One early winter morning, we headed out of the lovely city of Cuenca for a day in the remote countryside. We drove for over two hours along winding country roads to have lunch with truffle hunters in a small hamlet in the interior of Spain. I wanted to find out how Spanish truffle hunters live and what they eat.

Casa Chon is located in one of the most remote areas of Europe with the lowest population density. Here, it’s not unusual to drive for miles without seeing anyone at all.

THE NATIONAL PARKS OF SPAIN

However, the nature here is simply majestic. All around us were beautiful lakes, mountains and forests. The soil is red earth and the waters are a deep hue of blue. Part of the way was completely covered in snow, and this was pretty too.

Fortunately, the temperature heated up slightly from below zero to two degrees by the time we reached our destination. There was no snow in the hamlet and it was surrounded by autumn colors.

HOW TO BUILD A HOME BY HAND

“The truffle hunter and his wife built their home entirely by hand,” my friend Jorge explained about Casa Chon, as we walked around the property, looking at everything. He added: “In fact, they didn’t use a forklift or any kind of building equipment for this.”

I looked at the truffle hunter who stood there in his jogging outfit, smiling proudly about his handmade home. He said: “I lifted everything myself. I did not even use a forklift.” The homes were made from nearby stones, logs and cement.

Then I looked at the structure they had built, wondering how they had done everything by hand. It was two stories tall, and it consisted of several apartments. They use one apartment for themselves and rent out the others to vacationers wishing to enjoy simple country life at Casa Chon.

A TRUFFLE LUNCH AT CASA CHON

The wife prepared lunch for us. It was a six-course meal with truffles used in various ways. Everything was simple and natural but delicious. The table decor too was colourful — perfect for an Instagram photo. In fact, with its effortless styling, it would have put many a smart restaurant in Spain to shame.

Jorge said to me: “It’s very hard to get things here. The nearest supermarket is around 38 kilometres away. So they must learn to make do with what they have.”

Fortunately, the truffle hunters had no shortage of truffles. So we had simple food, but every dish had a mound of truffles on it. In addition, the wife placed a heap of sliced truffles into a bowl of olive oil.

Then she also placed on the table homemade truffle butter and truffle mayonnaise. For the round of next courses, she made an entire plate deviled eggs topped with truffles. She also made thick pumpkin soup flavoured with truffles.

Everything was absolutely delicious. For example, I am not particularly fond of deviled eggs but I found myself eating most of what was on this large blue plate.

I so enjoyed this day out in the countryside of Spain, so far from civilization and yet in the heart of truffle hunting country. I also got to meet real locals who literally live by the toil of their own hands — whether it is building their home or hunting for their food. They forage and plant or harvest everyday, and nature is their life.

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One of the nicest places I stayed in for 2019 was the Parador de Cuenca in the province of Castilla La Mancha. It’s not a luxurious hotel in the typical sense. However the hotel is furnished in very good taste. It has the kind of atmosphere you will never forget.

THE LOCATION OF THE PARADOR DE CUENCA

One of the best things about the Parador de Cuenca is its location. It’s slightly away from the city of Cuenca, but it’s across an old river bed from the old town. Opposite the parador are the famous hanging houses of Cuenca, which are probably the top attraction of the city.

I was breathless with wonder when I got out of the car and saw the view of the old town of Cuenca from the hotel driveway for the first time. I arrived just as the sun was setting, and the sun cast a golden sheen on the town.

A ROOM WITH A VIEW IN SPAIN

Luck was with me that day. I got a room with this exact same view, and I never got tired of gazing out. In fact, my room had a ledge and I often sat on this ledge reading a book or writing in my diary while looking at the view.

In the morning, I loved opening the heavy wooden windows and seeing the old town of Cuenca in all its morning glory.

ABOUT THE CONVENT OF SAN PABLO

The Parador de Cuenca is a hotel created from the Convent of San Pablo, one of the most famous monuments in the city. It’s situated on a ridge overlooking the River Huecar, and it is connected to the old town via a footbridge. This current footbridge was built in 1903 to replace an old stone bridge that had been connecting the convent to the old town until it fell down in 1895.

The Convent of San Pablo itself was built in 1523 on top of a small ancient monastery. The two most important architects in Cuenca created a convent and church in the Gothic style.

Focus on Spain : MEETING THE KING OF TRUFFLES OF SPAIN

THE INTERIORS OF THE PARADOR

Much of the ancient church still remains. However the interiors have been upgraded to suit a luxury hotel in Spain. I love the way the ancient stonework and black-and-white tiles are combined with contemporary furniture and modern art.

The widow of a famous local artist, Julian Casado, donated some of his most important works to the Parador de Cuenca. Today guests can admire his works all around the courtyard lobby of the parador.

Focus on Spain : LUNCH WITH SPANISH TRUFFLE HUNTERS

BREAKFAST IN A CONVENT

I also like the breakfast room here. I’m guessing it was once the refectory as it has high vaulted ceilings, impressive frescoes and elaborate stonework on the sides. It’s a beautiful room to start the day in, especially as the Parador de Cuenca makes excellent churros con chocolate.

Read more about the beautiful hotels in Spain in Travelife Magazine.

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