by Leanne Smoliak
This spring my mom Lois and I joined a Senior’s Discovery Tour to Spain’s Costa del Sol for three glorious weeks.
It was for my mom’s 90th birthday and I had no idea what to expect.
There were forty seniors from across Canada on the tour, with me being the youngest at 61. The oldest was 93 and absolutely delightful.
Seniors, it turns out, are wonderfully open-minded, exceptional listeners and refreshingly present. Phones stayed tucked away. Conversations were thoughtful, fun, and never self-centred. Egos had clearly been shelved somewhere long ago, and it made for an easy, genuine connection. I loved every minute of it.
The Costa de Sol? Breathtaking. Mountain ranges covered in pine forests; limestone cliffs offering sweeping views of golden-hued beaches and the ultramarine Mediterranean. We travelled through lively settlements connected by rolling hills of olive and orange groves stretching endlessly in every direction, punctuated by the occasional broken-down stone hacienda. In a sun-washed landscape that felt timeless, it was the kind of place that encourages you to slow down and look around.
Then there was the food. We ate plenty of grilled fish and shrimp, savoury gazpacho, ripe mangoes and the most wonderful cheeses, mostly local goat cheeses from the mountains, often served with honeycomb. The rich and flavourful olive oil was abundant as was citrus (the fresh-squeezed orange juice every morning quickly became something we got very used to).
Pork appeared in many forms, roasted, grilled, stewed—but nothing rivalled the jamon Iberico de Cebo and Serrano. A simple mid-afternoon tapas stop of jamon, crusty bread, olive oil, cheese, almonds and a glass of wine was absolute perfection.
The local markets were a mix of inexpensive clothing, beautiful leather goods, quirky knickknacks and food stalls to which my mom and I gravitated every time. I came home with cheese, almonds, saffron, paprika and olive oil—souvenirs I am far more excited about than magnets or postcards.
I couldn’t wait to share the flavours of the trip with Brad. Olive oil-poached cod with saffron, sautéed shrimp with garlic, deglazed with Oloroso sherry and topped with olives, capers, orange segments, blistered tomatoes, chopped almonds and Italian parsley, tossed with sherry vinegar and more of that remarkable Spanish olive oil. It was a delicious way to share this remarkable birthday journey, colourful and full of memories.
I am a very lucky gal to have such a special relationship with my mom. Not everyone is so fortunate. I hope she knows how very much I love her.
Happy Birthday Mom!
Leanne Smoliak’s greatest compliment came from her father-in-law: “She’s the perfect Ukrainian wife, she keeps a full fridge and a well-stocked bar.”
