Some beers!

Does it need any explanation?

Fantastic Salad - thanks Oprah!

Inspired, as always, by the food we eat on holiday, we've come back from Spain intending to eat lovely healthy "jazzy" salads like we eat on hols.

So, in a spirit of health and freshness, we found this recipe on line and I had a go at making it this lunchtime, to serve with turkey fillet and a pea/mint dip and crudites.

http://www.oprah.com/food/Watermelon-Heirloom-Tomato-Salad-Recipe-Gluten-Free-Girl

It was delicious - although I edited the recipe a little bit...as I have no idea what heirloom tomatoes are so I bought some little yellow ones and a big red one! I used bog standard white wine vinegar. Don't really like tarragon so swapped it out for spring onions, and found a peach in the fridge which needed using up so chopped that in with the rest. Oh and I don't have 'fruity olive oil' so added half a teaspoon of apricot jam to the dressing mix.

Here's how it turned out...

And with the turkey, it makes a colourful plate-load!

Some turkey bits and the veg, ready for the pea and mint dip

...which has come out a bit of a funny colour but which was really nice and green!

Another Liza place

"Liza" seems to exist frequently in Catalan!

New Shoes

Some fabby  noo shoooos from the clarks collection for the hols!

Gin and tonic ice cream!

Nice little Spanish restaurant

The post is titled this as a joke to was what I had said when I was in Rome and now the rossi clan all think I am a bit simples (which is true) 

But I digress 

We ended up in a great restaurant yesterday afternoon that we had found called lizarran !  So not sure why we hunted it out (aside from the name).

Great bar setup (see photo) 

 But what was on the bar was also special .  Bocadillios - basically little bits of bread with nice toppings of all different types.  Delicious.  And also beer of course, 

Then we found the tapas menu and got two things off there.   1) potatoes with fury (creamy sauce with a bit of a kick) 

And then we got some chorizo ( hot) in its own sauce.  Perfect to dip a bit of bread in .

Dan signing off here.

A little look around Reus

Went for a nice wander yesterday. I think we've both been surprised with the attractiveness of the town. Lots of nice little corners and views. Here are a few pics to give you an idea of what it's like.

How could we not go in?

Dan spotted this restaurant /tapas bar and how could we resist?

Some very nice patatas bravas were had (and a couple of cheeky beers!)

Love the menu which was like a set of flash cards!

Also they had a nice idea of having some little crostini things on the bar which each had a flag/toothpick in. You could help yourself to these. At the end of the meal, they counted the sticks and that's what you were charged for. Cute idea!

The Residence

Seems to be a modern building attached to the side of a gorgeous church currently being renovated.

Breakfast at the residence

It's basic but adequate.

Set in the student's dining room, it's DIY and just what you need!

Coffee and tea, toast, biccies (of the brekkie dunking sort) cereal, juice, fruit and croissants.

Filled us up anyway!

Now this is what I am talking about

When I ask for a plate of ham, bread and tomatoes!

Not a bad thing to be served at 10pm with a couple of beers!

Oooh it's been traumatic already!

Well not exactly traumatic, but it's been interesting already and we only left home an hour ago.

Firstly I am going to write a letter of complaint to the airparks people for the dire state of the car park. We were directed to the overflow overflow. Zone 11. Still under construction. My car nearly got grounded on a bed of gravel and our new shoes and bags are covered with that white dust that gets over everything.

The car park itself is made up of rocks and sand. It's difficult to walk on and drive through.

Next disturbing fact is that the bus doesn't come into that zone, so you have to walk all the way back to the proper car park, to catch the bus.

And for this we have paid £45? Hmmmmm.

Check in and security took a matter of minutes. We'd paid for fast track, but didn't really need it. It was nice to sweep past the (modest) crowds though. 

En route to Reus

Packing has begun. One case between 2. We're going for the minimal look.

Dan's stuff in the foreground. Mine in the back.

I am currently wearing...some £4 trousers I found in the charity shop on my last visit there to take stuff...and I altered them to cut of the hideous pattern which was embroidered on the bottom...

Gross isn't it???

Snipped and ready to hem. So they were cropped a bit before and now they are cropped a bit more. 

Happy holibobs!