TIME IS A TRAVELLER.........



Lacrima's Birthday Cake

The Family Cake

Truth be known, I'm rather partial to that old Peter Allen chestnut; but I digress........time does, indeed, travel, and I've recently had cause to cross off yet another decade. Can it really be 10 years since the roasting in the Betty Cuthbert Room at the Field Of Dreams (i.e. the mighty MGC for the uninitiated!) with the wondrous sounds of Spectrum as the perfect accompaniment; it really does seem like yesterday. Anyway......

Dulcinea, Lacrima & Don L

Mike, Bill & Robbo (Spectrum) showed a total lack of commitment and weren't here to surprise me this time, so I made do with playing "I'll Be Gonz" a few times. On the Saturday evening, Dulcinea had booked a restaurant for us to celebrate the occasion. At 8.00pm, our Romanian wonder woman Lacrima arrived witha birthday cake for me, to babysit los ninos and stake a claim on her old bedroom downstairs. The kids love her (and it's reciprocated) and by evening's end Aimee had taught Lacrima how to play a tune on the piano. At 9.00pm our taxi arrived at the restaurant, spot on time; punctuality is something that is not often given much consideration here in Spain and so when the car door was opened and a doorman enquired "Mr & Mrs Leeden?" I was taken aback - IMPRESSIVE! We had arrived at SERGI AROLA GASTRO, the award winning, Michelin rated restaurant of the feted chef from Barcelona. The doorman set a standard of service and excellence that was maintained for the whole night; we were made to feel special. It's a surprisingly small establishment with only about 15 tables and the lighting and decor is subdued; on reflection, I reckon this is all designed to bring the focus on the main game - the exquisite food.


Ten Years Per Finger

Bellini

Finca Allende Martires 2011

As we contemplate the Catalan inspired menu, we enjoy a martini (shaken, not stirred) and the requested olive brought a look of "well what else would you have with  martini" from our sommelier Daniel Poveda. The current flavour of the month, so to speak, with Spanish chefs is 'molecular', i.e. less is more via little explosions of taste, and Sergi is no exception. The wine chosen for the evening is a Finca Allende Martires 2011, a dry white that Daniel advises is one of Rioja's finest, a 'fat' wine (we ultimately deduce that he means 'full bodied') that proves to live up to his description. Our maitre is Sara Fort and she is fantastic all evening. And so to the kai kai. One of the things I love about truly fine restaurants/chefs is that they inspire you to try food (asparagus notwithstanding!) that you ordinarily may dislike or are, at best, be dubious about.



Patatas Bravas

We start with a 'Selection of Snacks & Classics in One Bite', a tapas if you will. it is inventive and glorious. There's a Bellini served in a stone bowl that melts in the mouth (I've never had one of the famous Italian 'cocktails' before), Anchovies Candy with Olives Ice-Cream (extraordinary, the anchovies - which I dislike normally - literally crackle on the tongue), a mouth watering mini Spanish Omelet; then followed a Crispy Cornet with Baby Prawns (so tiny you'd be arrested for serving them in Australia!), a Sandwich of Fried Squid and Mayonnaise, Salmorejo Sphere (a delicious Andalusian gazpacho), and tasty Patatas Bravas (one of my favourites. Dulcinea isn't a fan of PB, but unfortunately for me she IS a fan of Sergi's!). We also had what was an absolute culinary highlight, as surprising as it was delicious; the False Sandwich Stuffed With Cheese & Ham (seriously!) was sublime as it literally dissolved on the tongue - I don't know how  he did it, but it's made our Breville waffle iron redundant! And so to the main attractions...........


Snacks & Classics

False Ham & Cheese Sanger

Crispy Cornet & Fried Squid Sanger





Spanish Omelet



Anchovies Candy & Olive Ice-Cream

Dulcinea enjoyed Smoked Beetroot Raviolis with Celery Consomme whilst I savoured "Bull Negre" with Red Prawn from Roses and Seasonal Mini Vegetables; you should know that Bull Negre is Catalan Blood Sausage (if you've watched Rick Stein's "Spain" culinary TV show then you will have seen how it's made; as I've pointed out, delicacies I would not normally entertain proved to be delicious!). We both enjoyed Roasted Sardines with Green Beans from Kenya, Black Trumpet & Sobrasada (no, I don't know why the beans had to come from Kenya and not locally, Black Trumpet is a black fungi, and sobrasada is a catalan cured sausage....mmmm, mmmm). Surely not, but yes, MORE food...........Monkfish "All Cremat" Style, Half-Comfit Tomato and Escarole in Romesco Sauce Vinaigrette tasted as good as it sounds, and the final main dish was "Seasonal Game" - Wood Pigeon Roasted in its Own Juice, Hare, Venison with Truffled Apple Bonbon; the pigeon was a bit chewy for my liking, the hare a little better, but the venison was 'to die for' - simply scrumptious.


Seasonal Game

Dang - What Was it...

Bull Negre & Red Prawn

Smoked Beetroot Raviolis

Roasted Sardines

 
 








For that "Sweet Moment", we chose Comte Cheese (30 months old) with Canary Island Stewed Potatoes a la Creme with White Wine, a 'Catalan Cream' Souffle and Chocolate 'Gives Life'; the chees and potatoes was unusual, to say the least, but very tasty, the chocolate divine, and I thought Dulcinea would almost burst with the souffle. It was a memorable conclusion to a memorable dinner. By the time we arrived home, it was 1.00am, my birthday, and Buzz was asleep in our bed.....

Catalan Crean Souffle

Cheese & Spuds - Yum!!

Chocolate Gives Life

 The actual BIG DAY started with los ninos cooking and bringing me breakfast in bed - they were the best scrambled eggs I've ever had, containing that special ingredient that only your children can provide! It was then to the computer for a session of Skype to family and friends with varying degrees of success, before I was showered with lovely gifts and well wishes. I don't think I'm any different to most people in downplaying the celebrating of milestone birthdays, but when they occur it does cause one to reflect. And, whilst for obvious reasons, family and friends (and Spectrum) were in absentia in Madrid, Dulcinea had been working behind the scenes (a skill she has clearly perfected!), and the book she gave me containing so many messages from family, from friends, from you, makes me realise how blessed I am, and with it the first real feeling of missing home. If I haven't written directly then it's only because I'm still going ...



You know, life's amazing; I can't get over how each decade just gets better and better - it is what you make it, and so here we are living life to its fullest in Madrid (if only i could master the language!). I don't know the secret to eternal youth, but I'm pretty sure it includes having two adorable children that don't just force you to think young but make you want to be young, a daily fitness regime that includes at least one 'cafe con leche y dos eclair', maintaining a zestful appearance by refusing to cut one's hair, sticking to the height/weight ratio of 189cm/86kg (look good - feeeel good!), an excellent heart surgeon is advisable as well as a 'nether regions' surgeon you trust implicitly (luckily I have both!), and last but best of all, a Dulcinea eager to learn from an expert - I am a SEXAGENARIAN after all!

Dulcinea & CumpleanosBoy (Photo by Liam)

What Keeps Me Young (At Heart At Least)