LAURENCE MACKINreviews Everything But the Squealand Spain
Everything But the Squeal John BarlowSummersdale, £7.99
Here John Barlow sets himself the onerous task of eating every part of the pig on a year-long odyssey in northern Spain. (He also makes several attempts to make us feel sorry for him, burdened as he is with the Herculean task of eating piles of pork; as someone who would sell out my nearest and dearest for a choice cut of chorizo, he gets nothing but cold, furious envy.) This means traipsing into the forgotten corners of rain-sodden Galicia, tracking down eateries that would have health inspectors apoplectic with infringements, squeezing in more carnivals than any man has a right to, and getting drenched head to toe in a mixture of mud, soil, ants, wine and flour while wrestling his way to a horse-drawn cart to grasp a greasy piece of pig’s cheek to chew on during a dirty day in the village of Laza. This part of Spain seems to have an unapologetic resistance to change or any sort of sensible behaviour, which Barlow celebrates to the hilt in this raucous, affectionate road trip, on which you don’t know where the next meal is coming from.
SpainRough Guides, £16.99
This guide opens with a warning: those coming to Spain for a first trip will quickly find themselves in thrall to a destination addiction, something that this expansive guide celebrates in fine style. The 34 things not to miss are enough to get you booking your summer holiday, and the frequent list of fiestas, from those in tiny towns to the grand Feria de Abril in Seville, should make for an unforgettable experience. Spain is also one of the world’s top walking destinations, with a number of excellent suggested routes and ranges here.
lmackin@irishtimes.com