During our stay with the Brunborgs we had a number of visits to some of the nearby coastal villages on the Mediterranean. We did most of our grocery shopping in Salobre\u00f1a, where we also had at least three lunches. In one, our waiter spoke virtually no English. Quickly realizing the communication problem, he beckoned us to follow him through a couple of dining rooms to a display area of fish and shellfish on ice. There, without knowing the names or the flavors, we each picked out the fish we wanted prepared. After we had eaten our appetizers, the waiter came back and repeatedly asked some question in Spanish, using exactly the same words each time but increasing the volume on each iteration. Finally a customer in an adjoining table perceived the situation and came over and asked if we spoke English. When we indicated in the affirmative, he rendered the translation: were we ready for the next serving? We were.<\/p>\n
We visited the resort town of Herradura, where Lars Helge familiarized himself with a luxurious (and expensive) home that he hopes to help sell to Norwegians. At his request I took a number of pictures to be used to supplement the illustrations of the dwelling on the web site for the Realty Company.<\/p>\n
We also visited Almu\u00f1ecar, with its maze of narrow streets and alleys, a number of times. We had several lunches there, and patronized the huge indoor market that featured many stands with an infinite variety of fruits and vegetables. A separate area contained many separate seafood stands with fish and shellfish of every possible description. Adjacent to the large market was a huge covered open-air area that hosted medicinal and flavoring spices and herbs. All in all, the market was a marvelous place filled with interesting sights and smells and boundless opportunities for people-watching.<\/p>\n
If I may say so, the associated beaches of these villages are not nearly so appealing as many in the Caribbean. The sand is dark and coarse and filled with stones and pebbles. The water is cold. There were few people on the beach. Ourselves? We didn\u2019t swim, but contented ourselves to brief tests a la toe-dips.<\/p>\n\n\t\t