Spain 2016 - Isla Canela Marina - walking on the beach.

We went into Ayamonte this morning, more comfortable with finding and paying for parking and finding the market. Vegetables and fruit were on the shopping list but because we were there earlier we were also able to find olives (olives kept in big buckets that were ladled into plastic bags and weighed) and fish, we settled for Tuna (one of the few names we recognized) even though we had not cooked Tuna before.

Park and pay at the riverside and then walk in on pedestrian streets.

Watched this man fillet and skin a fish without even looking at it, while chatting to a customer.

Lots of pedestrian streets in Ayamonte.

Mum and Dad bought a frying pan (its tradition) and I asked the clerk about where to get a pay as you go phone. He sent me wandering through the streets, great fun.

Found the old town square, very pretty.

Church on the way back. Never found the phone store.

Heading back towards the car I found Mum and Dad at a cafe in the sun. Our first outdoor coffee.

We drove back home and had a lunch of pate, baguette, olives and apple. We then went for a walk along the beach walkway, looking for birds and just enjoying that it was warm enough to walk with a spring jacket on.
Dad stayed near where we parked the car, hoping the birds would come to him, and Mum and I walked a couple of miles. We saw a Green Finch, a Wryneck and, best of all, a Hoopoe (quite a stunning bird). I was so busy with the binoculars that I didn't get any photos so I am glad Mum was there to witness (Dad seems doubtful about the Wryneck but only because he has never seen one). We parted company and I walked out to the beach. It was warm enough to walk in a T-shirt.

Through the dunes.

The beach stretched off into the distance

In both directions.

There were a few guys "fishing" for Cockles. The pole is attached to a shovel like apparatus that he is dragging along the sandy bottom, it is also attached to his waist. He is stirring up the sand with his feet as he walks backwards. In front of him floats a basket that he fills with Cockles (tiny shellfish) when he pulls the shovel and net up.

Sanderling, also fishing.

Visitors say that Lake Erie looks like an ocean but  when there are any waves, the sand gets stirred up and the water is beige. Real ocean is blue or green or grey (depending on the sky) even when it is wavy. And it smells different (salt, seaweed, fish).

Shells at the high tide mark.

Back at the apartment we had put a load of washing on. The owners left a binder with all the users manuals of everything in the apartment. English instructions for everything except the "programme" information which was in Spanish (beyond my phrase book) so we randomly picked a number and turned it on. Then when I tried to open the door it was still locked, jiggled the dial and the whole thing filled with water again. Sigh! Back to the manual where I read that you had to leave it alone for 2 minutes after it had finished and then the door would unlock! Oh well, can't hurt to wash it twice.

Dad had a visitor while hanging out the laundry. Don't even think about pooping here!

 We face North. It's a lovely terrace but we had worried that even in March we might not get any sun.

Right at the end of the day, a little corner of sun. I think, come March, it will be lovely.

We are eating very well here. An advantage over Canada in the winter, here the fruit and vegetables have not traveled far and are therefor nice and fresh. As is the fish. Supper consisted of:

Tomatoes, goat cheese, anchovies, drizzled with Herbs de Province (bought in France last year) and olive oil.

Carrots, chard sauteed in onion and garlic and tuna pan fried in olive oil with Thai seasoning (from Lens Mills in Port Dover)

And of course a bottle of Rioja (drank a glass for you Daniele as requested).