Are you also a “local tourist” when travelling?

Last week we went to Spain over a long weekend, just to chill out in the sun, good food and get some serious good sleep. The house is my parents and it is located on north of Barcelona, on a mountain with pine trees, overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. We have been there several times in the last few years. It’s seriously relaxing and quiet, just with some birds singing and no other noises at all, the perfect location to re fuel after a really busy first quarter in London. A few small villages close by offer everything, from great food markets, fish markets, bars, restaurants, everything. My parents, whom we haven’t seen in ages, were also there and we spent a few great days together.

Our first lunch happened of course in a place that I would not miss out once on a trip to Palamos. It’s called Tragamar and is located on the small beach strip in Calella de Palafrugell. We started with a stroll along the small beach promenade which is in front of a picturesque village feeling quite bohemian and arty. The place is never overcrowded by “tourists” and mainly visited by “local tourists”, either Spaniards or foreigners like us. I like to consider myself a local tourist and try to avoid any places overcrowded with other foreigners, and blending into local communities, exploring neighborhoods and using the local language as much as the knowledge allows.

The lunch in Tragamar consisted of superb Jamón Ibérico, pan tomate, Gambas all ajilo, tiny small mussels (berberechos) cooked with some garlic, parsley and Sherry wine, some local rosato wine and escalivada with anchovies from the coast.

 

Berberechos with parsley, Sherry wine.

Gambas in olive oil, slow cooked garlic. The gambas release the flavor and color of the shell into the oil. Dip the bread in it, its just out of this world.

Jamon Iberico, Pan con tomate. The pan con tomate is a toasted white bread, similar to a baguette, rubbed with some garlic and tomato.

So what’s the deal about being a local tourist? I think its all about not sticking out like a soar thumb in the crowd, eating in restaurants when locals eat (at 9 or 10pm) and not at 6pm with the lobster red roasted crowd wearing sandals, or something like that.

 

Curry Wurst, Kölsch Beer, Cologne and Düsseldorf

Curry Wurst is the first thing I always go for when in Germany…it’s a national speciality and translates as Curry Sausage. The one who does not know about this delicacy would assume it’s a sausage made with Curry. It is not, it’s much simpler…a grilled sausage, topped with Ketchup and Curry Powder, served with French fries. Apparently Curry Wurst was invented in Berlin 1949 by Herta Heuwer, there is also a patent trademark certificate.

The secret of a perfect Curry Wurst lies in different and complex components.

1. The sausage: Sausage making is an art. In the UK there are lots of sausages and people are proud of these, but to compare them with German sausages is only for fools. For Curry wurst the sausage is grilled or roasted.

2. The Curry Wurst: The art of making sausage is a phylosophie for itself.

3. The sauce: real good curry wurst sauce is not Ketchup but a sauce made of tomato extract and spices, chili, curry, etc…

4. Curry wurst is a Imbiss (Snack) and the best ones are found on roadside grill shaks.

5. My favorite place so far is in Düsseldorf (im Hafen) and is called Curry. It’s a stylish young and hip place, the Düsselfdorf fashionistas also don’t shy back of having a bottle of bubbly Prosecco with the Imbiss. The fries are delicious and home made. Various additional sauces are offered.

6. Beer: Beer is another great asset Germany has, again, the Brits think the ales and bitters they have are the best…forgett about it, try a Kölsch (blonde beer from Cologne) or an Alt Beer (old beer) in Düsseldorf and you will instantly know the difference, it’s enough reason to cancel your flight ticket back to the UK, and if the beer is not enough, then its the beer and curry wurst…

7. Here are some fabulous links and places to explore:

Curry in Düsseldorf

Curry Wurst from Berlin, the whole story

Wiki on Curry Wurst

Peters Brauhaus in Cologne for fabulous local food and Kölsch

Kölsch beer on Wiki

Kölsch bier on Wiki

Go and check it out for yourself, Cologne a nice old city with lots of charm whilst I personally prefer the more sophisticated small fashion town of Düsseldorf.

Here we are self pictured over an Alster Bier, at the Düesseldorf Neumark, a lovely vegetable, fruit and meat market in the middle of the city!