We stopped en route on our 2 hour drive for coffee, we thought as it was a golf resort complex we would try our luck and ask for an iced coffee....what came was an Irish coffee!! well I suppose to a foreign ear, iced and Irish would sound very similar. So an unexpected boost to the day.
Arrived at hotel, checked in and walked a short way on the sea front to a choice of cafe bars, chose one which had a menu del dia for €6.90 for 3 courses. Tony and Les had fried anchovies Pat and I had gazpacho to start, then choice of beef or fish with salad and bread. Dessert was either creme caramel or chocolate mouse. Very good value.
Walked down the boardwalk on the hot sand then Pat and Les left on their 2 hours drive back home.
Tony tested the water and declared it was warm, being a little sea, surrounded by a sandbar which had tall hotels and restaurants all along the length, the sea was not mixed with the main Mediterranean so stayed much warmer.
Togs on, in he went for a swim......no not me...well someone has to be bag lady and take the photos.....heehee.....then big decision...do we go left or right ummmmmm. Decided to go left, still warm so tried again for an iced coffee..success beach front ice-cream parlour had a container of black coffee with ice and another with milk and ice she said it also had cinnamon and lemon juice, both in to a tall glass, hey presto very tasty iced coffee.
Then we turned and walked the other way, through town which was all closed...about 5pm so walked back along the seafront and decided to have a pre dinner gin and tonic €4 for a large glass bowl, huge chunk of ice and an almost never ending pour of gin very flamboyant up and down repeated several times.....followed by a whole bottle of tonic. I thought I would be on my ear in no time, especially on an empty stomach, then they started packing away...we were having a very leisurely drink in the late afternoon sun, and had to sip faster, they said no rush, no problem but they close at 6pm.
Finally finished and asked them for a recommendation for dinner, then started to walk away....err.... excuse...have you paid....we all looked and laughed and no we hadn't, so promptly paid and scurried back for showers and change for dinner.
In true Spanish style we went out at 8pm after getting the manager to put the air conditioning on as it was very warm in the room, when we went out the shops were now all open.
Pleasant stroll along the water front but very windy, found the restaurant, looked very upmarket but thought if we just had a main should be OK. Famous last words, very friendly waiter, couldn't speak English....should have been first warning, sign language can very easily go astray.
He brought out a bowl of mixed crackers and a very strong garlic aioli which was Casa, on the house, he pointed out that the bread was €1.50. I said thank you and went back to looking at the menu, he had interpdeted the thank you as a yes and the hot fresh baked rolls appeared.....whoops....ok...I tried to order a paella but he said non for 2 persons and pointed to Coladro for 1 person with a finger saying trust me.....moi bien....ok I'm happy to try local traditional food. Tony ordered sea bass. Then the waiter said, salad....tomatoes with the pinched fingers to the lips in a kissing motion...we smiled ok thank you. We ordered 2 beers, the tomatoes arrived with strips of fish and olives drizzled in olive oil. Delicious, very large hard tomatoes sweet and tasty.
My beer had lost its froth, so he came and indictated he would take it away...I said no its fine.....up came the finger of trust me.....he took the glass away and returned it to its full glory with a fresh frothy top on...he smiled successful...almost a Manuel out of faulty towers happening...
My meal came in a cauldron, very hot, he stired it signing to leave it to settle....then he came and served it on a plate and walked away...brought Tony's meal which was with chips and a cooked tomato mixture. My plate was like a dark brown rice risotto, I thought the fish must have been all minced up in the gravy, very salty, thinking that was it, I started to eat it...he came rushing out....no non..Fish coming...moment... then he came back with 2 pieces of fish steak and spooned a little of the fish stock onto the rice.
Traditional Spanish meal ✔ not to my taste but hey you don't know till you try. We had a fun evening and enjoyed our Spanish interactions. At the end of the meal we asked for la quenta, paid with our euro card....declined....eeekkkk...up came the finger of trust me moment...a waitress came over checked it and re did it....completo! We thanked them and he offered us liqueurs....we indicated we had just paid....yep you got it....up came the finger of trust me..moment...he scurried off and brought back a bottle of caramel liquor. Casa...on the house..the waitress then handed me her phone...she said her sister....turned out it was her daughter who spoke perfect English...she said her mother wanted to say 'your welcome'.....so a very fun evening and when we gave her back the phone and they both left, he had filled up the glasses to the brim.....very delicious caramel liquor.
When we went to,leave the place was deserted, we called out goodbye and were just about to walk out the door when he came rushing in, gave me the continental cheek to cheek and shook Tony's hand like a long lost compadre . We started to wonder if they had charged us twice or something .....but no all was good ....think they were just greatful we chose to eat there.....only ones in the whole restaurant.....must be still early in the season.
The wind had dropped a little as we strolled along the waterfront at the end of our mini holiday, within a holiday to Spain.
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