It’s rare that I hanker for one destination twice, but Spain is a place I could (and do) visit time and time again. Spain has always been a travel respite, a place to relax, take a siesta, and enjoy the sunshine, in comparison to our more action-packed and rough adventures. Maybe we’ll live there one day as an old couple, shuffling to cafes under window boxes spilling over with geraniums. We’ve seen Barcelona, Madrid, San Sebastion, San Fermin, Valencia, Malaga, and Gibraltar. My must-see from 2018 is hands down the Flamenco dance.
Must See: Traditional Flamenco Dance
THE place to see Flamenco is the Corral de la Morería, flamenco en Madrid. THE PLACE. It’s been recognized as Spain’s Best Tablao Flamenco by the prestigious Las Minas International Festival and selected for the New York Times’ best seller “1000 Places to See Before You Die” for good reason. What differentiates this Flamenco from other concerts and shows its the emotion. This performance is intense.
Flamenco dates back to the 15th century. A mingling of Indian folklore and Sephardic Jew and Moor influence, it has been declared one of the Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. You don’t need to speak the language to understand the drama played out by the dancers and expressive guitar players; it’s all about the body language. The performers have been professionally trained for most of their lives to put on this kind of show.
I was moved to tears, not only by the phenomenal meal, but by the passion and strength of the dancers. No blog post or photos could do it justice.
By the way, when I say phenomenal meal, I mean menu entries like this: Wild Sea Bass with Creamy Stewed Spring Onions and Smoked Iberian Bacon, Accompanied by Grapefruit Emulsion and Fried Capers. Paired expertly matched wine. Yeah. All together now, let’s drool.
