Restaurant abstract

Lunch in Collioure on our way home today. The first time I'd seen Collioure under cloud and the best colour was indoors in this small bar/restaurant with traditional tiled floors, red walls and nice waiters who spoke to us in a slightly confusing mix of French, Catalan and Spanish. I had been hoping to take photos of the beautiful buildings there in sunlight and shade, but it rained. They'll all be there next time.

Thank you everyone for all the kind birthday wishes and comments that apparently put my anemone on the spotlight page! Our dinner last night was as delicious as we'd hoped. The chef has changed since we were there last but the new one (trained in Michelin-starred restaurants and now returned home to the south) has kept the spirit of using local ingredients and added new ways of his own. It was, as LoJ said, 2 hours of pure pleasure (3 hours, actually, as we discovered when we got back to our room), from the apéritifs of grand cru banyuls (a sweet wine grown on UNESCO world heritage terraces in this area), to the local anchovies, the lamb roasted rare with thyme, an amazing cheeseboard and fig dessert with muscat reduction and raspberry sorbet. It was a very fitting way to celebrate and a great evening. I was pleased that, having felt dreadful for 48 hours, I felt well again in time for dinner.

Home now, and will catch up with commenting over the next few days, maybe the weekend as family are here till Friday.