our adventures in iberia
Join Ron & Mary as they explore beautiful Spain and Portugal
COOKING IN BASQUE COUNTRY
Everyone in San Sebastian seems to be crazy about food–Basque cuisine specifically. Even experienced travelers may find it hard to get their heads around this cuisine savored in coastal northern Spain. Is it the pintxos, the beautiful artistic mouthfuls offered at...
DEVOURING LISBON: A FOOD TOUR
Almost every great city has signature dishes, be it clam chowder in Boston or deep-dish pizza in Chicago. Lisbon has those too - the custard tart, Pastel de Natas; bacalao or dried cod), and grilled sardines, to name a few. But there’s more - flavorful dishes...
SAILING LISBON’S TAGUS RIVER
Taking a ferry is a good inexpensive way to cruise the Tagus River. But we found a much more interesting and fun way to enjoy this busy waterway that flows into the Atlantic here. We spent a glorious summer evening on a classic ketch sailboat, enjoying splendid city...
IRELAND TO ISTANBUL: THE ADVENTURE BEGINS
There's no grass growing under our feet — It's time for our Ireland to Istanbul adventure, spanning 36 cities in almost four months. On Friday, Mary and I fly to Fort Lauderdale to board the Celebrity Apex transatlantic to Rotterdam with port stops in Bermuda,...
THE CACHOPO CHRONICLE
A few years ago, we unintentionally ended up in the Spanish coastal town of Santa Pola on a day trip from Alicante that had gone wrong. That’s when we stumbled on Restaurante Asturiano La Sidrería de Santa Pola and discovered Asturian cuisine–comfort food on steroids....
DESTINATION DINING: HOLLAND AMERICA’S KONINGSDAM
Our current seven-day Holland America Mexican Riviera cruise is unlike any of the 34 we’ve experienced. Unlike most other voyages we’ve taken, the itinerary wasn’t part of our equation. The destination we cared about was the ship itself. Our cruise, which ends...
HISTORY & FINE DINING MEET IN MADRID
The highlight of our short visit to Madrid with our friends Gary and Debbie Wasserman was undoubtedly our memorable lunch feast at Botin, the world’s oldest continuously operating restaurant. We had dined here once before at the suggestion of our friend Mary Ann Eger....
FEASTING IN ALICANTE
During our last three visits to Alicante, Spain, we walked by La Taverna del Racó del Pla a dozen times. Hidden in a narrow side street a couple of blocks from the Mercado, it doesn’t look like much from the outside, but when we peered through the windows, we were...
CRAZY ABOUT CADIZ
You may have wondered why I haven’t posted much about our stay in Cadiz for the last eight days. Besides the fact we’ve been busy exploring the city, I wanted to confirm our first impressions of this place, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Europe....
THE TROUBLE WITH PORTUGUESE WINES
It may come as a surprise, but Mary and I enjoy a glass of wine now and then. (Cue the laughing hysterically soundtrack). In our household, wine time has been an important ritual for more than 33 years. It always begins at 5 p.m. sharp, unless we're traveling, but I...
A LUSOPHONIOUS DINING EXPERIENCE AT BAHR
For the most part, we focus our travel dining on well-reviewed family-owned eateries that serve traditional fare. Occasionally, we take a break and enjoy a good steakhouse or an Italian or Asian restaurant. Rarely, usually once during a long stay, do we splurge on a...
MAD ABOUT BACALHAU
Portugal has some quirks. One of the biggest head-scratchers is its love affair with bacalhau or stinky salt cod to laypeople. Why a country known for its seamanship and rich fishing grounds would prefer salted dried cod over the tasty fresh stuff is baffling. Equally...
A VISIT TO THE NATIONAL TILE MUSEUM
Portugal is best known for explorers, bacalhau, Pastel da Natas, sardines, wine cork, and decorative tiles not necessarily in that order. You know they’re important because there’s a museum dedicated to almost all of them. One, in particular, caught Mary’s fancy, the...
A SUNSET CRUISE ON THE TAGUS RIVER
Mary and I sailed the Tagus River last evening to watch the sunset on a glorious summer day here. It's a popular pastime among visitors and locals. So during our time here we've eyed some of the commercial big-name tours. Too often they looked crowded and...
PASTEL DA NATA COOKING SCHOOL
It's one thing to savor Portugal's favorite sweet pastry, pastel da nata, but it's another to make it from scratch. This morning we took the always exciting number 28 tram to the Compadre Cooking School to learn the secrets of this tasty tart, first sold at a...
PORTUGAL’S SURF CITY
We're taking an overnight break from Lisbon in the surfing town of Ericeira, about an hour away from the big city. We were pleasantly surprised by the charm of the old town that hugs the rugged coastline. We enjoyed a fun meal at a popular little eatery, Taberna O...
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