Entertaining, eating and the dangers of paradise

...We are entertaining Patrick and Neil, and Dave and Pete tomorrow night. Patrick and Neil own and run Paneil's restaurant. So you can imagine my wife scurrying round the kitchen, muttering oaths under her breath, as she wields the odd pan or three, whilst making (which I know will be excellent) preparation for tomorrows meal. Today she is making a traditional cheesecake. Certain ingredients are marinading in preparation for the 'big' cooking exercise tomorrow. Patrick and Neil are both excellent cooks, so she feels they are a hard act to live up to. But Angela never gives herself any credit so I will tell you she is also an excellent cook.

We have discovered a red wine (recommended to us by a wine taster) which is 1 Euro and 15 cents. that is less than a pound a bottle and I defy anyone to offer me anything in England up to the price of £6 that will beat it. We also get a white wine which is the extortionate price now of 1 Euro 49 cents. I went to Carrefour and took advantage of their 3 for 2 offer and bought three litres of Famous Grouse for 26 Euros. Finally I got a 12 pack of Mahou beer for 4 euros. So I am covered for the drinking requirements of my dinner guests.

As you can tell these are good prices. In England the authorities nag on about cheap beer causing a binge drinking society which promotes thuggery and violence. I would like those same people show me that level of thuggery here in Spain. Mind you Policemen with guns, 30 minute patrols around every road ad street, punitive gaol sentences and benefits for those who have paid into the system only, may have some bearing on the fact that Spanish people tend not to overdo the alcohol consumption especially if you have hangovers and can't work. For if you don't work or if you don't have an independent income here, you simply don't eat never mind drink.

Anyway, past experiences of feeding Patrick and Neil have resulted in positive feedback and they still accept our invitations so we must be at least holding our own.

We also take note of where Patrick and Neil go out to dine, because they are very honest about the food they eat, they compliment good restaurants and tend to say very little about the ones they are less keen on which I think shows a great professionalism. I on the other hand, am a consumer only, which allows me critics rights. We don't always eat in restaurants of the quality of Paneils. http://www.paneils.com/ We see their restaurant as somewhere special.

Very often we eat in Spanish restaurants. Each one has a menu del dia (menu of the day). This tends to be 4 courses and half a bottle of wine. the price varies from 9 euros to 12 euros. A typical menu would be. Mussels/soup/melon/prawns/crab meat for starter then pasta with bolognese sauce/meatballs/cold meats/mixed salad/tuna salad, then roast chicken/meat paella/fish paella/meatballs and finally creme caramel/ice cream/cake or coffee. This menu is a hang over from the Franco years. It was decreed that every restaurant must serve a substantial meal in the day time at a price that the workers can afford. The tradition continue.

As you can imagine some restaurants are better than others and we ex-pats have learned that from July to the middle of September you don't touch anything with cream, coleslaw, crab meat or prawns unless you are confident it has been properly refrigerated. The consequence of ignoring this fine plan is confinement to the nearest convenience for a minimum of 24 hours.

The heat brings me to the next danger, which is the sun. We sit in the Marina Bar, facing the beach, its clear when a new intake of tourists have arrived, there are scattered white bodies all over the beach, which turn to crimson, disappear for a day or so and then reappear and slowly over a few days blend into the brown tan colour just before they leave, following which a new white influx appears. This is why one of the most important summertime service on the beach is the cruz roja (red cross). They are very good. They have provided two life guards this year (normally one) and a few 1st aiders. There is also a small sea craft beyond the buoys patrolling for swimmers in danger. last year as the waters became warmer, fish not normally known to swim close in to the shore did so and a young girl had her fingers bitten by one which, wasn't lethal but had she been any deeper the shock could have got her into difficulties. The weather also drives in the jelly fish, and the coast guards service either employ someone or actually push the shoals out to sea.

In the middle of August the temperature can rise to the 40's C and that's when they declare tropical temperatures and issue warnings in order to help the elderly and children.

And what a pain Mosquitoes are! We bought this electronic mozzy deterrent which was as much use as a chocolate fireguard. I plugged it is and it make the noise of the female mosquito. That encourages the stalking mozzy to go elsewhere. I woke up the following morning covered in bites and to rub my nose in it there were 3 of the little critters sat on the plug in. I think one of the many metal detectors may just find the useless piece of junk next time the tide ebbs.....

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