Our flight took off tow hours late but we still arrived on time due to having plenty of layover time between flights. So we got back to our place just before 2PM on Monday. By noon on Tuesday we were fully unpacked and mostly organized so we went out to La Canasta for lunch (starving of course.) This was the first time we have seen our courtyard under the shades. The beastly weather turned cooler as we arrived. High 80s today. That means lovely evenings for outdoor dining. Already feeling in the groove of life in Sevilla. Picked up Georgia Bavol as she got out of class today and spent a couple of hours just catching up at our place. We have admin stuff tomorrow but a Thursday dinner with GA and Kathy Curtis a classmate from our immersion year who is back for six weeks to do another round. #ExpatLife
Out for a light evening meal on the day after our arrival at Islamorada.. A favorite dish of Tortilla Trufado. Then Phil had the white shrimp from Huelva. We shared the tosta anchoa and the tacos Ibericos (spicy) and a pitcher of cava sangria. Great to see Javier tonight.
Then Wednesday morning we were off to the National Police to pick up our new ID cards. Fingers crossed. Then Katia came to clean the apartment - construction in the area has made the balconies a complete mess! Dinner was scheduled for Manolo Mayo one of Phil's favorites....
So today went very smoothly- we picked up our new residence cards at a little after 9AM and were back home after a coffee stop - by 10:20. Katia came to clean and was here three hours! First time cleaning and a very dirty house. We went out to Manolo Mayo for dinner and had MITO (YAY!) for dessert on t\he way home. So our second full day home and we are feeling like we are definitely back in the groove of things.
out for lunch on Thursday to a place that's new to us... Tried BUGA RAMEN, a place around the corner, for lunch. Good choices and reasonable prices. I got the katsu combo and Phil got the pato (duck) combo. We shared an order of gyoza.
Dinner tonight at La Casapuerta with Georgia Bavol and Kathy Curtis. The two women had the Lubina. I had carpaccio and Phil had the lamb chops after a starter of tuna carpaccio. Phil and I shared the tarte de queso. Great to catch up with Kathy who will be here for six weeks. She arrived the day we did. And to introduce Georgia to one of our school friends since she's now doing the same immersion class that the other three of us did in spring 2023.
To round out our week Phil and I had dinner at Augurio. Of course we would make it to our current favorite by the end of our first week back home in Sevilla. Twenty four seat Augurio is still completely on its game. We stuck with the things we liked best from past visits. We did agree to explore the menu further over the course of our next visits. But today my favorites remain the taco with the pez mantequilla and the salmon in leche de tigre, the foie, and tuna triptico (three ways.) Pretty much a perfect meal.
Saturday night at Tradevo Centro and Sunday at La Cayetana, sadly Georgia didn't join us for either despite their offering of things other than traditional tapas... oh well.
A summer menu at Tradevo brought some new choices. We loved the old standbys of tempura shrimp tacos and crab canelón with avocado. But the new additions were even better. A fabulous ceviche, a lovely pulpo prep and a tasty spinach, onion and potato cazuela (casserole.) Add to that weather for a night for outdoor dining, and a stop on the way home for gelato and you get a perfect recipe.
Sunday night - our seventh day home- we went to La Cayetana on Marqués de Paradas (there are two locations). They were out of the terrific buneulos. We subbed the tosta de atun rojo. The puntillitas with truffle and fried egg is still a favorite prep. And it was our first arroz since returning six days ago. Nice and warm on an evening that has cool temperatures due to the remnants of Hurricane Giselle which has hit Valencia with torrential rains and now flood warnings for the next 48 hours. We have had a few sprinkles but no real rain as of yet.
Things are getting busier - we have plans with Janet & Mike (other expats we met last spring just as we were leaving) - for lunch next week. We also have plans for several dinners with Georgia and to revisit our favorite haunts here. We need to make our first Costco trip next week and we start back with Leslie in training. I have finished my DART follow up items - the book is made and I have sent videos to TB. So all in all we have had a productive first week home.
