Firstly, I must apologise for the erroneous subject line of my last email. Travelling without tech support can be my excuse for today.

It’s part three of our Quest to find the finest retreat venue this side of the great divide and we are in Spain. To hacienda or not to hacienda – that is the question.

• Our apartment in Seville.

Spain is certainly smoking hot but in June next year for our retreat, it would be a bit less challenging for those who were not lizards in another life.

• This glorious flamenco dancer was in full flight.

We judged the coffee better here than in France. The bread, not so much, though I have the most glorious looking Jamon and cheese roll (actually more like half a baguette) stashed in my bag to satisfy my wish list of all the food I must eat before leaving Spain. Churros – the chap making them insisted I videoed him doing so, paella brought to the table on a trolley and served there onto individual plates, also a fishy stew brought to the table in a pot – saffron yellow and full of noodles. l

• This was on the wall of a coffee roasting cafe (who charged quite a bit for not very good coffee) – but to see this tasting chart was very interesting.

And the people come out to play in the cooler evenings from 10pm.

We ate traditional tomato-y topped toast for breakfast which I hadn’t eaten before here for breakfast – my strongest memories being of a mountain of churros served on one plate to the table when my family were here years ago.

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An afternoon of history of the Moors in Alhambra was absolutely fascinating. When the Christians seized power from them and ‘suggested’ they leave, along with the Jews (will that ever end?) they introduced pork in a big way to convey that they were in power because neither Jews nor Muslims will eat pork. Really. Who’d think that food would be used to show dominance over other people?

• Breakfast in Seville.

It seemed a long time since I’d had a gin (one has to travel so light it seems). Happily, we found a little, off the beaten track restaurant/bar and I was delighted to enjoy a very nice gin there in a stemmed glass, with big ice cubes (take longer to melt) and a fancy tonic – berry infused (not to my taste as it messed with the gin). Instead of a little savoury morsel to accompany, we were served a yummy piece of homemade almond cake and a little square of baked cheesecake. I had a feeling grandma was out the back, making magic. Another time, with drinks, we were served, hot off the grill, long little peppers – oily, charred and salty. Totally delicious.

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Sometimes I like to order things just for fun that have great names though I have no idea what they. are. This particular time it was called homemade daggerboard loin. It was sliced pork with a smoked paprika sauce. Quite tame considering what was possible in pig and bull country.

Driving through the countryside there were acres and acres of olive trees. They obviously love this heat. And the orange trees lining the streets were laden – though mostly green at this time. When we found some that were ripe and had fallen we collected them but found them to be a renegade variety with a thick cocoon-like skin, pale inside and a bit too sharp to be nice to eat. But we were in Granada not Seville so maybe they were just street oranges. Granada is all about pomegranates. Back in Seville, we visited a shop totally dedicated to oranges. They offered everything from Orange sweets and honey to trinkets, food and wine. You name it and it was probably there in its Seville Orange form. Orange jubes are a favourite of mine. They didn’t last long.

A couple more delicious things to mention. Croquetas de jamon – ham and cheese with creamy inside and super crispy outside and a lunch of bacalhau which was utterly sublime. You know the feeling when the food is so good, you can hardly speak.  Even places that are hopping with tourists seem to serve very good food.

My navigator has lived in Spain and was hooked on the cartons of gazpacho in the supermarkets. Very good and perfect for a pick me up after a day’s hunting for treasures and treats.

Speaking of treasures, the Plaza de España, in Seville rendered me speechless. I really don’t know of a single word that does justice to the wonder of it.

Thank you Spain. Next we’re off to London. A friend has suggested a place called Roast – rated as one of the best restaurants there and of course we’ll head to Ottolenghi (all the people bow low), and generally go mad in the food halls.

Daily pics on my margotunlimited instagram.

Till next time.

I am London now having a little moment of joy, currently elbow deep in a giant bowl of whipped double cream but around more serious matters, don’t forget that we are working on a world first, most amazing, incredibly effective virtual retreat for achieving and maintaining Ideal Weight. Our in-person retreats are for restoring Perfect Health and our virtual ones are for achieving Ideal Weight. Email us by return if you’d like to go on our waitlist for either.