...Seville

Aire de Seville

As city breaks go, you can’t beat Seville. And i’ll tell you for why. It has the most perfect blend of history and architecture at every turn. Stylish people lining every road, sipping coffee or refreshing themselves with a cana.  Yes, in the middle of the summer it is hot. Very hot, but this forces you to explore the cool and shaded side streets in which you can easily get lost.  You discover the most fantastic ice cream parlours and little cafes where the old wooden stools and tables balance dangerously on the cobbled street.

And if you’re really lucky you’ll discover Aire de Sevilla. A bath house from history, with moorish decor and music which transports you into a different time. I visit the bath house every time I find myself in Seville. It’s a must do.

Where to stay:

Roof terrace at Vincci La Rabida

The last time I was in Seville, we stayed in a boutique hotel.  It was nice enough and right in the centre of town.  But my preference would be to stay at the Vincci la Rabida

The hotel just feels like Seville and the terrace bar has some amazing views of the city, especially at night when the Cathedral is lit up. Ideal for a pre going out drink.

As drinks go, if you find yourself in the vicinity, as it is just out of the historical centre, there is a bar, la Fabrica, where you can pour your own beer and the bar snacks are good too.  It’s just a novel place but the beer is really good and the atmosphere is relaxed and friendly.

Bodega Santa Cruz

Where to eat:

Now for the food. We got ripped off one night when we ate out in Seville.  It can happen everywhere.  Unfortunately the owner who was eating on the table by us didn’t anticipate the fact that we understood Spanish, so we heard each time the poor waiter was ordered to add things to our bill, or ensure that we were given large glasses etc so we incurred higher charges.  I forget the name of the restaurant but it was tucked away in its own little square and had a large outside space at the front where they had tables.   

So here’s the trick. When in Seville, do as the locals do and hit the tapas. Most bars have their own speciality, so it’s worth asking and trying something new. You might expect that the street by the Cathedral is rip off central, but you’d be wrong. It’s where you find many locals and the prices are fair.  We tend to bar hop.  Order a cana or two and a couple of tapas and move on. You can’t go wrong (unless you order pickled mussels which are foul). You can explore countless streets and you’ll find good tapas bars on all of them, just try and look for locals.  It’s a simple theory but it seems to work.  But my favourite tapas bar and this is endorsed by rick Stein (we found it first!), is halfway up the road from the cathedral, Calle Mateos gago, and sits on the corner of a side street. It’s called Bodega Santa Cruz Las Columnas and the this is where you find the best flamenquines but all the Tapas is good here.  Your bill is chalked up on the bar and the staff are friendly in their own shouty way.  Tips are nonchalantly tossed over shoulders and into the trophy high up on the wall.  The bar itself doesn't look like much but the atmosphere is superb and all the patrons are friendly.  If you want to experience true Andalusian spirit, come here.

Links:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destination/spain/72346/36-Hours-in...-Seville.html

http://www.spanishfoodworld.co.uk/rick-stein-tapas/

http://www.airedesevilla.com/

...Algarve

So where to begin... lets just pluck a destination out of the air.

And it's Portugal, the Algarve. Moncarapacho to be precise.

I visited Portugal in May 2012 with my partner. We stayed in a little village called Moncarapacho, near the coastal 'resort' of Fuseta, not more than 40 minutes drive east from Faro.

Where to stay:

If there's 2-4 of you then you can't go too far wrong with this place.  Located a stones throw from the main square, Casa Rua do Carmo.

The house itself is set over two floors, with a stylish kitchen and comfortable living room.  It is quite beautiful and you can tell the owners have an eye for interior design.  The only fault we could find with the facilities was the poor TV.

Upstairs you have two double bedrooms, both with en-suite and very comfortable beds. The stair case was solid stone and quite steep, just in case you're wanting to talk kids.

Outside, there was a small corner pool. Ideal for relaxing in with a gin and tonic and a book.  There was another area for a couple of people to sit and relax and there was also a roof top terrace, to catch some rays on.  the BBQ was also up here.  You need a head for heights for when you're carrying your supplies up here.

The roof terrace had some superb views towards to the sea and to the surrounding hill sides.

The castle gardens at Tavira

What you’ll find:
The village has everything you’ll need, from supermarkets (not so super but you’ll certainly find everything you’ll need to be self catered) and patisseries, to local markets and banks.  It has it all.  The Museum, is well worth a visit.  When we were there a lovely British woman who lived there showed us around.  For a small village, this museum had some very interesting pieces. The main square, with its floral trees and church, is a great place to people watch.  There are two cafes here and the locals agree with the tourists, Ana’s is the place to be.
You’ll want a car.  For all it’s charm, you’ll not want to spend your week in Moncarapacho.  You’re not far from the famous town of Tavira. We agreed that Tavira was stunning but preferred Moncarapacho as a place to stay.  But then we like it quiet. Tavira has your usual array of tourist traps when it comes to restaurants and shops. The walk up to the castle is well worth it.

Now for the food:
I can barely bring myself to say it but the best place for food in Moncarapacho was ‘Tapas y Pizza’.  Don’t hate me but it was.  This wonderful little place serves great pizza but also serves a great variety of dishes, all home cooked and loving prepared by the owner.  
The other local restaurants such as Colibri’s, which is raved about on TripAdvisor is, well, bland by comparison. It’s famous steak on a stone was good admittedly, really good.  But it was just a chunk of meat. The seafood, despite being by the sea, was frozen and tasteless. Everything was too salty and the service was quite frankly, rude.  

For the same money we could have feasted like kings back at the house, with a panoramic view.  Maybe we were just unlucky but maybe we just have higher standards. Afterall, this is why i’m writing this blog. I want others to be able to find those gems, where you get a really good dining experience, and not necessarily have to break the bank to get it. Colibri’s isn't that gem.
So where was the gem of this holiday.  Well,Ana’s was friendly and delicious but the winner has to go to the little seafood cafe in Fuseta called (I think) O Corvo.

This is where you find the locals, and we all know that’s a good sign. Young families, old and not so grumpy me, lovers and son’s taking their mama out for lunch.  Everyone can be found here.
We ordered the plate of the day (sardines) and one salmon.  When the sardines arrived our initial reaction was, ‘they’re ripping off the tourists’. When the salmon arrived, we thought our initial thinking was compounded. We were wrong. The portions are huge. I must have had a dozen big sardines and when i was done, the table of men next to us who were clearly there for the afternoon offered me some of theirs! 

The fish was fresh, the salad was crisp and the potatoes were not fussy.  It was a heavenly simple but delicious meal.  I felt sorry for the scrawny man glugging at ice cold beers to stay cool, stoking and attending to the BBQ (furnace) but he seemed quite content, the master of the food.
I may be wrong, in fact I know I am, but the cost of this meal for 2, including a cold drink and a coffee each, was just over 12 euros.  A bargain. A steal. A gem!
We returned one other time, when Frango, piri piri was the dish of the day. No fish, as it was a Sunday, no boats had left the harbour. Still just as delicious.

The BBQ at O Corvo, Fuseta

The island beaches in Fuseta. Take the boat.
 Well worth the trip for a private beach afternoon.

Welcome! Accueil! Willkommen! Benvenuto! Bem-vindo! Bienvenido!

The market in Tashkent, Uzbekistan

Destination is a blog created for the traveler who likes to plan ahead. If you only have a few hours somewhere or maybe a week, once you’re there it can go fast.  I like to plan ahead, know what’s there and whether it’s worth going to.  Destination brings together reviews from travel articles, TripAdvisor, personal experience and elsewhere, to create an overview of destinations relating to food and drink (and I dare say the odd worthwhile experience too).My passions include food and travel, they’re a great combination but something you want to get right. Please feel free to comment on any of the posts if you have something to add to the experience. This blog is designed to help the traveler who shares these passions and any guest posts for destinations would be welcome.

The beach on the south west of Corfu, near Lefkimi.

A little about my traveling

I've been far afield.  As far as Mongolia, and that was in a Ford Fiesta, so I've seen some sights and eaten an array of foods. But this blog isn't necessarily about 'those' places.  This is about that week away where you just need to relax and embrace the tourist within.

When we're away, we like to stay in a villa or similar, so we can have space to relax in, and just as importantly, a BBQ.
Ideally we find a setting where we can walk to various restaurants or cafes and use a car to explore the countryside. I might even describe us as lazy.