Tapas for Papa

This one is for Dad, since he is always asking what we're eating in Spain.

As mentioned in an earlier post, on day two in Barcelona, between the spectacular church Santa Maria del Mar and Palau de la Música, we were hungry! Luckily for us, just around the corner from the church is a place called Taller de Tapas, or Tapa Workshop.

Tapas are small servings of food, usually just enough of whatever you have ordered for a couple of bites for one or two people. Tapas began as covers (the verb, to cover, in Castellano is tapar) for glasses of sherry. Sherry drinkers used a small piece of bread to cover their glass so that flies would not get into their drinks between sips. It is said that bartenders and pub owners began adding a small bit of meat, most likely jamón, to the bread to make it a snack. This grew from being a free snack with your drink to what is in some restaurants today a whole meal.



I am sure that you can tell from the above photograph of our steamed mussels that this particular restaurant serves tapas for a meal; otherwise we would certainly not have so many. Seafood is excellent in southern Spain and this fact held true for the northeastern coast.



One of the great aspects of eating at Taller de Tapas is that the menu is in Castellano, Catalán and English. This fact certainly makes it easier to know what you are ordering. We wanted to be sure that we were full after our meal, so we ordered something we knew we would both enjoy: pollo a la plancha (grilled chicken).



Another of our seafood treats, and my favorite, is the calamari a la plancha (grilled squid). Yes, those are entire squid hoods cooked in olive oil. Mmm. We also ordered patatas bravas, potato wedges with a pepper sauce. They were okey dokey; a little too much like fast-food potatoes to me.

Speaking of fast, our service was just that. This is difficult to find anywhere in Europe, really, as the culture does not demand it. I do not mean that it was fast like home - I imagine that will seem very strange to me if we ever move back there - but it was fast for Spain.

Our meal was accompanied by a Catalán must: pa amb tomàquet (pan con tomate; bread with tomato). This scrumptious item is easy to make. You can have garlic on it or not; that is your choice. You use very ripe summer tomatoes, cut them in half, give them a little squeeze to get the juices going (and to get rid of them - we don't want soggy tomato bread - eww) and then rub your bread with them. When I say bread I of course mean the stiffer European bread, not your American loaf. Next comes a sprinkling of salt and then at the end you drizzle a little olive oil on there. Yummy indeed!

I have also read here that there is a so-called cheating method. Apparently you can make a batch of the stuff by cutting your lot of tomatoes, grating them into a bowl, adding the salt and olive oil and then serving the bowl with the bread. This way people can spread the stuff onto their bread as they want it and nothing gets soggy by sitting around. Of course, it tastes so good that I find it hard to believe that it ever sits long enough to get soggy!

I will mention that we ordered a pitcher of sangría to go with our meal. This is something I do not recommend because the sangría at Taller de Tapas is not exactly...authentic. It was a whole lot like drinking colored and slightly sweetened rum from a glass. Oh yeah, nothing like straight liquor with your tapas.

Next time, we'll stick with cerveza...or better yet, when traveling, agua sin gas for lunch all the way.

Hasta pronto,
~ CC

Where, Oh Where?

Let's see...where have I been?

Nowhere, really. Here, but not blogging.

A monthly wrap-up for your perusal:

We attended a show at the bullring that included a fabulous piano player, singers, band (complete with Kenny G-esque sax player), flamenco dancers and dancing andalucian horses.

I then spent my time finalizing our plans for a visit to Dublin, Ireland and environs. We were there from the tenth until the fourteenth. Mostly it went off without a hitch.

I've been to castellano classes once a week.

The car is in the shop and every time we call we are told "I think it will be finished the car at the end of this week or the beginning of next week." That is what we get for having a car in the shop in Spain in August...when everyone is on vacation.

On the twenty-fourth we attended a team-building (excuse for a party - ha!) extravaganza at a chiringuito here in Sotogrande. What is that, you ask? Why, a chiringuito is a beach bar that serves tasty treats in addition to copious amounts of alcohol. Karen has a post that deftly describes the evening complete with a photograph. Yes, we did eat the fish cooking on stakes on the sand-filled boat fire.

Cooper has had some interesting developments this month as well. For starters, he has a new bed. It is big and floppy and he appears to like it (now that he has accepted that it is the norm). Secondly, the vet who owns the kennel where he stays when we leave town declared him "un perrito bueno" and told me that he is so good with other dogs now. Any of you who know Cooper at all...or have heard our doggy meets doggy tales...know that this is an improvement indeed. We were going to have a doggy play-date with two seventy-pound-plus golden retrievers this past weekend, but it fell through. Good times are guaranteed when that occurs - we'll try to videotape it. Lastly, today he was groomed and although he still was so excited to arrive there that he was a bit loud, today was the first time that when I arrived to pick him up he was calm and collected...and of course he did not want to leave. Go figure.

So. There you have my month more or less. Yes, I did participate in 12 of 12. I have not posted it yet for whatever reason. It will come soon enough, along with more info on most of what I have written about here. All will have photographs, of course. I can't seem to do much posting without the photographs. They are my favorite part.

Hasta pronto,
~ CC

Guilty As Charged

Call DPS*; a crime has been committed.

At approximately 10:07 PM on the evening of July 29th, 2007 it was discovered that a certain doggy, hereafter referred to as Chompy-Lones, AKA Pantalones Cortez, is a victim of neglect.

According to Chompy-Lones, AKA Pantalones Cortez, himself, it was only after 'months' of desertion that he was finally released from his dire predicament.

Note: the actual amount of time spent in isolation may be off as we are dealing with a canine persona; his grasp of a 'time line' appears vague.

According to the suspect in custody, after performing his ritual Sunday chore of ironing clothes for the week ahead, he replaced the iron and ironing board in the so-called 'third bedroom'.

Note: Suspect seems to be referring to what, at first glimpse, is a guest bedroom/storage room, AKA the scene of the crime.

After this iron and ironing board replacement, no member of the household saw paw nor hair of Chompy-Lones, AKA Pantalones Cortez.

An occasional "woof" was overheard in the midst of loud and intense Ninja Gaiden: Sigma playing. Multiple times the game was paused only to hear silence.

Suspect believed Chompy-Lones, AKA Pantalones Cortez, had simply done what he is known to do most nights: get fed-up with his owners and go to bed.

Suspect repeatedly asked his wife "Is Chompy in bed?" to which she replied "I don't know."

No one checked.

Not once.

From 7:35 pm until 10:07 pm.

That's correct: over 2.5 hours.

At this time, suspect teased Chompy-Lones, AKA Pantalones Cortez by calling for him to come and "go outside".

Chompy-Lones, AKA Pantalones Cortez did not 'come' because he could not.

He had been 'locked' in the 'third bedroom' with no air-conditioning and no lights for over 2.5 hours.

In fact, he had to shake his body, and therefore his collar in order for his so-called parents to 'find' him.

Note: in their favor, once 'found', Chompy-Lones, AKA Pantalones Cortez was taken outside, given water, and loved and played with until content. This was partly necessary because he wanted to go out to the living room and take part in the section of the evening he had missed: sleeping on the sofa until he grumbles and takes himself to bed. As the owners were ready to sleep, this option was not available. He was appeased and then all slept.

Assessment: we shall be keeping an eye on the lot of them.

*Doggy Protective Services

Barcelona Overview: Day Two

Our second day in Barcelona began as the first. Once we finished with our breakfast, we headed out to purchase tickets for a guided visit to the Palau de la Música, yet another World Heritage Site. We were very happy that we stopped at the ticket office first because the first English tour was sold out and we had to purchase tickets for a visit later in the afternoon.

Our next stop was the Picasso Museum. Maneuvering the maze of tiny streets in the Barri Gòtic was easy with our mini detailed maps from Rick Steves' Spain 2007 (Thanks BC!). We joined the fast-moving line that snaked down the street and were soon inside.

Señor CC and I both greatly enjoyed this museum. All of the work is presented chronologically and there are guides who ensure that you follow the correct path. It was amazing to watch his work grow...literally and figuratively. We saw small landscapes and village-life scenes painted on wood, some excellent portraits, items from his blue period as well as his more well known modern art. The whole painting exhibit was followed by a small room of his ceramics - now that we'd never even heard of.

My favorites included a portrait of his mother. It was so very real that it appeared as if she could just come off of the canvas and speak to us. I have a postcard of this one, but of course it doesn't do justice to the real painting. Just her ear was so amazingly created...it was unbelievable. I also loved one of the blue paintings - the one titled "desamparats" - of a woman and child. A postcard or photo in a book is interesting, but not nearly as revealing as when one has a chance to view a painting for herself.



Our next stop was the Museo de la Xocolata. I would be surprised if the mouths of all who pass by didn't water from the amazing smells emanating from the museum. One is faced with a cafe selling all kinds of creamy treats upon entering, and once entry tickets are acquired, room after room of eye candy awaits. The history of chocolate is covered amongst displays made almost entirely of, well, chocolate.


In addition to the man above, there are chocolate sculptures of Gorillas, Don Quixote and his sidekick in front of the treacherous windmills, a shoe store display, Casa Amatller, as well as a full model of the Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory...factory. I imagine these will be the main focus for children, but scattered between them is loads of information regarding chocolate. There are examples of the machines used as well as interactive media displays to let you guide yourself through the information. Everyone exits through the cafe when they are finished...and many stop to have a drink and a tasty treat.


Houses of worship are everywhere in Spain and Europe. They are usually most extraordinarily decorated and designed. One of the most beautiful I have seen is Santa Maria del Mar in Barcelona. This church was burned out during the Spanish Civil War; there are still black marks on the ceiling. There are very few furnishings in the church, which makes it quite different from Cathedrals we've seen. Symmetry throughout the sanctuary created by columns that rise up to towering heights coupled with the beautiful light created by the stained glass windows allows for an awe-filled atmosphere.


Windows line the sides of the sanctuary in Santa Maria del Mar. They were much lower to the ground than those in the cathedrals of Seville, Granada, or even Barcelona. Many cathedrals leave you astounded due to details or the opulence of what they contain; this church made me calm and filled me with a certain amount of amazement and respect. It was simply beautiful.

Hunger begain knocking after our inspiring visit to Santa Maria del Mar, so we headed out to Taller de Tapas for a surprisingly quick lunch. We had a lovely meal which I will describe in more detail another time. Excellent place for a lunch, though - and the menu is in at least three languages, which is always beneficial.


My favorite visit of the day was the Palau de la Música. No photographs are allowed inside, and the exterior section was under refurbishment, so I have nothing to show you but this photo. What is it, exactly? I bet if I tell you to think of tropical trees you can guess. Nature is the name of the game with the Modernisme movement, and this is only a conservative example of how architects and artists (one in the same, where Modernisme is concerned) used nature as inspiration.

Designed by Lluís Domènech i Montaner, the 'father' of Modernisme, this Music Palace is a sight to behold. If any of you, dear audience, every visit Barcelona, please make every attempt to visit this sight - especially if music interests you even slightly. The 'theme' of the performance hall is nature, and more specifically, a garden. Every piece of every item has been designed to fit within this theme, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant. Flowers are everywhere, but not necessarily obtrusively so, the stained-glass window up above it the sun circled by angels singing. The nature flows throughout the seating area.

The stage, which was increased in size to hold a full orchestra by building out over the first few rows of seats...which are still visible under the stage curtain, is framed on one side by the Ride of the Valkyres (Wagner) and on the other by the bust of Beethoven. I suppose those two big-wigs balance each other out quite nicely. Surrounding the back wall of the stage are maidens who are half mosaic (2-D; tile) and half bass-relief (3-D; plaster). Each holds and plays a different instrument.

The entire room is overwhelmingly intricate and full of light. Windows cover the outer walls, a new architectural feat at the time of its construction that required support in the form of poles and beams a few meters in from the outer walls. The only way to see the Palace is to join a guided visit, which begins with a short video and then a tour of the performance hall, or to attend a performance. Either way, it is a must-see in Barcelona.


Next on our itinerary was Casa Milà, commonly referred to as La Pedrera. La Pedrera means the stone quarry and when looking at the exterior of the building, I am certain anyone can see why the building has such a nickname. Antoni Gaudí designed and built these apartments in the modernisme style. Again, all is based on nature. Here things are not quite so...opulent as at the Palau.


Perhaps the most fun section of the building is the spontaneous rooftop. Sculptures of different shapes and colors, all based on nature of course, rise up. Some look like melting ice-cream on a cone and others look like heads of some creature (perhaps a lizard), but all are whimsical and fun. As you can see above, from Casa Milà one can easily see Gaudí's most famous work, La Sagrada Familia.


Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Familia is the full name of this structure. Gaudí spent the last years of his life living here while he built it. La Sagrada Familia is still under construction and will be for quite a few years yet. I expect a massive celebration when it is complete. I will share more on this and Casa Milà in another post or two. It is sufficient to say that this place is awesome. That would not be an exaggeration by any means.

For our evening meal, we headed to an Italian restaurant. I know, Italian in Spain. What can I say, we didn't feel like testing the Catalán waters. Regardless, it was very good. Afterwards we strolled Las Ramblas in a search for churros con chocolate. Were we successful? You'll have to come back later to find out!

July 12 of 12

Unfortunately for me, the jet lag struck again. Not in its normal manner, however. This time it joined forces with the entity that is 'vacation' and completely rearranged my internal clock so that I had no idea whatsoever what day it was when I took the photographs for this post.

I can say, with the utmost honesty, that I fully believed it to be the 12th when these photos were taken. Therefore, I shall post them as if my mind was not deceived and simply carry on.

Done and done.

I spent the 12th of July in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Also, the 11th.

I flew into Atlanta, Georgia on July 3rd and joined my brother and his family at a lakehouse for the normal July 4th boating and fireworks activities. Which lake? Why, Granddaddy's Lake, of course! Honestly, any lake near my brother's house appears to be initially called Granddaddy's Lake - but that is no matter to little minds.

On Saturday the 8th we drove up to North Myrtle Beach for our annual Beach Week with Granny. This involves Granny, of course, her four children, and their respective families. I believe eighteen people attended this year.

I have looked through my photos, and I did, in fact, take quite a few on the real 12th. All of them consist of our eighteen shining faces in various groupings. Since I have no idea if anyone wants their photograph online for the world to see, I have to make do with what I've got. Besides, it was the 12th of July somewhere in the world while I was taking these photos...and for a few of them it was the 12th in Spain.

This month's bonus photo is based on the word hot, as decided by Chad, creator of 12 of 12.

My 'vacation' from Spain (HA!) version of 12 of 12 - July, 2007:

9:46; North Myrtle Beach, SC

May I introduce you to the most fabulous pair of shoes on the planet? They are fantastic indeed. I have them in three colors, but this new pair is my favorite. I can stand in them through a(n) (American) football game - including all of the pre- and post-game activities, and my feet, legs, all of me, feels fine and dandy. Or I can wear them while touring around a place like Sevilla or Granada, where one ends up walking on pavement, cobblestones, and various uneven hard surfaces all day long and feel completely fine afterwards. I highly recommend them...if you couldn't tell.

9:47; North Myrtle Beach, SC

Someone bought these for breakfast. Mmmm....sugar and fat to start the day - is there any better way?

18:24; North Myrtle Beach, SC

These dear bears have replaced Hat, so it seems. As in the Cat in the Hat. I am sure you recognize Pooh. His dancing friend is called Baby Bear. I imagine it is because it is small.

18:25; North Myrtle Beach, SC

One of my purchases from yesterday - new running attire.

18:26; North Myrtle Beach, SC

A gift for my husband - birthday and anniversary come one day after the other, so I have to be prepared with many gifts when I return from the beach.

18:27; North Myrtle Beach, SC

Ah - the shoe thief! Granted, this is a shot of her wearing her own shoes. Do not let the tiny toes and itty-bitty soles fool you. She will wear, very successfully I might add, any size shoe to any location. Sandals, flip-flops...even smelly running shoes have been known to...relocate...with the help of this one's tiny tooties.

18:29; North Myrtle Beach, SC

Ah, Sly Kat will not like this photograph. She will be thinking ewww! while the rest of us think MMmmm!

18:37; North Myrtle Beach, SC
Bonus Shot: Hot

Oh yes, they are indeed hot! It only took forever to get them going this evening. There was a bit of a breeze...

18:39; North Myrtle Beach, SC

Dad finally got these beauties on the grill...just in time for the wind to really pick up and...

18:45; North Myrtle Beach, SC

Time out - my nieces are both brown-eyed, and my brother loves the song, so here it is. Yes, they both have this shirt and they wear it on the same day.

19:04; North Myrtle Beach, SC

Back to the regularly scheduled program...just in time for the wind to really pick up and... blow so hard that umbrellas, chairs, trashcans, and anything else on the beach went flying! A massive storm came through and we had to move all of the steaks upstairs to finish cooking. We had a delicious meal regardless of the chaos. Of course, that is what beach week is really all about anyway - the chaos of our family - and we always have fun!

19:18; North Myrtle Beach, SC

Back inside after a few shots of the storm, and Brown-Eyed Girl numero uno is taking photos just like me! She uses her Mom's cell-phone...and when she fills it up, someone just deletes them all so that she can start again.

00:56; North Myrtle Beach, SC

Once we were all full from the meal, a few of us went to see Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. I enjoyed it very much and I am very happy that I was able to go see it while I was home; otherwise I would not have seen it on a big movie-screen. We got back a little late. Here's the clock right before I went to bed.



So that's it. My 12 of 12...some on the 11th and some on the 12th. Hey - I did the best that I could!! I have more to write about. I'll be completing Barcelona information soon and I have a request to detail what my visitors to Spain can look forward to doing, so stay tuned - there should be more very soon!