We set off for Pals, with our pal, Pierre. He has an incredible knowledge of Spain (and France) and today he take us up to the hilltop medieval village of Pals, near Emporda Bay on the coast. Pals has one of the smallest paddyfields in Europe and has been producing rice since the 15th century, where it was introduced by the Arabs from Valencia. We stop to have coffee and croissants and admire the church and the stunning views.

After coffee, we drive to Palafrugell, where we visit the biggest wine store we have ever seen, with wines and spirits from Spain, France and the rest of the world. We spend a couple of hours here before heading down to Calella de Palafrugell, a beautiful town on the Mediterranean coast, with wonderful views and restaurants.

Pierre takes us to one of the many great restaurants on the front and we sit overlooking the sea, drinking white sangria (see recipe) a much more refreshing drink that the typical red sangria. We eat a delicious paella made with arroz de Pals (rice).

After the meal, we walk along the stunning coastline. Next trip we are planning to take the coastal path running from Calella de Palafrugell, taking in the towns of Llafranc and Begur on the way – but that’s for another time.

We walk back to the car and head home from the wonderful Mediterranean coastline.

RECIPE FOR WHITE SANGRIA

1 Bottle sparkling wine (I use Freixenet or Blanquette de Limoux)

100ml vodka

100ml Cointreau

Strawberries, apples, peaches, cut into 2cm pieces

oranges and limes (sliced)

Ice

Soda water (optional)

Put the ice and fruit into a large jug, add the spirits and wine and stir. Add soda water if you find the mixture too strong or if you want to make it go further. Salud!

VRUISE NEWS

Today Phil is feeling a lot better so he decides to try out the swimming pool. Jude goes shopping.

That evening, Jude and Phil meet up with their pals and dance the night away. Jude wishes she had bought flat shoes.

All the wonderful Norwegian scenery

Today we visit Figueres, the birthplace of Salvador Dali. He was born in 1904 and held one of his first exhibitions in the Municipal theatre, which is the centrepiece of the museum. The Theatre was burned in the Spanish Civil war and left in ruins until 1960, when Dali, along with the Mayor, decided to rebuild it. Dali is buried in a crypt below the stage.

“I want my museum to be a single block, a labyrinth, a great surrealist object. It will be a totally theatrical museum. The people who come to see it will leave with the sensation of having had a theatrical dream!” Salvador Dali.

And what a show! From the onset, the building exterior is stunning – bright terracotta and gold shades with huge eggs sitting on top – like a nest fully of bright shiny objects. The bearded man looks out at the queue waiting to enter this theatrical arena.

The voluptuous lady on the car is the first sight that greets us. She is perched on top of the Cadillac-Rainy Taxi (only six exist – one belonged to President Roosevelt another to Clark Gable) This is the car that Dali’s wife Gala drove when they went from coast to coast in the United States. The car actually rains on the inside, soaking the mannequin occupants. The whole of this central area is covered with statues and works of Dali’s imagination.

When we walk around this stunning building, we are amazed at the vast amount of work that Dali created. Everywhere we look there is another statue, sculpture, painting or model. We enter the Mae West room, and initially are confused with the separate pieces that seem unordered, but then, as you ascend the stairway and look down, all becomes clear and we see the face of Mae West, in all her glory.

At the end of the tour, we visit Dali’s jewellery exhibition. These are some of the most beautiful pieces ever created.

We finish the tour and find a bar to have a drink and look out over the Pyrénées mountains. We raise our glasses to the life of Salvador Dali – Salud

NO VRUISE CRUISE NEWS AS PHIL IS STILL RECOVERING FROM HIS BREAK DANCING EFFORTS – HASTA MAÑANA AMIGOS

Joe, Jan, Abi, Dot and Pierre arrive at the villa for tonight’s celebrations. We start with cocktails at home and then walk down to El Capitan for the evening.

We are seated at one of the best tables in the restaurant and Ali brings us olives, fresh bread and aioli, with champagne cocktails. We sip them as we look at the menu. The choice is incredible – lobster ravioli, goats cheese salad, smoked salmon, white asparagus, iberico ham, carpaccio of beef are just a few of the starters. Then the main courses – steak tartare, fresh lobster, whole turbot, parilla de pescado (platter of grilled fish), steak with peppercorn sauce, olive rolls and paella. We make our selection and add some side dishes of patatas bravas (see recipe) and colourful salads.

The evening is great fun with memories and stories from Ed’s earlier years and we present him with a new registration plate for his precious Corvette. He is delighted. After dinner, we decide that none of us can manage a dessert so we have coffee and finish the wine, then walk up to Viv’s Pub for a nightcap. We spend another couple of hours in there before making our way home.

As we arrive at the villa we realise that although we have a front door key, we have no key to the entrance gate which is over 8ft high. Joe decides to scale the railings next to the gate and with a hand up from Ed, over he goes. Unfortunately the gate key is not in the house as the cleaner has taken it and as it’s now 2am we don’t feel we can call him out. So we decide to follow Joe’s example and climb over. One by one Joe and Ed help us over the railings – a somewhat difficult exercise with a short dress on! Once inside, we quickly forget the drama and everyone is either drinking, dancing or singing (some doing all three!). We get to bed in the wee small hours.

A really great night.

RECIPE PATATAS BRAVAS

Serves 2

4 medium potatoes (King Edwards or similar) and 1 tbsp sunflower oil

For the sauce

2 garlic cloves chopped

1 Medium onion chopped finely

3 tbsp olive Oil

1 tbsp Tomato puree

1 tin of chopped tinned tomatoes (I use the ones with garlic and olive oil added)

2 tsp sweet paprika

1 tsp sugar

2 tsp of sweet chilli sauce

Pinch of chilli powder

Parsley or coriander to garnish

Peel the potatoes and cut into cubes around 2cm size. Put a dish in the oven with 1 tbsp sunflower oil to heat and then add the potatoes. Cook for around 55 minutes until crispy on the outside and soft inside. Temperature 200ºC/180ºC FAN.

For the sauce, put the onion and garlic in the saucepan with the olive oil and cook until onion is transparent. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to the boil, stirring occasionally. Turn the heat down and cook for around 15 minutes until the mixture is thickened. You can process the mixture to a fine sauce but we prefer a thicker consistency.

When the potatoes are browned and crispy, put them in a bowl. Pour some of the sauce over them and add a sprinkle of parsley or coriander. Put the rest of the sauce in a jug and serve with the patatas.

Buen apetito

VRUISE CRUISE

Today Phil meets some new friends and they sit enjoying the weather. Later Phil invites them for the evening – Jude goes to the buffet.

Phil spends the next couple of days in bed

MARKET DAY IN EMPURIABRAVA

Once a week, the market appears in Empuria. It is set up along the seafront very early on a Saturday morning and is about a kilometre in length. There are many traders from Spain and North Africa all vying to sell their goods and its fascinating to see them at work. We are up early and start the day with desayunó (breakfast) at Montserrat supermarket. Polly thinks she’s having one too.

Starting at one end of the market we cover the fruit and vegetables first. Tomatoes of all varieties, huge red tomatoes, tiny sweet tomatoes, green and purple tomatoes, plum, cherry, on the vine, all bursting with colour and flavour. Fresh asparagus, white and green, artichokes, fennel. Tiny new potatoes and purple potatoes. Every type of lettuce, cucumbers and avocados. We fill our bags and stop for coffee at one of the many churro (long crispy pastry dipped in sugar) stalls.

After a break, we gradually work our way up to the other end of the seafront. Handbags, shoes, clothes, bed linen, towels, jewellery and copies of every designer label is available. Today we find a stall selling hotel quality bed linen, perfect for any Airbnb business. Ed sees his pal who sells copies of designer watches. They exchange greetings in Arabic and start to discuss the latest offerings. I disappear to look at the handbags and shoes and leave Ed to his bargaining. Eventually he returns with his treasure, two more “designer” watches and I produce my two new “designer” handbags. We walk home for a rest before tonight’s outing.

We are dining at Tagliatelle restaurant this evening. They serve delicious pasta, pizza, grilled fish and meat, plus excellent wine. We walk up to Captains Cabin first where Viv runs a great pub. I start with a Mojito (see recipe) served by the lovely Masou, whose brother Ali works at the El Capitan restaurant (more of this great restaurant in tomorrow´s blog). After our drinks, we walk back to Tagliatelle and enjoy a wonderful evening.

Tomorrow our friends and family arrive for Ed’s birthday. Another celebration in this lovely town – buenas noches

MOJITO RECIPE

2 limes cut into wedges

Around 25 mint leaves

3 tsps sugar

Crushed ice

70ml white rum

Splash of soda water

Put the mint, limes and sugar into a bowl and crush them with a wooden spoon or the end of a rolling pin. Add the ice and then pour the rum over. Add soda water to taste and top with a mint sprig. Pour into glasses and drink – Salud!

VRUISE NEWS

The Norwegian airforce rescues Phil after his night in the Hytte. Jude hasn’t even noticed he had gone as she was enjoying the Western Night in the Casino.

In the meantime, the rest of the passengers are enjoying the fabulous scenery of Norway

Off early today, packed up and on the road by 10am. It is only 2 hours down to Empuriabrava, a popular coastal town dubbed the Spanish Venice as the whole town is made up of 40km of navigable canals forming the biggest man-made marina in the world with around 5000 moorings. The population is 8000 which swells to 80,000 during the summer months. A little way along the coast is Rosas and further inland is Figueres, Dali’s hometown (further blog to come on Dali’s Museum). Figueres also has one of the best Iberico ham shops in Catalonia.

Empuria is very busy during peak periods with dozens of restaurants to choose from. We arrive and unpack and walk down to Tony’s Bar, one of the best known Tapas bars in the town. We have a platter of chipirones (baby quid) slice of tortilla(see recipe), crevettes wrapped in shredded crispy potato, jamón ibérico (Spanish ham from the black pig – an intense maroon coloured meat), served with tomato bread and San Miguel beer for Ed and Pink Freixenet for me.

After the meal we take a walk down to the front which has, in recent years, been upgraded to a stunning wide walkway. In the mornings, people are out cycling, walking and running. Tonight we stroll along the promenade, stopping for a drink at one of the bars and sit looking out to sea.

RECIPE – SPANISH TORTILLA

Serves 4

300g potatoes (waxy are best)

1 medium onion

2 tbs olive oil

4 large eggs, beaten and seasoned with salt and pepper

Slice the potatoes thinly and pat dry

Slice the onion thinly

Heat oil in pan and add onion and potatoes

Cook for about 25 minutes until the potatoes and onions are cooked through and golden brown, turning them over once during cooking.

Add the eggs and leave it on a low heat for about 20 minutes until the tortilla has set.

Use a plate to turn the tortilla over. You can also put it under a hot grill for a few minutes but the Spanish always flip them – that’s the noise you can hear in many places, the pan crashing on the stove as they flip the tortilla! Cook for another 5 minutes and turn out on a warmed plate. Serve in slices like cake for tapas, hot or cold, or halve and serve with salad as a meal.

You can also add other ingredients to this such as peppers, leeks, ham etc., but this is the original Spanish recipe.

Buen apetito

VRUISE NEWS

The ship docks for passengers to disembark and look at the wonderful scenery in Norway. Phil sets off – Jude stays put.

We are invited to olivier and Benedicte’s house with Pierre, up in the hills above Mirepoix. Olivier has built the house himself over many years. They have ducks, geese, chickens, dogs and cats. They grow an assortment of vegetables for use in their restaurant.

Tonight Olivier serves up home cured meat and home made pâté  (See recipe) . Spit roast lamb (from Benedicte’s father’s farm) is cooking in the massive fireplace as we enter the kitchen. The space is huge – like a medieval hall. We have spent many a long lunch or dinner at this table. When Abi was at school with Olivier’s children she would be invited to lunch if I had to collect Ed from the airport. The food was cooked by mamie, Benedicte’s mother and there was always a feast. One lunchtime Abi told me she had a lovely meal of cochon de nez (pig’s nose) served with green beans. She liked the beans.

Tonight we enjoy the feast and start with asparagus (home grown) and a salmon salad.  Next is the meat and the lamb is perfect, pink and juicy. Benedicte serves it with potatoes freshly dug that day, fresh spinach wilted in butter and Ceps (meaty mushrooms collected from Olivier’s wood). We bring a dessert from Cedric Diant – a chocolate ganache gateaux with icing as glossy as silk. 

One of the first times we were invited to the Llobets house was on Christmas Eve. We started the evening with drinks and canapés in their kitchen. Slices of home cured sausage, tiny toasts with home made pâté, huge Spanish olives the size of small eggs. Washed down with delicious blanquette de Limoux, Muscat, or crisp rosé. We moved from the kitchen into the dining room. A Seafood platter appeared next with Ed managing 12 oysters, followed by the main course of fillet steak, melting in the mouth. Cheeses next with 5 or 6 to choose from. Then the bouché de Noël (a log shaped sponge filled with cream and decorated with hazelnut icing and Christmas figures).Coffee, cigars and chocolates followed with cognac, whisky or any drink you can think of. It was meal we will never forget. One of many in France

This is my recipe from when we had our own restaurant in the UK

GOLDINGTON’S PÂTÉ 

500g chicken livers

150g smoked streaky bacon

150g button mushrooms 

I medium onion chopped finely

4 slices of bread processed into breadcrumbs 

1 tsp dried mixed herbs

2 cloves garlic chopped

3 tbs sherry

2tbs double cream

salt and pepper

1kg loaf tin greased and lined with baking parchment

50g butter 

Melt the butter and add the onion, garlic and bacon. Cook for a few minutes until the onion is translucent. Add the chicken livers, mushrooms, mixed herbs and sherry.  Cook for another two minutes then put the mixture into the food processor. Process until smooth. Add the cream and then the breadcrumbs and salt and pepper.  Pulse until mixed then pour into the loaf tin and smooth the surface.  Cover with foil and place in a roasting tin. Tip in boiling water half way up the loaf tin and bake at 170ºC/150ºC FAN for about an hour.   Check by putting a skewer in the middle and if it comes out clear, the pâté is cooked. 

For the restaurant, I would put the pâté into small ramekins and melt butter over the top, decorating with chopped olives or parsley.  You can however, just slice the pâté once its cold and serve with a salad garnish.

Bon Appétit 

VRUISE NEWS

Château de Lagarde sits on the hill, about 8km from Mirepoix.  The original Chateau dates from the 11th century and was later handed to the Levis-Mirepoix family, after their support for Simon de Montfort in his crusade against the Albigensians.  During the summer the village holds night time fetes in the magnificent setting of the Chateau. The food is freshly cooked and there are plenty of dishes to choose from. We queue up at the spit roast where the veal has been roasting all day and are served with two enormous slices of meat plus a plate of frites. There are also moules, steak hache, snails in tomato and garlic sauce, all served with salad, french fries or spiced sweet potatoes (see Adrienne’s recipe) and fresh bread.  Pudding is crepes, cherry clafoutis, Ice cream, or cheese

.

After the food is served, the musicians start playing for the crowd and soon many are up dancing and singing.  We meet up with friends from the surrounding villages and catch up with all their news. Around 11pm the fireworks are set off, causing the Chateau to look like  it’s on fire – stunning.  We follow the trail back down the hill to the car and drive home feeling very full up.

VRUISE NEWS

Phil and Jude leave Southampton after a short delay while the porters load Jude’s 25 cases on the ship. Phil brings his hat.

RECIPE CORNER

Please send any photos of recipes you have tried from this blog and I’ll put them up

ADRIENNE’S SPICED SWEET POTATOES

(I use about one medium potatoe per head)

4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2” pieces

2 tbs olive oil

2 tsp each crushed cardoman, cumin, coriander and black pepper and fennel. Just use equal amounts of the spices and mix together.  You will have plenty left over to keep for later recipes.  The spices go well with any type of potatoe or butternut squash.

Take 2tsp of the spice mix and add it to the olive oil. Put the mixture in a plastic bag.  Add the potatoes and shake to ensure they are all covered.  Leave for an hour then put the potatoes in a dish and pour the remaining oil from the bag over them.  Roast  at 190ºC/170ºC FAN for about 50 minutes. Serve them with any meat dish – particularly good with lamb or beef. 

Bon Appétit 

After yesterday’s busy day, we drive over to the lake and relax in the sun. We have a light lunch as we have ordered paella for this evening from Didier at the Hotel du France and we know just how generous he is with his food!

We arrive back at the house late afternoon and most of us take a nap. Around 7pm the guys go over to the hotel ( any excuse for a few beers at the bar) and collect the paella. It is truly enormous but everyone manages a plateful. We serve it with fresh bread and aioli – (see recipe).

After the meal, we take a walk through the village and watch the locals playing Pétanque. They invite us to play so we spend an hour or two trying to win with no success. Definitely more practice needed, so we stroll home and are all glad of an early night.

AIOLI RECIPE

1 egg yolk

2 cloves of garlic finely minced

2 tbs olive oil

Juice of half a lemon

Pinch of salt

Put the egg yolk in a bowl and add the garlic and a pinch of salt. Squeeze the lemon juice into the bowl and start whisking the ingredients together. Gradually add the oil, whisking continuously until the mixture is smooth and creamy. You can use this with a number of dishes. In Spain they serve it with fresh baked rolls and plump olives with a beer or glass of wine – Salud!

Tomorrow we visit LaGarde near Chalabre for one of the best barbecues of the year and Jude and Phil go off on their VRUISE (virtual cruise) to Norway.

RESULTS FROM PREVIOUS RECIPES

Ed at the cafe and later with the three amigos

An early start this morning, we collect bread and cakes from the bakery and take coffee at the cafe.

We have ordered plates of seafood from the Hotel du France in the village, where Didier and his wife Marielle, run the hotel. We met them on our first night in Chalabre where there had been a mix-up with the booking. They were about to leave,  as they close the hotel on a Sunday night, but instead they handed us the keys and told us to make ourselves at home.  See previous post from May 2016 FIRST NIGHT IN CHALABRE. 

Food for tonight includes Smoked Salmon all the way from Carlingford in Ireland, courtesy of Gerry, served with Soda Bread (see recipe).  As well as the seafood,  we have a pulled pork dish, courtesy of Jan, assorted salads made by the girls, tiny new potatoes topped with cream cheese and chives, a cheeseboard and pastries from the baker.

Ed picks up the seafood from the hotel. The dishes are so huge, he needs several friends to help him collect it all (or just an excuse to drink beers at the hotel bar!) There are crevettes, shrimps, oysters, crab, moules, and clams.

On the cheeseboard is Roquefort – Papillon noir (in my mind the best blue cheese), Comté, a relatively hard cheese with a slightly sweet flavour. Chaource (a salty and buttery creamy cheese) , Brie and Camembert. After cheese comes the gateaux – a chocolate roulade and a tarte tatin from the local patisserie plus some Religieuse pastries (a circular chocolate eclair with a smaller one on top – representing a bishop’s hat called a Mitre) from Cedric Diant in Mirepoix. We serve Blanquette de Limoux, Sauvignon, Rosé, Corbière. Minervois and lots of beer to accompany the food.

We have a fabulous day, made better by all our family and friends being  there. We party until the early hours and tomorrow we will head to the lake for rest and recuperation (after a good lunch obviously!) c’est la vie – naturellement. A demain.

SODA BREAD RECIPE

This is my mother’s recipe for which she used sour milk instead of buttermilk.  She always left the milk on the windowsill to go sour.  These days it’s a lot easier to buy sour cream or buttermilk!

450gm strong white flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

300ml of buttermilk or soured cream

100 ml water

Heat oven to 200ºC/Fan 180ºC

Mix dry ingredients together and add buttermilk or soured cream – add enough water to make a very soft dough.

Turn the dough onto a floured surface and shape into a round about 8in in diameter.  Place it on a greased baking try and make a cross in the top with a sharp knife.

Bake in oven for 30 minutes, then turn the bread upside down and bake for another 15 minutes until the bread sounds hollow when tapped.

Eat when cooled.  This bread doesn’t keep for more than a day, so eat it up as soon as possible!

Bon Appétit