Las Almejas

Today is the XIV Dia Internacional de Los Residentes Extranjeros or International Foriegn Residents Day which is celebrated in the main square in town and basically consists of stalls manned by Foreign Association Members selling, or giving away, food samples of their National cuisine. I hear that the Irish have on offer Hotdogs!! Anyway David's asked me to meet him up in town at 12 to have a nosy round the stalls which doesn't leave me much time right now to write here. Cecilia txt'd me last night and it seems that we are eating together later this evening so the weekend is looking good so far but more on everything later, I really do have to go right now.

OK, nothing much to see in the square and the Irish really were selling Hotdogs. Last Wednesday evening I cooked a chilli con Carne at David's after which we went out to El Bajondillo because he hadn't been in there for a year or more. On the way we bumped into Cecilia on her way back from shopping and I press-ganged her into coming out with us. During the course of the evening she suggested that I might like to go to Málaga (I presume) to visit the Picasso Museum and we consequently exchanged phone numbers in order to arrange that at a future date. The evening went well, to the point that when we were trying to leave the Manager pulled her to one side in the foyer and had the night's Musical Troupe perform a personal serenade for her. Watching her face from where I was standing (with the camera) it was obvious that she found it all a little embarrassing. David took his leave at the door and went home and we both finished up in Ana's until closing time. I can't remember all the subsequent conversational topics, yet yesterday I received a text from her to tell me that she "had got the Almejas" (clams) and that could we do whatever with them today. Now, I don't think that I was on the Brandy, in fact I know that I wasn't, but it seems that an arrangement has been made of which I actually have no knowledge. I'm just hoping that I'm not supposed to buy anything else to go with said clams because I haven't.

I'm just off to work and to be on the safe side I've bought a bottle of Port (her favourite) and tied a red rose to it just in case I end up with Egg on my face instead of Clams in my belly!!

I needn't have worried. A huge pot of Clams steamed in their own juices with some white wine, garlic and parsley turned up at the Bar at 7-30pm which was then served (after I'd been sent out for a fresh, crusty Baguette) in Tapa portions to those present who wanted some and a txt at 5-45am let me know that she liked the rose!