The Big Field Trip_Spain

Sweet Home Alhama

Alhama de Granada, Spain

Spain

Andalucia, Spain

...Spain is the number one producer of olive oil in the world. 80% of the olive oil in Spain comes from Andalucia (our “state”) and 80% of that is from very close to Alhama. That is a lot of olive oil! We went to a olive press in a town called Baena, where olive oil is made. You can buy their olive oil at Whole Foods, their name is “Nunez De Prado.” We had a tour given to us by the owner of the press. Compared to the olive press in Tunisia with a lopsided camel pulling a stone over a ton in a cave, it was much, much cleaner. It was run by electricity. ....

...As we headed south into Andalucía, runways soon gave way to a surreal landscape of rolling golden hills, which for some reason reminded me of my childhood home in Kansas. Minus the hills. On top of one hill in the distance, Cyrus thought he spotted a huge, black bull. "Check it out! Toro!" He shouted. At first we thought our eyes must be playing tricks on us. I mean, I realize this was Spain and all, but spotting a gargantuan toro in your first fifteen minutes is a little much, isn’t it? A little too good to be true. Like seeing a tornado—or the world’s largest ball of twine—immediately upon crossing into Kansas. Still, as we drew nearer, the bull kept standing there looking just like a bull...

Homeschool Corner

We spent spring 2009 in a small Andalucían town called Alhama de Granada in southern Spain. Alhama is definitely not on the tourist trail, but those who have discovered it know that it is one of the best places to do a tapas crawl. The origin of tapas in Spain is obscure. Some believe that taverns would serve slices of ham or bread to cover glasses thereby keeping their customers’ drinks free from flies, hence the name “tapas” or “lids”. Although these days most bars in Spain only serve tapas to order, in Alhama de Granada, they still do it the traditional way: when you order a drink, it is served with a complimentary small plate of whatever’s being prepared at the moment. One of our favorite springtime tapas was this recipe for asparagus with mountain (serrano) ham...

Spanish Grilled Asparagus

Awards & Publications

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"Hamams and Sacrificial Altars”

SLAB, Fall 2016

"Which God Is Ours"

Summer 2016 Colere

"The Mysterious Crotch-Grabbing Handshake: Hard Lessons in Vietnam" 2015 Literal Latte Essay Award

"Halloween in Bulgaria"

2015 Travelers' Tales Solas Awards

"Thanksgiving on the Bosphorus"

Santa Fe Writers Project, February 2016:

"Garlic Naan for Hanuman"

Soul-Making Keats Literary Competition 2015:

"Escaping the Swine Flu, Nearly"

Halfway Down the Stairs, December 2015:

"Farewell to the Highlands"

Your Life Is A Trip, October 2015:

"Homeward Bound"

Your Life Is A Trip, May 2015:

The Big Field Trip

"Escaping the Great Mosque of Uqba" World Press Review, April 2015:

"Homeschooling on the Road"

International Living, August 2014:

AWARDS & PUBLICATIONS

Stories and Photos from

The Big Field Trip

Front-page feature story

Santa Fe New Mexican, March 2015:

"Which God Is Ours?"

2015 Travelers' Tales Solas Award and

published in Asia Literary Review, Spring 2015:

"The Scorpion Whisperer"

Eventus Magazine, June 2014:

The Big Field Trip

What do you get when two blissfully-ignorant lovebirds get the harebrained idea to schlep three children,

five backpacks, a guitar, and a garlic press on a two-year journey around the world?

Awards & Publications

About Us / Contact