So far we have yet to mention any of our dining out experiences. So far it has been positive in both Spain and France. Yes, for those of you who know, we haven’t been blessed with any hot dog pizzas. 🙂

Our first dinner in Arle was especially good. On the recommendation of our hotel manager we went to a place called “Le 16”. This is one of those “must eat there” places. We arrived there in the “geezer” hour at 8pm. This turned out to be a good thing because by 8:30 all the tables were filled.

Like most restaurants here, it is fairly small and could possibly seat 30. You definitely are cozy and close to your neighbor so be kind. Another delightful thing we discovered was that when a cell phone rings people excuse themselves and go outside to talk. Yes, the French in Southern France are very polite.

But back to dinner. Raeski started with salad and I had mushroom soup. I thought I got the better dish but I’m not a huge salad guy. For the main course Raeski had white fish in white sauce and I had rabbit. Both were delicious and beautifully presented. For dessert Raeski had profiteroles drowning in dark chocolate sauce and I had a thick chocolate ganache with cream sauce and a raspberry and orange sauce on the side. All dishes were something to write home about and even better than grandma’s cooking.

And yes, it’s a good thing we’re getting our 10,000 steps in. (More likely 20,000) But in all that walking we thoroughly explore the places we want to see. And if we miss something we have a reason to come back. And yes, we have reasons to return to both Barcelona and Arle. Time to board the ship now for the next part of our trip.  – au revoir