Roadmaps, Windmills and Tears

We had always planned to visit the iconic windmills of La Mancha, famous from Don Quixote and his author Cervantes, which I admit I have yet to finish reading.  So we drove from Trujillo heading for Consuegra.

After a good while, we pulled into a small roadside cafe for help.  Four old men sat at the tapas bar and nodded as we entered.  We ordered cold drinks, coffees and a bottle of water and laid out our Michelin roadmap.  My navigator insists on Michelin when driving in Europe.

The young lady stood behind a glass counter of tapas awaiting instructions?  It would appear this was a  "deep fried" tapas bar.  Possibly with the ethos of "kill it, batter it, fry and serve.  A sort of KFC v Willy Wonka, as I could not distinguish any of the ingredients?  However, we enjoyed a selection of the unknown.

I decided we needed help and asked the locals for Consuegra?  Top tip here, roadmaps are a universal language.  "Puede indicarmelo en el mapa?"     A mild excitement ensued.  Small glasses of beer were placed on the corner of the unfolded map to the nervous look of my wife.  She is very territorial of her maps, and a lively argument erupted as to which road to take.

I gave over my five euro note to the bemused young lady and still got change!  Amazing good value.  And set off bidding goodbye to our waving party.

We found this incredible sight of medieval windmills and it started to rain!  We had planned the big Don Quixote photo shoot but our spirits dropped.  Sadly my navigator began to cry!

We have so many places we need and want to visit, that you cannot Always Return on a better day.  However, I have made a promise to my researcher and navigator to make a big detour next time we visit Madrid and Return !

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Hobgoblin and Stuffed Braised Lambs Hearts

Firstly gently pour yourself a nice pint of Hobgoblin.

Then I seasoned the lambs hearts and stuffed with chopped onion and sausage meat.

I then wrapped the hearts in bacon, made secure and browned them in a pan.  Then transferred to a roasting tin and covered with foil and slowly roasted.  Then I took the wine and made a red wine reduction and garnished with freshly chopped parsley from the garden.

After a long slow cook in the oven we served the hearts with fresh mash potato and steamed broccoli and enjoyed the rest of the Pinot Noir

Return to our wedding venue.

It was a wet Bank Holiday Monday and the wife had heard good things and suggested we Return to the Mansion House at Llansteffan.

We had not been since our wedding sixteen years ago and I felt we would end up being disappointed in the way you are when you return to somewhere that was once special.

We arrived, being only the second car in the car park and feeling rather anxious.  However, from this point on everything was elevated on every level.

The new refurb has let light flood in and would satisfy any wedding photographer on this assignment.  Yes, they still do weddings every Saturday.

We wanted to try the weekday set lunch and were met by Lucy Joyce who has perfected meet and great and made it her own.  Very smart, professional and oozing enthusiasm.  Any young lady who is confident and  courageous enough to recommend a new beer to me, gets my vote.  This I enjoyed whilst we chose off the wine list and lunch menu.

Choosing beetroot smoked salmon and the pate for starters.  A good house white of french sauvignon blanc and battered red mullett and chips with a momentous rib eye steak for me, marbled and very tender.

The fish was fresh and my steak was cooked beautifully.  Alice Jones took over our service and added a small french merlot for me to go with the steak.

This venue has mesmerizing views of the sandy bay and to add to my pleasure played various piano concertos over the speakers to add ambiance.  For years I have been banging the drum about playing good classical music during dinner only to be ignored.  Mozart finished, Chopin took over and here I admit after seeing the film The Pianist, Chopin has become my favorite.

Alice talked us through the dessert menu selecting the tiramisu and tart a citron.  Choosing the Muscat dessert wine to hold their hands.  Gone are the days restaurant offer a good choice of port, brandy and cigars.  However, anywhere that offers a good choice of dessert wines wins my approval..

I remarked to both Alice and Lucy how good the food was and asked about the team? The head Chef is Oscar Ware, obviously knows about good menu choice and prep and his disciples being Paul Owen and Anwen Morris certainly don't let him down.  They seriously know how to cook.

All in all a very memorable and pleasing experience and left me wanting to return with guests very soon.

Prawns, Cervantes and Gynaecologists

We walked along the coast skirting the city of Malaga heading for the Marina.

  The coastal road is lined with all types of tropical palm and native trees in a wide shaded walkway, giving excellent shelter from the sun.  As the white sun is filtered through the dense green foliage you can taste and smell the shade.

I wanted a paddle before lunch.  Is this a truly British pass time? Probably Not, but I think we are true devoties of walking in the sea getting our rolled up trousers wet. Very satisfying !

The Marina led us along a new stretch of prominade displaying the usual culprits of different foods of different nations.  We kept walking, as you know "its always the last bar or restaurant at the end " that normally gives you the best, it was !

We found a mass of locals and tourist alike enjoying a Bucket of Beer and Prawns.  No english spoken here but an incomprehensible menu.

So I just pointed at what the others were doing.  This is self service.  You get a bucket of ice including six small bottles of beer, strangely with a deposit on the ice bucket.  Why?  And then choose your sea food.  The prawns here are amazing.  Result !

Later after our seiesta we walked back up hill again, stopping to enjoy the shops selling vast selection of ice creams and a  new one to me, a frozen yogurt shop.

We had uncertain  directions and  were looking for Cervantes Restaurant, we did find it eventually, but probably a taxi to get here might be a good idea if your unsure.

It's near the concorde and Piccaso's studio.

We paused outside the art studio, and knew I should be more interested, but I struggle with Modern Art and it is sadly  wasted on me.

We found Cervantes and squeezed into this tiny tapas restaurant.

And immediately began enjoying the atmosphere.

I ordered the sweetbreads off the specials board and settled.

This place is very small and the tables very close, so we found ourselves next to two young ladies from the States.  One had been out in Andalucia a while, the other recently joining her from the East Coast.  The new arrival Loudly and excitedly told her all her stories from home and how Good her Gynaecologist was!   I needed to fire a warning salvo over her bow,  as this conversation was becoming uncomfortable.

I did the usual of "Hi, where are you from ?" which was wasted as my geography of the East Coast of the USA is non existent.  I joked and explained that with My English Accent its Not surprising that  the British are disliked all over the world.  She laughed and countered, that the Americans came a close second on the popularity scale.  This did the trick, as we were spared the full details of her internal examination, and I was consequently allowed to enjoy my sweetbreads in peace.