A Count, some Colombians and other Europ

When we spoke with the count he said that some riders would be arriving later, on their way to Santiago de Compostela. They duly arrived in a clatter of hooves. Also apparently a clatter of whisky bottles, we saw the bomberio (sp?) emergency services vehicle this was due to one of the riders falling down the stairs. According to the count "his eyes were rolled up in his head and he was completely inanimate" they thought he'd had a heart attack but actually he was dead drunk!
Dinner was preceded by a drinks reception in a room with a grand fireplace; vinho Verde for most of us though some of the Columbians seemed to have found (more) whisky. Mandy got chatting to a bloke who described himself as a farmer (though a friend reckons it the Bogota polo club people... Not farmers). He made some dubious comments about Feminism... He was against it, Mandy handled it with aplomb leading him into a discussion about machismo. Then we were led off for a tour of the house (which has been in the family since the fifteenth century), stuffed full of antiques but also lots of family photos too. It feels like a home (albeit rather grand) rather than a hotel.
Then we went into dinner, the long table was filled with Columbians so we were on a side table with a French/Dutch couple who live in Belgium. They seemed pleasant enough until she bemoaned the number of Arabs in Marseille (her home town)..
then continued about the Muslims in Belgium. Again Mandy was in there but this time with a forceful rejoinder that pointed out that most Muslims rejected the actions of the militants.
Fortunately the arrival of dinner (bacalhau) a salt cod dish distracted her with a discussion about that was her favourite and how the younger generation didn't bother to make it.... Dinner was otherwise good generously accompanied by more vinho Verde, then port and some pasties de nata.Read more