It’s been a wee while since I posted. Some of you may even have picked up on the fact that we were due to go away for a few days with some pals to a HUGE livestock fair (the biggest in Europe I believe) in a town called Zafra. Well, we did get there and all went well. But the photos of the event….bleugh. Funnily enough, the only ones that came out half decent were of a huge barbecue affair (called a Parillada) they had there which, of course, we indulged in. Trust me to focus more on the food than the livestock.
We stayed near a very lovely little town called Burguillos del Cerro – very close to the frontier with Portugal.
It’s pretty ancient and dates back to the times of the Reconquista – way back in the 700s.
The weather wasn’t great the evening we took a walk around and the light was fading, but it was very atmospheric and lovely to walk around at twilight appreciating the castle way off in the distance and the old centre with buildings that are being very sympathetically restored.
Of course, then it was time to decide where to go for dinner. Priorities, priorities!
Chica Andaluza 
Great top photos. I like barbecued meat 🙂
It was a very serious barbecue!
I’m glad you enjoyed the Zafra Fair – we go every year!
http://www.hiddenspain.info/wordpress/2013/09/06/are-you-going-to-za-fa-ra-fair/
Let me know if you’re ever up this way again, it’s be great to meet for a coffee 🙂
I had a feeling Rosemary would like the barbecue. That Parillada is quite fantastic, as is the House of Garlandi 🙂
The Parillada was great – mind you, we all moaned and groaned about eating too much meat that day! What I liked about Burguillos was that although the houses were being restored, they were real. People lived in them…no decaying crumbling ruins left to be forgotten.
That’s definitely another thing for my mental list of things to visit in Spain, along with the festivals for snails and jamon. I’m looking at coming over to Barcelona before Christmas – just in time for the lights on the Ramblas, which are a more sophisticated than on Oxford Street 😉
I bet Barcelona at Christmas will be wonderful!
It always makes me feel very nostalgic 🙂
Nothing like a giant bbq. That looks like such a great event and a lot of fun just walking around!
It was a HUGE Feria – you need a couple of days too look around!
Obviously priorities! You would need a lot of energy to keep up all of that trotting around and that is one serious bbq Ms Chica.
It was on the go all day too – never seen anything like it!
Way back in the ‘700’s. That is a MENTAL sentence. I cannot even get a hold of that time as being real in my head – it just seems so .. I don’t know – Historical Romancish.
It’s a bit hard to get your head around something so very old (and still going strong)!
Yes!! wonderful
seemingly very classic yet elegant …
if I should know in which country this is ,,, ? because to be honest I really do not know because they do not know : D
It’s an area of Spain called Extremadura – close to the frontier with Portugal!
wow…amazing
that so .. : D
I really do not know about it because I come from Southeast Asia , namely Indonesia . Have you ever visited the land of a thousand islands?
Thanks for the virtual tour. It would have been nice to have a bit of barbecue to enjoy with it. I’m sure that you had my bit!
Well, it was getting cold so I had to eat it 😉
Looks to me like you’ve got your priorities spot on! Promenades and wonderful food. Perfect. That barbecue looks amazing!
You have to look after the body as well as the soul!
Indeed…I think you nailed both with this lovely trip!
J
¡Que sitio tan bonito Chica!! La verdad es que para nosotros Extremadura es territorio inexplorado. Pasamos por ahí todos los años camino de Cádiz y sólo paramos en el camino para tomar un bocadillo y seguimos deprisa para llegar cuanto antes al mar y alejarnos del calor que normalmente hace por esas tierras. Me alegro que vosotros sí hayas disfrutado del lugar como Dios manda.
Un abrazo,
G
Creo que para mi también era mi primer visita a esta parte de Espana – pero no la ultima!
Vey Interesting for me…
Mrs.Chica…..
its a beatiful holiday
I hope can get it with my family 😀
I am glad that you have got your priorities straight! Rather pics of food, than of animals waiting to become food 😉
Hadn’t thought of that!!
Nothing wrong with your priorities about photographing the food. 😀
Have a beautiful day.
🙂 Mandy xo
Thanks Mandy – you too!
My in-laws live in the Sierra de Aracena, Huelva, and when we visit them we get the ferry to Northern Spain and drive through the centre of Spain, passing through Zafra and Extremadura. I really love it, because it’s very similar to the Sierra de Aracena in its landscape and Iberian pigs, plus like the Alentejo in Portugal, rather impoverished and parched in summer, but also a bit of an undiscovered gem, with loads of great food on offer!
I agree, it is very much like the Alentejo, and still pretty much undiscovered! And what a lovely part of Spain your in laws live in J
eMMMM,…..look beautiful,and so deliciouse
i culinary so much.. hahaha from your photo i curious about what teh parillada taste like
i like culinary so much.. hahaha from your photo i curious about what teh parillada taste like
Mostly pork I’m afraid but any meat can be cooked this way – it gives it a lovely smokey flavour!
The 700’s…that is truly ancient! It must have been fascinating. That looks like a very delicious barbecue event…just looking at those top pictures makes my mouth water. 🙂
It’s hard to get your head around something so ancient isn’t it!!
Wow – what a great trip! That parillada looked so good, my Chilean boyfriend nearly pulled a muscle leaning over to look at the picture 😉
We’ve got friends from that region – lucky them: you should see their suitcases when they come back from a weekend at home ….
Ha ha – we’re back in England and the car was packed with goodies too!
Hay, que rico! 😉
I saw them the other day, he’s actually from a town very close to Zafra and was glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
We did indeed!
Never mind the pics- glad you had a good time 🙂
Thank you Jo J
Even if the weather wasn’t perfect, I bet you had a terrific time.
a beautiful moment
Waw experience interesting , the building is very classic and beautiful. Glad you had a good time
The cuisine what?
Spanish J
nice picture
Very interesting article..