El Camino de Santiago, the 800km pilgrimage trail ends in the Galician cathedral town of Santiago de Compostela.
Photo / 123rf
El Camino de Santiago, the 800km pilgrimage trail ends in the Galician cathedral town of Santiago de Compostela.
Photo / 123rf
Embark on an Iberian adventure with the best of Spanish-themed television, films, books, food and drink, writes Brett Atkinson
Where to go in Spain
According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), Spain is now classed as the safest EU destination to visit amid the pandemic. Wheninternational borders open, travel to Spain's north to combine excellent food, one of the world's finest art institutions, and a spectacular driving tour through the Galicia region along the country's Atlantic Coast. Kick things off in the tapas bars and Michelin-starred restaurants of San Sebastian on the Bay of Biscay – the city is becoming increasingly known by its Basque name of Donostia – before driving west to the stunning Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, designed by Canadian-American architect Frank Gehry, and aligned with the Guggenheim Museum in New York. From Bilbao, trace a meandering path around Spain's rugged and verdant northwest, taking in the Cantabrian capital of Santander and the medieval coastal town of La Coruña. Your route is punctuated by fishing villages with brilliant seafood. Near the journey's end, around 700km from Bilbao, is the pilgrimage town of Santiago de Compostela and the historic university city of Vigo.
Don't miss the stunning Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, designed by Canadian-American architect Frank Gehry. Photo / 123rf
Focused on Catalan chef Alberto Adria – his stellar CV includes working alongside brother Ferran at the renowned el Bulli restaurant and running the Michelin-starred Tickets in Barcelona – episode four of series five of
Chef's Table
on Netflix is all about the innovation of modern Spanish cuisine. For great Spanish food and landscapes, watch
). Following their earlier "Trips" to Greece and Italy, UK actor/comedians Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon are wildly entertaining as they journey around La Mancha, Andalucia and the Basque region. For an insight into walking El Camino de Santiago, the 800km pilgrimage trail ending in the Galician cathedral town of Santiago de Compostela, watch
(2019). It's also on Academy on Demand, with the New Zealand-produced documentary following six New Zealand and Australian adventurers as they undertake the epic walk.
The El Camino de Santiago is an 800km pilgrimage that finishes in the Spanish town of Santiago de Compostela.
Photo / 123rf
What to read about Spain
For a different angle on the Camino experience, read the very funny
Travels with My Donkey: One Man and His Ass on a Pilgrimage to Santiago
, Tim Moore's 2006 memoir of his journey with a donkey called Shinto along the route. Other Spanish non-fiction narratives include
Ghosts of Spain
, Giles Tremlett's 2008 book blending travel and the country's 20th-century history, and
It's Not About the Tapas: Spanish Adventures on Two Wheels
(2006) by UK writer Polly Evans. A founding member of rock band Genesis, Chris Stewart is now more well-known as the author of three easy-to-devour books about his new life as a farmer in southern Spain. Kick off with
Driving Over Lemons: An Optimist in Andalucia
(1999) before moving on to
A Parrot In The Pepper Tree
(2003) and
The Almond Blossom Appreciation Society
(2006) to complete his 'Lemons' trilogy.
What to eat to experience Spain
When lockdown allows, recreate nights bar-hopping in Barcelona at a couple of Spanish-influenced spots along Auckland's Karangahape Rd. Highlights of the tapas-focused menu at Candela include smoked kahawai croquetas, or octopus with paprika and saffron whipped potato. Spanish and Italian influences combine across the road at Apero. Try the delicious Iberico jamon (dry-cured ham) - at home no less. Apero is open every Friday and Saturday for pick-up and delivery during lockdown. On Waiheke Island, Casita Miro serves up tapas and larger raciones shared plates in a garden setting influenced by the style of Spanish design masters including Joan Miro and Antoni Gaudí. Team the gambas ajillo (garlic prawns) with a glass of Casita Miro's albarino wine, first grown amid the valley vineyards of Spain's Galicia province. Lucky Waiheke dwellers can take advantage of Casita Miro's weekend picnics and three-course Menu Del Dia for pick up or delivery every Friday and Saturday. For hearty servings of paella, Spain's signature dish of saffron rice with chorizo and seafood, see the Paella Pan team at Parnell's La Cigale's market on a Saturday or Sunday morning. Online click and collect orders from their Ellerslie kitchen are available during Level 3 lockdown. See
You can't go wrong with hearty servings of paella, Spain's signature dish of saffron rice with chorizo and seafood.
Photo / 123rf
What to drink
Spain's most famous cerveza (beer) is Estrella Damm, a crisp lager that's been brewed in Barcelona since 1876. It's available at most New Zealand supermarkets and liquor shops, and is on tap at Tasca's three branches – Newmarket, Dominion Rd and Ōrewa – around Auckland. Also partnering with Tasca's diverse tapas menu is Moritz, a Spanish wheat beer, a good selection of Spanish wines, and robust jugs of refreshing sangria combining red wine, brandy and fruit punch. Beside albarino – New Zealand examples of the wine are also produced by Villa Maria, Coopers Creek and Esk Valley – Spain's other renowned wine varietal is tempranillo. Available from Fine Wine Delivery, the Torres Celeste Crianza Tempranillo is a good-value Spanish example, while an excellent local version of the full-bodied red is crafted by Marlborough's Hans Herzog Estate. Bone-dry fino sherry, ideal as an aperitivo with olives or almonds, is produced around the southern Spanish city of Jerez de la Frontera. For the rich and sweet Pedro Ximenez style, made with sun-dried grapes and usually sipped after a meal, try Valdespino's El Candado sherry from Glengarry Wines.
