Photographing (and Eating) Tapas in León, Spain - Part Two

If you didn't catch Part I of my article on tapas:  you may want to read it by clicking here before advancing to Part II. 

Several years ago, my colleague Steve and I went to a tapas restaurant in North Carolina.  He hadn't heard of tapas, and I wanted him to experience something like he might get in León, Spain.  I had had tapas several years earlier in León, and thought the restaurant experience might be similar, yet an Americanized version.  Our waiter told us to pick several items from the menu and they would be brought out as we had our drink.  We ordered a Spanish tortilla (a potato dish), manchego cheese, some ham and even quail legs.  The first dish that was brought out was the cheese.  On the plate were two thin triangles of cheese.

"Are these just for us to try?"  Steve asked, puzzled.

"No, I think that's the cheese we ordered."

To make the story short, the rest of the night continued exactly the same way.  When we left after paying a bill of well over a hundred dollars, Steve said, "I'm hungry.  Let's go get a pizza."  To this day, he will no longer take my advice on a restaurant.  He'll just stare at me and say, "....you remember North Carolina...?"

Well, that's the American version of tapas.  The food was okay, but it was expensive and there wasn't much of it.  In León, however, the bars take pride in the quality and quantity of tapas, as well as the diversity.  For well under two Euros, you'll get a drink and a plate of something good to eat.

We ordered a round of seven drinks.  This is the plate of food that came with it at the Barín de Eva

León's streets are safe to walk, even late at night. The streets just off from the Cathedral are filled with bars.

Many of the tapas you'll get with your drinks are Spanish specialties, although, at first, not all will sound appetizing to some American palates.  One of my favorites is morcilla.  It's a blood sausage, and absolutely delicious.  Another is callos, or beef stomach.  It's served in a hot barbeque sauce and should be tried before declaring you don't like it.  You might also have squid, shrimp, shellfish or other seafoods.

The bartender at the Cervantes cheerfullly let us choose our tapas.  One that I gave a try was callos.

Sandwiches on the left and callos on the right were tapas at the Cervantes Bar.  The sauce on the callos is extremely spicy.

Morcilla and fried potatoes were tapas at the Rincón de los Gauchos. We also had a delicious garlic soup.   Notice that Reserve Rioja was provided rather than a "house wine."

This plate of tapas from the Gala Bar has white asparagus, peppers, potatoes, fish, sausage, a fried egg and bread.

We had shellfish in tomato sauce at the Bar Ribera.

We drank Rioja and Ribera del Duero wine at the Boccalino.  Tapas included shrimp, sausage, and pizza.

Obviously, in just a little over two weeks, I didn't have time to try all the bars in León (although you can see that I tried).  Thanks go out to my wife's cousin, José Luis and his family for making sure we got a sampling of the best food, drink, and hospitality that León has to offer. 

I hope you get a chance to try real Spanish tapas from León, sometime.  If you have a good experience, let me know.

You can view my website at:  www.tombellart.com.

Spain Means History, Tapas, more Tapas ...and Photographs

My family and I just returned from a trip to Spain, with a side visit to Italy.  We're still suffering from jetlag, but I'm so excited about the trip, I wanted to write this first installment. 

My Mother-in-Law has an apartment in the center of León, Spain.  We stayed with her and took advantage of its perfect location to walk to the tapas bars, drive to nearby villages and cities, and for me, to engage in photography. This blog entry is a preview of some the upcoming entries and photographs you'll be seeing over the next several days and weeks.  I'll have an entry or two specifically about tapas, those wonderful Spanish appetizers or snacks that you get with the order of a beer or glass of wine.  I'll share a visit to Castrillo de los Polvazares, a quiet, traditional village on the Camino de Santiago, near Astorga...and more.

You will also see photographs in the cities, along the roads, and in the bars.  If you have an interest in Spain or are planning a visit, I suggest you might find it useful to subscribe to this blog.

The Gothic Cathedral in León is noted for its beautiful stained glass windows. The medieval streets surrounding it are known as the Barrio Húmedo, the "wet area," full of bars that provide tapas and drinks.

The sidewalks in León are filled with visitors to the bars throughout the night and into the morning hours.

Manolo, one of the bartenders at the Camarote Madrid in León makes sure customers are satisfied with drinks and tapas.

Salmorejo, a cold soup similar to gazpacho, but thicker and smoother, is one of the tapas at the Camarote Madrid.

My son, Brian, took this photo of  me in Castrillo de los Polvazares.

Castrillo de los Polvazares is a scenic village, now visited mainly by pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago.

Poppies and ruined farm buildings on the way to Salamanca.

Children play in the main plaza at Salamanca.

The mountains of northern Spain offer majestic views.

Don't miss out on my next blog entry where I'll go into detail about tapas, one of my favorite things about León.

Until then, you can visit my website at:  www.tombellart.com.