June Highlights Part 2: Andalusia, Paris, Zurich
Some new some old experiences
I was excited to visit my friend in Rota and venture further through Andalusia. I love Seville, Cordoba, and Granada (the “Big 3 of Andalusia”) and was eager to explore more. Thanks to my friends, I got to see it from the locals' perspective, experience day-to-day life, and practice my Spanish at a Feria chatting up with a bevy of Andalusians.
The ferias of southern Spain represent centuries-old celebrations that transform Andalusian cities into vibrant spectacles of color, music, and tradition. Seville's Feria de Abril, dating back to 1847, remains the most famous, featuring over 1,000 decorated casetas where families gather in traditional flamenco attire.
Córdoba's Feria de Mayo, Jerez's Feria del Caballo, and Sanlúcar de Barrameda's renowned feria showcase exceptional horsemanship, sherry culture, and coastal charm. Sanlúcar's celebration uniquely combines beach festivities with traditional elements, reflecting its maritime heritage. These week-long festivals blend religious devotion with secular celebration, featuring elaborate processions, bullfighting, flamenco dancing, and an abundance of regional wines and Manzanilla. I got to try Manzanilla (sherry) while gawking at the endless array of beautiful Feria dresses. I also went to Málaga, which is covered in May Highlights.
The pristine beaches of Cádiz and Rota offered unexpected tranquility, with golden sand stretching endlessly beneath azure skies. Chiringuitos or beach bars that cook fresh seafood over open flames dotted the sandy beaches, which were just a short walk from The White Towns of Andalusia, or Pueblos Blancos, a collection of whitewashed villages in the southern Spanish region of Andalusia, primarily in the provinces of Cádiz and Málaga. These charming villages are renowned for their distinctive architecture, characterized by whitewashed buildings, often perched on hillsides or nestled in valleys, and their rich history, which reflects a blend of Moorish and Christian influences. I popped into a bar with most locals and tried out “caracoles,” which are tiny snails cooked in broth.
From Spain, I spent some time in Paris and Zurich (with a stopover in Dijon), where I was less a tourist and more a companion to the day-to-day living of my friends. Here are some select pictures from the two cities, which are beautiful in their unique ways. In particular, I loved jumping into the bright teal lake in Zurich, hiking to its summit, and savoring the post-hike beer by the water.
During our time in Paris, we dined at a charming local restaurant known for its expert chef, who specializes in terrines (and wrote the book on terrines!). Although no one at the restaurant spoke English, there was zero difficulty in asking the chef to surprise us with the best wine. Not only did he surprise us with an amazing white Burgundy (which only got me more excited about Dijon), but he also sang for us, and other Parisian diners joined in!
