The Álora Tapas Trail starts tomorrow.

 

 

The 'Tapas Trail' begins tomorrow. These posters have gone up around town and the weather is set fair for what could be three days of eating and drinking whilst taking some gentle exercise. It ´could´ be if you can stand the pace. The idea is this. The ayuntamiento have persuaded as many bars as possible to offer a ´special' tapa and a drink for a set price (probably 1.50€) for the three days . Hundreds, possibly thousands of people will hit the ancient squares and streets of Álora to indulge in the delightful pastime of tapeando. Hungry and thirsty punters will arrive (some in coaches) from all over Málaga province.
35 bars will be participating and competing for the top three prizes of 150€ for the best tapa, the best attention to  customers and the best cocktail. (what?) and three prizes of 100€ for the  three bars with most votes.

This morning I collected my folleto containing a street plan of Alora with the participating bars marked. There are spaces for 43 stamps (8 places are just doing cocktails) You can get your folleto stamped at every bar you visit (it would be polite to buy a drink and a tapa). If you can collect 35 stamps you can enter a draw for a night at La Garganta Tourist Complex in El Chorro, 50€ (not quite the 52.50€ you will have spent on the drinks and tapas) and a gastronomic experience at the Los Conejitos restaurant up the Ardales road and a year's free entry for two to the Cervantes Theatre.

This is beginning to sound like a publicity shot for the 3rd. Ruta de la Tapa. It is rather exciting, though. I asked Manolo what his special tapa will be at Bar El Madrugon tomorrow. 'Dracula.  .he replied. 'Blood and onions'. And that's exactly what it says on the sheet!

Here's a short note for people learning to speak Spanish. I was a bit puzzled by the title ´'CÓMETELA',  especially with the fork and spoon trick. It is, of course, the 2nd person imperative of 'to eat' (it). I didn't need to tell you that, did I?.

Oh, and by the way, some British friends of ours actually managed to stagger round the whole course last year and completely filled the card. They were the only ones in the draw. They are still waiting for their prize!

See you in El Madrugon.

April 18th. 2013