October 27, 2026

Tuesday

On Board the Seven Seas Mariner headed to Malaga, España

It just feels like being home. There is something so familiar about being on board. The bed is very comfortable. The suite temperature is just where it should be. The gentle rocking of the ship.

The coffee connection opened at 06:30. Damra made a great cappuccino. Maybe as good as Romeo’s during the world cruise. I went looking for tours in Malaga online. We are still wait listed for the Granada/Alhambra tour. Wrote to Tours in Malaga inquiring about possible tour to Alhambra. Still early, but maybe…

08:00 Mary is up and getting dressed for breakfast. We had breakfast in La Veranda this morning. Semi-buffet style. Mary ordered a pancake, and I got a ham, cheese and pepper omelet.

It is a sea day for us. Quite just sailing along. While there wee many things to do on board we just relaxed and played cards in our suite. There is a nice table there for playing cards. After breakfast we both went to the Connoisseur Club while they were cleaning our room.

John and Rossana were in the cub; they always are. They are from British Columbia. John worked with heavy mining machinery and Rossana was a nurse. They are both heavy smokers. Mary engaged them in conversation. It turned political, something which I rarely discuss. Turns out they are very political and very much dislike their current Prime Minister who is “a socialist” according to them. It was interesting to watch. I sat quietly and smoked my cigar.

After that we returned to our suite. Played a hand of canasta. At 10:00 we hand a cooking demonstration in the Epicurean Enrichment Studio. It was a demonstration called Passport to Iberia – in truth the of making paella. Not really interesting to me as the version he made was fish based. You can use meat, in fact, according to him paella started inland and was meat and not fish based.

Prior to the 8th century the cuisine of the indigenous people of the Iberian Peninsula was influenced by the myriad of cultures traveling across or settling in the region. This included Phoenicians, Greeks, Celta, Jews and Romans. Their main ingredients were legumes, garlic, onion, games, fish, sardines, olives, Oliver oil acorns, grains and seeds, and grapes.

This all changed with the arrival of the Moors in the 8th century. The eggplant, rice, sugar, citrus, saffron cinnamon, almonds, chickpeas and apricots were introduced.   Paella originated as a humble midday meal cooked by farmers and laborers in the 15th and 16th centuries in Valencia, España.The original recipe used the ingredients readily available in the countryside: short-gained rice (such as Bomba or Senia, chicken, rabbit, snails, green beans, Liam beans (yum) (aka as garrófon), tomatoes, olive oil, saffron and water.

The word paella derives from the Old Valencian and Latino word patella, which means a shallow, wide, two-handled pan. So, originally, the word referred to the metal pan rather than the food cooked in it.  He was quick to point out that this is not a Spanish dish, but a cultural fusion. Roman influence (the metal pan), tomatoes from the New World, and Arab heritage (the rice and saffron).

Again, the traditional Valencian paella strictly excludes seafood, and ancient recipes do not include either chorizo or onions. He also pointed out that the proper cooking technique requires leaving the rice UNSTIRRED once the broth is added. This allows the socarrat, the caramelized crisp, golden crust to form on the bottom. He also pointed out that you shouldn’t use water, but you should use broth to give it more flavor. The broth should follow your ingredients; vegetable broth for vegetarian paella, meat broth for meat, and seafood for seafood.

It wasn’t until paella spread to the Mediterranean coast and urban areas in the late 18th and 19th centuries that locals began replanting meats with fresh seafood; this gave rise to palla du marisco and paella mixta. He also pointed out that the pan is improtant. Apparently the paella pan has little divots in the bottom which allows the heat to spread more evenly and gives you the socarrt finish on the bottom.  

The basic difference between risotto and paella is the stirring of the rice. The stirring releases the starch and gives you the creamy texture of risotto. It is also interesting how the dishes of the peasants and poor are now the hot cultural food dishes. Well, at least to me.

He also talked a bit about Spanish grape varietals; Tempranillo, Garnacha, Albariño, and Verdejo. And how the taste of the actual grape can be completely different than the wine made from that grape. We also talked a little bit about the Portugese graphe varietals; Tinta Roriz, Touriga Nacional, Alvarinho and Castelão. There was also a discussion about the four varietals of olives on the peninsula; manzanilla (“little apple”, firms and briny), gordal (“fat” or queen, large and meaty), hojiblanca (robust and versatile) and arbequina (small and prized for the oil). Class finished up about 11:30.

This compares to the seven major Italian olive varieties:

• Frantoio: Originally from Tuscany, this variety produces complex, fruity extra virgin olive oil with notable bitterness and a peppery finish.

• Leccino: A very popular Tuscan and nationwide variety that yields a delicate, mild oil with fresh-cut grass and almond notes.

• Pendolino: Often used as a pollinator in groves, it adds a balanced, herbal, and spicy aroma to olive oil blends.

• Moraiolo: Primarily grown in Tuscany and Umbria, this cultivar produces a robust, fruity oil with strong notes of artichoke, green almond, and a punchy peppery kick.

• Coratina: Widely grown in Puglia, this high-yield variety is famous for a high polyphenol count, delivering a bold, tangy, and intensely peppery flavor.

• Leccio del Corno: A hardy Tuscan variety known for producing a well-structured, balanced oil with good stability and herbaceous notes.

• Maurino: A vigor-prone Tuscan variety that imparts a light, sweet, and aromatic fruitiness to regional oil blends

Listening to a political discussion and about paella wore me out, and a nap was required. Just before it went 14:00 we went up to the pool grill for lunch. Just simple fare; a salad and some of those spicy wings.

The rest of the afternoon we played canasta and just relaxed. Like I said a simple relaxing day. Not enough walking, although we tried to walk on the jogging track on the 12th desk but it was really windy, so we went back to the suite. I called it an early night about 20:30.

Buonanotte e Ciao,

Enrico & Maria.