A summer in the North

I love to head North in the summer. The dog days in the Spanish plateau... mean heat, heat and more heat. I can't resist the freshness of the Northern nights. These season we've spent wonderful days and cool nights at the Picos de Europa and also in Galicia.

We've visited the home of hundred-year-old chestnut trees...


(Watch out hobbits, get out of the way, a nâzgul is coming...)


We've also met Nature's most terrifying face...


We've found little markets brimming with scrumptious food...


We've crossed deep mountain gorges...


We've visited shops that look like a piece of art in themselves...


We've stopped at the setting of some of the best sunsets in the world...


And last but not least, we've enjoyed the exaltation of some local produce in Galicia...


These "exaltations" (exaltación in Spanish and Galician) are an attraction of their own. They are food festivals, used as an excuse to get yourself stuffed with excellent food and drink, that are very popular all over Galicia and are celebrated the whole year long. Whatever the season, you'll surely find an "exaltación" that suits your taste: tuna fish (I already talked about this one here), "tetilla" cheese, turnip greens, Galician pancakes, sardines, octopus, Cea bread, Albariño wine...

There are so many excellent local products in Galicia that it is difficult to spend some days there and not stumble upon one of these festivals. These summer we stumbled upon some mussels "exaltación" at the little town of Boiro. The festival was set in a large marquee with long tables to be shared and surrounded by counters where the drinks and the food were served. The food consisted of a plate with mussels cooked in two ways. You were also given a little recipe book on request. Of course I did request it. The plate reads: VIII Exaltación do mexillón, 2009 Boiro, Cabo de Cruz... I can bring the plate to my table at any celebration, whenever the conversation is declining. I also have an earthenware plate from Buño I got at a sardine "exaltación" ages ago and a couple of wine tumblers from an Albariño wine festival. By exalting here and there you can gather a whole trousseau... But although we visit Galicia almost every year, I don't exalt much lately. It's my children's fault, they're not keen "exaltators"... a real shame.

My holidays are over, but I don't really care... I'm already thinking about the culinary possibilities of my favourite season: Autumn. See you then.