeous, and they are all in the best neighbourhoods (barrios). But what is really impressive is how they have gone to the trouble of not only photographing the apartments, but they’ve also made stylish videos that give you a real feel of the places (much better than those dizzy-making 360º photos). They’ve also made some terrific videos of Sevilla so if you are interested in, say, staying in the Arenal, then you can take a visual stroll through the barrio before deciding whether or not it’s for you. And if you have any questions then the team is on hand to answer them in about a gazillion languages. Which is perhaps the thing I like best about this group – that they are from everywhere and I think this gives them a better insight into what people from everywhere are looking for when they come to Sevilla.

veoapartment.com