Yesterday was March 17th. Dia de San Patricio. St Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland. It was also the second leg of the Round of 16 in the Champions League for eight teams (the remaining eight play tonight, including Liverpool FC, Newcastle United FC and Tottenham Hotspur FC).
[Relevar Home Care]
Bodega San Francisco was where I chose to watch the Manchester City vs Real Madrid match, having previously watched the conclusion of the early kick-off between Sporting Lisbon and FK Bodoe/Glimt, the surprise team from Norway, at Bar Alegria.
[ORONDANATURA]
But the best sports bar in Ronda was too crowded for my taste, so I decamped to Bodega SF.
Champions League and Bodega San Francisco
While Chelsea were losing heavily to Paris St Germain (France) and Arsenal were confirming their superiority over Bayer Leverkusen (Germany), Manchester City were making hard work of overhauling the 3-0 lead of the 15 times champions from the first leg.
Having Bernardo Silva sent off in the 20th minute for a very questionable handball on the goalline did not help their cause.
In the end the match went to extra time after which Lisbon emerged as 5-0 winners, 5-3 on aggregate.
I decided to eat while I was watching the football.
I chose four tapas spaced over an hour and a half and drank two cervezas sin alcohol tostada.
Each tapa was excellent: un serranito; un pincho de gambas con beicon; un filete con mojo picon; and un rollito de salmon.
And the bill came to just over 11 euros!
[Paul Whitelock]
I've been a fan of Bodega San Francisco since the year 2000 when my first wife Jeryl and I fetched up there after a bike ride in the valley below Ronda.
That was when the bodega was in Barrio San Francisco. I remained a regular patron after we bought two properties in the barrio in 2001 and 2003, the latter from Paco, the proprietor of the bar.
Bodega San Francisco in the barrio [Help Me Ronda]
St Patrick's Day
Back to St Patrick's Day I didn't spot an Irish person all night, and I know a good few round here.
Perhaps I should have gone to the Irish Pub in Ronda, but they wouldn't have been showing the football and I'm not sure about the quality and affordability of their tapas.
Irish Pub, Ronda [Facebook]
Links
HELP ME RONDA
Meet Secret Serranía blogger Paul Whitelock - Secret Serrania de Ronda
© Paul Whitelock
Pictures:
Facebook, ORONDANATURA, Paul Whitelock, Relevar Home Care, Wikipedia, www.help-me-ronda.com
Thanks:
Paul Whitelock, Wikipedia, www.help-me-ronda.com
Tags:
Arsenal, Bar Alegria, Barrio San Francisco, Bayer Leverkusen, Bernardo Silva, Bodega San Francisco, cerveza sin alcohol tostada, Champions League, Chelsea, Dia de San Patricio, Facebook, filete con mojo picon, FK Bodoe/Glimt, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester City vs Real Madrid, March 17th, Newcastle United, ORONDANATURA, Paris St Germain, patron saint of Ireland, Paul Whitelock, pincho de gambas con beicon, Relevar Home Care, rollito de salmon, Round of 16, St Patrick, St Patrick's Day, serranito, Sporting Lisbon, tapa, Tottenham Hotspur, Wikipedia, www.help-me-ronda.com