Apartment

First views of the apartment as it starts to get furnished. We managed to get this far before we left Friday night, and in time for a small housewarming gathering with family on Thursday evening. The black dining room set is a 19th century family heirloom, made for my great-great grandparents.

peScados capitales

Juancho and I had been wanting to hit Pescados Capitales again all week but never managed to find the time with all the hustle and bustle that this week entailed. Finally, on Friday, we got to relax a bit and so Liz and I took him there for lunch, which also afforded Liz an opportunity to experience this restaurant she had heard so much about.

The place was packed with people, some who had clearly started their weekend early and suits on extended lunch breaks - including the Foreign Minister. With a bit of wait ahead of us, we naturally started with pisco sours: double pisco sours!

Unable to decide what to order for main courses (that danged menu is just too much fun to read, and it all sounds so good!), we opted for Mushame de pulpo, Cebiche capital, both of which we had had on our previous visit, and Lujuria freudiana as appetizers. This last quite good and lovely in its simplicity: squids grilled with anticucho dressing.

Lujuria freudiana: grilled squid in anticucho dressing

Finally able to decide what we wanted, we moved on to ordering our main courses. I selected Intolerancia, a saltado made with fried fish and shellfish. It was a very tasty alternative to lomo saltado. Liz opted for Codicia: Lenguado Vladi, a dish of "ambitious" halibut named for former-President Fujimori's one-time spy master, Vladimiro Montesinos, currently in prison for bribery and corruption. Juancho's choice was Lujuria, a "lusty" tuna steak "a la Casanova" topping a dish of fetuccine.

Intolerancia: a saltado with seafood instead of the usual beef

Codicia - Lenguado Vladi: a dish of "ambitious" halibut in white wine
and cream sauce, with mushrooms, scallops and prawns

Lujuria: A dish of "lusty, Casanova-style" tuna

Having had our fill, but not willing to depart without dessert, we opted for sharing a surprisingly light and airy lúcuma cheesecake. The absence of the"dryness" characteristic of lúcuma and the classic pairing of the fruit with chocolate even won over Liz, who is decidedly not a lúcuma fan.

Pescados Capitales
La Mar 1337
Miraflores, Lima
Tel.: 421-8808
http://www.pescados-capitales.com

We got it!

Yes, we got the apartment, though it took some last-minute wrangling and fretting, and a looong meeting that took all morning long to get a three-page form signed.

We then went shopping for kitchen appliances and went to spend a few minutes in our new, but as yet empty, digs.

In a Saga-Falabella department store, hunting for good deals.

The view to the south, from the living room.

To the east, from one of the bedrooms.

Measuring the small, back bathroom.

Two views of the kitchen.

Puro Perú

On my first day back in Lima my cousins and I met their father, my uncle Willy, for lunch at newish buffet place, specializing in seafood dishes: Puro Perú in Barranco.

Like many other buffets here, it is a combination of buffet service and cooked-to-order dishes. The variety is simply incredible: from standard criollo dishes such as carapulcra, stuffed rocoto peppers, and causas, to cebiches, raw bar, and paella, to even sushi rolls and nigiri. The food was solidly good, though not necessarily better than you'd get ordering the same types of dishes à la carte elsewhere. The variety of dishes, freshness of the ingredients, and attentive service really make the difference.

Liz had eaten there in February and said that it was well worth a visit. I'd have to agree with that assessment as I'd happily return.

Puro Perú
Av. República de Panamá 258
Barranco - Lima
http://www.puroperu.com.pe/

In Lima

Well, here I am in Lima. I's my second full day and things are going as well as can be expected with the added stress that real estate deals bring.

Jacho and Mito were at the airport to meet me when I arrived - thankfully without further delay than the 16 hours I had to wait because my connector flight was cancelled. I had to switch airports, but they did put me in 1st and business class all the way.

Counting down ...

In less than a week, I'll be in Lima ... for less than a week.

When Liz was there during Carnaval she spotted an apartment in San Felipe that we are now looking at buying. It's been a bit nerve-racking getting it all together, and I probably won't be able to fully relax until the papers are signed. I just hope it all goes well...


If it does, ... we'll have our own place in Lima!