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Published: October 25th 2012
Sardines
Kevin got his in Moraira.MONDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2012 - Today we took a drive up the coast to the furthest eastern point of mainland Spain, Cap de Nau, with a detour into Moraira. This little town was a real find. Firstly, there were no buildings over 3 stories high, a feat in itself on the Costa Blanca. Secondly, there was a lovely little restaurant where Kevin and I had a wonderful lunch - Del Mar Restaurant. www.delmarspain.com The nice thing about this restaurant is that the food didn't look like it had been thrown on the plates, and everything had flavor. I asked if the chef was Spanish, because the presentation looked so different to what we had seen in Spain. He was Bolivian.
Tonight we had a farewell dinner with our German hosts, and went to a German-run steakhouse in Calpe. my steak was cooked perfectly, and it was consistent throughout, a feat for cooking steaks. A lovely meal with lovely people...we hope to see them again in New Zealand, or at their house in the Black Forest of Germany.
We have sighted a distant cousin of the Illusive Italian Bush Hooker, the Spanish Bush Hooker. Noted for their bright plumage, high
Caprese Salad
Tomatoes and mozzarella cheese with a balsamic drizzle in Moraira heals and fans, they were spotted along main roads on the Costa blanca. A variety was also spotted on the road to our friends' place in Mora d'Ebro. Mike seemed to be well-versed in their habits, so perhaps he has made a study of them... Unfortunately, I could never get out my camera fast enough to take a picture.
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2012 - We arrived at our friends' house for the night, taking them totally by surprise as they thought we were arriving Wednesday. No problemo, Bob, as they say. And we had a great time, more laughs, good food!
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2012 - The great trek to Toulouse begins, about a 5 hour journey there. I felt better after crossing the border...we arrived at our hosts' house on the Canal du Midi after passing it twice and having to negotiate one-way streets. Toulouse in a car has always been challenging for us, but it was ALOT easier this time with a GPS. Their house is wonderful! It is a little bit of history tucked in among a bunch of modern buildings. It used to be an orphanage with a convent attached. It is furnished eclectically,
from travels abroad, and is a wonderful melange - nothing matching but everything going together. We have dinner and are shown the ropes before they take off.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2012 - Winds are blowing here big-time (50-70 kmh) but Kevin is ready to start marching again so off we set, to find the old part of Toulouse. We locate the Office du Tourisme, which should be a first stop in any French town, as they have so much information, and are very helpful in English. As we have been in this area before, (Toulouse is near Carcassone, where we had Kevin's birthday two years ago) there isn't the need to see the Cathar strongholds that we have done. So we have pretty much decided to stay in Toulouse. Our first stop is the Capitole, a huge pre-revolutionary building, which is now the Hotel de Ville. It has wonderful murals dating from the 1800s and is well worth the visit. We find a supermarket to load up on a couple of supplies: pate, cheese, fruits, yogurt.
With the winds so strong we decide just to go back to the house and figure out what to do for the
Toulouse Architecture
Too many variations, so I am only showing one... next week.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2012 - Winds are still heavy - they are blowing me up the road at times. Kevin isn't having this problem, I am wishing I had those extra 30 kg...We have been told where the covered Marche is located so head there, also locating the movie theatre to see Taken 2. The Marche is wonderful, and Kevin is able to find his octopus salad. Great breads, cheeses, vegetables, anything your heart desires and many sellers speak English which makes it a little easier, but I still try valiantly. I think they all realize my desperation and put me out of my misery, but only after a couple of minutes of "quoi?". Then we all have a good laugh, and a sigh of relief! We decide to come back tomorrow and load up...
Upstairs at the covered market they have a series of restaurants, so we decided to try one. We chose Au Bon Graillou. I had Chevre Chaude Salad and a steak while Kevin had a seafood salad and 1/2 Magret du Canard (duck breast) we were both pleased with our choices. For dessert I had an Ile Flottante, and Kevin had Tiremisu.
Chevre Chaud Salad
From the restaurant above the covered market in Toulouse A hint for those of you wanting to make Ile Flottante - serve in a coupe cup, so the caramel can go to the bottom...YUM!!!!!
We then went to the Hotel d'Assezat, a Townhome in Toulouse built in 1555-57 by a wealthy pastel (blue dye) trader. The house now is home to an extensive private donation of an art collection dating from the Renaissance to the 20th century. I was pleased to find a couple of Lautrecs that I had only seen in books, and a couple that I hadn't seen at all! There were also Picassos, Monets, and a large collection of Raoul Dufy paintings that intrigued me. A lovely collection in a lovely building, but it would have been nice to know what the rooms had originally been used for. From there, on our way home, we walked to Rue Mage, quoted as one of the best-preserved streets in Toulouse, with houses from Louis XIV to Louis XVI.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2012 - The winds are gone, but it has been rainy overnight, and is a bit chilly today, certainly not what we have been encountering. We heard about a Flea Market near a church, but
My Chevre Chaud Salad
Looks almost real, doesn't it? it was a non-event due to the weather. We headed back to the covered market, where we loaded up on provisions. I picked up some chevre cheese, the specific type used for chevre chaude salad. This cheese has a heavier consistency because of it being baked, or melted and you have to have the right kind. So, I came home and played, and IT WORKED! It looked real! The problem is that I won't be able to get this cheese in New Zealand. Which explains why I have this salad any chance I can...
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2012 - Although it was a bit overcast, and rainy, we took off to all the markets to get in a few provisions, since another person was arriving at the house today and i decided to cook. Nothing exotic, so don't get excited...Then we came home and waited for the other house-swapper....a quiet day in Toulouse.
MONDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2012 - Kevin discovered the Toulouse Relocation and Resistance museum, and I discovered it wasn't too far from us so we took off. Toulouse was a hotbed of resistance during World War 2, so it was interesting to see the displays about
Ile Flottante
Notice the caramel at the bottom of the glass. A great idea to use these glasses. people, radios, guns, etc. I kept conjuring "'Allo, 'Allo" but, seriously, it was very poignant. Again, walking around...For lunch we found a lovely little tea room where we had Prix Fixe meals...Check out the pictures. Kevin had a salad and dessert, while I had a tarte and dessert. I also became aware that I was coming down with something that is more than dust, as I lost my voice, much to Kevin's pleasure.
Since we were leaving Tuesday for Najac, we decided to clean out the frig and it was good fun and good eats!
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bvchef
Brendan Vermillion
More Great Food Shots
I was happy to see some beautiful food shots in here. You do a great job taking the pictures and getting the feel of the food. Keep on eating.