Travel Blog: Happiness & Things
  • Home
  • Start Here
    • About me
    • Cooperations
    • Behind the Scenes
    • Newsletter
    • Imprint
  • Berlin Travel Blog
    • Berlin Hotel Guide
    • 100+ Free Things to do in Berlin
    • Street Art in Berlin
    • 3 Day Berlin Itinerary
    • Berlin With Kids
    • Berlin Survival Guide
    • Berlin on Sundays
  • Travel Blog
    • Australia Travel Blog
    • Americas Travel Blog
      • United States Travel Blog
    • Asia Travel Blog
      • Indonesia Travel Blog
      • Turkey Travel Blog
    • Europe Travel Blog
      • Croatia Travel Blog
      • England Travel Blog
      • France Travel Blog
      • Gibraltar Travel Blog
      • Germany Travel Blog
      • Greece Travel Blog
      • Ireland Travel Blog
      • Italy Travel Blog
      • Malta Travel Blog
      • Montenegro Travel Blog
      • Portugal Travel Blog
      • Scotland Travel Blog
      • Spain Travel Blog
        • Andalusia Travel Blog
    • South Pacific Travel Blog
      • Fiji Travel Blog
      • New Caledonia Travel Blog
      • New Zealand Travel Blog
      • Samoa Travel Blog
  • Popular Posts
    • 5 Days in Sydney Itinerary
    • The Very Best Places to Visit in Andalusia
    • Best Day Trips in Corfu
    • 5 Stops to add to Your North Spain Road Trip
    • Which Places to go to in Indonesia Other Than Bali
    • Perfect 2-Day Itinerary: Paris for First-Timers
    • 10 Best Value City Hotels in Sydney CBD
    • Most Beautiful Places in Malta

Travel Blog: Happiness & Things

Venturing Off The Beaten Path to Discover History, Culture and Scenic Views.

  • Home
  • Start Here
    • About me
    • Cooperations
    • Behind the Scenes
    • Newsletter
    • Imprint
  • Berlin Travel Blog
    • Berlin Hotel Guide
    • 100+ Free Things to do in Berlin
    • Street Art in Berlin
    • 3 Day Berlin Itinerary
    • Berlin With Kids
    • Berlin Survival Guide
    • Berlin on Sundays
  • Travel Blog
    • Australia Travel Blog
    • Americas Travel Blog
      • United States Travel Blog
    • Asia Travel Blog
      • Indonesia Travel Blog
      • Turkey Travel Blog
    • Europe Travel Blog
      • Croatia Travel Blog
      • England Travel Blog
      • France Travel Blog
      • Gibraltar Travel Blog
      • Germany Travel Blog
      • Greece Travel Blog
      • Ireland Travel Blog
      • Italy Travel Blog
      • Malta Travel Blog
      • Montenegro Travel Blog
      • Portugal Travel Blog
      • Scotland Travel Blog
      • Spain Travel Blog
        • Andalusia Travel Blog
    • South Pacific Travel Blog
      • Fiji Travel Blog
      • New Caledonia Travel Blog
      • New Zealand Travel Blog
      • Samoa Travel Blog
  • Popular Posts
    • 5 Days in Sydney Itinerary
    • The Very Best Places to Visit in Andalusia
    • Best Day Trips in Corfu
    • 5 Stops to add to Your North Spain Road Trip
    • Which Places to go to in Indonesia Other Than Bali
    • Perfect 2-Day Itinerary: Paris for First-Timers
    • 10 Best Value City Hotels in Sydney CBD
    • Most Beautiful Places in Malta
Home Travel BlogEurope Travel BlogSpain Travel Blog On the pursuit of the rabbit – a day in the Alpujarras

On the pursuit of the rabbit – a day in the Alpujarras

by Silke Elzner 27/05/2017
2 comments

Many, many years ago my husband and I visited a small Spanish village in the mountains. It had been a beautiful, quiet day, full of adventure and new experiences. For lunch, we found a small restaurant with a terrace. We ordered off the menu, selecting dishes that we had no idea about. We loved the strangeness and the novelty, we were craving authentic experiences.

My dish was a rabbit stew, Andalusian style. Chopped roughly in bite-sized pieces, bones and all. Thrown together in a pot and fried with garlic and thyme. Liver, heart and kidneys – all coming together to a rustic, unpretentious dish that was so delicious I couldn’t stop thinking about it even 15 years on.

Now that we have moved to the same area, Andalusia now being our new home, I just couldn’t wait to return. I wanted to chase the same experiences again. My pursuit of the rabbit, my quest to relive this moment of authenticity.

Colourful flower pots in Pampaneira

The Alpujarras: Culinary experiences cultivated in seclusion

From the Costa del Sol we take the car and drive to a region that is renown for its rural and backward character, the Alpujarras. A mountainous region, unusually rich in water. With fertile slopes and terraces that have been planted with citrus, olives, wine. This is Andalusia at its finest: white washed villages hugging the steep slopes, built so closely together that there is almost not way to get through the narrow laneways. Century old settlements, hardly touched by time, charming with their rough and rustic character.

The backwardness of the Alpujarra villages is not just a result of their high altitude setting and the fact that passable roads came to the region only very slowly. The area has seen many conflicts over the years. It was the last refuge of the Iberian Muslims during the time of the Reconquista. They were Berbers who built houses the same way as they knew them from back home in the high mountains of Morocco.

During years of civil war and unrest, the difficult terrain proved hard to keep under control. The mountains were perfect for rebel fighters and guerillas. The villagers were oftentimes innocent bystanders during times of conflict and political instability.

Views of the mountains from Pampaneira

A day in Pampaneira

As we walk through the narrow streets of Pampaneira, sometimes so steep that we have to hold onto the house walls, we are reminded of times long gone. There is tourism here, but it’s of the gentle kind. The market square is busy with foreigners that are exploring the colourful souvenir shops and enjoy a cup of coffee in the shade of the restaurant umbrellas. But as we venture further into the village we leave all of this behind.

The illusion is almost perfect. The trickling stream that has been given a bed right in the middle of the laneway. The washing that hangs out to dry. The pots with flowers, the views across the roofs and chimneys to the to the green mountains. We accidentally find a small public lavatory where the women used to come together to wash the laundry, exchanging gossip over big basins filled with cool mountain water. Dreams of the countryside, of a simpler life, of peacefulness.

But we are here on a culinary journey. The area is known for its cured serrano ham. We step into one of the deli shops and marvel over chorizos and pata negras, wildflower honey and small wheels of aged cheese, the outside rubbed in mountain herbs. We admire the handwoven carpets and tapestries, some of them depicting rural scenes. They are handmade in the village, the huge loom is at work in the upper storey of a small shop.

Colourful handwoven rugs and blankets are typical for the region

The rediscovery of the rabbit

Somewhere deep in the maze of streets we find a small restaurant with only four tables outside. We order typical mountain dishes – a grilled rabbit with a beautiful crust and tons of flavour. It is served with potatoes for the poor – thick slices of oily cooked potatoes with strips of green pepper and onions.

We also order a kid stew. Just like our rabbit many, many years ago it comes in a sticky and thick sauce. It is chopped into small chunks, the meat still attached to the bones and the fat. There are bits and pieces of offal, adding a variety of flavours to this beautiful, almost celebratory dish. We dip soft white bread in the sauce, enjoy the boast of flavours.

Kid stew Alpujarra style

From our place on the tiny terrace we can overlook the streets below. The cats from the neighbourhood come to play. Children head home from school for their lunch break. Wanderers like us explore the silent village streets.

We have found what we were looking for. A perfect meal in the quiet setting of the Alpujarras. On our pursuit to find authentic experiences we have once again found a setting of remote indulgence on the simplest of terms.

The Alpujarras and villages of Pampaneira continue to be one of our most favourite destinations in Andalusia. The hands of the clock continue to move only slowly in the Alpujarra villages. We love the balance of a gentle tourism and the authenticity of the villages. There is no doubt in our minds that we will be back soon.

You may Also Want to Read This

Tips and Ideas for Visiting the South of Spain

Andalusia Travel Blog: Plan Your Next Holiday!

Church in PampaneiraA culinary journey - here the sign of the local bakeryHam and Cheese are important commodities Rustic charme in the streetsGreen meets white meets timber furnitureSteep roads Getting around isn't easy in the villagesTypical viewThe lavatory where people would wash their laundryFountain near the village squareThe loom that produces typical woven goodsCat watching us eat lunchCheese with olive oil and olivesCrispy rabbitStreet scene in Pampaneira

2 comments
0
FacebookTwitterPinterestRedditEmail
Silke Elzner

Hello! My name is Silke and this is my travel blog. I want to show you fascinating places off the beaten track, give you a gentle introduction to history and culture, and help you get around Berlin. After 13 years in Sydney and Andalusia, I now live in Berlin, Germany. I am a travel writer, translator and book author.

previous post
Our new life on the Costa del Sol, Spain
next post
A pearl in the ornament of the world: The Mezquita in Cordoba

About Me

About Me

Hello! My name is Silke and this is my travel blog. I want to show you fascinating places off the beaten track, give you a gentle introduction to history and culture, and help you get around Berlin. After 13 years in Sydney and Andalusia, I now live in Berlin, Germany. I am a travel writer, translator and book author. Read more about me here.

Keep in touch

Facebook Twitter Instagram Pinterest Bloglovin

Search the site

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Sign up to our newsletter and receive regular notifications about new posts!

 
Cookie & Privacy Policy

Popular Posts

  • 1

    13 Chill Things to do in Berlin in Winter

    16/01/2019
  • 2

    Most Beautiful Places in Malta That Make Your Heart Leap

    10/06/2018
  • 3

    20 Great Day Trips From Malaga

    13/06/2018
  • 4

    Which Places to go to in Indonesia Other Than Bali

    20/06/2018
  • 5

    The Absolut Best Things to do in Gibraltar

    28/07/2017

Get more stuff like this in your inbox

Sign up now for the weekly Happiness & Things newsletter full with travel inspiration and practical tips from someone who knows how to make every second count.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Email
  • Bloglovin
  • RSS

@2019 - Happiness and Things. All Right Reserved. (Imprint)

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.


Back To Top