TRAVELLING IN THE Time of Covid
It was a long overdue trip. And most importantly a family tradition, and one we spent abroad, since everyone was available during the Christmas season.
We were a big group, all 10 of us coming from different points of departure. Our destination was Spain, whose requirements for entry at that time were negative antigen results, Spanish contact tracing app and a vaccination card. For our vaccination card, we made sure to get the Bureau of Quarantine International Vaccination Certificate (ICV) passport, which is provided by WHO and was generally acceptable worldwide.
We visited over 10 cities in 26 days. It was both a visual and a gastronomic discovery the whole time.
Our arrival in Madrid airport was smooth. Most of Europe at this time had already normalized their guidelines to prepandemic levels making it much easier for travelers. We got our reserved rental car; self-driving turned out more economical for big groups traveling together and, most importantly, it was the safest mode of transportation at the time when Omicron was surging.
Our first week was in La Rioja, which is Spain’s version of Napa Valley or Bordeaux. La Rioja is known for its wine production. Vineyards spanned as far as the eyes could see. Our home base was in a town called Sojuela. Our itinerary included a wine-tasting tour, golf, and of course not to be missed was the pintxos bar crawl in Logroño, the capital of La Rioja province. (Pintxos are snacks similar to tapas but usually skewered to a piece of bread to hold the ingredients together.)
We had our noche buena at our Airbnb with home-cooked meal over a wooden fireplace on a very chilly Christmas night.
One of the must-sees during Christmas holiday vacations in this side of the world were its Christmas market; however, because of the pandemic it was canceled. Luckily, in one of our stops in Seville, there was such a market – even nicer because of its artisanal wares that were sold. From ceramics to leather goods, there were unique pieces worthy as precious “pasalubong.” I got a ceramic serving spoon holder (it didn’t come cheap).
An hour-and-a-half drive from our home base in La Rioja was Getaria, one of the northern towns of the Basque region known for its grilled seafood and Txakoli white wine.
This coastal town of Getaria has a Philippine connection. It is where Juan Sebastian Elcano was born. We know Elcano to be the lone captain of Magellan’s fleet who was able to go back to Spain after their defeat in the Battle of Mactan.
Our Noche Buena was in our amazing Airbnb at Sojuela. Everyone contributed to make a hearty celebration. My sisterin-law was the master in the kitchen with her pasta and baked fish dishes. My nephew grilled the softest steak I have ever tasted. For desserts, we had the traditional Roscon de Reyes bought from a local artisan bakery.
We bade goodbye to our Sojuela Airbnb, and drove to Valencia for a must-eat paella.
Driving south to Andalucia, our first stop was in Granada to explore the most visited sight in Spain, the Alhambra Palace. Moorish influences are apparent in the structure and decorations. It is very well-preserved.
While in Granada, we went for a Moroccan meal. A quaint restaurant served tasty Couscous with Chicken and Caramelized Onions in Tajine Pot and Lamb Tajine with Turmeric Rice.
Although it wasn’t my first time to travel to Spain, this particular trip was more in-depth. Driving from North to South and having bed-and-breakfast accommodations gave me more time to explore the sights and partake in the delicious food of each place.
Right now I am already dreaming of my next Spain visit.