It is amazing how busy we seem to be with basically no commitments or schedule we have to adhere to. We left the apartment this morning around noon (hey, that’s not morning) with the goal of going to the Tourist Information center. Even though we’re not “tourists” we still want to immerse ourselves in the culture and learn about our city and the region and the TI is a good place to start.
We had a call from our landlord just as we neared the TI. There was a minor plumbing problem at our new place and he wanted to know if we could be at the apartment in a half hour to meet the plumber. We promptly turned around, returned home, and met the fellow. The repairs did not take long and he was on his way.
While we are waiting for the Red Cross-provided Spanish classes we signed up for to begin, we also decided to take additional Spanish lessons from a language school and we start classes next week. So, after the plumber left, we decided to do practice run to the school so we knew exactly where it was and grab some lunch afterward. We got a little turned around but eventually found it. It is fun to see different parts of the city so as long as it’s not pouring down rain, I don’t mind getting lost. After we located the school and had our route down, it was time to EAT!
We walked past a few places and settled on a cute spot called De Mouzo (MIZ! That’s for my Columbia peeps) with reasonably priced menu del dia which included two courses, desert, and wine. Phil and I shared the ensalada mixta: a mixed salad of leafy greens, red onion, a large piece of white asparagus, chunks of red, ripe tomatoes, and tuna all topped with vinegar and oil and the muslitos de pollo adobado al horno: baked chicken drumettes in adobo spices. Of course, a basket of crusty bread accompanied. We’ve had this type of mixed salad (lettuce, veggies, often egg, and tuna) a couple of times in Spain already. We had something similar in Italy and actually there they added corn kernels. In the U.S., ordering a dinner salad and having it served with canned tuna on top would be weird. Right? Well, here it works and is delicious. The chicken was fall off the bone tender and it’s chicken wings, what’s not to like? I unfortunately did not get photos of these tasty dishes but I did manage to snap a couple of the main courses and desert before diving in!
We enjoyed the filete de dorado a la pancha: this means grilled sea bream, (though I’m pretty sure it was pan fried) either way, it was delicious. The fish was served with a small side salad and mandolin cut, crispy potatoes. It was super flaky and simply seasoned and the potatoes were beautifully crisped. We also had the plato de la abuela con chorizo (grandma’s plate with chorizo), an Austurian dish of fried potatoes with an over-easy egg served and chorizo (sometimes served with beef fillets). The chorizo had a strong smokey flavor that paired well with the beautiful, orange egg yolk and crispy, golden french fries. All of the eggs here, even from the grocery store, have such a lovely, deep orange color. We paired the meal with a bottle of vino rosado.
The postre (desert) was the star of the show. The tarta de la abuela (grandma’s cake. I HAVE to meet this grandma) which was made of layers of custard, chocolate, cookies, magic, and love. It was amazing. The tarta de Santiago (a Galician almond cake) was delicious as well but next to the sweet, rich, deliciousness of grandma’s cake, was not allowed to shine as brightly as it would have on it’s own. We each had a cafe solo (espresso) with desert.
After lunch, we headed to a nearby park Phil had seen on the map to walk off our huge meal. It is named Parque de Isabel la Catolica. What a cool place! In addition to the statue of Isabel, it’s also home to the first monument erected to Alexander Flemming, the discoverer of penicillin (dude totally deserves a monument), lovely rose gardens, and is home to 40 different kinds of water fowl. We saw black roosters, the biggest chickens I’ve ever seen, two emus, and black swans!
We headed home along the beachfront and stopped in a little cafe for a drink because, why not? We’ve got nowhere else to be. Plus, it’s Friday, we ain’t got no jobs, and well, you know the rest (if you don’t, go watch Friday right now!).
Jess Barrington: American in Spain 