Pedro

Don't know if you have them in Spain since you live in the mediterranean, but one of my favourite things to eat in the Algarve is "Conquilhas", it's a sort of tiny clam that's about the size of a big bean, don't know what they're called in english or castellano. Seen as more of a poor people's shellfish, hey're cheaper to buy but delicious when cooked the same way. You'll get a proper summery meal for way less money than rare expensive clams. This is what they look like. I prefer to buy complete prawns when I do get them. They're easy to clean and you get a better assurance that they're fresh, also the skins and stuff like that are what really flavors your final dish.

So, this is one of the most delicious summery things you can have in Portugal. It's very similar to what they do in Italy except I prefer our version with coriander instead of parsley and no pasta. You can get fresh safe local clams in most Algarve markets, and these are delicious. They go from 10 to 15€/kilo in low season to a quick 25 to 35€ in high season, seasons change overnight apparently which annoys me deeply. Regardless, clams feed by filtration and get contaminated with whatever toxins are around at the time they're caught, this demands that they're caught when they should and where it's safe, which is why sometimes foreign smaller clams from vietnam or other places are safer, you're sacrificing a little flavor for safety though, plus they're way cheaper, usually less than half price. After getting your clams home you'll let them rest for a few hours in sea water, a good quality market will provide you with 5 or 10lt of sea water no problem, this is important because you will let them rest and breathe in that water to let out all the sand they're carrying inside. If you can't get sea water, use tap water and salt it, make it taste like the ocean and you should be ok, if it's got too little salt or too much you'll kill the clams and they're no good. It's important they get plenty of water though, I like to buy them after lunch and leave them be in cold water until dinner(add a couple of ice cubes if you're in a proper hot place). After a while inside the water, pick out the ones that are closed because they're dead. Before cooking drain out and rinse under the tap, if any are left open after rinsing, take them out because they're dead. Get a few garlic cloves, easily 5 to 8 nice fat fresh ones, smash them and slice them. I like to add half the garlic smashed and sliced, and half just smashed but almost whole. Get a fresh coriander bunch, and finely shop the stalks, and roughly shop the leaves. A lot of olive oil to cover the bottom of a pan and while cold put the garlic and coriander in. Resist adding butter, this is meant to taste like the ocean. Start at low to medium heat and simmer everything, before the garlic turns golden (you want cooked but soft fragrant white garlic) add the clams and close the lid. Let heat build for a moment, like a minute or so, and add a couple of glasses of nice room temperature white wine. Give it a few twirls and close the lid between them, it'll cook quickly, uncover and serve as soon as all clams are open. Don't let the clams cook a lot after they're open, they will become overcooked and rubbery shit. Serve with a nice quality heavy bread, Algarve and Alentejo bread is amazing for this, but a nice white sourdough ought to be nice. Toast it golden as you'll use it to soak up the delicious garlicky sauce. This is where you can use butter if you want to, by toasting the bread already buttered, it'll be more decadent, but give it a try without butter first, I promise it's delicious. Squeeze a little bit of lemon over right before eating, if you like, I do. For wine, you want a nice mineral citric sharp white for a classy meal. You can go rose if you want to have a lighter meal or are british, but don't cook with the rose. Top picture is Algarve clams, bigger and rougher, second picture is Vietnamese clams, smaller and smoother but way cheaper. Both delicious.

In the US they're having problems understanding babies' responses when asking them how they identify.

Let's hope not

He probably has, Marcel. You can never tell over the internet.

No butter for clams!

Smaller is usually more flavourfull in most clams, but that is when they’re cooked in a closed dish with no mixes. If you like clams, with just some fresh coriander, garlic, olive oil and fresh live clams you can make a portuguese / italian feast, plus proper bread to go with it and a nice crisp white You’ll get nice enough vietnamese clams from a quality supermarket, which sometimes is better than risking local toxins. Will post a link to a recipe later.

i like almost all of that very much, but never got the point of a mixed platter like that. They’re typical on lots of seaside places in Portugal too, but I’d much rather have one type of seafood cooked to it’s best than everything mixed. Big clams, are those local?

Tyres, bought, will only fit them mid september so maybe I planned too far ahead. Better have them in my garage now than struggling to get them at the last minute though.

Sandals, worn down sandals! It’s on high shocks, too, so get a nice GS

Shouldn’t mess with the wildlife nursing a bad back. Is it a bigger suspension travel on the Yamaha that makes it harder to put on the center stand? Maybe increasing preload helps a bit?

Fucking birds been eating my dessert

Even her husband probably doesn’t do that, Bob, not a useful advice! Bob’s right, though, Pete

That’s why I’m driving, you guys got it covered

My kind of tent @Marcel

I would try and see if you could get someone to redo your stock seat for you, using your own frame, and if it works then sell the “comfort” as that’s clearly not what you want. I’m always saying stuff like this but I hate placing adds and selling stuff, people start talking price and I tell them to fuck off.

Funny enough that, BMW said the same thing with the oil/aircooled boxer when they went watercooled, but then the R nine t came along, and 10 years later using some clever injection patterns and airflows they’re still using that. If they make a proper GS with that boxer and a big front wheel I’ll buy one. What you can’t get without water cooling while complying with euro5 in modern engines is power, which is what BMW needed to keep in the same neighbourhood of performance once KTM and Ducati woke up to touring trailies, but that’s clearly not a concern to BSA. Water cooling is also what probably makes that cylinder look so big, even for a 650, not the prettiest engine ever but the bike has got a pretty rear. If ever there was a bike meant for people who like ass over tits…

Proper road, Pete!

Which bridge?

Maybe the taller version would be the answer? Assuming they get more height by putting more cushion in

Didn’t the first time, either! It’s their riding style, leaves no time to take photos!

Is that their comfort seat?