On to Andalucia

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Today we are headed to what I feel is the heart of Spain, Andalucia. The home of Flamenco, gazpacho, sherry, and incredible Moorish history and architecture. We were up early to catch our 7:19 AVE to Granada. Since we were up to early for breakfast, the hotel was nice enough to pack us a little box of food to take with us on the train. The train ride was 6 hours but very comfortable seats, and naps were taken on and off throughout the trip.

The countryside was rural, with the occasional city, but most noticeable olive trees as far as the eye can see. Upon arrival we took the taxi and straight to our hotel. The room was not quite ready, so we had lunch in the hotel restaurant. We both had what I will call a Spanish BLT, well JECLT (jamon, egg, cheese, lettuce and tomato). It was huge and tasty.

After lunch we were able to check into the room, and then were off to just to see if we could find were we stayed 16 years ago. Not only did we find the hotel, but we also found the spot where we had lunch our last day in Granda. They were actually closed but the owner sat us anyway. It didn’t’ look much different, but I do think there was a change in ownership.

After that we went to the Coal room, one of the oldest Morrish buildings in Spain.

This will be a short entry, as it was mostly a travel day. We are looking forward to dinner, it at the foot of the Alhambra in an old Mansion.

I will say, I have gotten very few comments on my blog posts this time around, perhaps I am losing my touch.

El Pilar del Toro

The walk to the restaurant was not as daunting as Google maps made it out to be. Google maps is becoming very irrelevant, it is almost always wrong, can’t figure out where you are, and says your there 5 blocks before you are. Fortunately, I have a live version of Google maps, in Jerry. He always seems to know exactly where we are and what direction we are going in.

This is Spain, and things are different here. Siesta is taken very seriously, most everything, except restaurants close between 1 and 4, then open back up util about 10 or 11 at night. While Spain, especially Andalusia, is very laid back, they take opening times pretty seriously. The restaurant opened at 8, which was our reservation time. As is my habit, not Jerry’s, we arrived a bit early, they didn’t know what to do with us, like no one ever arrives early, I guess.

First aside of the trip: If you want to have an early dinner almost anywhere in Spain, you’re not going to be having the best food experience. Spaniards eat late, that is why the restaurant didn’t even open until 8 pm. There are no early bird specials here. So, enjoy those long siesta lunches, because dinner will be several hours later.

The restaurant is located in a Seventeenth Century manor house at the foot of the Alhambra. The courtyard has been converted to the dining space (covered courtyard). The rest of the building is a hotel. It was a very beautiful setting and a very slow night, throughout the evening only two other tables.

Again, speaking Spanish, even bad Spanish, when you arrive someplace, gets you a Spanish menu instead of an English Menu. The woman who gave us the menus looked like Carrissa from work and just as nice 😊. We did not want to take a chance in “lost in translation” so we did have to request an English menu. The menu itself was very simple, you could easily have made a meal out of just the starters. We choose three starters to share, and yes, our Cava.

All the starters came at the same time, so the table was quite crowded with wonderful food. Our choices were:

· Alcachofas Confitadas (Beautiful whole grilled artichokes with Iberian ham

· Sopa Castellana (Garlic Soup, and it was exactly like I make it, I do use a tad more garlic)

· Ensalada de Bacon (basically a Spanish wedge salad, with a lot of bacon)

They were all good, the salad did need a bit more blue cheese and of course it was Iceberg Lettuce, which is not really our favorite. I could tell that Jerry was a bit perturbed, the service seemed a bit fast, which is not what you expect in Spain, but once the starters arrived it slowed down to the pace you expect.

We both went with a pork dish for our entrée. Jerry had Secreto Parrilla, grilled pork tenderloin with romesco and patatas frites. The pork was a bit inconsistently cooked but did have a good flavor. I had once again Lingote Cochinillo (suckling pig) served with couscous and a Pedro Jimenez sauce. To accompany we had an excellent bottle of Malleolus a Tempranillo from the Ribera del Duero region of Spain. It definitely needed to open, but when it did, it was perfect with our pork.

Tonight was even a dessert night, I had a Tarta Pistacho, (frozen pistachio cake) and Jerry had Delicia tres Chocolate (three chocolate mouse cake.) During dinner it started to pour outside, fortunately by the time we were ready to go, it had stopped. We had a nice leisurely stroll back to the hotel, where we did not have a night cap but crashed.

The dish of the day was a bit difficult, the Garlic Soup or the Suckling Pig, in the end I went with the suckling pig, mainly because it is something I can’t make myself and have it be that good. I attempted it once, and while it was good, it just wasn’t the same as eating it here.

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Photos

Suckling Pig
Dish of the Day

Comments

[Sharon Hughson]

All the Food
I have been chuckling at your posts but usually I'm reading on my tablet and it can be a hassle to comment. Today, I'm on my computer:) Jerry is GPS. You are timekeeper. Perfect match. I want the garlic soup. So what makes pork "suckling pig"?

[Connie Craddock]

Trip Comments
The Food pictures from today look delicious. I am missing some of your personal comments in your blog this time. I can hear your voice through them. A very interesting note that Google maps is off. Do you put in comments (to Google) when the directions are off? Does it seem like the first week went quickly? Do you take all of your luggage to each place that you visit? Is the train easy to access in each town/city? How is your Spanish? I find it interesting the changes that you note from previous visits to this one. Besides the siesta time, is the overall pace of life more relaxed or has that changed from previous visits?