Late autumn in Andalucía, Spain, the southern most part of continental Europe, is magical. The sounds, smells, and vistas fill your senses with the expectation of the joyous Christmas season. The slanted sun rays bounce off the tree leaves with a golden hue, and the smell of roasting chestnuts surround you as you walk down the streets.
The hot days of the Andalucian summer are gone. You see elegantly clad people strolling about with warmer attire now that temperatures range from the cool 40s in the wee hours to the pleasant 60s in the afternoons. In Seville, following a morning of incredible visits to world-renowned venues where you will be one of the few tourists around, you can enjoy hot churros with hot Spanish chocolate (an awesome delicacy) in the outdoor cafes. Cafes that once were bustling with foreigners from all over the world are now much less crowded and Spanish can be heard spoken within its walls.
Spanish cuisine in cooler weather is a gastronomic delight. Hearty, warm, and inviting, it provides an excellent opportunity to extend the company of friends accompanied by a glass of red wine. Pucheros, cocidos, potajes, croquetas, each province with its own twist, will delight your palate. In Cordoba, after strolling through Roman, Moorish, Jewish and Christian heritage sites, you can enjoy the puchero cordobes, a delicious brothy rice dish with sweet peppers, pork-loin and chicken breast cubes which will remind you of paella. You can also ask for the famous flamenquin, a ham, egg and pork-loin roll usually served with potatoes on the side; don’t forget your hearty glass of wine.
The beauty of the late fall season is evident everywhere. The smells of Advent sweets in preparation for the Christmas season, the amazing lights that illuminate the streets from the first weekend of Advent until the end of Christmas on January 6, are traditions that fill your senses and make you feel alive, bringing out the Yugen & the Duende in each person and place you encounter. Granada will bewitch you with its ancient cobble streets that steer you to the dazzling Alhambra.
Andalucía during this enchanting time is waiting for you, and we, Viqui and Alfonso, are looking into every detail ensuring that you encounter the Yugen and the Duende during this Cultural and Gastronomic Advent Journey of Andalucía.
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