Our French and Spanish Adventure - September 9th - 23rd

The rain in Spain...

We awoke to a steady drizzle and it remained the same for most of the day. It didn't matter this morning as we were busy packing and getting ready for the first leg of our journey home tomorrow, but it would have been lovely to have had one last afternoon relaxing by the pool, swimming and sunbathing.

I busied myself with catching up with the blog, reading and packing, Keith watched The Grand Tour on Amazon Prime and Sophie did all her own little chores. We had lunch of pizza, omelette and bread sitting on the terrace, gazing out at the leaden sky.

Back to La Gruta

By the late afternoon, the rain had stopped and the skies had cleared a little. We drove to L'Escala and parked easily in the usual car park before walking into the town. We wanted to have a drink at Ultramar and this time we managed to get served as soon as we sat down. I chose a non-alcoholic beer, Sophie had an Aperol Spritz and Keith had his usual beverage!

As we sat admiring the sea view and some towering clouds in the distance, we felt a few drops of rain. We moved tables and managed to grab one under an umbrella! It was very relaxing sitting and watching people walk by and the changing colours of the sky. It was a cloud spotter's dream!

We had a table booked at La Gruta for 8pm so we walked up to the restaurant and we were seated at the same table as last year! We decided to choose dishes from the 39-euro set menu, as we did last year. I chose the gazpacho served with a soft-boiled egg and goat's cheese croquettes to start, while Keith and Sophie opted for the tuna cannelloni. Sophie and I both chose the pork fillet for our main courses while Keith was delighted to see lamb on the menu. We ordered a bottle of Cap de Creus white to go with the meal, a wine we haven't been able to find anywhere.

Our starters were delicious and mine was a work of art!

The main course of pork fillet that Sophie and I chose was the most tender pork I'd ever eaten and was ever so slightly pink. It was served with a delicious red berry sauce and silky mashed potato... scrumptious!

Sadly, Keith's lamb was chewy and he was disappointed. To me, it looked pale and gristly and we'd noticed signs of disharmony in the kitchen this evening. Last year, the chef was smiley and happy and kept winking at Sophie, but not tonight. We think he was either training a new chef or was working with someone from an agency but there was a fair amount of shouting going on... oh dear!

For dessert, Sophie and I raved over the chocolate brick (chocolate on chocolate, on chocolate!) and Keith sampled the cheese board. No bread, just a sweet chutney to accompany about six cheeses ranging from mild to strong, but he was even disappointed with this.  

Tonight's meal was Sophie's treat, bless her, and the bill came to 150 euros. She paid and we walked back to the car through silent streets, with cats slinking about in the shadows. I wasn't looking forward to the drive home, but it was quick and straightforward and after a quick chat, it was time for bed!