Spanish Secrets: Celebration
Craig Briggs and his wife Melanie celebrate the twentieth anniversary of their first date with a very special meal in a refurbished monastery.
The 19th August saw Melanie and I reach our 20th anniversary, not as you might think our wedding anniversary but the anniversary of our first date. 20 years ago I'd arranged to pick Mel up in the car close to, but not right outside her house as she didn't want her father to see me.
It was a beautifully sunny Sunday and I'd invited her for Sunday lunch at the Hey Green hotel in Marsden on the outskirts of our home town of Huddersfield; it was a traditional Sunday lunch of roast beef, Yorkshire pudding, roast potatoes and gravy. Melanie was a mere slip of a lass and after leaving virtually all her lunch I could see why, although I do remember the beef having the taste and texture of a piece of old shoe leather.
After our lunch we travelled a short distance into the Pennine moors above Meltham golf course where the Pennine show was being held on some farmland. My local pub, The Sands House Inn, where I'd met Mel working as a barmaid, had entered a team in the pub challenge contest at the show, so we'd decided to go and lend our support. We sat on the grass in front of a stage where a series of challenges where undertaken by teams from about ten local pubs.
The only one of which I can now remember consisted of a time trial, each contestant had a bucket of ale placed in front of them which they had to drink by sucking it up through a yard (metre) long hose pipe, the after effects of which, for some contestants, was none too pleasant.
When the contest was over we got up to leave, what I hadn't realised was by sitting on the grass with one leg folded under my backside, just in case the ground was a bit damp, I'd cut off the blood circulation to my lower leg. As I rose I had no feeling at all in my lower leg and simply fell over, it was as if someone had severed my leg at the knee, time after time I tried and failed to stand. Finally I sat on the ground for a while stretching and bending my leg, thinking what an idiot I'd made of myself on our first date, well 20 years on I needn't have bothered myself.
To celebrate this landmark in our relationship we'd decided to have a meal at another landmark. Last year the newly restored and refurbished monastery in Monforte de Lemos opened as a Parador.
Paradors are state owned and run hotels, many of which are in historic buildings such as castles, monasteries and convents which have been lovingly restored to their former glories and now provide high class hotel facilities, the Parador in Monforte de Lemos is no exception.
Being a Thursday evening we'd arrived thinking there would be plenty of room in the restaurant, we entered the monastery courtesy of some very modern automatic glass doors into a beautiful reception, at the centre of the monastery is a spectacular open courtyard where the building rises up three storeys with an open corridor overlooking the courtyard on every level. Opulent furniture lines each corridor with many original artefacts along with reproduction paintings and other ornaments.
We made our way to the restaurant where every table was occupied, I approached the head waiters lectern and asked if it was necessary to book, to which he agreed but said if we were prepared to wait he would find us a table.
Needless to say we waited and were glad we had, the food was excellent the surroundings stunning, the company without equal and 20 years on she ate the lot!
