Almería half marathon 2009

[Seafront Plodder]

Banter aside, you bastards, the post race meal might be the only time all of us get to eat together.

Personally I'd prefer elsewhere with a bit more rustic Spanish atmosphere (you know ham joints hanging off the ceiling etc - a la Bullfighters Bar), but unless Antonio can work yet more magic with the local restauranteurs, the CdM is certainly big enough to accommodate all of us as well as El G's poncy penchant for posh plonk. :p

[Antonio247]

Banter aside, you bastards, the post race meal might be the only time all of us get to eat together.

Personally I'd prefer elsewhere with a bit more rustic Spanish atmosphere (you know ham joints hanging off the ceiling etc - a la Bullfighters Bar), but unless Antonio can work yet more magic with the local restauranteurs, the CdM is certainly big enough to accommodate all of us as well as El G's poncy penchant for posh plonk. :p

I agree with SP. I think we´d better have a meal all together. It´s going to be difficult to get a place like the one you prefer, SP, since the party is very big and that sort of place is better if you just want to have some drinks and tapas.

[Sweder]

Antonio, I think we're agreed that Club de Mar would be the best location for the after-race meal. I guess there will be something like 20 of us - maybe a few more. If possible it would be good to have a set menu, perhaps with two or three choices of main dish - this will help keep ordering time - and hopefully cost - to a minimum. Would you be kind enough to pre-book something for us? Two of the big round tables like we had in 2007 would work very well, or two long tables side by side.

Again, thank you for raising this now - if we don't book now we'll struggle to find a place to take us all.

[ladyrunner]

Sweds

Any news on the vests/t-shirts for next weekend?? Will you be at HP tomorrow for run and coffee?

Julie

[Sweder]

The Jury's still out on whether I should go for BHTT in a few hours or not.

Vests? I'm promised delivery at Chez Sweder on Thursday. All being well I'll bring all Almerian runners' vests/ Ts with me on Saturday - we can divi them up at the airport.

[El Gordo]

The Jury's still out on whether I should go for BHTT in a few hours or not.

Vests? I'm promised delivery at Chez Sweder on Thursday. All being well I'll bring all Almerian runners' vests/ Ts with me on Saturday - we can divi them up at the airport.

It will be a proud moment. It took us only 4 years to get there.

[Antonio247]

I´m looking forward to wearing my RC T-shirt.

I´ve already booked a table for around 30 people at Club de Mar. It has to be in the smoking area because the non-smoking one is already booked.

Í asked how much it would be to have paella, some "club de Mar" salad, some ham, some cheese, "fritura de pescado", that is, assorted fried fish, dessert to choose from four or five, coffee or tea, beer, wine, soft drinks, water and at the end a glass of cava ( champagne ). I´ve been told it would be 30 €. If you agree with that menu, I´ll preorder it. If there´s anyone who doesn´t like fish, I could tell them if they could change the fish for some meat. I´ll have to say the exact number of guests two or three days before Sunday.

[Sweder]

That sounds good to me Antonio. If anyone's not happy with any of that please let me know here, via e-mail or PM.
I'll assume we're all going for the post-race Sunday meal unless I hear otherwise.
Antonio I should be able to give you a full list by Wenesday latest including any special requests (ie meat instead of fish).

For the newbies the tried and trusted plan is meet up after the race in the stadium* head back for a shower, get changed, meet in the hotel bar and then head off for the meal. If all racers are finished by 12 that means leaving the hotel around 1:30 - 2pm, eating around 3pm. I appreciate that might be late for some after a HM so be prepared to have a snack in your room to stave off ravenous hunger (there's a good supermarket next door to the hotel - 1 minute walk).

[SIZE="1"]* Whippets might prefer to head straight back to the hotel as they might have to wait for up to an hour.[/SIZE]

Speaking of raceday I plan to jog down to the start from the hotel (about 15 mins at a gentle plod). Others may prefer to ride in the minivans. Both options are open; there's plenty of parking around the stadium.

[El Gordo]

Thanks Antonio, that sounds like a good compromise. I suspect most people will be happy with the arrangement, so let's do it. The only caveat is whether we have any strict vegetarians in the party??

I'll also probably plod to the stadium, though it would be useful to have at least one vehicle there for baggage storage. It will also give the non-runners somewhere warm to sit if it's chilly, and get the more leisurely atletas back to the hotel sooner.

Looks like quite a sunny week ahead in Almeria, at least up till Wednesday. Around 18 degrees (63 in old money). Positively Mediterranean.

[Antonio247]

Gracias, amigos. If there´s anyone who is a strict vegetarian, I´d try to get another menu for him/her. They should suggest their preferences.

This morning it was very hot for the season, 24º Celsius. However, last night it was very windy but in the morning it was all right. Let´s hope you´re lucky next week and enjoy a warm long weekend.

[ladyrunner]

Hi All,

The post-race dinner arrangements sound great, but just need to let you know that Gary is a strict vegatarian (no meat or fish) and I don't eat fish!! I hope it is not too much trouble to sort us with something else to eat.

The 10-day forecast for Almeria is looking good - sunshine and no rain.

I've been checking out Google Maps today for the route from Murcia Airport to Typr Hotel, Almeria so I have some idea of where I am going if I end up driving.

Thanks Julie

[Antonio247]

Hello, Julie

Well, I think they will be able to offer both of you something good to eat.

What about a Spanish omelette? pasta without any meat? some cooked vegetables? Chips and eggs? Would you and Gary mind eating paella after taking out the fish and seafood?

Any suggestions are welcome.

Saludos desde Almería

Antonio


PS. I´d love to be a vegetarian but I find it really hard not to eat meat or fish forever. I really admire and envy everybody that can live without them. By the way, I have a 13 year-old Indian student who is a vegetarian although his parents aren´t.

[Sweder]

Traveling can be tough where food is concerned.
Shayne's a veggie; well, a Pescetarian to be more accurate (eats fish/ seafood). Spain has an open love-affair with seafood so no problem on that score. We have found that 'vegetarian' dishes in many parts of southern Europe constitute a plate of vegetables and some bread. Vegetarians are treated with suspicion in some of the older establishments; in others they hang from the ceiling, or at least the tastier parts of them do, cured and scrumptious

It's as well to be forewarned on this so as not to be too disappointed when the restaurants don't wheel out a wide variety of options. I'm sure Antonio can point out one or two 'veggie-friendly' places - alternatively a little work on Google might yield some interesting choices for other meals. It goes without saying anyone with special dietry requirements should ensure that they make these clear to the waiters in any restaurant before/ at the time of ordering. We'll have a couple of Spanish-speakers with us (I understand Gary's quite handy with the lingo which will help). I myself have mastered the art of ordering beer and rioja.

[Antonio247]

Yes, unfortunately, there aren´t many vegetarian restaurants in Spain.

There´s an ecological restaurant with vegetarian dishes as well here in Almería. It opened in 2007. It is near avenida del Mediterráneo when you go down the bridge on the left. We´ll have to get very near it at the half marathon. I´ll ask some people if they have had lunch or dinner there.


http://comeart-te.com

[ladyrunner]

Hi Antonio

Gary likes the sound of a veggie Spainish omelette and chips. Picking out the fish from the paella is definately a no, no.

Omelette will be good for me or a chicken dish would be much appreciated.

Thanks for this,
Julie

[Seafront Plodder]

I'm not keen on olives.

[El Gordo]

Bagsy I have SP's olives.....:p

[Antonio247]

Hi Antonio

Gary likes the sound of a veggie Spainish omelette and chips. Picking out the fish from the paella is definately a no, no.

Omelette will be good for me or a chicken dish would be much appreciated.

Thanks for this,
Julie

Hola, Julie

I´ve already talked to the people at the restaurant and there´s no problem.


Saludos desde Almería

[ladyrunner]

You can have my olives too EG as I can't stand then!

[gary c]

Happy to go whereever but I am a veggie so if we can find a place that does dishes without meat,poultry and Fish that would be great.