Have a look at the lady in the photo; Ana is the proud baker of an excellent pastry. The bread is light, buttery, made from a mix of eggs and wheat flour, and contains a spread of tuna and tomato. This one is exceptional; the mass-produced variety often leaves something to be desired (mostly after having tasted Ana’s). She made it right here, in her small grocery- she lives upstairs. It's a bit early in the bike ride but we are hungry enough anyway. Notice the selection of fresh fruit and vegetables- many are locally grown- and she only gets the best anyway. This kind of shop can be better than a big chain: personal attention and service, competitive prices (she has to!), and a better quality of produce, because that's what the local customers want. Today is Friday, that's when she makes this empanada pastry ("pan"=bread, em-pan-ada=enclosed in bread). By Saturday it is all sold out. So I grab a big slice while I can (and a bit more to have leftovers at home later on, of course) some apples, and make my way down the road.
Now I am going to cross under the bridge and follow an asphalted path along side the railroad, until the next village. The ride is all easy from here on out- mostly flat, paved, meandering over land and through the woods and 'urbs' along the way. Very relaxing. The main freeway runs straight through all this, so the path takes me under and over (on bridges) as it twists and turns, following a small river. Keep in mind this is a rural area, that has a new infrastrucure superimposed- it'd be different in a big city in America if I had to bike near a highway. This is all fresh, cool and green, covered with trees, and a fair distance away from the elevated road. Makes for an interesting and varied experience.
I am going towards a large town called La Pola de Siero, a local center. The township recently installed this path, through what used to be river-track and pasture. The way must be about 5 miles total, so it's easy and pleasant. It just took us some effort to get there, what with the hills- and empanada- detaining us, as it were.
Saturday, July 21, 2007
What Is Empanada? PART 2
Have a look at the lady in the photo; Ana is the proud baker of an excellent pastry. The bread is light, buttery, made from a mix of eggs and wheat flour, and contains a spread of tuna and tomato. This one is exceptional; the mass-produced variety often leaves something to be desired (mostly after having tasted Ana’s). She made it right here, in her small grocery- she lives upstairs. It's a bit early in the bike ride but we are hungry enough anyway. Notice the selection of fresh fruit and vegetables- many are locally grown- and she only gets the best anyway. This kind of shop can be better than a big chain: personal attention and service, competitive prices (she has to!), and a better quality of produce, because that's what the local customers want. Today is Friday, that's when she makes this empanada pastry ("pan"=bread, em-pan-ada=enclosed in bread). By Saturday it is all sold out. So I grab a big slice while I can (and a bit more to have leftovers at home later on, of course) some apples, and make my way down the road.
Now I am going to cross under the bridge and follow an asphalted path along side the railroad, until the next village. The ride is all easy from here on out- mostly flat, paved, meandering over land and through the woods and 'urbs' along the way. Very relaxing. The main freeway runs straight through all this, so the path takes me under and over (on bridges) as it twists and turns, following a small river. Keep in mind this is a rural area, that has a new infrastrucure superimposed- it'd be different in a big city in America if I had to bike near a highway. This is all fresh, cool and green, covered with trees, and a fair distance away from the elevated road. Makes for an interesting and varied experience.
I am going towards a large town called La Pola de Siero, a local center. The township recently installed this path, through what used to be river-track and pasture. The way must be about 5 miles total, so it's easy and pleasant. It just took us some effort to get there, what with the hills- and empanada- detaining us, as it were.
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