trip part II, wines, cigars and an international incident

[Ken Gargett]

still away. i figure that cuba and chile are so far from home, may as well make the rest of it a working tour. just had a 7 hour working lunch at can roca in girona in northwest spain (after an equally great working dinner there last night). near el bulli but that is shut this time of year. you can gather that i consider this one of the world's greatest restuarants. only 2 star. deserves three without doubt.

have photos of the great dessert. they call it 'trip to havana'. extraordinary. a glass which is the 'mojito' - all lime, mint, sorbet, and rum but amazingly refreshing plus the 'cigar. got more info on how they make it. it is a cigar made of the finest ice cream set in a granite ashtray. it arrives with what looks like ash but is really 'sugar and spice and aniseed'. you dip the 'cigar' in it. the wrapper is chocolate and the ice cream has been made by using a vaccuum with the smoke from a partagas D4. unbelievable. a truly great meal both times. exy but relatively, great value. amazing wine list. best i have ever seen. we had a de vogue musigny 2002 amongst others today. one of the great burgs and even on the restaurant list, far cheaper than i could get wholesale in australia, if it were available. the demand makes that impossible. also arranged for them to decant a 77 taylots VP. what a mindboggling port. they have pages of great rums. last night a 15 year old clement from a matinique plantation for peanuts. also a great range of cigars and a wonderful lounge in which to smoke them. last night, a monte millenium robusto 2000, the first i'd seen (about the equiv of A$35!!). today a brilliant SLR DC from 07.

some other great meals in madrid, especially at asiana, a tiny underground place. you arrive and it is a furniture store in a dodgy back alley. no sign. nothing. we were about to leave when a waitress arrived. at 9.30pm, we were first. there is a tiny bell but no sign at all. had been told about it by some spanish mates. brilliant. also, a few visits to la vencezia (sp), a tiny all-brown sherry bar - only serve five types of sherry and nothing else at all, not even a beer, but always jammed - and their amazing anchovy tapas. best i have ever seen.

tomorrow, off to priorato (palicos and val loch).

in oporto, got to some amazing tastings, and a great day up the duoro with the fonseca and taylors people.

in oporto, after a day tasting ports from 2005 to 1900, they said would we like to come back tomorroww to taste the old ones!! went back to 1863. still in awe.

only problem is that the mate i travel with, who thinks nothing of buying wine for squillions, insists on smoking toxic bombs called villager. they are diabolical. they stink. i have tried so hard to convert him but nothing doing.

there was an international incident at madrid airport when security conficated his tube of vegemite. uproar. i hate the stuff so was calling for a strip search. he was yelling about spain being prehistoric and never coming back and so on. outraged. i was in fits of laughter. he was immediately on the blower to his wife to try and get more.

has been a great trip. my previously most hated airline, iberia, redeemed themselves somewhat by upgrading me to pointy end for the 11 hours from mexico city to madrid. no idea why but not complaining.

after priorato, back to barcelona then a stopover in bangkok to catch up with some great frieends then home next week. long trip but loving it. my bank manager may feel far less excited.

[winelover]

» has been a great trip. my previously most hated airline, iberia, redeemed

» themselves somewhat by upgrading me to pointy end for the 11 hours from

» mexico city to madrid. no idea why but not complaining.

Perhaps the Airline had caught sight of the numerous photos of you smoking a monte sublime taken by the spanish paparrazo at the cigar and champagne tasting!

Sounds like your having a good time. I really enjoy the Basque region of Spain. Great cafe culture.

[Colt45]

Sounds like a great junket. I know this may sound absurd, but did you have any Spanish wine

at any of these restaurants?

[El Presidente]

» bank manager may feel far less excited.

When I passed your house Friday there was a Foreclosure sign out front.

[JMH]

I still remember that dessert from the first time you posted about it. Sounds absolutely delicious.

[Ken Gargett]

» Sounds like a great junket. I know this may sound absurd, but did you have

» any Spanish wine

» at any of these restaurants?

heaps. lots of albarino, which is one of the few spanish whites i really like. did a vertical of roda. love les terraces ffrom palicios and off there in a few minutes. went through the full telmo rodriguez range. love them.

and rob, at the moment, i could not even afford to buy back the sign.

[Guest Warren]

did a vertical of roda.

It's good to see that Roda is open to trying new things

[shrink]

my previously most hated airline, iberia, redeemed themselves somewhat by upgrading me to pointy end for the 11 hours from mexico city to madrid. no idea why but not complaining.

Rob informed them that you were the European Editor of Cigar Aficionado Magazine.