Friday 10th February - Random Facts

Heavy rain overnight but it is bright and sunny this morning. Today is return day for the car and we form a plan around that. The rental place is close to a bus stop that has a regular service to Puerto de Mogan, where there is a popular Friday market. It's also supposed to be quite picturesque so we go for it. The car is handed back and we have only a few minutes wait for a bus. This is almost full but R gets a seat near the front and D has to stand further back for a couple of stops until a space comes free on the very back row.

The bus is routed along the coast, calling at several small towns and taking about an hour. Bus driving on this route is no sinecure as the road winds and climbs around the headlands a situation not helped by the flocks of cyclists who are out everywhere. Nipping past them in an underpowered Fiat 500 is a breeze in comparison to getting by in a 60 foot single decker without taking out any of the pedallers. The last section of the trip was along the motorway, mainly in tunnels. Apparently the coastal road for this bit has fallen into the sea.

As we drive down into the town we can see the market which has stalls along the side of a wide pedestrian walkway. There are lots of people but not much business being done. Mind you there is nothing very useful on sale. We stop for a coffee at a cafe called Bish, Bash, Bosh which would have better been called Fawlty Towers. The waiter twice tries to deliver drinks before we had even ordered. The coffee is so bitter that we have to put sugar in it.

We walk down to the sea front and find a bit more space on the street if not on the beach where the sun worshippers are packed in. There are some attractive trees planted with seed pods a bit like bunches of tiny bananas. R's plant identifying app tells us that it is an African Tulip Tree. The market continues through the middle of the town, where the streets have been closed to vehicles, then out onto the wide breakwater that protects the harbour. Here there is a building housing a fishmongers' and a rather smart fish restaurant that is starting to get busy. 

We find a table in the shade and enjoy a splendid lunch which is followed up by splendid ice creams. On a stroll around the harbour we see a man performing three card tricks on a cardboard box while an obvious stooge waves a 50 euro note at him. Another lacky warns D off when he lifts his camera. Around the next corner we see this notice.

The harbour is teeming with fish.

The bus home is much less busy and we are able to admire the on board information screens which go big on advertising blood donation opportunities and displaying random facts.

Back home the chef prepares Salad Nicoise. Does eating this much fish on a Friday result in Catholicism? 

La cerveza del dia is another supermarket own brand but a bit pricey at 60 cents. It's actually not too bad, crisp and fresh. Unlike all of the others it claims an ABV of 4.6%. Do they put more water in it? ****