The first of the family arrived on Tuesday, and despite the changeable weather, were enjoying the break. So, on Wednesday, it was decided that they should see the local beach. Off we go to La Marina Playa, park up, and try to survive being sandblasted in the rather stiff breeze that lunchtime. After a quick peek and losing a couple of layers of skin, (quicker than one of those facial masks ladies), we head back to the car. The first of our party heading back through the dunes happens to see a silver car parked next to ours pull away, thinking nothing more than they hadn’t stopped long. When I go to open the drivers door, I realise there is glass all over the dashboard and there is a window missing. Apparently, the local criminal fraternity prefer hire cars; thankfully, we had nothing in the car and were well insured. We now have a Polo instead of a Fiesta, with no quaterlights to break in through. Rumour has it, that if we break this one, the hire company is going to taxi us everywhere, it’s cheaper for them. I have since learned that I should have removed the hire company logo stuck in the window, so as not to broadcast my willingness to get turned over, without realising it.
The weather is not up to much at the moment, I just need to keep in mind that it will improve soon, hopefully. Give it a couple of months and I’ll probably be complaining of the heat, some people are never happy. I am, however, eating lots more fresh fruit and vegetables than I would have at home, it is easier here, and it tastes better for not being shipped hundreds of miles. When you get over the lack of plastic packaging, and the fact things are not all shiny and polished, and the fact that nature does not produce vegetables of perfectly uniform shape and size, you start to realise how daft the supermarket system is back home. I am still having ‘fun’ with the Spanish style oven, it limits how adventurous I am with what is in the fridge, but I will master it, sooner or later. And I do have to admit to having a saucepan in one hand and a ‘tinto’ in the other whilst cooking dinner sometimes.
The weather did eventually improve, so our guests did get a day on the beach before they went home. And yes before you ask, the same beach, and yes the car is still in one piece, and it was where we left it. Our grand daughter Ruby, developed an unusual routine at bedtime, caused in part by the layout of the ‘quad’ style house we are staying in. After hugs and kisses all round, she would go up the first few steps to the turn in the stairs. There is an arch shaped opening there, she would then say goodnight and wave to everybody again. Then up some more steps, to the next turn in the stairs, and still being able to see everyone in the lounge would go through the entire process again. Bedtimes could last quite a while, and I still expect her little cheeky face to appear there, despite the fact that she has gone home. We won’t see her for another four weeks, when we go home for a week.
In answer to wend691’s question, we a staying on La Marina Urbanisation, maybe it’s not real Spain, but it is our first step, and easier going till our ‘spanglish’ improves.
While going to a bar for breakfast and to post this using their wi-fi, we had a small technical problem. The local weight watchers were in, and had taken over, not sure the owner was overly impressed, not good for business. Despite my urge to tough it out and order the largest possible breakfast on the planet, my warped sense of humour, we decided to go somewhere else, and ended up just across the car park.