The eating goes on

A generally uneasy night as the dreaded earache did not diminish in an acceptable fashion – though continued application of the doctor given drops has made some difference and I have been less sulky today.

Although we have had a swim today it has not really been true July weather and Toni only lasted a minute before he had had enough.  I am made of sterner stuff and did a gentle breaststroke so as not to submerge my head and aggravate whatever is going on in my left ear.  Most unsatisfactory.

Far more satisfactory was our journey out on the next stage of the Ruta de Tapa after the usual acrimonious discussion about which of the fifty remaining tapas we should try!

Our first port of call was El Punt de Casa Pac in C/Major, 23 where, the weather being balmy we decided to sit outside on the decking next to the road.  I placed my posterior on one of the metal seats and started a slow but disturbing slide to the ground.  One of the legs of the chair had been placed by my good self expertly just on a weak joint in the shoddy structure on which we were sitting.  Luckily there were posts with ropes at the edge of the area and they allowed me to rescue some degree of dignity from my decline!

The reaction of the bar staff was gratifyingly concerned and it resulted in our being gifted our tapas.  Which, if you think about it, was bloody cheap because if I had been of a litigious frame of mind who knows what money I could have got out of the situation!

The tapa itself was creamed scallops covered by a cod “brandada” with broad beans and a savoury sauce.  It was good, but it sounds better than it tasted.  But, hey! for nothing, who is questioning it!

Spurred on by the freebie we went to a tried and trusted restaurant, Bar Olave Plaza, c/Onze de septembre, 1 cutting our way through swathes of children who, quite unnecessarily walked, ran, jumped and cycled, scooted, meandered, screamed, strolled, played, breathed and generally existed in MY space.  But I think I managed to control my feelings and show nothing of what I felt.

The service in Bar Olave Plaza was efficient and slick.  The tapa was a dish of tallarinas de Castelldefels and they were delicious, but as a competition tapa it lacked structure and was just after all a plate of shells.  Taste excellent, but it aint going to win.  The Cava was excellent.

After minimal persuasion we decided to take in a third tapa in Bar Frankfurt Castelldefels, Av. Constitució 244.  This is somewhere where we have never been before and given its location next to an English Language School it is probably not the sort of place that we will frequent during term time!

The tapa was a kebab of veg and meat on a stick with a side potato salad with a mysterious sauce.  The bald statement of what the tapa was gives no idea of how delicious it actually was.  In my view it is the best that we have had so far, in spite of the fact that the Cava was rather cheap and over-sweet for my taste.

So this ruta is living up to its reputation for surprises and giving us new venues to consider.

Almost time for my drops and the hope of a better night.  I will also sleep easier having spoken to friends back home and consider that they seem to be doing well and are both speaking positively about the future.  I hope I get to see them some time during the summer.

On the OU front there is a limited response with one other person seemingly directly on my wavelength and another offering the possibility of serious difficulties in the next couple of weeks.  Ah the delights of long distance learning!

Tomorrow more academic work and a little light gardening!