South East Times Spring 2015 | Page 4

Page 4. South East Times. Issue 67 International Property Guide Everyone is born in his country as an accident of birth or fate. When one is more mature and travels, one may visit a country and suddenly feel a kinship with that country, which may later turn into love. This does not mean that one loses the love for the country of his native birth, but this new love may be just as profound. Here are several reasons to love Spain: 1. Spanish Food On a scale of 1 to 10, Spain’s cuisine rates a 10. There seems to be an infinite variety of food, with variations in every region. You can eat at very inexpensive places and still have a great meal. The menu of the day option is fantastic because it offers a complete meal for a bargain. Some of the most typical menu selections are great. Who has not enjoyed gazpacho, paella, the fried fish of Malaga, the cheeses of Manchego, the cochinillo of Madrid and Segovia, the eels of the north coast, and the pulpo a la Gallega? And what about the pata negra (Iberian ham), that the natives consider the food of the gods? And what about the invention of tapas? These small and delicious plates can be eaten at any time and their variety staggers the imagination. And what about the new Spanish cuisine that is driving foreign food critics mad? There are really few places in the world that can compare with Spain on food. Spanish food is characterized by its freshness and healthfulness. The home made food found in many humble restaurants beats the most expensive food served in the most expensive restaurants of the world for taste and originality. A common laborer in Spain can eat like a king! Worth special mention is the sweets that can be bought in monasteries and cloistered convents. They have preserved food recipes that date from the times of the Romans and the Moors. And the charm of ordering the sweets from the cloistered convents, where you ring a bell at the door, where there is a turntable. You tell the nun, who you cannot see, what sweets you want, and she puts it on the turntable for you and tells you how much it is. You then put your money on the turntable and the whole transaction is based on trust. Spanish food is really one of the great things of Spain that millions love. 2. Superb Wine There is an infininte variety of Spanish its wines; the wines from the Rioja region, the wines from Ribera del Duero, the cava from Catalunya, and the sherries from Jerez de la Frontera, and th R7vVWB