Tag Archives: Spain

foreign, Scones, Uncategorized

The Lemon Tree – Mijas

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Remember our Trossachs correspondents? We haven’t heard from them in a while but that does not mean a lack of discipline on their part. They have been diligent in their scone searches, however, a recent visit to Sri Lanka simply did not yield any finds. In order to understand the mess the world is in you have to realise that many countries do not benefit from the civilising effect of scones. They are scone deserts! Okay, okay, what about the the UK, we hear you cry? We know … it’s simply inexplicable that a scone rich country like the UK should find itself in such a perilous state. Perhaps it should be compulsory for all politicians to have afternoon tea every day?

Snorters

Anyway our correspondents are on their travels yet again and have sent a comprehensive report which neatly fits into our recent run of nautical scones, albeit these ones are more ‘aeronautical’. It also provides a welcome distraction from Michael Gove’s confession to being a bit of a coke snorter. Is he trying to appear normal in some way?  Although he says he finished with Class A drugs more than twenty years ago it looks, to us, as if they are still having a profound effect today.

In our correspondents own words

Street view in Mijas, SpainGreetings from Mijas (pronounced Meehas) in sunny Spain, a long time favourite of ours. We love its narrow lanes, stunning flora, evening tranquillity and unspoilt ethnic nature and views over the Med. The licensed taxis are even donkeys. No skyscaper apartment blocks, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Burger Houses or English Breakfasts here . So we thought!

Advert for scones at the Lemon Tree Café in Mijas, SpainOn previous visits to the Costa del Sol we have avoided the beach culture of the large resorts which has extremely limited our search for scones. Our only previous success when we visited Gibraltar and sampled scones of an inferior nature. Mijas has now presented us with a cultural dilemma. On our first evening we noticed The Lemon Tree – a new café type restaurant tucked into a corner of the Plaza de la Constitution and horror of all horrors it proudly advertised Full English Breakfast. However, we were partly consoled that they also offered cream tea for two at a very reasonable 6.95 Euros. Should we, shouldn’t we? This morning we yielded and after a brisk walk around the village and its old walls we headed towards the Lemon Tree to sample our first scones in Spain.

The place was mobbed but we managed to get the last outside seat and placed our order.
Scones at the Tree Café in Mijas, SpainIn the parlance of AllAboutTheScones, the scones were well presented with an accompanying pot of tea, strawberry jam and a tub of Rodda’s Cornish Cream. They were nice and warm, crisp on the outside, fluffy in the centre and surprisingly delicious – real candidates for Paterson Top Scone if the cream had been fresh. To be fair butter was an option. We’ll be back, but may sacrifice the scones for the Lemon drizzle cake with Ice cream!

NB we give Rodda’s Cornish Cream a hard time but only when it is served in Scotland. Scotland has plenty of its own cream. However, a Cornish Cream tea in southern Spain is obviously genuine so the use of Rodda’s is perfectly acceptable.

29650 Mijas              tel: Jan 634153256           Lemon Tree FB 

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The Mango

External view of the Mango Café in Mijas, Spain Can Mijas be the scone capital of Spain? Fresh from the pleasures of the Lemon Tree we have found another gem, The Mango Café. It is hidden away in the corner of a courtyard. We enjoyed a cream tea which will sound familiar to you two Top Sconers. Not too big, warm, crisp on the outside, soft and fluffy in the centre and served with real cream and home made strawberry jam. Absolutely delicious!!!A cream tea at the Mango Café in Mijas, Spain

Sincere thanks to our corespondents. Their admirable dedication and excellent reports have brought a ray of sunshine to the blog.

29650 Mijas      tel: +34 951 53 54 82           The Mango Café FB

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Ordinary, Scones, self-service

The Beatson Cancer Centre

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This scone is from the The Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre. Thankfully, it is renowned for things other than baking! If you just happen to be here however and a scone confronts you, what are you supposed to do? Obviously no one ever wants to contract this disease. If you have managed to get through life without being touched by cancer in some way, then you are a very fortunate person indeed. The Beatson used to be part of our working lives but this particular state-of-the-art building was just opening as we retired and, of course, we never expected to be back.

Bust of Sir George Beatson
Sir George Beatson

 

Someone near and dear to us is going to need the services of this place for the foreseeable future however, so suddenly it has become more familiar than ever. Suffice to say it is a fabulous facility  which works like a well oiled machine. Belying all the scaremongering headlines about NHS Scotland. Best of all, it is a happy place. It is named in memory of Sir George Beatson who, although born in Sri Lanka in 1848, was brought up in Campbeltown. He ended up ended up specialising in the treatment of cancer in Glasgow until his death in 1933.

Cha cha cha

As well as being a highly skilled physician we think Sir George must have been an optimist. Someone once described an optimist as “someone who figures that taking a step backward after taking a step forward is not a disaster; it’s more like a cha-cha”. That sentiment pretty well sums up the feeling you get when you visit the building that now bears his name. Not the sort of place you would necessarily seek out for a scone however and we are certainly not advocating that you do … but since we are here!

Reception area at the Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre
Reception area
Volunteers

There is a franchise café in the reception area but we tend to use another one on a lower floor which is run by volunteers. It is self service but no young whippersnappers here asking if you want to ‘go large’? You get the impression that the staff have either had cancer themselves or have known someone who has. Of course, they were all smiling and can’t do enough to help. A scone at the Beatson West of Scotland Cancer CentreThere are probably more staff than would be required by a profit seeking enterprise but you just know that any profits generated here are not going very far. There is a good range of food on offer but, predictable as always, our eyes were on the scones.

We got them all wrapped up in individual cellophane packets on paper plates together with the usual little packs of butter and jam. Coffee came in paper cups and the knives and forks were plastic but who cares in a place like this? It was all good and we will certainly be supporting them on our return visits over the coming years.Café area at the Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre

Doctors in a Brexit world

What cynical carping political comment are they going to make in a place like this, we hear you ask? Only that the doctor we met was fabulous. She oozed positivity and optimism from ever pore of her being and was an absolute joy to speak to. Working at the Beatson for over four years she made us feel very happy. She was from Seville. We asked her what would happen to her in the brave new world of Brexit … “I have no idea” she replied cheerily. If only there had been some words of comfort we could have offered in return!

G12 0YN      tel: 0141 301 7000           The Beatson Cancer Centre

foreign, Ordinary, self-service

The Duke Restaurante

Now here’s a wee change; no it’s not Portobello, or Bournemouth,  it’s the view from the Duke restaurant in Palmanova, Majorca. Not that we have been there, mind you. Friends of ours were, however, and they Spain 02decided to keep us up to date with the Spanish scone situation. According to them it’s nothing to write home about but they thought they would anyway! The scone was okay, the cream was not up to much but just eating a scone in 35 degrees of heat was something of a heroic feat in itself. They did it for us Spain 01and the enlightenment of our readers .. such sacrifice! Spain 04

All peace and tranquility here, lying on the beach quaffing beer. In the far north of the country, however, the Catalan people have recently been trying to persuade the Madrid government that they should have some say in running their own affairs. Can you think of any similarities closer to home? They have been subjected to exactly the same extreme propaganda war that Scotland suffered during the 2014 referendum. However, no sooner had Catalan president Artur Mas guided his nationalist coalition to victory at Catalonia’s elections last Sunday night than a court in Madrid announced that Mas would face formal charges relating to civil disobedience and the ‘usurpation’ of Spanish constitutional powers.

Exotic

It’s not just the UK government that’s a bit slow on the uptake! Anyway many thanks to C&D for making this post more exotic than usual. Looking forward to the next holiday scone report!

07181 Palmanova       tel: 971108205      The Duke Restaurante TA