Today I’m going to combine a Fun Photo Friday with a Fun Food Friday featuring a lunch review of the restaurant at Hótel Skógafoss in Skógar, just minutes away from on foot from the magnificent Skógafoss waterfall. We’ll start with a glance at the lunch menu at the Hótel Skógafoss Bistro and Bar:
Hótel Skógafoss Bistro and Bar
But that menu does not show you the full selection available. There were also sandwiches, French fries, and other popular fair:
Hótel Skógafoss Bistro and Bar burger and fries
Mmmm…. Looks good. Let’s take a closer look:
Hótel Skógafoss Bistro and Bar
Something a bit more local, perhaps?
Hótel Skógafoss Bistro and Bar
Or a cross between the traditional and the popular:
Hótel Skógafoss Bistro and Bar
Yes, this is a bar as well. Don’t forget to see what they have on tap to accompany your lunch:
Borg Beer at Hótel Skógafoss Bistro and Bar
Oh, my bad. Wrong Borg. Here you go:
Borg Beer Hótel Skógafoss Bistro and Bar
Now for today’sFun Photo Friday segment of Reykjavik area favorites:
We had one full day left on our visit aboard Vision of the Seas, and we were once again in Valencia, Spain. We’d stopped off here nine days earlier, during our transatlantic voyage. This stop was in conjunction with our follow-on Mediterranean cruise. And as we’d been here before (follow this link for the beginning of that series: Transatlantic 2022 — Valencia; Our Next Port of Call), Ursula and I opted this time to just set out on foot, look briefly around, and enjoy the dish for which Valencia is famous, Valencia paella. But, first, let’s look around:
Now it’s time for some Valencian paella. As we wandered the streets near the port, we bypassed the obvious tourist choices along Calle del Dr. Josep Juan Dómine. Instead, we turned north onto a smallish street. Here we discovered a charming little establishment with two outdoor tables. After searching Google Maps, I’m about 95% sure that the place where we lunched was Ca Rakel on Calle del Dr. Llurch. As neither Ursula nor I were particularly hungry (we were, after all, on a cruise ship), we decided to split an order.
As we sat outside awaiting our paella, a lovely couple from I believe Slovenia took the next table. I was a bit concerned when I saw the wife had placed her purse in such a manner that it could be easily snatched (Europe, especially southern Europe stretching from Greece through Spain, is notorious for pick pockets and purse snatchers. I advised her that perhaps she might want to better secure her purse, which she did. This led us all to striking up a conversation that lasted through our meals and a little beyond even though my Slovene leaves a lot to be desired. I hadn’t spoken Slovene since George Santos and I were sent to Station L (Ljubljana) for some late Cold Warwetwork back in the early ’90s.
Just kidding, of course. I’ve never been to Slovenia, and I’ve never done wet work for The Company. Thus, poor George went to Slovenia by himself. That was back when he was a contractor for the 00 Section of MI6 using as cover his Goldman Sachs credentials as an international financial expert. Don’t believe me? I’m quite sure that’s on his résumé. Here’s George on his return from his much-decorated mission to Ljubljana:
George Santos with a few of his post-mission awards
Anyway, I don’t speak Slovene. Not even a little. Rather, it was our charming neighbors who expertly switched over to English. We discussed post-Cold War conditions in the Slavic nations, international affairs, children, careers, places we’ve traveled, and a whole lot more. The time just flew by. But I’m sure your more interested in lunch, so here it is:
Valencia Paella with crusty bread Valencia Paella with crusty bread
Ursula and I had earlier passed an establishment back on Quai Cronstadt that had what looked to be some very delectable pizza. Today I’m going to introduce you to what could be the best pizza we’ve ever had at a place called Manofica. The charming restaurant also gives you options to dine either inside or out, and offers up some exquisite views of Toulon Harbor and the marina just outside.
Looks good!
Some fellowVision of the Seas passengers were dining there, and they told us we were in for a treat. We were.
Ursula at Manofica
While looking at pizzas already served gave us our first clue that we were in a real pizzeria, the fire oven gave us a second:
Manofica’s fire pizza oven
If you’re in for a little imbibing, it appears Manofica has you covered there as well:
Manofica’s well-stocked bar
Time to peruse the menu:
Manofica’s menu as of 15 May 2022
Since it was just after 2:00 p.m. and dinner aboard Vision of the Seas was a mere four hours away, we opted to share a Pizze Anna. This choice gave us for di latte (a soft, very fresh mozzerella-style cheese made from cow’s milk rather than buffalo), creme de parmesan (a cream sauce made with the rinds of a parmesan), tomate cerise (cherry tomatoes), jambon cru (raw, cured ham similar to prosciutto), copeaux de parmesan (shaved parmesan), roquette (rocket, also known as arugula), basilic (basil, of course), and huile d’olive extra vierge (extra virgin olive oil). Since we asked to split one pizza, the staff at Manofica were nice enough to divide our pizza between two plates:
Manofica’s Pizze Anna
As you can see, the crust is light, airy, and perfectly blistered. The combination of toppings gave a great compliment to the crust rather than overpowering it, and avoided making the crust soggy. Here’s a view of the other half:
Incredible Manofica crust perfectly prepared with an excellent combination of toppings
Ursula proclaimed Manofica’s Pizze Anna the best pizza she has ever tasted, and I wouldn’t disagree with that assessment. It was a remarkable treat at a not unreasonable price presented in a wonderful setting with a great view of Toulon Harbor. And now it’s time to say goodbye to Toulon, take the ferry back to La Seyne-sur-Mer, and rejoin Vision of the Seas. But before we go:
Decisions — Murder in Paradise
The Globe — Murder in Luxury
R. Doug Wicker — Author 