Spain 2

I am just back from a day in the city, and had a great time.  The fact that I spent an hour or two on the beach didn't hurt my perception.  It was a beautiful day, nearly 32 degrees with a nice, moderating wind, so it was a great day to walk around.

The beach literally is right across the street from the apartment, and I walked about a mile on it on the way to the train station.  In jeans and my sensible shoes, mind you, but I still enjoyed it.  I found some great shells for my littlest friend, and two great pieces of sea glass.  I always like that, but it is different finding it your self, especially when it really does still smell like the sea whose surf is smashing 3-4 feat away.  It was fun looking for shells and the like--good for the hamstrings, but challenging.  Sea glass looks exactly like what a washed up jelly fish does--one doesn't (and shouldn't) make that mistake too many times.

The beach is an optional clothing beach, which makes me feel bad that I didn't bring my thong Speedo.  Or not.  But this place has a different population.  In my wanderings I probably saw about 25 people in various levels of undress.  Let me tell you that I wish I hadn't seen 23 of them.  The other two, well, they were a positive but I am not sure they wiped out the retinal damage caused by the others.    Let me remind you that this is a retirement community.  I hope I don't have to say more.

The train ride in was fine, and I didn't even get lost.  It is funny--the trains are the same ones in the Cities for their light rail, though I doubt that the Northstar line has a Zamfir flute player playing  Feelings with a drum accompaniment.  That was a bit unworldly.  The city, once I figured out the map, is a traditional international city.    It was nice but not exceptional.  They have a good city market, and it shows its heritage of a sea port.  One of the stalls had over 50(!) different kinds of fish.  Another had almost 30 different kinds of shell fish and mollusks of one sort or another.  But then again, they had one that just all the different kinds of organ meat.  Who knew?  And who knew that a she eps head was more expensive with the skin on?  That is why you travel, I guess, so you can learn these things.

We are going back into the city to eat now, and I will benefit from having a guide with experience.  Tomorrow is more beach time, and then into the city again. I leave very early for the less sunny climes of England, and then back to the States on Monday.