Travel in your Sixties. Comfort is important. Fun too!

We used to have a home in Albir for about 20 years, living in it for 8 years.  We decided to revisit Albir to reminisce and chose the Albir Playa Hotel and Spa.  We went for bed and breakfast as we wanted to visit favourite restaurants in the area.  The breakfast was excellent with plenty of choice and a decent orange juice.  As our flight home was in the evening, we asked for a late check out, but being a Saturday the hotel was full but the reception staff offered us use of the spa to change etc.  We didn’t use it, as we didn’t want to keep opening our cases to change clothes, so we didn’t get to see the spa.  Hopefully next time.  If we go again, we would ask for a sunnier balcony even if it overlooks Lidl.  We did try lunch on our departure day and we had no complaints really. There was plenty of choice and a Spanish family asked for the show cooking to appear.  We speak reasonable Spanish so would do the same. Had to buy a bottle of wine as they don’t do wine by the glass.  I couldn’t finish it on my own and my husband was driving.  In the evenings we like to have a cold drink late at night, before sleep and I rang down to ask for ice as Lidl was closed.  I was surprised to be quoted 25 euros for a bucket of ice.  Needless to say we found some somewhere else.

The room was fine and the fridge useful.  Didn’t mind paying for the safe as it was better than not having one available.

The pool area was very nice and there were plenty of sunbeds in May.  Could have done with a few more umbrellas.  The pool bar was handy and offered food too.  We didn’t try the food as we were busy going to Altea, Albir and Benidorm…we hired a car which we parked in the street next to the hotel free of charge.  Sunday was difficult to find a space with the new Sunday market nearby.

The hotel bar was nice and they do a mean Negroni.

Too much television time?

When stuck in a London flat, without a garden, daily walk done, what is there to do to while away the hours?  Watch too much television I guess.

This Morning – ITV

Thursday saw the live wedding of Paul and Sonya.  It was on the 72^nd floor of The Shard Building, 800ft. above ground.  The couple had been together for 20 years and were married in front of their friends and family, as well as This Morning presenters.  The flowers were spectacular.  Tony Hadley (Spandau Ballet) sang The Look of Love just before they took their vows.  They were finally given a surprise honeymoon in Dubai.

Coronation Street – ITV

It’s all happening in the Street at the moment.  Pat Phelan, the charmer still not being questioned about the two people he killed.  The introduction of Nicola looks a promising story line.  Eva – is she or isn’t she pregnant or just trying to trick Aiden into giving up Maria?  Brian tries to hide his girlfriend from Roy so as not to hurt Roy’s feelings.  The girlfriend is Cathy who was recently planning to walk up the aisle with Roy.  The big storyline is probably the grooming of Bethany and despite talking to the police, she isn’t out of the woods yet as one of her groomers is a policeman.

Great Canal Journeys, India – Channel 4

This was easy Sunday night viewing, a travelogue with Timothy West and his wife Prunella Scales venturing into the backwaters of India, starting in Kerala.  They visited a ginger warehouse and learned about the spice trade. Prunella, who has dementia, learned a traditional dance of the Enchantress.  A visit to Assam was a highlight.

Riviera – Sky Atlantic

This revolves around a billionaire banker Constantine Clios and his family, living in a sumptuous palace, Villa Carmella.  His second wife, Georgina, played by Julia Stiles, is an art curator.  The scenes switch from the Cote D’Azur, Monaco and New York, ensuring a glamorous backdrop.  The story begins with a yacht being blown to smithereens, a body so badly burnt it could be anybody, and a naked woman being washed ashore alive.  It’s all gloss, glitz and drama.  Is Constantine still alive?

Do You Remember Mad Cow Disease?

 

Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy is a disease of the nervous system in cows and is caused by proteins called prions infecting the brain. The disease affected the UK’s beef industry in the late 80s and early 90s, meaning it wasn’t possible to export British beef for years.

Or what about Edwina Currie in 1988 when she was junior health minister in the UK, revealed that most eggs in Britain were infected with salmonella?  Two weeks later, she was forced to resign.  Nowadays Lion branded eggs are considered to be safe to eat by the elderly and pregnant.

What about bird flu?  It hit the headlines in 2004 as a pandemic.  The outbreak originated in Thailand and Vietnam and a large number of people died.

So what do you think about the latest scare regarding sugar?  I used to live in Trinidad and saw the sugar cane growing in the fields.  Is it not, therefore, a vegetable.  What about maple syrup.  Does it not come from a tree?  Does that make it a vegetable?

 

 

A light summer lunch

 

This is is a light lunch for lighter days.

Ingredients 

A bunch of mixed salad leaves

King prawns

Mooli, peeled and sliced into rings

Two tomatoes chopped

Some cucumber, peeled and cubed

A little shredded carrot

Salt and pepper

Sesame seeds

Extra Virgin Olive oil and lemon juice for dressing

Mixed olives

Method 

Mix all the ingredients in a salad bowl, stir with your hands or salad servers

 

This should keep you going after your Over sixties exercise!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Is Sunday lunch your cocktail time?

The cocktail of the moment in London seems to be the Negroni so I have started to have just the one before Sunday lunch which is sometimes a typical roast but more often a takeaway.  They are rather strong, so I prefer just the one.  Unfortunately, I didn’t have any orange peel, so haven’t included a photo today.  Hopefully, I will add one soon.  The bitter taste certainly gives me an appetite and today we are having Iranian takeaway of Chello Kebab Koubideh which is two skewers of minced baby lamb served with grilled tomato and saffron rice. The first picture is of crispy rice patties.

My significant other has made a side dish at home of fresh okra topped and tailed in tomato sauce, yummy to pour

over the kebab and rice with a vegetable towards our ten a day.  I doubt we will make 10 today but we almost got there yesterday with onions, cauliflower, tomatoes, cucumber, cabbage, carrots etc.

Looking forward to reading what others have for Sunday lunch.

Lamb, Courgette and Aubergine Casserole

Courgettes

Completed casserole

Ingredients

1 large white onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, crushed

4 courgettes (zucchini), cut in different shapes

1 large aubergine, sliced in rings

1/2 a kilo of lamb cut into chunks

4 fresh tomatoes cut in quarters

tomato puree

salt and pepper

500 mls chicken stock

A small glass of wine

Olive oil to cook

A little butter

Method

Fry the onions and garlic in olive oil.  Then a tablespoon of tomato purée.  Add the chicken stock and glass of wine.  Leave to simmer whilst you prepare the meat.  In a frying pan, seal the meat in olive oil and butter.  When brown on the outside, add to the other pan and turn the heat to medium for half an hour.  Then add the courgettes, tomatoes and aubergines.  Continue cooking for 20 minutes or so.  I sometimes add oregano or sesame seeds.  Nice served with plain white rice and a mixed salad.

 

 

 

Leftover chicken

Bought a large roast chicken and there is plenty leftover?  What to do with it?

Ingredients

 

1 onion peeled and sliced in half and then into thin slices

The chicken taken off the bone and sliced into pieces

A little olive oil and spoon of butter to fry

Salt and black pepper

Half a tub of crème fraiche

3 tablespoons of green pesto sauce

A small glass of white wine and a splash or two of water

Fresh tagliatelle

Method

Fry the onion in the olive oil and butter for about 5 minutes over a medium heat until golden and soft.  Add the cooked chicken, seasoning, crème fraiche, pesto sauce and stir thoroughly.  Add the white wine and a little water if the sauce is too thick.  Simmer for about 15 minutes to let the flavours combine.

Meanwhile fill a large pan with salted water for the tagliatelle….I add a little oil to the water and use fresh pasta, rather than dry, but it is a personal thing.  Cook according to the instructions on the packet and then drain.

The chicken carcass can be put in a pan with water, seasoning and herbs to make chicken stock.