I Took A Cooking Class in a Windmill in Spain...
And learned more than just how to make a mean paella.
Confession.
It’s 8:07 p.m. on Wednesday night and I’m working on this intro.
Normally, I’ve got this newsletter wrapped up by now. Instead, I’m sitting here at my desk feeling like I’m in college again working on a paper that’s due in the morning. (Currently looking for a diet Coke and snacks to keep me company.)
The reason I’m scrambling?
I’ve been a step behind all week because I’m getting back in the swing of things.
As you may have read last week, I was recently in Spain on a press trip with five other travel writers. Each of us had a specific angle we were planning to cover for our stories. Our leader - Patricia from the Tourist Office of Spain (Chicago Office) - had worked with local tourist offices to be sure our experiences matched our story angles so we could produce some great material.
Well.
Our loaded itinerary didn’t just provide great material for my content creation. The trip reminded me why I love to travel in the first place…to meet new people, hear their stories, and see how they live their day to day lives. And the souvenir I always take home with me? A new perspective on life and a deeper understanding of how we’re all connected.
I had this revelation on the second night of our trip when our group took a cooking class in a windmill.
I remember looking at our itinerary on the morning of that second day and seeing that the day would end with a cooking class. While I thought it sounded really cool, I was worried about my jet lag. (It always hits me on day two.) Remember this is Spain… so dinner is later than usual. The prospect of a cooking class scared me, because it meant I’d have to do something and participate. And as you can imagine, cooking while also being a Zombie, sounded difficult.
I soon discovered that a cooking class is not only a cure for jet lag, it’s also a great way to bond with your group and learn a bit about yourself.
First, let’s talk about the Windmill - it was beyond cool. It’s called Moltak, and their slogan is “Your place for cooking, tasting, and sharing a good time.”
Upon entering, the owner, Luis guided our group to the counter that overlooks the cooking area.
Luis told us how he and his wife had dreamed of opening a cooking school - they’d both left other careers to pursue their dream, and had to overcome a lot of challenges to get to the point of opening Moltak. Go figure, it turns out you can’t just take over a 16th Century windmill and go hog wild with your design - you have to adhere to regulations to maintain the integrity of the structure. Someone from our group asked Luis if this was a difficult task - to transform a windmill into a functioning, modern kitchen space.
Luis explained:
Creating the space and dealing with the regulations was a hard time, yes.
But every step was a beautiful step.
Every step was beautiful, because Luis was pursuing his dream - to create a space where people would gather and cook together. Luis wanted this because he knew that magical things happen in a kitchen. People don’t just create meals, they create memories and strengthen bonds. People… talk to each other in the kitchen.
As you can see, our group did just that on that second night. Taking a cooking class together turned out to be the perfect “get to know you/seal the deal that we are officially bonding” activity.
Further, Luis had something else to say about kitchens…he reminded us (in our fast paced world) that sometimes, it’s good to slow down and savor the moment. . As Luis said,
And it turns out that Luis inspired What I’d Rather Be Talking About this week:
I think it’s time we go back to the kitchen - because it can be a magical spot.
The kitchen is a place to stop and reconnect with the people we love.
You know, actually talk to each other.
Work out a problem or two.
Laugh.
And strengthen our ties with each other. Or get to know someone.
Because remember, we need that just as much as we need to be fed.
Maybe even more.
Leaving you with that notion and also a bunch of links. As always, there are two freebies for everyone and the rest can be enjoyed with a subscription plan.
Cheers!
buy
If you love fashion and beautiful clothing, please subscribe to Girls of a Certain Age. I haven’t bought anything yet, but each week it inspires me to buy less fast fashion pieces (i.e. Target impulse buys) and save for bigger ticket items.
Amazon Prime Days are coming (October 8 & 9), but some things are already on sale. Here are 20 INSANE Early Amazon Prime deals. Plus, 5 new Costco items approved by Bobby Parrish (this means they are healthy and great deals).
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watch
The other day my college roommate sent me a link and one word, “OMG.” She was referring to the new Netflix series Nobody Wants This starring Kristin Bell and Adam Brody, about an agnostic podcaster who falls in love with a Jewish minister. That sounds binge worthy to me.
Also on my list is Lonely Planet - about reclusive novelist played by Laura Dern who goes to a writer’s retreat to try to get unblocked. I haven’t watched it, but I’m guessing she falls in love and gets unblocked. I’ll let you know after I watch.