Boutique Spain
A Visit to the UNESCO World Heritage Cities of Salamanca and Ávila
by Shaun Smith
The unexpurgated version of a piece originally published in ELLE Canada, April 2009.
To many outsiders, Spain is the land of matadors, paella and flamenco dancing, but there are many other fascinating facets to this country, which has given us such figures as artist Salvador Dali, tenor Plácido Domingo, actress Penelope Cruise and film director Pedro Almodóvar. With a vibrant cultural history extending back to the Romans, Celts, Moors and Visigoths, Spain is at once mysteriously ancient and fascinatingly chic. Tourists flock to cities like Madrid and Barcelona, but visiting some of Spain’s smaller locales, such as the UNESCO World Heritage Cities of Ávilla and Salamanca, one discovers another Spain, much more than bullfighting, castanets and women on the verge of a nervous breakdown.
SALAMANCA
The vibe
“You can see all of Spanish heritage here—the art, religion, scholarship and culture,” says Father Juan José, a brown-robed Francisan friar at Salamanca’s university. Northwest of Madrid, in the province of Castilla y Leon, Salamanca is a Renaissance city infused with both age-old customs and youthful energy. If the university—which was founded in 1218—is the lifeblood of the town, its heart is the vibrant baroque Plaza Mayor which teems with students day and night. Called the “Golden City” for the gorgeous yellow sandstone used to construct its buildings, its happy inhabitants—Salmantinos—seem to know they are blessed. “There’s a lot of youthful joy in this town,” says Eva Miguel, who works in the ultra-chic Hoss Intropia fashion boutique.
Where to stay
Quirky and stylish, the tiny Estrella Albatross Hotel, on Calle Grillo, was designed by owner Emilio Vaquero. Modern suites are done in red, green and purple corduroy, with frosted glass sinks, sandstone walls and wood veneers. The lobby is as hip as can be, decked out with red leather sofas, zebra print lamps, bold ceramics sculptures and a Japanese water garden. In contrast, fifteen minutes outside the city, the Hacienda Zorita is the essence of rustic serenity. Once a Dominican monastery—founded in 1366—it is now a luxurious winery, hotel and spa. The main building forms a bridge over a canal off the Rio Tormes and each of its 22 rooms is named after a famous monk. Modern facilities en suite combine with crisp, white linens, stone walls and oak beams to create a tranquil monastic atmosphere. The spa, in a separate millhouse, offers body wraps and massages using oils derived from grapes and vines.
Where to shop
North of Plaza Mayor you’ll find Salmanca’s busy shopping district of wide, pedestrian avenues. Above the northwest gate, Calle Concejo holds half-a-dozen shoes stores in one short block, featuring everything from espadrilles to Campers to evening pumps from Jaime Mascaró and Albano. Head a bit farther north, to where Concejo merges with Calle Zamora, and you’ll find Spanish uber-designer Adolfo Dominguez’s shop, which offers smart casuals that blend artisanal prints and 1960s-influenced styling. A few doors up, Zara Home delivers playful housewares including lacey bed linens, colourful kitchenware and soaps in fragrances like white jasmine and black vanilla. Head east to Calle Dean Pollo Benito for beautiful, feminine dresses at Hoss Intropia, and turn south down Calle Azafranale—going back towards the Plaza now—where you’ll find Custo Barcelona, selling Spain’s sexiest club wear.
Where to eat and drink
Two restaurant on Calle San Pablo attract Salamanca’s most discerning gourmands. MOMO The black room with 1970s décor provides a playfully ironic atmosphere for chef Miguel Reguera’s refined cuisine. Simple preparations, integrity of ingredients and pure flavours make his menus sing. La Hoja Salamanca’s only Michelin-starred restaurant, this former convent, now converted into a serene and stately space, provides the perfect setting for the sophisticated cuisine of chef Alberto López Oliva. Traditional Spanish dishes are revisioned and prepared here with masterful technique.
Salamanca in a day
Tours of the university and the new (16th century) and old (12th century) cathedrals are a must in Salamanca. Try to spot the famous frog carving—symbol of mortality—on the massive plateresque façade of the university, then check out the eccentric 15th century House of Shells. At lunch, head to the Plaza Mayor for raciones, pinchos and great people watching. Most shops close for siesta after lunch, so perhaps spend a few hours at the Casa Lis Museum, which boasts one of Europe’s best collections of art déco and art nouveau pieces. Car aficionados should steer for the Museo Historia Automocion, home to dozens of vintage vehicles, including the state limousine of Spain’s infamous bygone dictator, Francisco Franco. When stores re-open around 5pm, head north of Plaza Mayor for shopping. For dinner, maybe check out the superb dinning room at the Casino del Tormes and then try your hand at some poker or roulette. Before bed, take a stroll through the Plaza Mayor, which is flooded in romantic golden light at night.
Fely Campo
Though couturier Fely Campo has showrooms in Valencia, Paris and Miami, she calls her little Salamanca boutique on Calle Padilleros home. For over 30 years she has been a fashion leader for the women of this occasionally conservative city. “My ideas have sometimes been difficult to share with the people here,” says Campo, but it is obvious from the bustle of customers—young and old—that she has built a devoted following. Campo attends to every one of them personally. Her bridal gowns are coveted for their simplicity and elegance, as is her dramatic and feminine evening wear, with its graceful references to flamenco and the bullfight. “My palate is all from the Earth,” says Campo of her dresses in sandstone, steel greys, creams and rust. “The interior of Spain is very austere and elegant, and that is what I try to show in my clothes.”
Pinchos, Raciones & Tapas
“In Spanish bars a glass of wine always arrives with one complimentary tapa,” says local gourmet Javier Martínez, “but what many North Americans call ‘tapas’ are actually raciones and pinchos.” Spaniards gather at the small, friendly establishments that serve these snacks before heading off to lunch or a night on the town. You’ll get a free tapa with your glass of wine, but if you want one of the larger dishes on display—called raciones and pinchos—you have to pay. Raciones are more substantial portions of tapas—potato tortilla, succulent Iberian ham, marinated mussels. Pinchos, from the Basque region, are small sandwiches skewered with toothpicks and featuring treats like chorizo sausage and grilled octopus. Three great places for raciones and pinchos in the Plaza Mayor are the rustic Meson Cervantes, the intimate El Reloj, and the glittering Cocinarte.
ÁVILA
The vibe
Enclosed on all sides by high, fortified granite walls—parts dating back as far as 1090—Ávila is a preserved Mediaeval city that exudes an austere, old-world stateliness. Situated on a high hill in the central Iberian plains, half way between Madrid and Salamanca, its gates look out onto vast panoramas of lush and undulating farmlands and distant mountains. With it’s maze of intimate, cobbled streets, Ávila is the prefect location for a romantic weekend escape.
Where to stay
Inside Ávila’s walls, the elegant Hotel Palacio de Los Velada has an aristocratic provenance dating back to the 15th century when it was home to don Gómez Dávila Marquis of Velada. The sunny courtyard is a wonderful locale for coffee or sherry. Especially lucky guests stay in the two-story tower suite with vaulted ceiling. Outside the walled city, the Avila Golf Hotel offers opulent modern luxury with access to horseback ridding, the links and skeet shooting. The spa—which has hosted the likes of David Beckham and the Real Madrid soccer team—features silk body wraps with cardamom and cinnamon exfoliating cream, and massages with soothing saffron oil.
Where to shop
The pedestrian street of Calle de los Reyes Catolicos is the only shopping street inside the walls of Ávila. The Lacoste boutique features distinctive pieces from the Spanish line. Lobito Cosmetics sells Sisley, DKNY, Clinique and La Mer. The younger crowd hits Inside for hip, skater-inspired printed Ts, jeans and cotton skirts. Huellas Calzados offers loafers, pumps and leather boots from Carmen Lopez and J’hayber.
Where to eat and drink
Mesón del Rastro With it’s wooden beams and walls lined with stag heads this spot is the prefect setting for traditional Castillian hunter’s fare like stewed partridge and roast suckling pig. Restaurante Reyes Católicos Paintings of Spain’s Catholic monarchs line the walls of this chic and stylish dinning room, done in minimal black, white and red. Modern interpretations of regional classics are served in multi-course tasting menus.
Ávila in a day
In the morning, tour the massive 12th-century Cathedral, being sure to notice the giant storks—protected by conservation laws—that make their nests outside in its towers and belfries. At the adjacent Alcazar Gate, scale the interior of the city’s walls to stroll the battlements above. Head out of the walls to visit the Monasterio de Santo Tomas, on Avenida de la Juventud, which houses an astonishing collection of Asian art and ceramics. After lunch, and back inside the old city’s walls, visit the Museo de Santa Teresa to view artifacts from the city’s patron saint—including her actual ring finger! Then explore the maze-like Mediaeval streets, starting at the Plaza del Mercado Chico, where confectioners will help you fuel up with decadent yemas—traditional sweets made from egg yolk and sugar. After your walk, enjoy a long Castilian dinner of grilled veal steak, Rijoa wine and rice pudding, then sit beneath the Cathedral and listen to the gentle clucking of the giant storks overhead. It is said they mate for life.
