What a Sauce

It was Beryl's birthday yesterday but she doesn't want a fuss made so I wont mention it! Ana-Mary and Favio came by in the evening to drop off a gift for her and I thought that perhaps, just after 1am, there might just be a teeny-weeny bit of a party. So I made plans for a late-ish night, telling Beryl when she took over that I was going to go home, have my meal and then, later, go to El Bajondillo to kill time listening to the singing and return to the bar at about 1am in time to see her open her present in front of Ana-Mary etc., and that I did. My arrival at El Bajondillo coincided with Ana-Mary handing the Mike over to Phil after which there was some furtive activity at the bar between her and the barstaff then, a few minutes later, when Philip had finished his first number she took the mike again to announce that it was, just (it's now a minute or two after midnight), his birthday, his 61st as he proudly confirmed. A cake with a candle and a bottle of Champers appeared from behind the bar and a small private celebration was held in front of the piano by performers, staff and their boss. Normality resumed, Ana-Mary came and sat with me for the duration of the rest of her break. She's got a piece of Pork Loin and doesn't know what to do with it. She does now! I'm English so there's only one way to cook it....with Apples.

Back at the bar Beryl had already opened her present so there was no party as such but there was some impromptu entertainment at my expense due to the fact that Favio unveiled a liquidiser that was supposed to also break up Ice. It didn't work well enough though and will be returned to the shop as unsuitable. But that is all beside the point; somehow gazpacho came into the conversation (I think that Ana-Mary suggested, tongue-in-cheekily, that I should make some with it) and I was daft enough to admit to heating some I was given to try early on in my time here in Spain. Well, I didn't know it should be cold!! Even the people who gave it to me fell about laughing when I told them that I had heated it up too much and had to wait for it to cool down a little. Not understanding any Spanish whatsoever in those days, it took me somewhile to realize what the joke was. Now, though, I make the most awesome Ajo Blanco. I'll show them all how one day.