No one signs up for a European tour expecting to have lunch in a stranger’s home in a village so small, it doesn’t show up on most maps.
But that’s exactly where my guests found themselves – deep in the Andalusian hills, breaking bread in the homes of Spanish women who didn’t speak our language but knew exactly how to make us feel at home.

The journey to get there felt like a step back in time – narrow roads winding past olive groves, cell signals fading with each turn.
Eventually, we rolled into Alfarnatejo, a quiet village of less than 400 souls tucked into the mountains of southern Spain. No hotels, no tour buses, not even a café. Just whitewashed houses, stone paths, and a few kitchens where local mothers and grandmothers were already at work, stirring pots and setting tables for guests they’d never met.

This isn’t a place tourists typically find. And that’s exactly the point.

From day one, these RSJ Yonderlust tours were never meant to be surface-level sightseeing. The goal has always been to dig deeper – to take people beyond the postcards and into the heart of the place. I want them to taste, see, and feel what’s real. To connect, not just consume.

And that’s what brought my group to Alfarnatejo, Spain.

We’d already done the big things. Stood in front of El Greco, Goya, and Velázquez at the Prado in Madrid. Ate lunch in a cave. Zip-lined over a river in Toledo, then sat down for dinner on a rooftop in the shadow of history. We’d walked through the awe-inspiring Mezquita in Córdoba, strolled among Iberian pigs in Jabugo, taken flamenco lessons, and watched the real thing performed with all the passion and fire you’d hope for.

We crossed into Gibraltar, stood on one continent and looked across the water at another. Had fish and chips by the sea. Met the monkeys on top of the Rock. In Málaga, we cruised the Mediterranean at sunset and feasted on seafood by the shore. In Valencia, we watched the Fallas fireworks from a 10th-floor balcony with a catered lunch and full bar. Learned to make paella, then ate the whole thing. In Barcelona, we dined with my friend Chef Daniel Rueda – his ribs still as good as I remembered – and zipped through the streets in little GPS-guided, two-seater cars.

All of it was great. But, for me, nothing compared to this simple lunch in the homes of Spanish housewives.

On a quiet afternoon, we left the city behind, boarded a bus, and headed out into the hills. There were some puzzled looks. Maybe even a few of my guests were wondering if I’d lost my travel sense. But, in my years as a European travel host, I’ve learned this: when the road gets narrow, when the scenery turns wild, and the GPS doesn’t quite know where you are, that’s when the best stuff happens.

It started years ago in Tuscany. Some of the most authentic moments we had came after going the long way around. So now, I lean into it. That’s where the gold is.

Just as days earlier on a pig farm outside Seville. We walked a dirt trail into the cork trees and suddenly there they were – those big, content Iberian pigs, living a good life. From acorns to jamón, we saw the whole process. Real food. Real people. Real stories.
But this? This was something else entirely.

Instead of a farm or a restaurant, we were welcomed into private homes. No signs out front. No menu. Just a few gracious Spanish women, some with aprons and flour-dusted hands, waiting for us with warm smiles and hot ovens.

Each group of six-to-nine guests were sent to different houses, and each host cooked a meal from scratch – family recipes passed down for generations. Meatballs stewed in saffron. Potatoes slow-cooked in garlic and olive oil. Chickpeas, tomatoes, crusty bread, and maybe a little local wine for those who wanted it. There was no chef coat in sight. Just women who had cooked this way their entire lives. For their husbands, their children, their neighbors.

Now, for us. And we were honored to be there.

Over the years, more than 1,300 guests have traveled with me on these journeys. Each trip is different, but the mission is the same: dive deep, get local, connect. That’s the promise.

And that little lunch in a tiny Spanish village, cooked by women who may not speak our language but know exactly how to make us feel welcome – might be the best example of it yet.

Sometimes the best part of a trip isn’t something you planned. It’s a door swinging open, a meal made from scratch, and that quiet moment when it hits you – this is why you came. No app or itinerary can match what happens around a real table, in a real home, with people who mean it.

Onward.

PORK STOCK

Yield: 1 gallon stock

Ingredients
3 ham hocks
1 medium onion, quartered
1 bay leaf
1 Tablespoon whole black peppercorn
2 garlic cloves, smashed
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 1/2 gallons cold water

Directions
■ Combine all ingredients in a stockpot. Simmer gently for 3 hours, skimming any impurities that rise to the top. Strain, reserve meat from hocks for another use and discard the rest.

WHITE BEAN SOUP

Yield: 1 gallon

This recipe is Creole New Orleans meets Tuscan white bean soup.

Ingredients
1/4 cup bacon fat
3 cups onion, diced
3 cups carrot, diced
3 cups celery, diced
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup ham, diced
2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
2 teaspoons house herb blend
2 teaspoons house seasoning blend
1 Tablespoon worcestershire sauce
2 Tablespoons Kosher salt
2 teaspoon hot sauce
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 (15 ounce) can white navy beans, drained, rinsed and pureed with 4 cups pork stock
5 (15 ounce) cans white navy beans, drained, rinsed, kept whole
2 cups pork stock (recipe above)
1/4 cup pesto
Reserved hock meat from Pork Stock recipe

House seasoning blend:
2 Tablespoons iodized salt
2 Tablespoons fresh ground black pepper
2 Tablespoons garlic powder
1 Tablespoon onion powder
1 Tablespoon lemon pepper

House herb blend:
2 Tablespoons dried oregano
2 Tablespoons dried basil
2 Tablespoons dried thyme
1 Tablespoon dried rosemary
1 Tablespoon dried marjoram

Directions
■ In a stockpot, sauté onion, carrot and celery in bacon fat for 5-7 minutes over medium heat, stirring frequently. Add wine and cook 3-4 more minutes.
■ Add ham and seasonings and cook 7-8 minutes.
■ Add the pureed beans, whole beans and the 2 cups of pork stock and bring to a boil. Immediately reduce heat and add the chopped hock meat and pesto. Stir well and simmer for 30-45 minutes.

Robert St. John is a restaurateur, author, enthusiastic traveler, and world-class eater from Hattiesburg, Mississippi. He has spent four decades in the restaurant industry, written 13 books, and written a syndicated newspaper column for more than 24 years. Read more about Robert at robertstjohn.com.

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