Part six of the saga of the summer holidays.

I am most certainly not a beach person.
The prospect of lying on a hot beach for endless hours
leaves me, yes, cold.
I think I am particularly immune to the charms of
Mediterranean Beaches, the lack of decent waves and
tidal movement, not to mention their usual
over-crowded state does nothing to change my mind.

It was with this in mind that Michael, a true Beach Junkie,
determined to bring us to his favourite beach in the area
in Tarifa.
Now Tarifa was the original port for Africa, the place where
they used to charge the eponymous custom tolls or Tariffs.
But, and this was Michael’s selling point, it is not another
Mediterranean beach, as it is passed the southernmost point
of Spain and into the Atlantic.

The Beach was in fairness delightful, the swimming noticibly
fresher than in the Med and even some slight wave action.
(As this is a known surfers beach it must often have higher
surf)

Another point is that as soon as you leave the Med all the high
rise disappears and you begin to realise what a pretty coast
line the Costa once must have had.

There were hundreds of Tramontana powered windmills.
Not quite as pretty as Don Quixote’s but a lot prettier than nuclear
power stations.

Just across the Straits of Gibralter, nearly touchable,
(and just behind our heads)
was our very first glimpse of Africa.

I even managed to get a picture of the Rock of Gibralter
out of the car window.

This was to be our last night at the Costa del Sol and I had a
date with a beach restaurant to make.
To sample Boccarones.

Fellow chef and Euro-Toque member, John Howard has moved
down to this neck of the woods several years ago.
Knowing how fussy John was I had asked him what he ate in this
culinary desert when he ate out.
“Always eat the Boccarones” was his advice.
They are the only ******* things they know how to cook.

My date alas was not to be.

Hearing rumours of Michael holding a tame chef captive
The Lamberts, friends of his, arrived to sample my wears.

I was back at the barbecue
(This was to happen again as you will find out)

The Tuna was however delicious.
The Allioli as strong as Dynamite
and we even managed some baby squid and some prawns
(in garlic butter of course)as a starter.
Who needs Boccarones (whatever they are)

Sept 6th
Post Scriptum

I have a fairly good idea that these are unsalted anchovies
and the way they are normally cooked is deep fried in batter
like whitebait.
I am open to correction though.
And I am also fairly sure that Michael *engineered the whole
episode to force me to return to satisfy my culinary curiosity.
(And then cook dinner parties for more of his friends!)

*this is after all his calling.

September 8th
And I was gently corrected by the same Michael.
The correct spelling for these delectable little fish is
Boquerónes.
I was just spelling them wrong.