Guests arrive at a wedding in Cadiz






Jerez
People who know me have heard me complain about faceless corporate America and globalization killing unique regional products and eccentricities. Let me tell you something corporate America does right. Boarding the plane from the back. I thought it was just a one time thing when Alitalia had an all passengers going to Barcelona board the jet at the same time. When it happened again flying from Barcelona to Jerez, I realized I had stumbled onto a trend or cultural phenomenon.

Luigi and Steffi at Peurto Sherry

At the risk of sounding like an American elitist, I will simply say that it is a huge pain in the ass to try and board the back of a jet when everyone else is already on board. We already have assigned seats, what is the mad scramble to get on the plane? It's not leaving until everyone is on board.

Our friends Luigi and Steffi moved from Italy to Warwick, RI to open resaurant Nonna Cherubina, the finest Italian restaurant in a state filled with excellent Italian restaurants. Over the years, Karen and I visited their restaurant often and Steffi taught Karen and I to make Lemon Chelo, an apertif. We were surely disappointed when they closed the restaurant (now opened under new ownership as Lucce) to move to Spain to work with Steffi's brother at his four retaurants.

Pizzeria Blanca Paloma

When we arrived in Jerez, Luigi picked us up at the airport and drove us the 30 minutes to Puerto de Santa Maria. Puerto de Santa Maria is famous for the Columbus visiting the city prior to his a couple of his voyages. The ship the Santa Maria was built there and one of Columbus' first mates was from the city. With all that history there is very little in the way of statues or landmarks in the city to commemorate this connection. In fact, there is a huge statue of Columbus in Barcelona, but that city doesn't have any direct connection to Columbus.

After driving through Puerto de Santa Maria, Luigi drove to to Puerto Sherry where we sat at the restaurant and enjoyed the view and caught up on eachother's lives. Steffi and Luigi's
apartment is near the restaurant in Puerto Sherry and right across the street from the ocean. In late March the temperature was 75-80 degrees and it was sunny everyday. I can see why southern Spain is the number one destination for tourists from the rest of Europe.

View of the beach from the retaurant in Puerto Sherry

After lunch we checked into our hotel, the Puerto Sherry Yacht Club. Since it was between Holy Week and Motorcyle Week, the hotel was not busy. Our room was huge by European standards with two queen sized beds and a private bath. The five minute walk past the marina to the restaurant and five minute cab ride to Puerto de Santa Maria made its location very convenient.
For dinner we went to Blanca Paloma in Puerto de Santa Maria. Luigi and Steffi work here, but took the night off (mostly) to have dinner with us. The restaurant is huge with over 100 tables inside and outside (compared to about a dozen tables at their Warwick restaurant). There are lemon trees in the back and I picked a lemon to enjoy with my agua naturale. In Spain, you have to specify mineral water or you will get agua con gas (seltzer).

Girls in Puerto de Santa Maria watch boys play soccer

Karen was facinated with the pizza delivery boys, who rode motorcyles with 6 to 8 pizzas on a run. They were zipping in and out of the restaurant to make deliveries all night until after midnight. My gnocci was excellent and we enjoyed a bottle of Sicilian wine. It was great to have a full meal instead of a meal of appetizers (tapas).


The dryer must be broken