Well, someone has to do it for the team.... |
Spain has a
seeming endless coastline with a sugar crust of tourist development between rocky mountains,
fertile valleys and clear deep blue seas.
We‘re wondering if this is to be a Med syndrome or peculiar to Spain. Either
way, its tourism unrestrained! We would prefer
to meet locals and entertain them with our less than adequate language skills
but it’s not always possible. It’s nice
to know what makes one country different to another, especially in a close-knit
community like Europe. We will have to dig a little deeper.
Althea has a busy fishing harbour too |
Some things
in Spain don’t change for tourists however.
We set out for breakfast one morning – a nice early 8:30am start. Not another soul was about. Finally at 10am we noticed a first rush of
coffee drinkers. Well after 10.30, a
nearby café opened on the marina docks.
We dashed for a table, famished!
Lunch is said to be a major meal of the day, so it starts after 2, perhaps 3. Shops close after mid-day for hours – opening at 5ish… Restaurants are full and wonderful cooking smells come from village homes. Dinner then, is at 10pm. We’ve dined on paella, mussels steeped in fresh tomato sauce and oddities like crumbed sea urchin. As one must. We’ve also snacked on a few tapas, small serves of interesting things to have with a wine or beer…. before dinner, after dinner, when-ever.
Lunch is said to be a major meal of the day, so it starts after 2, perhaps 3. Shops close after mid-day for hours – opening at 5ish… Restaurants are full and wonderful cooking smells come from village homes. Dinner then, is at 10pm. We’ve dined on paella, mussels steeped in fresh tomato sauce and oddities like crumbed sea urchin. As one must. We’ve also snacked on a few tapas, small serves of interesting things to have with a wine or beer…. before dinner, after dinner, when-ever.
Altea from a distance |
Local
sailors are friendly too. If you ever
meet Tony the Sailmaker buy him an orange juice on us. Without his help and advice (not to mention a
little red panda) we would not have made our planned
excursion to Valencia. These are the
moments that make travelling worthwhile.
Time Taken: 194nm (30hrs) Distance (this year): 553.5nm (88hrs)
Distance Total (since 2008): 11378.5nm Weather: All points 1-11kts; calm & flat;
Fastest Speed: Motor & a little sailing doing 6.5kts; warming up….finally!
From:
Almerimar, Spain Lat/Long: 36:41.87N
2:47.53W Date/Time: 19/06/13: 1005
To: Altea, Spain Lat/Long: 38:35.313N 0:03.297E Date/Time:
21/06/13: 1800Time Taken: 194nm (30hrs) Distance (this year): 553.5nm (88hrs)
Distance Total (since 2008): 11378.5nm Weather: All points 1-11kts; calm & flat;
Fastest Speed: Motor & a little sailing doing 6.5kts; warming up….finally!
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