After lunch we drive back to Empuria and are delighted that Didier and Marielle will join us for a few days. They work really hard at their hotel and don’t often take a break, so it will be great to spend time with them. They arrive soon after us and that night we go out to eat at Capitans. Marielle had a huge paraillade of fish, Ed’s choice was steak tartare and Didier had an enormous plate of calves liver, bacon and Rosti. I went for Lobster (chosen by Ali!) fresh from the tank. We love the atmosphere of this place and the waiters entertained us later with a few songs.

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After the meal we walk down to the seafront. There is a night market with all sorts of goodies to buy. Marielle and I disappear to look at the shoes and handbags and Didier and Ed head to the watch man. None of us come back empty handed!

Next day we have a swim in the pool after breakfast and then walk down to Montserrat supermercado for lunch. For a supermarket they have an excellent menu with a wide choice of meat and fish and vegetarian. Ed and I are still full up from last night’s meal but Marielle and Didier in true French fashion, manage another huge feast.

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Didier’s platter of ham with tomato bread is a common dish in Spain and is very often served with cheese. This is easy to prepare and is a great sharing dish to serve at home (see recipe).

The lunch takes a few hours by which time we all need a rest. We head back to the villa and sit by the pool with a cold drink, watching the skydivers jump from the ‘plane that flys over Empuria every hour. This is a jump too far for us but it is incredibly popular with the tourists who flock to Empuria in the summer season. We ask Marielle if she would like to try the experience, but she has never been on a ‘plane, let alone one she would have to jump out of!

They drive back to France the next day and it was a pleasure to see them.

RECIPE FOR PAN CON TOMATE

This will serve around 6 to 8 people as a tapas dish

2 large beefsteak tomatoes or 4 large on the vine tomatoes (use ripe, good quality tomatoes).

Crusty loaf – sourdough if possible as this soaks up the juices. If not a good baguette will work.

Olive oil

Maldon sea salt

2 cloves of garlic cut in half

Cut the tomatoes in half horizontally. Using the bigger hole on the grater, run the open halves up and down into a bowl, until all the pulp is removed. Discard the skin and core.

Cut the bread into thick slices (or cut baguette lengthways and then into pieces about 10cm long) and place on an oven tray. Rub the cut garlic along the bread. Drizzle olive oil over each slice and sprinkle sea salt on top. Put the bread under the grill for 4-5 minutes until it is slightly charred around the edges. BUT KEEP AND EYE ON IT as it can burn very quickly!

Remove the bread from the oven, spread the tomato pulp over the slices, drizzle with a little more olive oil and serve with ham and/or cheese. If you can get it, the Spanish Iberico ham is wonderful but Serrano or Parma ham is just as good. I use thinly sliced Manchego cheese which works wonderfully with the bread and ham.

The Spanish serve the dish on a special layered plate which looks lovely. I use an old fashioned three-tiered cake stand of my mothers which looks just as good and impresses my guests when it is presented.

buen apetito!