September 6, 2024 Breakfast - Bolero cafe in Foz, Snack at Confiteria La Alianza Pastry Shop in Mondonedo, Lunch - Restaurant O Pipote in Vilanova Dinner in Room

September 6, 2024 Breakfast - Bolero cafe in Foz, Snack at Confiteria La Alianza Pastry Shop in Mondonedo, Lunch - Restaurant O Pipote in Vilanova  Dinner in Room

We traveled a long distance today around the region, first along the coast and then across three valleys into the interior of Galicia and then back to Playa O Catedrales.

We slept late and then around 9:30 drove to a place we thought was a bakery but it was not on the way to Foz, so we drove on the Foz and drove to a bakery that would not have any bread until 11:00. Next door to the bakery was a cafe named Bolero that had the largest croissants I have seen in Spain, so we each ordered a croissant with butter and nectarine jelly and Suzette ordered coffee with hot milk and I ordered a glass of fresh orange juice. 

We then drove out to the beach in Foz and admired the exquisite view east along the coast toward O Catedrales.

It was cold and windy and there were no bathers

The theme of the day was antiquing. We drove back to an antique store at the edge of Foz that opened at 11:00.  We found nothing of interest. Suzette said there is an antique store 29 miles away, so we drove over three ridges and through two valleys to Mondonedo deep in the interior of Galicia. We parked behind the main church and walked to the main plaza dominated by the church. The church was on a Camino that we think Willy have walked last year. 

 We soon found the antique store on one side of the plaza and again there was nothing of interest, but I saw a store up a side street that apron investigation proved to be a fabulous pastry and confection store with seating. I ordered two pastries, one a local pastry that had a nut and nougat filing like a Pecan pie, but without the Karo syrup covered with glacé fruits and bound by a thick crust. The other pastry I had never seen before a long thin roll of puff pastry filled with a tube of chocolate and coated with chocolate. I ordered a cafe con leche and Suzette ordered a glass of red wine that turned out to be Ruby port.

                            Candy display is over my left shoulder

We then noticed a lit display of beautiful candies and bought six dark chocolate covered Sevilla glacéd bitter orange peels. We sat at a table and ate the pastries with port and coffee and one of the candied glacéd orange peels. This was the best food experience of the day and completely un-planned. 

It was after 1:00 and time to look for a lunch stop.  Suzette picked Restaurant O Pipote in Vilanova, a town on the route back to Playa Catedrales.

We arrived at O Pipote around 1:30.  Everyone was ordering the 15 Euro Menu of the Day that included an appetizer or soup or salad, an entree, water, bread, wine, and dessert. But there was an option to order one entree, bread, wine, water, and dessert for 11 Euros. We chose the one entree option because what we each wanted was an entree. Suzette chose beef tongue in a creamy tomato sauce with French Fries. I chose Lilias (fried small white fish) with salad and butter baked potatoes.

We ordered white wine and it seemed to be a light white Verdejo that we found went well with the dishes. Neither of us ate any bread and we did not finish the wine. We took most of the 1 1/2 liter bottle of water and all the light brown bread with us because we were full. Even though full I ordered and ate house made flan with whipped cream and Suzette took a stab at the torte of the day, a lemon chiffon torte with a swizzle of chocolate syrup. By 3:00 we left happy and full.

We drove back toward the hotel Playa Catedrales but turned onto N 634 and drove to an Ersoki supermarket to buy Olkos Greek yogurt for breakfast. I realized the Playa Catedrales is still rather undeveloped. For example you have to drive about 4 to 5 km. to get to a real supermarket.

I rested and napped from 4:00 until 5:30 when we returned to the hotel while Suzette walked west on the beach. At 5:30 when I awakened I checked in on La Vuelta and was not surprised that Roglic broke away to take the stage and the red jersey of O’Conners back. 

Then around 6:00 we took a walk east on the beach, which was high tide and saw the power of the wind and waves. It was a strong on shore breeze that must have been almost gale force that added power to the waves as they bounded the rocks and beach. In these conditions only the beach birds seemed to be willing to go on the beach.

Then later we fetched two cups of yogurt, butter, and spoons and at 8:00 I fetched the duck pate, the merlot wine, and a knife.

Suzette ate a cup of yogurt for dinner and I spread butter and duck pate’ on two slices of the crusty fresh light brown bread from lunch and drank merlot with them for dinner and at 10:00 ate my cup of yogurt to aid digestion.

The duck pate and brown bread with the red wine with yogurt later were a terrific dinner.

Suzette worked on her computer and at 10:30 went to bed and I worked on this blog entry until 11:15

Bon Appetit