Page 27 - WINE DINE AND TRAVEL EATING IBERIA

A GRAND ADVENTURE OF FOOD &
DRINK IN SPAIN AND PORTUGAL

t was a beautiful day as we began our ascent up the
coastal mountains from the Costa Brava city of
Roses near the border with France. We were on a
Imission.
WehadeatenourwayfromPortugalacrossSpain,
sampling endless small plates of tapas, pintxos, and
petiscos and a dizzying array of regional specialty
soup, stew, rice, and pasta dishes. We had gorged on
seafood of all forms, pigged-out on Jamón Ibérico, and
feasted on giant pans of paella. We had terrific experi-
ences in seemingly countless dining spots big and
small, some with three Michelin stars and some with
onlythreetables.Wewereexperiencingaculinarynir-
vana where exciting creativity is the norm.
Now we were looking for the wellspring of world-
class cooking – a Mecca of all things gourmet called El
Bulli. Our pilgrimage turned into an adventure of its
own. But before we get to the end of our story, let's go
back to the beginning - a month earlier - when our
plane landed in Lisbon.

WINEDINEANDTRAVEL.COM 27