Rick and I recently traveled to the neighboring town of Tordesillas to attend their medieval market.
Tordesillas is a decent sized town with a vibrant commercial area filled with shops and restaurants. Historically, it was the site of the Treaty of Tordesillas which established the territories of Spain and Portugal in the New World. It’s also the site where Juana I, queen of Castile and Aragon, was confined in a palace near the Convent of Santa Clara (You can read more about this fascinating woman and her history online. Start with this article on Wikipedia and if you’re really interested, try to find a copy of a Spanish movie called Mad Love (affiliate link) to get a feel for all the political maneuvering).
The streets surrounding the Plaza Mayor and the historic section of Tordesillas had been closed to vehicular traffic and transformed into a market reminiscent of older times, but without the stench of open sewers, animals and unwashed peasants.
The scent of the fresh rosemary that had been tossed in the streets mingled with the smells of roast pork, fresh cheeses, freshly pressed grape juice and other delights. The vendors got into the spirit of things by dressing in period costumes, too. We saw a monk turning a hog on a spit over an open fire. Another monk was pressing grapes for mosto, fresh grape juice.
In another area we found a man dressed as a Moor serving freshly made tea made with a blend of green tea and spearmint (they call it hierbabuena to distinguish it from mint or menta).
We enjoyed an assortment of treats with our tea. From left to right there’s makrout, made with dates and semolina, a delicious lemon and almond cake covered with confectioner’s sugar…I don’t remember what it was called, and baklava. He had two varieties, one with pistachios and one with walnuts.
These young ladies are trimming sunflower heads to sell. Sunflowers are a huge crop in this region of Spain. Spanish explorers brought the sunflower from the New World where it had already been cultivated for thousands of years (source).
Since Tordesillas is a stop on one of the Southwestern Routes of the Camino de Santiago, it’s no surprise we encountered a few pilgrims.
Most of the products sold in the market were manufactured in Spain or Portugal. We came home from the Medieval Market with full bellies, a few trinkets and lots of inspiration for future blog posts.
Sounds like you’re having fun. Love when we find street festivals as we travel.