I just finished “It’s Not About The Tapas” by Polly Evans. I’m a fan of arm chair travel and this was a fun book. Well, truth be told, I’m a fan of traveling and sometimes you have to settle for someone else’s adventures from the comfort of your own armchair.
I remember how much I enjoyed reading Kiwi’s May Fly, Polly’s adventures in New Zealand and I thought she’d have made a fun companion throughout my own (mis)adventures in New Zealand. Once again I completely enjoyed Polly’s writing and revisiting Spain through her eyes. She manages to combine history, trivial facts, tasty details of her meals, tourist tips and a hilarious account of her trials and tribulations cycling 1000 miles across Spain. Prior to getting the idea of cycling across Spain she had not really been a cyclist. I have to admire her gumption.
My trip(s) through Spain never included any bicycling, although the Tour D’France was a thorn in my side this past July in Girona, I related to a lot of her adventures: less than stellar pensione accommodations, paying a street musician to go away, the sheer enjoyment of life in Spain, and the bats making noises in the trees all night. I was also reminded of the food (I wish I could arrange for both a nice glass of Rioja and some tapas right now) from fresh orange juice to churros and hot chocolate.
If you’ve been to Spain, if you want to go to Spain, if you’ve ever considered cycling by yourself across a foreign country, and/or you enjoy laughing out loud in public places I recommend reading “It’s Not About The Tapas” by Polly Evans.