Categories
Restaurants

L´Escala Eats – Cerveseria Frankfurt

I like to loosely group L´Escala into three areas or zones. They’re all nice in their own way, it just depends on what you’re looking for.

At one end there’s the peace and tranquillity of Montgo, with its neat little sandy cove, Cala Montgo, a great choice for a family beach day. (playa Montgo). At the other end is the casc antic or old town, which has a couple of much smaller beaches, rocky outcrops suitable for  lounging and a greater number of bars, shops and restaurants.

In the middle you have Riells, a more modern creation with a much longer and wider beach and surrounding streets, better geared up for summer tourists with families. From here you can enjoy a 15-20 minute stroll along the Passeig Maritim, a wide walkway that hugs the coast, up to the old town. It’s quite rocky along here and not really promoted as a bathing area but there are fine views across the bay to distant towns like Empuriabrava and Roses.

Once you’ve reached the old quarter you can either keep walking with the sea to your right, or veer off into the maze of surrounding streets.  There’s a much greater variety of shops, bars and restaurants within a very walkable area so take your time. It’s also where you’ll find Cerveseria (pub) Frankfurt. Plain looking and down to earth I guess it’s trying to imitate a German bierkeller which it does to a degree.

We liked the cosy looking wooden booths spread out along one side, the walls decorated with kitschy  looking pictures and paraphernalia, somewhat adding to its Germanic feel. I’m not totally convinced but the bare stone walls,and the long mahogany coloured counter could be downtown Bavaria-if only for a fleeting moment.

Being English we’re more aware of the large round Guinness sign and plump for a pint of the dark stuff (6€). The laminated food menu is a masterclass in simplicity, tapas dishes to share, hot and cold baguettes, frankfurters/hot dogs and burgers with a variety of sides and toppings customised to your taste.

This isn’t a gourmet burger as such, think more like slightly fancy fast food. Prices aren’t over the top, my Angus 200 gram burger was 7.85€ with just an additional 1€ for extra onion, tomato and lettuce. One of us had the blood/black sausage hot dog- a bit different. Buns and bread rolls are the usual soft, pappy, tasteless kind, the three tapas dishes were what we expected. 

If that hasn’t hit the spot there are of course desserts, and we chose a pastis de pastanaga (carrot cake) and a pastis de xocolate (chocolate cake). 

Verdict. Sadly no thigh slapping lederhosen or frauleins to be seen but on our second visit, a Thursday, they had live music, a nice twist. On a tiny side note they didn’t mind our two well behaved dogs so that’s always a plus for us.

Final tally for 3, a bit higher than anticipated as the Guiness was going down too well, was 77€.

Categories
Girona

Madrid memories. Girona to Madrid.

Spain’s capital city is a far cry from home. What brings me here? Simply a visit to a friend and a yearning for a change of scenery.

Spain is a country that surprises curious travellers. I’ve been lucky enough to have visited many parts when time allows, I still have a good few places on the list yet to be ticked off. 

It was time to revisit Madrid. We’d been before as a family trip, one Easter way back when Ryanair still flew there from Girona (not anymore). Just about one hour flight I recall but you still have to catch a cab into the city. It was early April and cold, so I ended up buying a warmer jacket and scarf. We saw many of the colourful Easter celebrations and numerous religious processions. A very different affair from what you see in Girona.

I took the fast train AVE service (Renfe.es) from Girona, which takes just under four hours to cover the 700 kms. Buy them online as tickets are cheaper if you book a few weeks in advance. Plus, if you’re living here, over 60 and travel a lot on trains it’s worth getting the Tarjeta Dorada (gold card) at 6€/ Yr (2023 price). Purchase them at the train station ticket desk, just have your passport/TIE for id purposes. Simply input your personal number when  booking online to get 25% to 40% discounts depending on which day you travel.

I should also mention that this route has opened up to other competitors and I keep hearing of ridiculously cheap Barcelona to Madrid fares so do your research.

Back in the UK there used to be an old advertising slogan ´let the train take the strain”, and in this case that’s true.

With the national carrier Renfe you get an assigned carriage and seat (or choose your own + 5€) which is comfy enough, and even has a charging point for phones or laptops. Most services also have a buffet car or you may have a trolley service too. Stops from Girona are few and include Barcelona, Lleida and Zaragoza. There’s even a digital display which shows you the speed of the train, at times reaching almost 300 kms an hour.

The big plus point is you arrive smack in the centre of Madrid, at Atocha station and there are plenty of taxis outside. This must be my third time here, each time staying in a different part of the city.

The advantage of having a friend who lives here as a guide is a big plus, as well as speaking better Spanish. This time I’m in Chamberi, an upmarket residential area that is walkable from downtown or a 10€ cab ride. It also seems to have a sizable student population as they inhabit many street bar terraces. My apartment is a stone’s throw from a noisy music bar nightclub that remains noisy until the early hours. Patrons congregate outside, people coming and going

How do these places coexist in a residential block defies comprehension, surely they get endless complaints. I mustn’t forget that Spaniards are noisy a lot in general and that’s not a complaint.

If you’re here on a Sunday then you ought to visit the popular El Rastro street market, a real cornucopia of stalls and then proceed onto La Latina area. Look out for an Argentinian bar/cafe that serves yummy empanadas washed down with a mojito or margarita.

Park Retiro is a well known green oasis with lakes and rowing boats, but I realise that I’m near Parque del Oeste which is huge. While it may be a bit hilly in places it’s a welcome retreat on a hot day in May with large shady trees to rest under. I’ve got time to visit  the nearby Museum of the Americas, although it closes mid afternoon I get time to whizz through it all just before it shuts. Covering the whole of the Americas, art and archaeology from the distant past to today. 

Another cool, vibey fun area to visit for drinks and eats is Malasanna, and close to the city centre. Tourists and locals stream through here constantly, streetlife at its busiest every night and more so at weekends. It was here that my friend introduced me to tinto de verano, a popular refreshing summer tipple made with red wine and lemonade.

It’s a vibrant city where you can turn a corner and a new experience awaits you.Just popping into a normal looking bar for a drink will more than likely result in being offered  a free tapas, sometimes so plentiful it can negate the need to have supper.

An abiding memory is the fact that you can eat out very late here, 11pm is not a problem, unlike Girona where  a funny look is more likely.

Categories
Restaurants

Restaurant Draps, Old Town Girona

It’s mid May and we have visitors who have decided they want to visit Girona, which is all fine and dandy but today’s date is when the city wide annual flower festival, Temps de Flors begins.

But this isn’t just some ode to flower arranging and twee looking containers, it’s a smorgasbord of displays, from normal to wacky abstract. If you live here, especially within the enclaves of the old town areas then you either hunker down for nine days of constant milling crowds or, decamp the city.

The result is that such hordes must have somewhere to eat and drink, hence the almost futile task of seeking a restaurant booking on this of all days. It could prove to be easier to have met the pope. In our case, no pope-pun intended, god loves a tryer and we score a result with a 3pm booking at Draps.

Slap bang in the hustle and bustle of Girona´s old quarter, amongst numerous other eateries which includes restaurant Normal, being just opposite, another addition to the Roca brothers stable of fine dining. 

Draps occupies a corner plot and it’s been here for ages but I´ve never tried it. Various family members have and have spoken of it in mainly good terms. As we wait outside for the rest of our group the whiff of curry hits my senses from the Indian restaurant a few doors down. I could’ve been easily  persuaded to go there instead. We also observe the futile attempts of hungry people being turned away, too many chasing too few seats.

Table ready, we go inside and upstairs to a large round table at the far end. An immediate impression is how narrow it is. I guess the temptation is to cram in as many tables as possible but it adds to the cosiness, hence its popularity with couples. Bare stone walls are the backdrop to a warm wooden decor.

At these busy times and large throughput of diners means that it´s  a set menu, their Temps de Flors offering is 33€ and we´re asked to choose our starter, main and desserts all in one go.The feather in the cap is a welcoming glass of Cava (included), Catalonia’s admirable answer to Italian Prosecco. And very nice it is too, you can buy it across a range of prices, even the 2€ version is quaffable when making a mimosa.

For starters I chose the pumpkin soup decorated with shavings of dried cured ham, which while I enjoyed the crispy bits I also got some chewy fatty croutons too. It also reminded me that whenever I order soup it invariably gets served warm, rarely hot.

A friend ordered tuna tartar (photo below) and they made a jolly good job of serving dishes so we all ate at the same time. Main dishes included a choice of duck confit, red snapper, sole or steak, which was my choice. Should have gone for the fish as my steak was passable, but redemption came in the form of a fine homemade cheesecake for dessert.

I conveniently lost count of the total glasses of wine we all had, refills were plentiful, and staff more attentive, as the place was emptying.

Verdict. When faced with sheer weight of numbers it´s fair to accept that you’ll be getting a fair meal, and have to pay a bit above what constitutes ´normal times’. It also often leaves you feeling like trying it on another occasion. Final bill, not much was added to the set price, so it came to 35€ per person.

Draps, Carrer Cort Real, 2, 17004 Girona

Categories
Barcelona

Casa Batllo, Barcelona

The famous Catalan architect Antonio Gaudi left his mark across numerous city locations, the most known has to be the Basilica Sagrada Familia. This still unfinished holy site looms largely as a must see if you visit the city.

His other modernism handiwork can be found writ large in Casa Batllo, in the fashionable downtown Passeig de Gracia. A wide avenue of fine upmarket shops, hotels and eateries attracts a constant stream of tourists. A fair number head to Casa Batllo, an imposing fantastical facade that wouldn’t be out of place in some fairy tale themed Disney movie.

No sane person could possibly walk past here without stopping in their tracks and wondering if reality had taken you into an alternate architectural side turning.

Curvature abounds, curved shaped wood, stonework, metalwork and ceramics is the order of the day. It’s been on our bucket list for ages and we decided to book a visit. The added attraction is the tour includes music and drinks on its roof space. If you’re thinking of planning a night out in Barcelona, it´s an instant lets do it no brainer.
Fast or last, catch it if you can as it is limited to spring and summer sessions.

The gold tour starts with an audio tour via a tablet / headphone combo loaded with your chosen language. You begin by working your way up the numerous floors that the Battlo family lived in. Rooms and living spaces are devoid of furniture as you meander through other slow moving visitors. The tablet offers images of what life was like during that time period but I must admit to just listening to the audio.

The tour ends once you reach the upper level and rooftop, even the shapely chimney stacks are elaborately decorated with broken tile pieces. Those staying for the music are directed to a table, the gold tour includes a glass of cava and about an hour’s worth of music. Performers and music styles are varied and can be all booked online, ours was billed as a jazz, soul, pop, dance trio called Nika Mills Trio.

She sang mostly in English, working her way around the seated guests, encouraging some to sing along. One guy stood up and was a surprisingly good singer, prompting praise from the audience. Our visit was in early April, so remember your jacket as evenings up above street level can feel chilly.

For more info on the house and Magic Nights (visit+concert+drink)
www.casabatllo.es

Categories
Restaurants

Bar Bikini, L’Escala

It’s early March and there’s still not much open in our L´Escala neck of the woods, Montgo. Two beachside restaurants look to be open Friday to Sunday, Oreig and Can Miquel. The latter has a low-rise 3 star hotel attached to it. We stopped off recently for a morning coffee which took ages before we got them. No surprise really if you look at their online reviews for speed of service and treatment.

Down the hill from us the modern touristic sprawl of Riells with its white-washed houses doesn’t look that exciting either. Its beachfront pedestrian promenade is eerily dormant. Just a stone’s throw away the main street Avinguda de Montgo has the usual array of retail, real-estate places, bars and restaurants, but subdued activity. Come summer it’s bustling but seems boringly uninviting right now.

If you’re seeking a slightly facer pace then you need to head for the old fishing village area, Casc Antic. It has a more varied mix of independent shops and plenty of bolt holes for a drink or snack. Wander down side streets and see where they take you. More people means a buzzier vibe especially at the weekends, as many congregate around the couple of smaller beaches here. 

One such sandy oasis is La Platja where Bar Bikini sits amongst several well placed eateries, close by to a favourite of ours, Grop. Bar Bikini has a narrow corner setting, a cosy interior and a larger outdoor terrace where we sat. It’s another contender for a sundowner spot or people watching.

The bubbly waitress served us a bottle of their house white wine (16€) and we began to survey the food menu. It’s a simple mix of tapas, salads, hot and cold sandwich options which includes pastrami-which you don’t see often. So we ordered some sharing tapas plates, a goat’s cheese salad and a pastrami sandwich. All fine but not enough pastrami.

The waitress is starting to break into good English and the inevitable questions surface covering our respective lives and reasons for being here. I’ve been in bars where the grilling becomes too private for my English reservedness. I often feel like I’ve given away too many personal details. The kicker is when I’m with the kids and the talk oscillates between English, Spanish and Catalan. 

Eyebrows are raised and incredulous grins become the norm. The gift of languages is a gift that keeps giving. It’s also something which would have been harder to achieve (for our kids) had we stayed in the UK. It also makes for humorous scenarios when we overhear locals talking about us-thinking we don’t understand. You should see their faces when they realise the opposite is true, and the kids’ put downs are sweet revenge.

Food consumed we´re beginning to feel the drop in temperature as evening looms, it’s time to go.

Verdict. Bar Bikini managed to satisfy our thirst and hunger, a commendable food outpost if simplicity is your bag. There are however many competing bars around which makes choosing a bit harder. I was additionally impressed by their interior lighting, long low hanging light cloches adding an original touch. 

Categories
Barcelona

MOCO Barcelona

We´re back in Catalonia´s bustling capital Barcelona for a cultural visit after a long absence. It’s Easter week and the city is busy, it always is. 

It’s nice to combine a visit with a cultural twist and this time MOCO museum has got our attention. Its original birthplace was Amsterdam and their Barcelona offspring opened last year.

Housed within an old stone building in Barcelona’s Born district, the setting for a museum of contemporary art seems odd. One may be expecting sleek, white walled modernistic buildings with plenty of natural lighting but it’s not the case.

The Born neighbourhood is full of narrow streets hosting bijou boutiques, funky bars and galleries. The vibe is super hipster and easy to reach if you’re exploring the old quarter. Plenty of visitors pass through here as it’s also home to the Picasso museum.

However, MOCO has succeeded in thoughtfully transforming this building into a suitable repository of established and upcoming modern artists. These include such illustrious names as Banksy, Basquiat, Warhol, Hirst and Kaws.

Many exhibits are on loan from private collections, the artists themselves and directly purchased by the museum itself. Starting on the ground floor the relatively small rooms are easy to transition through, adorned according to the artist featured. Once you’ve reached the top floor space is dedicated to immersive and digital art themes, such as NFT which is the talk of the town in tech circles.

I was taken by the huge busy canvases of Chilean painter Guillermo Lorca. Featured paintings include lifelike depictions of children so bold and bright. His animal depictions are equally captivating, colourful and thought provoking.

Each exhibit has an English, Catalan and Spanish description. I chose their online based audio tour option but found it was slow to load and respond for my device. I quickly reverted to just reading the text next to each exhibit. Erudite explanations make an interesting read, artists offer up what art and more to the point, what their art means to them.

As a slight aside, I recall watching a programme where artists gave their story behind what they’ve created-which I felt resonated more with me than the finished article.

As with most museums, you exit via the gift shop

They seem to be doing a good job of promoting themselves via social media and I was able to pick up flyers at our hotel which gave a 10% discount off the normal entry price. If this art genre is up your street and can command your attention for a couple of hours, then MOCO Barcelona is a welcome breath of fresh air.

www.mocomuseum.com

Categories
Restaurants

La Vela restaurant, Calella de Palafrugell

Cold, windy, wintery January days are not the ideal scenario that instils a desire to venture out and have a seaside lunch. But never underestimate a daughter’s persistence. So it was that we ventured out to Calella de Palafrugell in anticipation of finding suitable shelter and sustenance.

A perennial favourite of ours, this small chic Costa Brava town is a magnet for well healed summer visitors both foreign, Spanish and Catalan, eager for a quiet vacation. This is not the place for cheap eats and high rise hotels. Property here is in the price range that particularly attracts affluent weekend looking retreat Barcelonians.

These former fishing villages are booked solid summertime but out of season they become so quiet that it prompts a second look if you see anyone on the streets. 

Open eateries are few and far between during the winter downtime but once we reached the picturesque stretch of seafront we noticed restaurant La Vela almost full.

At 2.30 pm this was the ideal striking time and an empty table caught our eye. Swift action is the name of the game as other passers-by are your competition. We’re in and our two dogs are not a problem. We sat in their enclosed outdoor terrace, their indoor areas had the patio heaters- lucky them.

Looking around the terrace the seating room is quite tight so I guess there is no room for them, shame as it could do with it being a few degrees warmer. No real problem as I’m not taking my jacket off. Overhead heaters could be a solution, just saying.

On the plus side their menu is not several pages long, so we chose a few sharing plates and I ordered a staple favourite, a goats cheese salad. Glancing around surreptitiously quite a few fellow diners were eating the seafood rice dish, at 18€ each. Served in a deep bowl, hot and  steamy in a rich sauce, a comforting foil to today’s ambient temperature. I immediately get buyers remorse.

It’s so appealing that two of our party decided to plump for this same dish. It appears to be a clear case of comfort food versus my healthier salad option. I quickly reassure myself that my body is better rewarded with leafy greens.

Having consumed our chosen dishes the burning question of desserts is now upon us.  I rarely see anything different from the usual repertoire of crema catalana, lemon sorbet, chocolate coulant or my favourite, cheesecake. I´m pretty sure most dessert options are bought in, rarely homemade creations. 

This time there’s bunyols de xocolate (sweet dough balls filled with chocolate then fried) and recuit de drap amb mel (an artisanal dessert usually made with goats cheese,reminiscent of English cottage cheese, plus honey. I decline but the other three are swayed.

It almost feels like they’re an afterthought, and judging by the prices sometimes the mark-up must be good. We order warming coffees before venturing out back into biting January winds. The idea of a post-lunch seaside stroll is quickly forgotten.

Verdict. A safe port in a storm, a welcome wintery shelter that would no doubt be better enjoyed in sunnier times. Shame it doesn’t have more fish or seafood based dishes like a comforting fish stew.

Final bill for 4, which included 2 bottles of house white wine (16€ ea.) was 156€

Categories
Restaurants

Bar de Rupia, Rupia

Rupia is one of many small Catalan villages that you can easily speed past on your way to coastal resorts like Estartit or L’Escala. I must have passed this way hundreds of times and thought little about it.

After all there’s not much to look at when driving, just a small car garage and a lonely set of traffic lights, that’s because the village sits astride the main road. Luckily for craft beer lovers there’s a trendy micro-brewery / bar called Dos Kiwis that also has a food truck. We’ve stopped here a few times, the beers on offer are a mix of frothy fruit flavoured IPA’s and lagers, all relatively strong. The food’s another matter, I’ll do a separate review of this place.

We’ve never ventured to look further but this time it’s different, as an old friend is doing a Sunday afternoon DJ spot at what appears to be the only village bar as far as I can tell. Aptly named Bar de Rupia. The well kept village has visitor parking, useful as some of these mediaeval villages are riddled with narrow streets and car restrictions.

Safely parked we slowly ambled along the quiet streets, curiously admiring the cute mix of village house styles, large and small. Some of the stone built ones look very old with tiny windows. It even has a small grocery store.

We must be getting closer as wafting cool blues music pervades the afternoon sky. Bar Rupia looks over a small square surrounded by large imposing residences, no doubt lending a good acoustic touch. It’s close to 1pm and business is brisk, with no sight of an empty outdoor table. It’s a bright sunny spring day and sitting al fresco is the prime objective. 

Our friend’s DJ spot is in full swing, set back far enough from the bar so the music is background and non-intrusive. As we chat away a table becomes vacant, we’re in. A quick visual scan of the other patrons and they look like locals. I’m beginning to wonder why I’ve never heard about this place and like what I see, and pick up their one page clipboard food menu (in Catalan). 

These lazy Sunday afternoon outings are what tapas is all about and we order some snails (12€), calamari with wasabi mayo (9€) and xoricets (5.70€), small spicy sausages in a cider sauce. A small selection of much bigger dishes are also on offer and a takeaway menu too. 

Choices are a variety of typical Catalan fare and prices are not over the top at all. Dishes we ordered were plentiful and the calamari a hit, crunchy batter with the wasabi mayo a tasty kick.

It’s starting to feel toasty as our table is bathed in direct sun, thankfully there are a few large sun umbrellas. Additional tables and chairs are quickly provided as a steady stream of new customers arrive.

If you’re looking for tasty no frills food or just a slow relaxing drink, in a cute village setting away from the hustle and bustle, then Bar Rupia is surely worth a look.

Categories
Restaurants

L’Estartit Eats – Restaurant Cheers Playa

I must walk past or near to this place nearly everyday as part of my dog walking routine. It’s one of many restaurants that hibernate during the windy winter months, reawakening at easter.

Except for some low-slung roadside shrubs, the long range views are eye-pleasing. The recent removal of a long abandoned, concrete built, graffiti plastered beach bar has improved matters.

Just metres away from the beach it’s a perfect spot for one of those long, take-your-time lunches that we enjoy. Or just as welcoming for a morning coffee or sunset drink. The wide, roomy terrace has weather protection and a canopy, useful as it can get blowy here.

The hoarding above displaying its name, Cheers Playa, looks shabby and unloved in comparison to its neat interior. Still, forgetting the old adage of never judging a book etc we ventured forth one sunny Sunday afternoon.

The first obstacle upon entering is our two small dogs, in the absence of any ‘dogs are welcome’ signage it’s a recurring question that gets asked. Thankfully it’s rarely a problem with outdoor terraces, and even indoors-’as long as they’re well behaved’ being the usual anecdote. In contrast the restaurants in Girona are by and large less accepting.

On our Sunday lunchtime visit in early May we were offered a variety of table locations on the terrace, settling on a large, round, ample sized, corner table. Peeking further in, the interior is light, spacious and uncluttered, crisp white tablecloths de rigueur.

We began to peruse the menu, thankfully it wasn’t a long one, and were quickly distracted by the weekend 3-course set menu at 22€ (including bread, water and glass of wine/small beer).

A quick rundown:

Starters, a choice of 4, mussels, goats cheese salad, garlic prawns or beef carpaccio.

Seconds, again a choice of 4, pork tenderloin, veal loin, Salmon or seafood paella.

I opted for the goat’s cheese salad which I choose quite often, ensuring my fix of greens. Depending on where we dine I find it differs widely in quality and in choice of ingredients added to the obvious goats cheese and salad leaves, this one was an 8/10.

The same opinion applies to paella, my second’s choice, as there are so many ways to cook it.

Service was swift, genuinely friendly and fuss-free. The food presentation and quality were impressive, and the desserts were hitting the right notes too. I’d return for sure if there weren’t so many other local places I’d still like to try.

Final bill, for 4, with extra coffees and drinks took us to 116€

Categories
Beaches

Last few months in L’Estartit

Our winter experiment is coming to a close as we have to vacate our rental apartment by late June. The idea was to see how we fared wintering on the Costa Brava as we’d never done anything like this before. 

As with most people who reside in Girona, the coast is always viewed as either a day trip or a summer holiday destination. Whole sections of our former neighborhood La Devesa, decamp to second residences. Those lucky enough to have had savvy grandparents who bought way back when prices were affordable are reaping the rewards.

Once the tourists leave and winter sets in there’s little attraction to remain, especially for the whole winter and into spring. Empty streets, closed shops, bars and restaurants add to the ghost town feel. The few places that decide to stay open here in L’Estartit aren’t always the most inviting, and the odd few that you’d prefer to go into tend to open only at weekends.

Some days you might have the whole beach to yourself but the damp cold or windy climate will mean your stay is short. November, December and January were the bleakest.

That’s not to say that you won’t experience periodic outbursts of fine weather, a nice respite when it happens.

For some, this type of voluntary solitude is no problem, for me it felt a tad strange moving from busy little Girona. When I had a reason to visit the city I felt elated, a nostalgic pull. 

Still, we had to wait until around Easter in early April to notice a distinct rise in reopenings of shops and bars, with a symbiotic increase in tourist visitors. Now in June, the hot weather spell is back with a bang. The beach is buzzing, welcoming and ready for the summer onslaught. Can’t walk the dogs on the beach anymore, but there’s a fenced-off beach area in nearby Els Griells urbanization.

I might venture back in early July to check out their long running Beatles Festival, highlights will include the band’s former barber. The one from Penny Lane?