So much is being written now about gift-giving in this season of caring and thoughtfulness when folks are feeling skittish about their economic well-being. We are looking inward, examining what is most meaningful in life, assessing the the true value of loving relationships and how that translates into expressing our feelings during this special time of year. Academics, analysts and psychologists are writing more and more about what is most meaningful to people and what adds value to our lives. The conclusion is that it is the experiences we invest in that have the most staying power. Things are transient and wear out. Tastes change. But the memory of an experience adds richness and dimension to our lives.
My daughter-in-law Rochelle just wrote to me that they are happy to be spending Christmas eve with us, spending the day and staying overnight before going off to her parents for Christmas day. She said let’s forgo gifts and give each other the gift of a special food or wine. I told her that the gift of their being with us was all I needed, and I meant it. We will all cook and eat together, sit in front of the fire, share memories, take a walk, and that will be memorable and feed my soul for a long time.
Much has been written in the last decade about living simply. Magazines have been published that focus on this and Martha Stewart, the Queen of Induglences, has included a special regular feature in her various media outlets. This is a good time to reflect upon and re-examine what is most important to us and what we do to nurture creativity for ourselves and those we love, while paying attention to how to live closer to our core values. These are not the high-rolling 1990’s that was punctuated by ENRON and Wall Street bonus-driven derivatives. The bubble has burst . (Not many of us have the capacity or desire now, nor did we then, to express ourselves through lavish gift giving or sustaining grand lifestyles.)
Low-cost, low-impact eco- and adventure travel is one way to nourish ourselves. This is the type of travel experience that brings you close to the people, adds a personal dimension, and might include an educational component. One of the reasons I created Oaxaca Cultural Navigator LLC was to open doors to a shared cross-cultural experience that would be affordable and help support the families I know in Oaxaca. It’s a win-win for everyone.
If you are thinking about ways you can give a different type of gift this year, for yourself or someone you love, consider the gift of one of our programs. It will provide a lifetime of memories and open horizons beyond your dreams.
Oaxaca Photography Expedition: Market Towns and Artisan Villages
Oaxaca Women’s Writing Retreat: Lifting Your Creative Voice
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- 5 Reasons to Change Traditional Holiday Gift-Giving (wisebread.com)
Too Much Fun and Where to Eat in the Boqueria Market, Barcelona, Spain
The Mercat de Sant Josep de la Boqueria in Barcelona, Spain, is a food and wine lover’s paradise. It is one of the best tourist attractions in the city. Here, your eyes can be bigger than your stomach. So, watch out! Most dishes are huge enough to share by two people.
Remember you can always order more. Unless you take a grazing route through the market nibbling on cheese, red wine, raw oysters, crusty bread, Spanish ham, olives and the most divine desserts I’ve ever seen.
On our first full day in Barcelona, we roamed the market in search of El Quim tapas bar (recommended by friends) and never found it until after lunch.
The allure of plates of fresh cooked shellfish was too compelling to dismiss. We scouted the restaurants to determine which one was the most packed with locals and settled on El Cochinillo Loco (The Crazy Pig), which we walked by thrice before deciding.
The fresh shrimp, langostinos, clams, oysters, mussels, octopus, squid, sea bass and other unidentifiable frutos del mar were piled high and our eyes got bigger just looking. So, we waited for two seats to open up and sat between two local couples immersed in platter sharing. It was 2:00 p.m.
By 4:00 p.m. we had finished our sangrias, had too many leftovers, and become best friends with our lunch neighbors. We were happy to divide the remains with them since we couldn’t carry out to our hotel!
Then, one couple ordered a bottle of Spanish cava (sparkling wine) while the other bought a basket of fresh organic strawberries. The strawberries landed in the sparkling wine. Of course! I have many more photos of all of us hugging, laughing and giggling, too many to publish here.
I can’t imagine a better way to get a cultural immersion and practice Spanish than to share lunch and a bottle of wine with Ines Natera, who works at the Universidad Politecnica Catalunya and her husband.
Then, my sister reminded me we had a dinner reservation three hours later at the Michelin 1-star restaurant Alkimia. How were we ever going to get our appetite back? Since dinner doesn’t really start until 9:00 p.m. we were hopeful.
So we said goodbye to our friends and set out for a market walkabout. By now, our eyes could not deceive us and it was easy to pass by the chocolate covered berries, the nougat, the dark chocolate coated orange rinds, and the custard tarts… (well, not really)
the freshest fruit, bottles of sweet red vermouth, mounds of crustaceans, farm vegetables, sardines, anchovies, and every imaginable food gift perfect for a special friend (or yourself).
To walk it off, we took a circuitous route back to our hotel through the medieval old quarter of Barcelona bordering La Rambla, and then into the narrow streets where locals were celebrating Sant Jordi Day with gifts of flower bouquets for sweethearts and books for beaus.
We didn’t take home the emu eggs or crustaceans or pintxos or tapas. We did bring home Catalunya olives, vermouth, Iberian ham, super ripe stinky goat cheese, and lots of chocolate.
And, what did we do on our last day in Barcelona. Stock up with a final visit to the Boqueria market, of course, followed by a run through the basement food section of El Cortes de Ingles at Placa Catalunya. Can you tell? I’m in love with Spain (second to Mexico, of course).
Boqueria Market Eateries
Footnote: Since returning to Oaxaca earlier this week, I haven’t done much except sleep, eat, visit with a few friends and venture out for a few afternoons in search of wifi service. I have none at the casita, so my communication is limited. I’m sitting in the wonderful fresh breeze at Tierra Antigua Restaurante in Teotitlan del Valle, with a delicious lunch and internet. Hallelujah. In celebration of small wonders.
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Posted in Cultural Commentary, Photography, Travel & Tourism
Tagged Barcelona, Boqueria market, eat, food, gifts, gourmet, restaurants, Spain