After a lazy start to the day, we ventured out to the medieval village of Peratallada to explore. We'd heard it was very similar to Pals and was only about 10km away. We managed to get stuck in the same traffic jam again, but we turned off the C31 and drove through rural farmland once past the queue.
We parked easily and helped another couple figure out how to pay. The man was British but I think his wife was Dutch and they'd tried to pay via their phone which didn't work. Here, you almost always have to put your car registration into the machine to get a ticket, for some reason!
It was warm by now and we walked into the village on uneven, stony streets. We spotted a ceramic shop but the products were rough and expensive so we carried on with our exploration. There were quite a few people taking photographs and looking at the menus of the restaurants lining the street.
Sophie soon spotted a dress shop so she went in and tried on a dress and a top. The dress fitted perfectly and looked great on her! She also treated herself to some earrings. We had lost Keith by now, as he'd wandered on, and we eventually found him in what looked like the main square, bordered by yet more restaurants. This part was particularly pretty with old buildings, shuttered houses and gorgeous flowering shrubs.
We wandered about perusing the menus for lunch before having a beer. We sat in the small garden of a lovely bar and soaked up the sunshine which, by now, was quite hot.
Before finding somewhere to eat, we had a look in a beautiful antique/ceramic shop, and I treated myself to a blue dish while Sophie picked out three beautiful red-stemmed glasses to take home. The owner was lovely and packaged up our purchases carefully for us.
Disappointed...
Keith had spotted rabbit shoulders on a menu and really wanted to have those for lunch so we walked up to the restaurant, El Cau del Papibou, which was part of a hotel. We were seated in a narrow alley shaded by vines and sat on raised benches. The restaurant had an extensive menu including tapas, and their speciality "Cachopos" which was veal stuffed with various fillings.
We started with melon and ham, followed by cod-stuffed red peppers. Keith enjoyed a beer while Sophie and I indulged in a glass of Sangria. The food was very good and the cod-filled peppers were sweet.
Our main courses arrived and Sophie and I had chosen the Cachopos stuffed with country ham, "Péral" cheese and peppers. Keith's rabbit looked decidedly on the skinny side! He had three shoulder pieces which looked like skinny chicken legs served with salad and creamy mashed potatoes.
Our Cachopos were served with French fries and a sliver of pepper. I cut into mine and the filling oozed out but it looked like it had curdled... Both Sophie and I thought it was goat's cheese but we later discovered that Péral cheese is made from cows' milk and is similar to Stilton.
I wish I could say that we both enjoyed the meal, but we didn't. The chips were limp and soggy and the Cachopos itself tasted strange. I wish it had described on the menu the kind of cheese used as I'm not a fan of hot blue cheese. We hadn't been able to Google it as there was no wifi anywhere in the village! I left most of mine but Sophie struggled on and only left a small piece. It was a shame as I wish now we'd chosen tapas instead.
Sophie took an instant dislike to a group of English female cyclists who sat a bit further up the alley. They didn't try to speak any Spanish and one of them in particular, talked loudly the whole way through their meal!
We were asked if we wanted desserts and Sophie and I said yes, choosing a chocolate fondant and cheesecake. Unfortunately, they had run out of cheesecake so I ended up with a cardboard tub of ice cream. Sophie gave away most of the chocolate fondant and it tasted delicious!
We paid the bill - 104 euros - and walked slowly back to the car in the heat. Before returning to the villa we popped into the deliciously cool supermarket, and bought some more supplies, and a loaf of bread in the accompanying bakery. I also picked out two blue beach towels to use by the pool.
Back at the villa, we swam, sunbathed and relaxed for the rest of the afternoon. I did a spot of cloud watching and was mesmerised by this huge cloud that appeared overhead. It appeared so close I felt I could reach out and touch it:
It reminded me of Monty's white furry underbelly when he used to stretch out and let us stroke him. It floated majestically by, silent and huge with a strange honeycomb appearance on the underneath. I have submitted it to the Cloud Appreciation Society for their Cloud-a-Day photograph, entitled "Furry Bellies in the Sky." It would be lovely if they chose it!
A relaxing evening
By 6pm we were seated outside on the terrace, drinking Rosé and beer and playing cards. It was a beautiful evening and we watched the sun slowly set in the distance. I lit some candles again and we had egg and ham salad for dinner. Sophie and I enjoyed a delicious Marques de Caceres Rosé throughout the evening, and it's one we'll definitely buy again.
After we'd eaten we watched a couple of episodes of "Only Murders in the Building" on Disney+ starring the excellent Steve Martin. A great end to a very enjoyable day!
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