A Joyful Lunch

We don't get out much. I mean to say, we don't often go to fancy-pants restaurants. But every once in a while, the mood strikes us. This time, it probably had something to do with the fact that we had been in El Parque Tayrona for more than a week, followed by a few days in Taganga, and we were in need of a counterpoint. We took JOY around the corner, dropped the hook in the Santa Marta harbor, and put on our goin'-ta-town clothes. We don't always put on our goin'-ta-town clothes when we're going to town. We save them for special occasions, like eating in a fancy-pants restaurant.

The restaurant was called, "Made in Spain," in English, in Colombia. There we were, in the air-conditioning, at a table with a crisp white tablecloth, which is a kind of a cloth that people put on top of tables. (I'm pretty sure we've seen this type of thing before?) We were giddy. I think we seemed especially silly because the only other diners in the small restaurant were a little crabby. The couple were boaters, apparently, and they were pretty upset with our friend and agent Dino. As far as we could tell, they were having trouble getting one of the 37 different papeles that he had told them they needed. I think it's safe to say that they were NOT enjoying the Bienvenidos a Santa Marta game (click here to read Ean's description of the game).  Eventually, the conversation was taken outside, so I guess we'll never know if they were able to score some bonus points - maybe Dino saw the error of his ways and decided that the Colombian government really wouldn't mind so much, if they didn't have that one papel. The boater couple returned without Dino, the woman apologized for the unpleasantness, and they sat down to finish their now-cold lunches in silence. Then they left.

Meanwhile, I was ecstatic about my drink, which was the house specialty, the most beautiful drink I'd ever seen and the yummiest drink I'd ever tasted. It was mango on top and strawberry on bottom, with rum throughout. We have no photographic evidence of the first "Made In Spain" Cocktail, but here is the second, which was delivered by Judy, who thought we were hysterically funny, but was very polite about it.

We had an excellent cheese plate as a starter - the only thing that would have made it better was some sharp cheddar from Wisconsin. It's true, even Ean the cheese schnob is missing cheddar cheese. Then, on to the main course.

Oh yes we did. Lobster paella for two. Vladimar had not been present when I took the picture of the drink, but apparently he had Been Told. When he presented the dish with a flourish, he asked if we wanted to take a picture. Of COURSE we did.

And then he asked to have the camera, so he could take a picture of the happy couple. ¡Que Bueno! I delicately poked around the squid and gave Ean my mussel. But the lobster was divine. To top it off Vladimir presented me with a rose, in honor of El Dia del Amor y Amistad. Ean said sarcastically, "Thanks, buddy." Vladimar, who had a little English, was a little concerned until he was sure Ean was joking.

Some other customers came in, while we were there. But they had no entertainment value. Judy and Vladimir were sorry to see us go, let me tell you.