Los Cinco Tapateers

Here we are - the five Tapateers at the meeting point, 1230pm Wednesday sober but hungry (well, I was). Organised by Bill, photographed by Ole-Erik (in the main, but this one is mine and was taken by a Waiter using my camera which is why I'm praying it doesn't get dropped) with the rest of us along for the ride. I don't think that you have met David (my Scottish Spanish teacher) and Randy (Beryl's Husband) "in the face" before so here they are.

A little potted history first. "Tapa Runs" are the brainchild of Gerry Shaw who used
to delight in taking a taxi, with a gang of friends, all the way from El Bajondillo to the top of town, deep into the heart of El Calvario and then proceed to return to El Bajondillo on foot (and The Red Lion) stopping at many Bars on the way down for a bevvy and a tapa. Down? Yes, that was the craft you see, the taxi had the uphill journey, the Gang could then do a Jack & Jill down the hill because it was easier. The Red Lion was known as the "collection point" because the womenfolk would gather there and wait to take their men home by the ear like naughty little boys. Gerry and many of the original gang are no longer with us of course but thanks to Bill (a long-standing gang member) today we traced a few of those historical footsteps in memory of days gone by.

David was elected to hold the kitty because he says he can speak spanish so 20€ a head was passed his way and a tapa ordered at the table in the photo. A sobering half-hour later saw almost half the kitty go straight away! Well, fairs fair, the place wasn't a tapa bar as such and actually gave us raciones instead.

First Stop
Onwards and upwards (we had to break with tradition and not use a taxi because half the kitty was gone already) Ole-Erik wanted us to try a bar that he knows, run by one of his kinsmen, where the beer is very cheap but there are no tapas. He was right. Cheap beer, no tapas but a floorshow like you have never heard before. The next-door locale is being refurbished and the noise.......eventually we had to leave. Where's Randy?...get in front please, where I can see you! The trouble with photography in this sort of situation is that there is always one missing, the one behind the camera, this time, me!

For the rest of the expedition I'm just going to show you the photos that were taken because the tale to tell is much the same at each stop - a drink, a tapa and then move on.

Second Stop
These shots show scenes in a bar along the main road which had a very nice seafood selection, kept a record of your "tab" in chalkmarks on the bartop and had a makeshift terrace outside on the pavement. Very Spanish.

As it turned out Ole-Erik wasn't too keen on Mejillones (mussels) and Randy...well, in his American drawl he just simply said, at the sight of all that wonderful seafood, "it ain't a burger, so it ain't food!


There is nothing to eat on the table (a barrel-top) yet because we are waiting for David who is at the bar trying to order the tapas in his very best Spanish.

This particular bar is in an area of town that I don't normally frequent but I intend to go again one day when I'm feeling like a tapa.