This week, I played pitch and putt after work with a few co-workers. Unlike a standard golf course, a pitch and putt course is comprised solely on par 3s, in this case ranging from 40-120 meters (45 - 135 yards). In addition to the short distances, the course has very small greens making for a challenging round of golf.
My rust showed, as I shot +12 for the 18 holes. I started slow (+7 after the first six) and then had a tough finish (+5 over my last 5 holes) so the in-between was actually quite good. I found the course somewhat tough... the holes are short but require precise distance control because of the small greens and the slopes leading up to the putting surface. I repeatedly hit my wedge long, leading to numerous difficult up-and-downs that would have been hard even in my midseason form.
We'll play again Tuesday, and I feel better prepared now that I've seen the course. Pitch and putt is cool because our whole round (which was not particularly fast) lasted 2.5 hours and acts as a great social outing. Very few golf balls are lost and your short game is tested a great deal. I'm looking forward to my next round... my goal is +4 (which should help my team win the company tournament).
This afternoon, I went into Barcelona for lunch and to watch the British Open. I found MariscCo (http://www.mariscco.com/) online and tried it on my own. The concept of the restaurant is simple (and pictured on my Instagram @DKMiller327); there is a counter of fresh, raw seafood when you walk in and you simple select what you want and how much before taking your seat. The host gives you the choice of cooking method and then the chef prepares whatever you've chosen and sends it out.
For lunch, I chose the octopus (cooked with paprika) and shrimp (which was prepared in olive oil and garlic). After taking my seat, the octopus arrived almost immediately. It was cooked perfectly; very tender, and salty, just the way I like it. It was served on a plate with olive oil, allowing the paprika to turn almost into a sauce that then coated each bite of octopus and made for even more flavor and spiciness! I thought the octopus was as good as, if not better than, the other efforts I've had here at Divinus and Cala Sila. The portion was plentiful (a full tentacle) but only 7 euros which seems like a deal to me!
The shrimp, of which I ordered three, came after, and was even better than the octopus! I successfully ate each of the heads and then peeled the bodies, letting them sit in the oil to soak in some of the flavor. As I mentioned in an earlier post, the shrimp heads are absolutely delicious! They have a much stronger taste than the mild body, but it is not offputting at all, instead just a magnified shrimpy flavor. The bodies of these shrimp were bursting with flavor too... the salty, garlicky oil and the sweetness of the shrimp themselves both stood out and made me savor each bite. The oil was so good that I actually asked for bread to dip through it, gathering both the garlic and the "leftover" shrimpiness with each piece.
I am not sure if MariscCo is well regarded, a tourist place, or something in between, but I was really impressed. The service was great, but that was clearly secondary to the fresh seafood that carried huge flavors. While I enjoy trying new places, I am seriously considering returning tomorrow to sample some of their other options (including large langostines and crab). This is the first place I've seen offering such a variety of choices, and the chance to SEE them before selecting. Even if I don't go back tomorrow, I'm definitely taking Jessica when she comes back to Barcelona next month!
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