Spain: Melting pot for the thrill-seekers
Published on: Sunday, June 02, 2019
By: Lorena Binisol
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One of the attractions is the beaches, especially when summer arrives. Local residents and tourists alike would throng to the seaside for a good swim, sun tan or just laze around.
A taxi driver who transported me from Barcelona airport to Sitges city said Spain “flourished”, especially in summer time, and there’s “not a day of boredom”.
The journey to Sitges city was 32km. Hence, it gave me ample time to get substantial information about the country by the friendly Spanish drivers.
During summer, beaches are the go-to spots.
“It’s summer now and it’s getting even more beautiful each day. The sunset is beautiful,” the driver boasted about the sunny days where locals take the opportunity to spend more time at the beach.
Sitges city is also famous for being a “retirement home” for celebrities. Among the names mentioned by the driver were Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi.
“One of the bungalows to your left is Messi’s,” he pointed out upon approaching Sitges.
Vicky (left) briefing a Sabahan on Spain’s staple food – Paella.
Locals creatively make their native food enticing and attractive for visitors. One of the popular local delicacies is called the “Paella”, which is pronounced as “Pie-yuh” – with a silent “L”.
At a glance, it may look like fried rice, or a mixture of dishes with rice, but it tasted different. Many cafes or restaurants serve Paella with different kinds of flavours – seafood, herbal, spicy or meaty, to name a few.
Vicky Ong, a Singaporean, I met at one of a small grocery stores at Sitges town, said Paella is well-liked by locals and each family usually create their own version of the Paella recipe.
“We make our own Paella dishes with a variety of flavours and condiments, entirely up to us to do the mixture,” she said.
The Sangria drink is said to have its origins in Spain.
With the right measurement of risotto grains and enough varieties of seafood, Paella can be ready in no time, she said.
She was eager to ask Eve, one of the Sabahans who happened to be at the café sampling Paella, Spanish traditional food.
Having lived in Spain for more than 30 years, Vicky missed her hometown in Singapore, especially the Asian food. She said having been away for more than three decades, she is used to the lifestyle and culture of the Spanish.
“Please don’t get shocked whenever you pass by the beach. You will see people walking naked. That’s the way people enjoy life here.
“Summer comes just once a year and they want to make the best out of it. So, here they are, fully exposed and enjoy the sunshine,” said Vicky.
Umberto Tozzie preparing a Sangria drink.
True enough, I had a “culture shock” when I saw people walking around fully naked – seemingly without a care in the world.
Famous for its cured meat, the Spanish could not live without having a bite of this foodstuff in between meals as snacks or even serve as main dish with all kinds of cheese.
“You can eat it straight away (without cooking), sliced thinly and off you go. It’s like eating your fried banana crisp,” Vicky said, who became an instant “tour guide”.
She said cured ham legs and sausages are common sight in any markets in Spain.
She said the local sausages is akin to “lap chong” found in Asian countries like Singapore. The only difference is the Spanish ham is salty whereas the Asian version is sweeter. The meat goes well with any kind of cheese. Spain is also famous for its cheese production.
“Spain is a wonderful country to live in. We are free to celebrate just anything we want. We can be free-thinkers or live in pious way… as long as we are in harmony with nature and be civic-minded.
“We love the beach, that’s for sure.”
Cured ham leg is a common sight in Barcelona.
She lives in Sitges town just a few blocks away from the popular Sitges beach where the Melia hotel is located, where I and a group of Sabahans were housed for an international event.
Churros, a popular snack akin to “cha kui” or “ham chim piang” in Sabah, was found to be delightful at Churrister’s café, in Sitges town where Vicky lives.
Ally Saula, the caretaker welcomed us and was in awe when told about her mission.
“My daughter Laura is also a journalist, but she is not in town today,” Ally said.
She seemed pleased with our visit and took out various flavours of the churros.
“Not bad at all. It is crunchy, flavourful and yummy,” said Vicky, enjoying her bites.
Ally shared the “secret recipe” on how to make good and crispy churros. She said Lluis, her son, is the owner and had recently started promoting the Spanish traditional snacks.
“Please come again the next time you are in Spain,” her parting words after a lengthy explanation about the café and the snack.
On the other end of the block, there was a little corner selling beverages, where a busy-looking man made drinks after drinks for his thirsty guests.
Vicky shared that Sangria is one of the most popular drinks in the country. She said Sangria is originated from Spain and is not other European countries as claimed by some people.
Umberto Tizzo, the Sangria drink-maker, made one for the curious visitor who kept observing him doing the “cocktail”.
Vicky said, historically, Sangria was made from leftover wines mixed together in a glass and added with chunks of cut apples, oranges or any citrus fruits available.
When asked where the best Sangria could be found in the city, the quickest reply was, “homemade one”.
She said anyone can make their own Sangria and it is similar to making punch.
“We are versatile and generous people. We create things for the world to enjoy,” she said, laughing.
Myra Buising, a Kadazan from Penampang who had been residing in Barcelona with her partner Arian, adapted to the life in the city.
The local sausages come in different sizes, colour, smell and taste.
Myra is obliged to get used to the staple food of the locals. She found it interesting and could generally adjust herself with the lifestyle and the norm without qualms.
“I do miss ‘pinasakan bosungan’, ‘bambangan’, ‘sayur kampung’ and all that stuff in my village in Kg Ramayah,” she said, describing all the mouth-watering Kadazan food.
After a spread of goodness at the café called “100 Montaditos”, Myra and fiance brought Arian me to several tourist spots.
“Infrastructures are well-developed and foreign visitors seem to enjoy the modernity and its advanced outlook. Here in Cathedral of Barcelona, is one of the popular spots for foreign tourists,” she said, adding that there are migrants trying to do odd jobs to make ends meet and cautioned me to be careful of pick-pockets, too.
There are many architectural and historical buildings in the city that are also tourist magnets.
The journey ended at a small shop where one can be assured of relaxation and enjoyment because there are plenty of gelato flavoured ice cream to choose from.
Myra said gelato is an all-time favourite dessert of the locals. This comfort food is part of the Spanish tradition which can be eaten at any time of the day.
Barcelona is a metropolitan area where people of many nationalities meet for various purposes – work, leisure etc.
As for Myra, she found love in Spain and, therefore, would treat the country as another beautiful home just like Sabah.
