Plaza De La Merced

As in most Spanish cities we visited, there is an over abundance of tempting restaurants and cafes that line the streets and plaza. Since our time in Spain was coming to an end, we decided to splurge and go out for dinner on two occasions. I had been wanting to eat in a Moroccan restaurant and found a highly rated one, Al Jamal. John was skeptical, as he can sometimes be, but we had the best experience. There were only 5 tables and they filled quickly. I had fish cooked in a tanjin and John had some kind of beef couscous dish, both delicious. We tried mint tea with orange blossom served in those fancy silver pots but it was too sweet for us. Cost of the meal was around $45, which included wine and dessert. The owner served us a complimentary shooter size glass of dessert wine from northern Spain as well. I think he appreciated the interest we showed in his food and customs.

Our next choice was a recommendation from my timeshare group, a seafood restaurant called El Meson Cervantes. John enjoyed his seafood tapas and I had grilled sea bass. Again they were delicious. People around us were eating strange looking seafood, like octopus and squid. Because the tables in Spanish restaurants are usually crammed together with about one foot space apart, we ended up spending the evening with a couple our age from Denmark. They were very friendly and we had an interesting conversation throughout the meal. So, another good choice! This meal was around $60, still very reasonable for the quality of food.

We had beautiful weather on our last afternoon so we stopped for sangria and two tapas. It was so enjoyable to sit on the plaza in the sunshine and listen to the buskers. We felt we had to take advantage of the warm afternoon sun, which has been rare.Read more