New York City’s streets are bathed in a layer of gritty grey ice. Small mountains of hardened snow line the sidewalks and dagger-like icicles loom from the fire escapes above. Every other day the heat in my building fails and the freezing temperatures outside seep in.
I have never wanted spring to arrive so badly.
As the temperature continues to drop, my mind wanders to warmer climates. I wish that I could transport myself back to magical Menorca, where I spent a very relaxing vacation this past June.
Located in the Mediterranean Sea, this Spanish island boasts breathtaking cliffs, clear aquamarine water, and some of the tastiest Spanish cuisine on the planet.
The trip was defined by the wonderful delicacies we ate throughout the week. Our gracious friend hosted us at his villa, and his chef Jacqueline spoiled us every day with the finest traditional Spanish meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Trained in the Spanish Basque region, Jacqueline prepared every dish artfully and with the finest ingredients from the region. The fish was caught fresh off the island’s coast, the fruits picked from the villa’s orchard, and the vegetables gathered from the local farmers.
As a long time pescatarian, I am always mindful that what I choose to eat does not include meat ingredients. Traveling in a foreign country presents certain challenges as I always want to experience the local cuisine but sometimes have trouble translating the menu. Jacqueline spoke little English and my Spanish is a bit rusty, so I often relied on our host or the internet to translate ingredients.
When we went out to dinner in town, I did the same. Many of the small restaurants did not have websites translated into English, so I spent extra time double checking that the meals met my dietary restrictions. Translation software would have certainly sped up the process of choosing a restaurant or a meal and probably would have opened up a wider range of options for me.
I did discover many delicious Spanish dishes throughout the trip. The tortilla española, a thick omelette made with potatoes and onions, was a favorite along with seafood Fideuà, a dish similar to paella but made with very thin noodles and seafood cooked in fish broth in a large paella pan. And the gazpacho was out of this world – the best I have ever had.
Luckily, there is one menu that never presents a problem no matter what the language… the wine menu.
Shot in Menorca, Spain. All photos by Nicole Weiler.