Thursday, August 8, 2019

An In-Depth Beach ( la playa) Adventure

(I hope I don’t offend you with bare photos.  It is so normal here in Spain...)

La playa, as the beach is called in Spain, lured me back again today.  I felt lazy when I woke up, so it wasn’t difficult to beckon me toward the waves, sand and languid beach goers.  The 5,070 steps I walked to get there were longer than necessary.  I left with the full intent of hauling the lawn chair out of Lola’s trunk on my way down the hill.  But, my handsome landlord was trimming the flowers as I locked the door, and I was thinking about our Spanish conversation as I walked by Lola.  I forgot the chair until I was all the way to the Avenida Malaga.  And I wanted that chair...so hence the extra steps.

Today’s blog is actually more about la playa and the people I watched.  I found the perfect spot beneath a small group of palm trees to plop my chair down in the sand (thanks to my friend, Lyn, I had a chair...). Paradise. A cool breeze. Blue sky. Shade, or sombra as it’s called here.  No noisy cars. Soft spoken beach goers.  And me with my book on my iPad.  I took a deep, thankful breath and then looked at all the different people around me.


I realized, suddenly, that I stood out like a sore thumb.  It wasn’t because I was one of the few women who wasn’t topless, but because my hair is silver.  Women here, regardless of age, typically dye their hair.  I’m definitely in the minority.  And I’m not going to dye it to fit in...

The men and women who paraded across the sandy area in my line of vision while I held my iPad on my lap, were fascinating. I mention my iPad because my camera was also open as I snapped photos surreptitiously of small girls and women without bikini tops, women in all shapes, sizes and ages and senior aged lovers. I can’t decide if seeing women going topless or wearing a bikini bottom that doesn’t cover the bottom at all was the most thought provoking. The photos were for my blog, not for any other reason...but the way.  I snapped these photos during my lazy time in the shade...all except the woman who threw me into shock mode.  I was so sluggish with surprise, That I wasn’t fast enough to lift my iPad to pretend I was reading so I could take the photo.

The woman was very tan, about fifty, and laughing at her companion, who was a beautiful Spaniard who spoke so fast, I couldn’t  understand one word as they walked by me.  She was topless, but I didn’t realize that immediately because she had a bikini top tattooed across her breasts and all the way around her back with a clasp closer.  All in ink.  It was beautiful and artistic even though I am not a fan of tattoos.  This one was amazing.  Hmmmm...I wonder if?? No, not me.

When my watch showed 2:00, I cleared up and headed toward the boardwalk to find a table at the same café I found yesterday, Bar Juani.  My waiter remembered me.  That was fun.  Today, I ate crisp boquerones and a mixed salad.  With the fabulous sea view and the good food, I languished there for over an hour before tackling the streets and the steep hill leading back to my abode.



And then I took a siesta, like the Spaniards around me...until it was time to meet Miguel Alba and his wife, Isa for dinner at 8:00, undoubtedly too late when I get back to publish my blog, so here we are. Another dining adventure and a Spanish language test...

This is the correct link to the underground winetasting in northern Spain. I noticed this morning that the link did not work. http://www.queserialaantigua.com/blog/las-bodegas-subterraneas-de-fuentesauco/

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