El gato, los pescadores y la gamba rosada de Sóller.
My latest painting.
A month ago we went to watch the fishermen sort their catch of pink prawn in the harbour.
Soller is famous for its pink/red prawn, which has earned it the reputation of producing the best prawn in the Mediterranean, a juicy red specimen very characteristic of the area. Soller Prawns are up there with the best in gastronomic terms. Thanks to the sea bed around the Port of Soller they are pinker than the average prawn and almost red in colour.
The fishermen come in each day and their work is watched by many locals and visitors alike as it is the best spectator sport in town. This the spectators were joined by the cat who sat on the quayside and watched every prawn be selected and boxed.
Heston Blumenthal is quoted saying that his favourite journey in the world was from Deya to the Port of Soller to collect the Soller Prawns from the fishermen. Then it was the run back to Deya and the barbecue and the cold sherry accompaniment to sucking the prawn heads off the fire. Jaimie Oliver said that the Soller Prawns are the best in the world and he often buys them at the quayside when he holidays in Deya.
The sight of the prawns on mass being sorted and tossed individually into their respective boxes is a true labour of love appreciated on the day by one hungry cat.
