Profesor de Paella

My mobile received a txt yesterday just before midday. "Hola Mr Derek! Nos invitamos usted a las 1500 al restaurante Salamanca en Fuengirola" -or- we are inviting you at 3pm to a restaurant in Fuengirola. I won't explain how I know but the invitation was cached in a slightly formal way so I sent back that I was pleased to accept and that I note my company is requested at 3pm...and added a smiley. I love restaurant food here in Spain and one or two locales hereabouts are particular favourites of ours and La Salamanca is one of them and, of course, no way was I going to refuse an invitation to eat out coming from her. But, the day before yesterday another chicken breast from that Family Pack was turned into Chicken & Chickpea Curry and I was rather looking forward to the second portion along with some homemade Tomato Chutney I knocked up alongside it. In fact I'd taken the curry out of the freezer to thaw before breakfast. That delight is due to be consumed within a very short while today, probably as I am writing this. It all comes to he who waits as they say. Katrina was over a day late in arriving due to bad weather holding her flight up in Milan. Instead of 6am Saturday it was more like 6pm Sunday before she finally got here. After a days recuperation from the journey we are to get together, the 3 of us, just like the old days! We did. I was bang on time and walked down the street towards the restaurant to find Larisa sitting near the doorway, waiting, but no sign of Katrina. Then, in the corner of my eye I became aware of somebody clicking away with a camera. The first photos of me in my new Party Frock! "Hola Katrina, donde has estado?" 'Where have you been?' "En rusa por supuesto" 'In Russia of course' etc etc etc. Seafood Soup (remember the seafood soup?) and Sea Bass in a Cream sauce was my 'choice'. They had theirs, all washed down with a Red Wine, which the Girls turned into Tinto Verano with the addition of Lemonade. Just like the old days as I remarked earlier. Actually we didn't eat at La Salamanca because there wasn't a table available, the place was packed solid (it's that popular as I've mentioned before). Second best is a few locales down the street, nowhere near as busy and where we did get a table. I think that Lary has now realised that at this time of year we should book La Salamanca. The next sortie she is planning for us in Fuengirola is to a Japanese restaurant. That should be fun, they might not do seafood soup!!! But, before then, this coming Sunday in fact, I have to produce Paella here in the apartment. She's invited herself (and Katy) to dinner here with me..el profesor de Paella....at 2pm, carriages whenever somewhile much later no doubt. I'm going to get a second pinny so she can slice and dice with me!