Prowling my world, camera in hand

22 August 2017

Week 33: Assumpta’s party, hair-of-the-dog, and beginning recovery

Filed under: — Administrator @ 14:28

The week was my first full week of vacation. Under normal circumstances I would have spent many hours on two wheels; however, the knee problem and resulting leg inflammation kept me off the bicycle for most of the week–very frustrating but in the circumstances there was nothing I could do. Fortunately, towards the end of the week I was able to take the first baby steps towards recovery, following my doctor’s instructions. In addition to this, there was also much partying and similar levity going on.

33_1
On Sunday morning, my wife and I drove to a nearby vegetable market. This is a real farmers market, where every Friday and Sunday farmers from the surrounding area sell their produce. There is of course also other stuff, like bananas, that is brought in from outside the area, but the focus is very much on local things. I took a few photos to convey the feel of this mercadillo:
R002355

33_2
Shoppers of various ages:
R002366

33_3
Ground level view:
R002359

33_4
Two kinds of peppers. The small green ones are called pimentos de Padrón, after a town in Galicia in north-west Spain, and are absolutely delicious when fried in olive oil with a generous sprinkling of coarse salt:
R002356

33_5
Tomatoes, red and green. They do not look as perfect as the ones in the supermarket, but the taste and smell is much stronger:
R002363

33_6
Leeks, pak choi, carrots and other good things. The prices are good too:
R002367

33_7
There are also a few stands selling clothes, but it is very much a secondary activity here:
R002368

33_8
On Monday evening, we attended the birthday party of our friend Assumpta. As usual, we started by munching on various goodies that people brought along:
DSF3760

33_9
Later, Assumpta’s husband Elio put his Argentine BBQ skills to good use, and the audience was clearly ready:
DSF3769

33_10
DSF3770

33_11
Our contribution to the food was the birthday cake. My wife’s cheesecake is always very popular and she is usually asked to prepare one for birthdays:
DSF3772

33_12
Assumpta gets her cake; at this point it is technically no longer her birthday, since we are past midnight, but this is a Spanish party, so it will last until the wee hours of the morning:
DSF3777

33_13
On Monday, we got together again, for a “hair-of-the-dog” lunch to dispose of the leftovers from the night before. Elio, Cani and Mariluz admire Elio’s new barbecue:
DSF3788

33_14
At the table. Most of the others had been to the nearby beach during the morning, hence the attire (or lack thereof):
DSF3795

33_15
Elio, Assumpta and Chloe:
DSF3798

33_16
This time, our contribution was produced by me, a Japanese salad with edamame and a ginger/soy dressing (the colour comes from a bit of tomato purée that is also added):
DSF3785

33_17
And as usual, there was meat that needed grilling:
DSF3801

33_18
DSF3803

33_19
DSF3806

33_20
While we ate, I snapped some portraits around the table. This is Lucas, Elio’s son:
DSF3810

33_21
Mariluz:
DSF3815

33_22
And then it was siesta time for some:
DSF3817

33_23
A couple of images from morning walks with Cheeta. First, one of our neighbours:
DSF3833

33_24
Even though unemployment in Spain has fallen significantly since the worst years 2013-14, one still sees many handbills like this one, posted by people looking for domestic work, gardening work etc.:
DSF3784

33_25
On Wednesday we went to the city to do some essential shopping at Beershooters, near the Mercado Central. Right next to the beer shop, there is an old-school shoe repair place with a rather striking window display:
DSF3822

33_26
Flower stall behind the Mercado Central. We bought some of these sunflowers:
DSF3825

33_27
We had lunch at a nearby modest place, which we call the “obrero restaurant”. “Obrero” means “worker” in Spanish, and this restaurant is popular among the construction workers working on the many new apartment buildings still being put up in this area. It is honest, good food, and a lunch with 3 courses, dessert and a beer or soft drink costs €7. Things always start with a simple salad to share:
DSF3829

33_28
I particularly enjoyed my second dish, beans with some kind of shellfish:
DSF3830

33_29
Thursday afternoon was a big moment–I got on a bicycle for the first in a week. For someone who is used to exercising daily, a week’s enforced rest is positively painful. But I must take it easy for a few days, so this first outing was just down to beach with Monica to have a drink at one of the bars on the promenade:
R002372

33_30
Monica’s mojito:
R002373

33_31
The next day I was able to do a longer ride, a total of 22 km, but still very soft, on flat terrain, following the beach road to the harbour of El Campello. The harbour has two parts, a small fishing harbour and a larger harbour for pleasure boats. I always find the former the more interesting of the two. Despite the “no fishing” signs, there are always people fishing from these rocks:
R002379

33_32
I always enjoy looking at the nets drying on the ground:
R002384

33_33
And the various things that grow on the equipment:
R002381

33_34
R002383

33_35
There is a small fish auction house:
R002390

33_36
The Virgin of the Sea watches over the proceedings:
R002388

33_37
Just south of the harbour is the main beach of El Campello:
R002393

33_38
On Friday evening we went to the opening of a photography exhibition in the centre, and afterwards one of my fellow photographers and co-workers invited us for a beer at his place. While walking there, we passed the entrance to our main pedestrian promenade, Esplanada de España. It is a sign of the times that such places now often have roadblocks in place to try to prevent attacks like the one in Barcelona. Ours look a bit nicer than plain concrete barriers:
DSF3835

33_39
Our hosts Christophe and Philippa live on Plaza de Santíssima Faz right in the centre, a lovely little square full of diners on a Friday evening:
DSF3837

33_40
We enjoyed a few beers and good conversation:
DSF3838

33_41
And the view of the square from their 4th floor balcony was fabulous:
DSF3843

33_42
On Saturday I did another beach recovery ride, but this time slightly farther and faster. I began at the southern end of our beach, Playa San Juan:
R002397

33_43
This year, the municipality has put up large posters encouraging people to litter less (or not at all). The campaign uses characters like this one, “Plantalatas”, a woman who “plants” cans (“latas”) in the sand instead of taking them to the trash bin:
R002400

33_44
I again cycled north to El Campello, but I went beyond the fishing harbour to an area called Baños de la Reina, a series of secluded, rocky beaches (called “calas” here):
R002401

33_45
Still further is Playa Almadraba:
R002404

33_46
There is even some art to look at while basking in the sun:
R002406

And so ends a somewhat rambling week.

No Comments

No comments yet.

RSS feed for comments on this post.

Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.

Powered by WordPress