No idea

I suppose that as I am getting older, it is getting a little harder to keep my weight down. So advises mother. But I intend to succeed whatever the scales say when I get home! 

Of course being in Spain conspires against me a little. Not only do I not speak the language, but I am constrained to "eat out" every day I am away. I combat eating out by buying snacks for my room, and I overcome the worst of the language difficulties with an on-line dictionary (Clare's suggestion). It works for the most part. 

And perhaps I am learning a little. I could see that there is a free town WiFi and the other day I tried signing up. Google helps, it translated the web page for me, so I invented a sign-in name and gave them my email. The next step defeated me! I had to retrieve a password within 3 minutes and sign in. With no Web available there was no way to receive the email with the code in it. I found the email much later in my spam box! 

But today I found I could see both the town Internet and the hotel one if I choose my location properly. With a bit of juggling between networks, I was soon a registered user of a Spanish site! And so a little earlier I was able to call my mum on Skype from the park. 

Tonight I took the easy option and ate in the hotel. I can order the main course and a glass of wine, but in Spain it is not as simple as that! What sort of wine is another question. Fortunately my host is very helpful and today he proposed wine from a bottle that I could see was exceptional. There was no boasting on the label, just a simple identification on a dark bottle full of promise. Uncharacteristically I was asked to taste it, either as part of the necessary ritual, or perhaps because my host was unwilling to part with the liquid if by some chance I did not like it! 

I did like it, it was instantly delicious. Soon along with the wine came the tapas. Impossible as it is (I am told) for the Spanish to drink without eating, so too the meals here come with tapas as a starter. It's automatic. 

But I don't order this dish, it is completely random. Today some toasties with orange paste on and a meat beside it was presented. I had it before and it is much nicer than it looks, and today a cup of something new came along too. I gathered it was a soup and very hot, the warning was in English.

The television is showing English football with Spanish commentary and I have no idea what I ate but I enjoyed it! So you see in the picture all sorts of things, the identity of which is a mystery to me, but they were all delicious. Mum says I am always going on about the food I eat, well it is true, but it is my adventure.

I wish I could point you to these delicious things, or be able to repeat them myself, but I can't. They remain a chance one-off to be enjoyed while I can.

And the brandy has arrived. Yesterday my host suggested this and it certainly was a good night's sleep afterwards! Now the brandy has returned but today it is the promised 1866 version. It is in my hand as I amend this post. 

I wonder what the scales back home are going to say? 

Terry 

Sent from Samsung tablet