View of the dining room and display table:
As interesting as the meal, however, was the story of the owners, and also the stories/encounters with other pilgrims and people we met on the Way. The owners, a couple with two small children bought this 400 year old monk's rectory from another couple who had started the renovation. They do ALL the food preparation themselves. Four kinds of bread, Spanish tortilla, chocolate pound cake, little Eclairs, quince jelly, homemade cheese, muffins - for breakfast. We can't figure out who is taking care of the kids, haha.
Below: three cheese salad - caramelized goat cheese, sheep's milk cheese, and cow's milk cheese with grated carrots, puréed tomatoes, olive oil, and you won't guess what's around the edge, although I had thought could it possibly be...? Brewer's yeast!!!!!!! A fabulous touch. Then there was hake, over mashed potatoes and tomatoes. With chocolate lava cake and homemade mint ice cream. We didn't really expect such a gourmet meal.
Other interesting characters along the way: the guy who showed up in the middle of the woods with homemade leather stuff - we bought our shells from him
The hippie girl living in a ruin of a house offering food, clothing, whatever to passing pilgrims - we got our most colorful stamp from her.
The Irish artist who set up a studio in the middle of no where except the Camino, with a girl friend in France, selling his pen and watercolor studies for plenty $$$
I seem to have had good luck with the old farmers wanting to talk to me in Spanish - this guy offered us figs from his tree (fig in foreground, five foot tall cabbage plants in background)
Also met a very nice father-daughter couple from Seville - does it look like they are from Seville? We didn't think so either. Mostly you can only tell where the pilgrims are from if you hear them talk. We are all so differently alike.
I love all these stories! And again am hungry reading your food descriptions. Reminds me of my postcards back home from JYA in SdeCompostela and Madríd which were all about the food...
ReplyDeleteI just looked at your whole blog (and read it all) and saw that almost 18,000 other folks had also looked and read and enjoyed it as well. So, there you go, you can think what you want about your writing, but folks are LOVING what you're doing! (grin) Nancy (McFarland) Barnhart from MIHS class of '62... and just turned 70 yesterday... eek! haha www.davidshome.com for our travel pics the last 15 yrs. (when you have some time, NOT while you're enjoying being over there!)
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