First Days in Spain

We arrived in Madrid on Saturday, spending the first night at a really nice little hotel near the airport.  Spain feels like Europe -- excellent coffee, excellent roads -- but maybe just a little more low-key, and of course, better winter weather.   We met up with our Limosa guides on Sunday (back at the airport) and after a bit of a snafu getting out of the airport, "caravaned" in two vehicles westward to Extremadura.   Due to our delayed start, plus an absolutely excellent lunch, we took the rest of the day to get to our hotel outside Trujillo.    The lunch gave us our first feel for Spanish cuisine -- a roadside restaurant enjoyed by the locals with amazing olives, small share plates of venison, prawns, salad with tuna, etc, all enjoyed with the ubiquitous "french rolls."   We also stopped at a marsh-nature area near a nuclear plant, where we got our first sense of the abundance of birdlife.  

Our hotel -- which we finally reach after dark at about 7:30 pm -- welcomed us with a fireside glass of  red wine before dinner.   The hotel is owned by Juan Carlos and Elena, who bought it 15 years ago and have been refurbishing this lovely historic property, which includes fruit trees and a garden.  Our meals here are centered around the homegrown produce, from which Elena prepares fresh marmelades, desserts, vegetable dishes and salads.   Local wines are offered.   The hotel caters only to birding tours now, as the weekend business from Madrid dried up in the wake of the financial downturn.

Today was "day 2" and really our first full day (9 to 6!) of birding, stopping at many local hotspots where our knowledgeable guides knew we would see both a large number and large variety of birds.  It was really pretty astounding, if at times windy and chilly.  My favorite birds were the hoopoo for its unusual head and bright color, and the bustard for being a bird so large it really shouldn't fly.   I also loved the tiny hummingbird hawk moth -- a moth that looks and behaves exactly like the tiniest hummingbird you've ever seen.    Also loved stopping in the small town for an afternoon coffee, and seeing the fully-loaded citrus trees in the town square.   And loved picking thyme, lavender and wild radish -- each way more pungeant and aromatic than the varieties we grow.   

Tonight's dinner, like yesterday's, was an education in spanish cuisine, with Elena explaining where everything comes from.  I am inspired to get a Spanish cookbook while here.  I will share some photos of the hotel.    More tomorrow.     

Monfrague National Park

Monfrague National Park

Griffon Vulture