Galicia - Porto Muinoz

Galicia. Salty winds from the Atlantic draw in heavy clouds that soak the ground with persistent barrages. Monster swells rise up from deep blue waters and thump the coast. Everything is fresh and sparkling, and in between the squalls and swells you can find breathtaking serenity, as seen above.

First on the itinerary was a tasting. Not just a wine tasting, but a seaweed tasting as well! Galicia has over 600 varieties of edible seaweed, and they are pushing pretty hard convert the general appreciation of it, that is to say, they want people to see it as a sea vegetable, not that stuff that grows and rocks and snags your hook.
The two Japanese chefs were straight on board, for the rest of us it took a bit longer. We had a local 'starred chef' to prepare a tasting menu for us, and here's a few of the courses:

Seafood 'Cocido' -  4 varieties of weed, prawn, salt cod, chick peas and no that is not chorizo. Really good!

Seaweed empanadillas....yum!

Sea lettuce with coconut icecream (just when.....)

So we tagged out of Peurto Muinoz, where everything tastes of the sea (including the wine!) and headed to Santiago where we stayed at a Hospitality school for a few days. It was really nice hanging out with these kids - they were simultaneously enthusiastic and timid whilst in our presence. We did some cooking with them, and we gave them a good show. Except where, erm, a couple of chefs did cooking demos, supposedly to represent their 'cuisine de origin' but things didn't go exactly to plan.......strange land/strange pan. Thats all I can say. Whilst in Santiago we went to a funkeee tapas bar called Abastos #2. They are situated within the markets at Santiago, and everything they cook is fresh to the hour - the menu revolves around the daily produce. It's standing room for 12 only at Aba, and it looks like this:

Groooooveeeee.......

Yeeeeh..

But seriously, the food here was really good. Oh, had another spot on TV in Santiago, and this time, I think they actually understood what I was saying! And, I got to use my favourite word "Entonce" it means therefore (I think) and it makes me feel smart. 

So as Spanish language seems less daunting, I take on my new quarry - Basque. More akin to Japanese - Basque is in a league of its own. Game on. So if i'm speaking Basque I must be in?...........San Sebastian! I tell ya, this place is set to absolutely heave in the summer. My apartment overlooks the beach, and my work with the Spanish royal family is twenty minutes stroll down the beach. Unfortunately I found out I am sharing my apartment with a French guy. Cant win em all eh?

On a more personal note, after getting into the recovery cycle of my chest cold, I got knocked the f$#k out with horrific food poisoning. I spent the whole night doing the porcelain spit-roast. Not pretty. And now something is swelling up under my eyelid and I look even more criminal than usual. Bliss! Worst thing is, I had to sit through twelve course dego menu at Asturia's  best restaurant - and I couldn't eat a damn thing! Hell.

I'll leave with a photo of desert from a 1 star in Galicia - chocolate three ways:

P.s, purely by coincidence we are following the centuries-old worlds worst internet pilgrim trail. Frustrating.