Page 57 - DreamScapes Magazine | Winter/Spring 2023

ABADÍA RETUERTA LEDOMAINE
SALAMANCA PLAZA MAYOR
HACIENDA ZORITA
At the organic, beautifully manicured, slow food movement supporter Hacienda Zorita, also in Zamora, you can enjoy a bird’s-eye view of their cheese-making process from a balcony overlooking the pristine facilities. Call ahead and arrange for a cheese and wine tasting. At the estate’s restaurant, sip some of Hacienda Zorita’s delicious Syrah, the same that coats some of their cheese’s rind, and enjoy a seasonal, organic, farm-fresh meal. And by farm fresh, I mean that Hacienda Zorita’s 300 hectares of farmland, situated amid natural pastures, wheat fields and oak tree forests, produces everything from vegetables, wines and jamon Iberico to olive oils, including the milk for those unforgettable cheeses.
Farther south in the heart of the Bahía de Cádiz natural park in El Puerto de Santa María, you’ll find 3-star Michelin Chef Ángel León’s restaurant, Aponiente. In 2022, it was declared the “World’s Most Sus- tainable Restaurant” at the World’s 50 Best Restaurants annual awards. Executive Chef Ángel León’s focus is the conservation and preserva- tion of the ocean, using sustainably caught seafood, and marine plants such as eelgrass in his dishes. In fact, he was able to domesticate the Zostera marina plant, making him a seafood world pioneer! Go for the sea ham (red tuna belly) and the speckled sea bass sausage and stay for the tuna tail osso buco.
Or shop, snack and dine like locals at one of the hundreds of neigh- bourhood gourmet food markets. In Madrid, head to the San Antón market and grab a slice of award-winning tortilla (a potato and egg Spanish-style omelette) and a wedge of aged Manchego cheese. In Barcelona’s La Boqueria, grab fresh-from-the-water razor clam tapas and a glass of local Cava. Across Spain, the choices, flavours and culi- nary wonders are endless! DS
FAMILY-FRIENDLY SALAMANCA
No trip to this part of Spain is complete without a visit to the Old City of Salamanca. Head to this UNESCO World Heritage Site’s impressive, Baroque-style Plaza Mayor. Built in 1729, this former bullring has been transformed into the bustling city centre. From there, join a local tapas- hopping tour that the whole family can enjoy. From ruby-red slices of the prized acorn-fed ham Iberico to treats in the old Jewish quarter, this one’s for the memory books! Or drive to the Sierra de Francia mountain range for an agroturismo experience where eco-fruit and veggie gardens are planted around cottages. The idea is to har- vest what you and your family eat from the garden and cook it in your own cottage, all with stunning views of the Sierra in the town of Vil- lanueva del Conde. Olé!
WINTER/SPRING 2023 DREAMSCAPES 57
PHOTOS: ABADÍA RETUERTA | HACIENDA ZORITA | JAKOBRADLGRUBER/TOURIST OFFICE OF SPAIN I ABADÍA RETUERTA LEDOMAINE