August 25, 2024 Breakfast - El Bar de Tito, Llanes Lunch - El Balamu Taberna Marinera, Llanes Dinner - Osteria, San Vicente
I ate the last two bites of the pain Au chocolate for breakfast and then at 9:00 we drove west about 25 km. to Llanes. We could not find a free parking space as usual, so paid 3 Euros to park in an empty lot by the hospital. We first walked toward the center to El Bar de Tito which actually has a 4.4 rating and where around 10:00 I was served a delicious three or four egg tortilla of Ham and cheese with only a little too much salt plus a piece of bread, butter and marmalade plus a tea with hot milk and Suzette had a coffee for a total Bill of 8 euros that was the deal of the day. The omelet was crooked in the French manner, firm on the outside and creamy in the inside. I loved it and was ready to walk after my second cup of tea.
We walked past the old castle ruins to a beach near a headlands along the coast. Suzette said, “This town has better, older architecture and more walls and is bigger than San Vicente and is more walkable.” We walked to the end of the breakwater protected by large squares of concrete, some of which had been painted. The painted ones were named Cubes of memory.
We then walked back toward the center and on the way I saw the restaurant El Balamu Taberna Mariners, near the mouth to the port.
It was 11:30 by the time we neared the main shopping street, El Calle Mayor. I found a seat at La Galleria outdoor cafe and ordered a hot chocolate and Suzette drank a vermouth. This was the first time I was served a cup of steamed milk and a package of cocoa that I stirred into the milk. It tasted more chocolatey than Swiss Miss but far less thick and creamy than cups of chocolate one finds at a chocolate shop. Suzette ordered a vermouth and when she finished it, I sat while Suzette went shopping and read Washington by Chernow.
When Suzette returned we went up one of the streets bisecting the Main Street where she found a fashion boutique with a liquidation sale where she bought a lovely faux suede brown jacket for 11 Euros.
It was now 12:30 and we were hungry. I suggested going back to El Balamu Taberna Marinera that was Michelin rated and Suzette agreed. I thought I made a reservation for the restaurant but apparently Open Table made the reservation for a restaurant in Madrid. The staff were nice enough to give us a table for lunch if we promised to finish before 3:00, the time it was reserved. We assured the hostess that we would only order appetizers and we were seated at a large six seat round table. Every seat has an impressive view out the 50 foot high windows to the open ocean in front of the port.
We ordered a bowl of a different type of deep welled chewy clam steamed in butter and a tomato, onion, and olive oil salad. Suzette ate about ten clams and almost no salad. I loved the tomatoes and finished the salad. I cannot describe how flavorful the tomatoes in Spain are. I have not had an unripe or un-flavorful one yet.
After lunch we walked back to the car and I checked my steps. I had walked 6291 steps, a new post-surgery record.
Suzette drove us back to the hotel in San Vicente and we fell into bed and napped for several hours.
At 6:30 we started moving again. We got dressed for Suzette’s birthday dinner at Osteria, near the end of the sea wall that guards the entrance to the bay and harbor.
We sat in the bar and sipped glasses of cava until 8:22, when we announced our reservation. I had told the maitre d’ that it was Suzette’s birthday dinner when I made the reservation a few days ago so we were shown to the corner table nearest the channel with views in two directions. Suzette took the seat with the view of the town, bay, and Picos.
Suzette was not feeling very hungry, so we ordered two oysters and a grilled local fish named Machiote that is in the sea bream family. It was over 2 lb. and served with grilled slices of eggplant, zucchini, tomato wedges, two boiled and grilled asparagus that were inedible, and sliced potatoes cooked in butter, one of my favorite ways to eat potatoes. Suzette ordered a bottle of Rioja rose 2022 consecho by Florentino Martinez made with the claret grape instead of the more acidic Albariño. The wine gets a 3.3 rating on Vinvino but what was important to us was it’s more mellow red wine flavor and lack of acidity. I loved it although it had a slightly rough finish, like many tempranillos.
The fish had been cut along the backbone from head to tail and both sides grilled to golden. We shared the fillet side which was all Suzette would eat. I soldiered on after Suzette lifted the central bone and ate the rest of the fish careful to remove all bones and skin with scales.
I rarely have the opportunity to eat really fresh fish that is cooked perfectly so the internal moisture in the flesh is still intact. Tonight was one of those rare opportunities.
When we finished dinner and the wine about 10:00 the restaurant was still filled and humming with activity.
We drove home and I took a sip of brandy and a Milka chocolate cookie and started to blog until I fell asleep and had a good night’s sleep.
I was amazed that I walked over 6700 steps today without pain and with moderation in my eating and drinking, a new post-surgery record and evidence that the surgery was beneficial.
Bon Appetit
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