I was up at about 7am this morning and making myself a cup of coffee. What a good thing I'd bought my machine and my favourite mug! A home from home indeed!
Once the sun was up, Keith and I went and sat on the terrace at the front of the house. It was a little cloudy, but it was warm and there was no forecast for rain today. As we were chatting, I looked down and saw a mosquito on my leg and realised I'd been bitten. I'd also been wandering around the garden earlier, and wondered if I'd been bitten there too?
Within half an hour I was scratching all over and realised I had many bites. I was so angry with myself because we'd been bitten on holiday before and normally packed insect repellent. I'd brought Avon's Skin So Soft with me and, miraculously, a plug-in anti-mosquito repellent, but I knew I faced days of itchiness and swelling. Last year we weren't bitten at all - how typical! Sophie woke up and she had a few bites as well, probably from last night. It wasn't a great start to our stay in Pals!
We had the last of the pains au chocolat and coffee for breakfast and ventured out to the nearby supermarket for groceries. I'd made another stupid mistake on this holiday - bringing a pair of sandals that hurt my feet! What an idiot! I limped around the store with Sophie and Keith and we bought the essentials, plus wine and beer. On the way back to the car I was sorely tempted by some lovely beach towels. We have been allotted one white bath towel and one hand towel each so after getting out of the pool we have nothing to dry ourselves with! I knew I should have brought our lovely big bath towels from home!
A little dip
We returned to the villa, realising we were just about starting to find our way in and out of the residential area we were staying in! The roads are steep and winding but the views we have are fantastic.
The rest of the day was spent in or around the pool soaking up the hot sunshine. There was a cacophony of dogs barking in the background, but we've come to accept that the Spanish leave their dogs outside and they bark! Thankfully, not all of the time and not all at once!
In the supermarket, we'd stocked up on anti-mosquito burners and a citronella candle so we had those burning when we had lunch at the table on the terrace. It was such a shame about this morning as this part of the villa is my favourite, and it's lovely at night to sit and enjoy a nightcap.
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| Our neighbour's dog who hasn't barked once... yet! |
Back to Pals
Towards evening we all showered and decided to head for Pals for dinner. We wanted to return to the restaurant we ate lunch in last year called El Nucli. It was a very short drive to Pals and we managed to find a space in the car park. We walked up to the main square and had a beer in one of the bars. It was lovely to sit and people-watch.
Sophie and I walked to where El Nucli was but all traces of it had disappeared, which was a huge shame. Having said that, it was empty last year when we were there, so maybe it wasn't so surprising. I have a feeling that people come to Pals for a coffee or a cold drink and to look around but not to eat.
Another restaurant signposted from the square wasn't open, so this was a bit worrying and I had visions of us returning to the villa and feasting on pizza for dinner! However, we remembered seeing another restaurant on the edge of the village last year, El Mirador de Pals, so we finished our drinks and headed there. They had a table for us, with proper menus!
The restaurant was buzzing with people of all nationalities, but the Dutch are here in great numbers. We decided to have three tapas dishes to share for a starter, and Keith insisted on having French fries! Sophie chose meat croquettes and patatas bravas as well. The food was freshly cooked and delicious but the first course filled me up and this will be the last time I'll indulge in a starter!
Our main courses consisted of half a chicken for Keith, two breasts of chicken in a sauce for me and a cod fillet with ratatouille for Sophie. The food was lovely but I left one chicken breast and the waiter suggested I take it home with me. What a great idea!
We thoroughly enjoyed our evening at El Mirador de Pals - the food was good, the atmosphere friendly and hospitable, and the setting was beautiful. Sophie and I managed desserts: chocolate fondant for me and creme Catalan for my daughter.
We took a slow walk back to the car, and back at the villa it was time for one last glass of wine on the terrace before bed. In the distance, we could see flashes of lightning and I hoped we'd have a storm!
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