Coffee beans? Windmill?

The weather continues to smile on us, so I was ready for a walk early this morning. After strategizing and listing my priorities, the narrow streets called.  Here in Benalmádena, there are two parts; a traditional Spanish village called Benalmádena Pueblo and here in the coastal area where several districts intertwine.  It has become one of my favorites because no matter which direction I walk, I find something new to enjoy. And then there are also those intriguing sights that I have no answers for…

Street walking has become a favorite pastime for me (I was just walking…)  A naked statue with no head and arms caught my eye, aptly called the Torso.  It sits on the seafront of Benalmádena, near the Bil Bil Castle. The sculpture is made of Calatorao stone by José Casamayor in 1998 and represents a male torso.  Notably, it has screws instead of nipples and a nut instead of a navel. Yes, the front was “completely” intact, but I am only sharing his backside with you. I kept both sides of him in my camera though (smile).  

Those narrow streets are steep and narrow, but charming.  When I saw the stone building with the fancy name painted on the side to store ice, my brow furrowed.  Parking one’s car is an adventure since open spots are hard to find, so how much ice can one carry? I wondered. 

The windmill roundabout is a huge, mesmerizing surprise when you walk or drive down toward the Mediterranean Sea and the little “sails” whip around like tops, a sure sign of wind. It is located at the end of Calle Federico Garcia Lorca, a perfect landmark to help me find my way home.  There are Chinese grocery shops, Spanish shops and shops of other various nationalities. When I saw the windmill, I turned into the shop Steven had introduced me to and once inside, the woman spoke English.  Janet Russell would have been proud of me because I chose to speak Spanish; the woman’s eyebrows rose and her eyes lit up.  She understood me. AND imagine my surprise when I walked out of that grocery shop with my bag filled with 2 tomatoes, 1 English cucumber, 4 plums, 1 nectarine, a quart of milk, a small jar of instant coffee, a package of chorizo and a miniature bottle of gin and tonic water (a gift for our friend) after paying only $14.78.

On my way back from my walkabout, I took a shortcut along another narrow avenue lined with palm trees.  At the base of every tree, I thought someone had tossed coffee beans around the base of the tree trunks.  Fertilizer? Rabbit poop?  Coffee beans? I stood there and did what I do best, I snapped a photo and hope someone can give me an answer to that one…

My energy was fading.  The thought of sitting on the balcony with the view of the pools sounded good.  And food. The bag was getting heavy and so were my feet.  As I write this, I have snuggled down into the lounge chair.  Sitting on the balcony, I can hear the sounds of a water fountain that is bubbling below me as if the surf is a constant shadow. It is pleasant and peaceful as I study my speech and drink tinto de verano.  The large swimming pool and a smaller one beside the kiddie pool sits at the center of a large courtyard between two 10-floor buildings creating a coziness I wish I could share. Across the way, there is laundry fluttering in a breeze hanging on or around the many balconies.  We have a “dryer” — a folding apparatus that works very well; our laundry dried in less than three hours. I like it.