My first Aperol spritz was at a dinner party at Tim and Peter’s house.  Good friends in San Diego.  They live in this lovely 1928 home in the Kensington neighborhood.  It is known as the Giles W. Brown Residence as he was the first owner.  Their home is warm and welcoming and stuffed with beautiful french antiques, and their walls are art galleries displaying amazing pottery and Mexican folk art.  Their courtyard overlooks a canyon and is filled with palms and trees and flowers.   I love it at their house.

The dinner at Peter and Tim’s was a bon voyage party for Erik and me along with close friends from the company where I worked. he next week we would be moving to Austin, Texas for me to take on a new assignment.     

This was one of those nights where everyone could say what was on their minds because we were all sworn to secrecy.  Our spouses rolled their eyes a lot as we jabbered about life at work and hugged and drank more Aperol spritz.  We got louder and louder with each one. We had so much fun, and the secrets from that night are secure!

How in the world had I missed Apperol spritz in my sixty-four years of life!

Since that night, I order a spritz every chance I get.  Spritzes are very popular in Europe.  Some are heavy on the Aperol, and others are heavy on the cava (or prosecco or champagne).  Until today, none of the spritz I’ve ordered has held a candle to Peter’s concoction. But that was about to change.

Erik and I walked five miles today along the Playa de la Malagueta. There is an amazing path that starts in the marina area and travels north and south along the Mediterranean Sea.  We took the north path today. 

All along the path there are “groves” of beach palapas where you can rent a palapa for fourteen Euro a day, and adjacent to them are seafood restaurants. Every restaurant has a grill menu for fish, anchovies and shish kabobs.  They have their grills set up on the beach and every one of them is shaped like a fishing boat. See below.

We stopped at each restaurant to peruse the menu posted outside the door and decided we would come back to Chiringuito El Cachalote on the return leg of our power walk.

That is where I enjoyed the spritz that would trump the yummy one (uh, or two or three or four) that Peter made the night of our farewell dinner.  Sorry Peter, it’s OK that you’ve been trumped.  You should be proud that you are responsible for my addiction! 

I have another addiction.  I’ve had it as long as I can remember.  French fries.  Carbs are not my friend, so I avoid cookies, pie, cake, bread and pastries.  My carb indulgence is french fries. 

In Europe, french fries are called pommes frites in France, patate fritte in Italy, and patatas fritas or papas fritas in Spain.  Just like the Apperol spritz, I order french fries wherever we go so that I can get my carb fix. 

Our three hour lunch at Chiringuito El Cachalote included grilled peppers, a plate of Manchego cheese, grilled fish, papas fritas, and Aperol spritz. I have achieved Espana nirvana. See below.

It was time to walk the mile and a half back to our apartment in Plaza Las Flores.  Both of us were ready for an afternoon nap, but as we walked into our Plaza, we saw Nelson. 

Nelson is a bar-tender and waiter at Kraken, one of the four restaurants in our plaza.  He is from Venezuela, and after stints working in Madrid and Tenerife, he landed in Malaga.  This is his favorite place, and he has no plans to leave!  Nelson remembered that I like Aperol spritz and waved us to one of his tables in the plaza. 

OK.  Fine.  One more sip before a nap won’t hurt.  Another Aperol spritz please.

So, Erik and I sat at Nelson’s table for another hour soaking in the Malaga sun and the energy and excitement of the plaza. Out of the blue, as I was finishing my Aperol spritz, Nelson brought me a surprise drink “on the house” called carajillo, coffee with Bailey’s liquor and a bit of milk.   Another yummy cocktail. 

That wasn’t the first time Nelson introduced me to a special drink. 

The second night we were here, we sat at Kraken for dinner and at the end, he brought me a small glass with a giant ice cube and amber liquid.  It was Veterano, a type of brandy.  This brandy dates to 1922 and is produced today by Osborne, a family-owned company that has been producing spirits for more than 250 years. (this reference is per google, not Nelson)

The Osborne logo is a black bull that has become one of the most famous emblems of Spain. You see them along the major highways.  The story is that they erected these giant black bull billboards for advertising and when they were about to take them down, there was a protest to keep them up.  They are now permanent fixtures and have become tourist attractions per Wikipedia.  Erik and I saw quite a few of these giant black bull billboards as we were traveling through northern Spain during our Camino de Santiago.  We also saw a couple of them again when we were driving to Madrid.  See below.

So that’s my story for today.  I experienced a new height of enjoyment with my Aperol spritz and papas fritas.   

And once again, Nelson introduced me to a new flavor de Espana.  

Gracious Nelson.  We love Malaga too.  Time to take a nap.