European Vacation 2008

Finding a new “Good Food” place is part of our journey’s challenge.

Restaurante / Cafeteria “El Modernista” is one such place - only recently opened and still to be discovered even by the locals.

Chef “Mike” - a Lebanese American who now is in charge of this small Tapas Bar just off the southern beaches of Barcelona - is able to draw on many years of experience creating some of the new style of “Tapas”. It’s virtually anything goes from the original traditional Anchovy, Sardines etc to tasty sensations using potatoes, chickpeas, beef, turkey and so much more - what is fresh today and what ever is fresh from the mind and hands of a chef like Mike is like small morsels of food from heaven - in this place served very professionally by the lovely [Russian import] “Inna” who has learned the hospitaly trade well and is eager to please the diner with food & drink.

We left the choices of dishes to Mike and Inna on both evenings and we enjoyed everything of the wide variety placed on our table to be shared by all 4 of us. We wish the team - owner and staff - all the success they deserve. - We wish Mandurah and Western Australia could attract such high quality creators of fine casual food and service.

The trip to Barcelona on Friday (23.May) along the coastal road from Costa Brava to the Rafaelhotel Diagonal Port was “interesting”. We would not say it is something one needs to do and see - but we are glad we did see it this once.
The local “N” road is used by many trucks (no toll) and as we have seen in other European countries - here too the “trucky’s trolls” ply their trade on the side of the road, all very well groomed and sitting on white plastic patio chairs by convenient lay-bys [gives a new meaning to the term :-)].
The most horrible sights along this road however is what has been done to the sea-side villages which once must have been some of the jewels along the coast north of Barcelona. Now they are ugly (often dirty) overcowded sites of mass tourism with highrise holiday apartment buildings and bars etc.
As I said above - it’s something we are glad to have seen once by passing through , but we never wish to see again. - Question is how can anything this ugly and overcrowded be commercially viable ?

OK - we got into Barcelona and like any large city - you have to find your way - and we did and got to the Hotel [ www.diagonalport.com ] on the southern (newere) end of town just below the ‘Olympic port’. The facilities are very well presented supported by friendly and helpful staff. On-site secure parking is available (15 EUR per day) and breakfast (a good buffet style) is charged per person as it’s taken.

As is custom in Spain (and many of us find it hard to get used to) meal times are a bit unusual and room service food is generally only available at those times. Lunch is from 13:00 - about 16:00 and evening meal time starts at 20:30 (if your lucky) and goes to about 23:00.
There are however bars that serve Tapas. The traditional range has been expanded to include small single dish serves of various kinds of foods these days. The 1st afternoon (early evening) we were not too lucky in finding anything exciting. However the next two evening meals were taken at “El Modernista” - see seperate post under Food Reports.

Day one (Saturday) was spent on the “Rambla” [Outdoor cafes, stands selling birds, flowers, postcards, paintings, jewelry and more are set up right down the middle of the street, while more permanent tapas bars, hotels and shops line this important part of the city], “S. Josep Mercat” - with it’s large selection of stalls with all kinds of foods et al, and in many the side streets ….. the weather beeing a little kind to us with mainly sunny patches.
The next day unfortunately had to be declared a ‘rest day’ due to rain and cold winds, with some time spent reading books and spending time in the small hotel bar. Lucky by evening meal time it got just a touch better so we could get to the restaurant / bar without getting wet.

So we never did get to ride the double decker busses and did not get to see all the Gaudy sights again - which we had been looking forward to. - …. well such is life

On Saturday, 18.May, we drove about 450 km from Rocamadour in southern France to “Mama’s” in Empuriabrava on the northern Meditarian coast in Spain (Costa Brava). We used the fast A roads via Toulouse, Carcassonnne and Narbonne and only go back onto local “N” roads after Perpignan to go along the spectacular coastal road via Port Vendres, Banyuls-sur-Mer into Spain and on to Llanca and finally to Empuriabrava.

The 5 nights (4 days) were spent mainly with family and eating home cooked meals as one would when visiting “Mama” :-). We needed to update the TV (with a new 26″ flat screen) as the old one had just died the day before our arrival, as well as the Laptop with another second hand unit (only is used for family eMails by Mama - who is after all 87 this year).

We did manage to go back to Ca La Maria for Lunch before we left. As on previous visits we had an excellent traditional Spanish meal - including Pigs Trotters, Pigeon, Leg of Kid (Goat) and of course the famous local Anchovies.

Leaving Mama and her trusted little dog companion “Teddy” was not easy as usual.