Cedeira’s Scrumptious Crustaceans

Cedeira’s Scrumptious Crustaceans
October 4, 2008

We headed to the coast of death,
("Costa de la Muerte") as we drove
westward in our RV towards the

We headed to the coast of death, ("Costa de la Muerte") as we drove westward in our RV towards the Asturias region. It is one of the most  beautiful parts of Galicia,  but dangerous for the people who live there, where many have lost their lives prying goose barnacles ( "percebes") from the rocky cliffs. Spaniards love to eat "percebes", which taste similar to lobster, and they are extremely expensive, since they are so hard to come by.

Cedeira is a small town on this coast, situated in an idyllic setting on one of the most beautiful bays in Galicia with a waterfront promenade. We had read about a wonderful restaurant here, so decided it would be the perfect place for a splurge to take in the delights of the famous Galician seafood and delicious bread. The name of the restaurant is El Nautico and it is right on the main street that faces the bay ( Almirante Moreno).

Excellent choice! We got there a little bit late, so had worked up a great appetite, which is a great way to be for a special meal. I always say that the bread that is given at the start of a meal is a good indication on how the restaurant will be, and they had the most extraordinarily moist and flavorful Galician bread, so our hopes were high.

We were not disappointed, as each plate seemed to just top the next and we were all in seafood bliss, savoring every bite! The lobster salad was exceptional and one of the best things that I have ever eaten. What they called lobsters, looked more like extremely large shrimp in our book, but were a grilled to perfection, delight. The clams were scrumptious and Mozart ate them up like there was no tomorrow.

Mozart ordered a yummy dessert that was some chocolate wonder and she could not finish it all, so we all got a little taste. It was so good we were tempted to get one for each of us, but decided to resist going that far overboard.

After we ate, I took Mozart out on the promenade to run off a little steam as we had been driving for a few hours and had more to go, after lunch. She ran around, climbed a tree and practiced her cartwheels, so typical of a seven year old. We were glad to enjoy this space and watch other people swim.

Cedeira was one of those magical places and moments in time, so it will always have a special place in our hearts and collective memories.