Monday, February 9, 2009

Saturday












I was feeling much better on Saturday; Larry went down to reception and asked about the open air markets. The one we had heard about was not nearby at all; the gal told us to go to one in La Cala Del Moral. This is not a huge market, and Saturday was not the Big Day. Still, we checked out the yummy smelling spices we could not take home, the rugs and the tablecloths, the fresh fruit and the candysellers. There was overpriced costume jewelry, and stockings and clothes, and beautiful tiles. I wish I had got the one that said, "Beware of the cat" in Spanish. Darn! We did buy several scarves, fun and cheap. The pashima scarves are soft, but the ones in the bags smell funny. We looked at leather, because Andulasia is famous for leather. It is also expensive, but the sellers are very honest and tell you which is leather, which pleather and which plastic, or made in China. Although one seller told us lambskin was antelope. Not bad for broken English. And "boool" is cowhide. LOL. I found a triangular-shaped bag with a zipper strap that made either a backpack or a purse. I could wear it across my body, so everything I had was right in reach. It has a flap across the front with zippered pouched under, and a zippered compartment on the back. It was perfect, I made Larry carry it most of the time! You will see it in later pictures. One man selling baby sweaters asked Larry is he were Canadian. We just don't look American!

Next we went to Marbella, downtown, but missed Old Town as the tourist info was closed. Still, we found what we were looking for, the Dali statues. First we had to stroll along the boardwalk, dodging post-siesta strollers and street hawkers from Kenya. Most shops were closed, and the beach was dark and stormy. There were fiberglass statues of elephants on the beach, I have no clue why. We passed a man and his friend who had a giant sand sculpture.... they had tarps to cover it at night, and a blanket with a basket for coins. Very cool. We tossed down some Euros, and took a couple pictures. In a group of British tourists, one lady was digging in her purse. "My camera's gone!" As we walked away, I could hear her friends asking her where she had it last. I hugged my new bag tight to my body, remembering all the pickpocket warnings. I felt bad for her. Lost or stolen, either sucked.

Then there it was ... a promenade from the sea to the old park, full of Dali sculptures. Right there, where you could walk around them, touch them, get silly with them. I have few words to describe them, I was so awe-struck; they were wonderful! I want a Cosmic Elephant for my yard! That would be the Dali elephant, not the beach elephants. I took so many pictures, they have their own album on Facebook. It says the link is public, I don't know if you have to join to look at them. Let me know, m'kay?

http://tinyurl.com/ad9tmy

After supper in the room, a nice omelet with tea, we walked down to the row of tourist bars and restaurants for a drink. We found the Harp Bar, a little Irish place. Very Irish and homey and friendly. The folks who ran the bar were definitely from Ireland, and many of the regulars were retired and living in Spain, or worked in the tourist trade there. I had a half-pint of Guiness and Larry had a pint. Real Guiness, on tap, flown in fresh, tasty and dark and yummy! There was Irish music and darts and biliards in the cellar

Pictures: The ice cream truck, open air market (I never did get a really good picture), the sand castle, Larry in the park, the Dali sculptures. As I said, all the Dalis are on Facebook, plus a Marbella album.

Tomorrow: Gibraltor and the Barbary Apes.

1 comment:

archersangel said...

that's a very good sand sculpture & that sounds like a nice purse.