Spain 2016 - ferry to Isla Christina

For some reason the internet quit for a day but now we are back up and running and I need to catch up on 2 days.
Yesterday we went into Ayamonte as we wanted to buy some fish and I needed to top up my pay-as-you-go phone as I wont be using Bell for this month. I dropped into the Orange store (its a mobile phone company) and the lovely, English speaking, employee, topped me up with another 10 Euro.

There were more fishmongers at the market than usual and more fish.

We bought 2 slices of tuna from this stall. He was also selling swordfish and that's the head on the far right. Two slices of tuna, cost 5 Euro (about $7.50) and will do us for two meals.

We had a coffee and then Mum and I went to Casa Grande while Dad sat at the cafe.

We used the elevator rather than these steep, original, stairs from the courtyard.

Mums favorite painting.

I found a bakery in my wanderings and bought these three tarts. I asked him what they were called and he said tarte nata, translates to cream tart. They tasted just like the custard tarts I used to buy at a great little Portuguese bakery in downtown Cambridge, Ont.

After lunch I caught the ferry to Isla Christina.

It leaves from a dock in the marina right below our apartment

It runs every hour except for the 2 hours over siesta luckily I caught the 1:30. 6 Euro return.

It pulls into another modern marina in Isla Christina after about a 5 minute ride. I walked out and headed for the beach area. I was asked by a french couple whether it was worth taking the ferry and I was surprised what a struggle it was to move my head from Spanish into French but we managed to have a conversation.

There is a walking and biking path along the "front" and these exercise machines. I have seen them in many communities but rarely being used. Just like the exercise equipment at home in peoples basements.

A wooden bridge goes out to the beach over the area that would be under water at high tide.

There are 3 birds that I have wanted to get photos of while I was here. I have seen them but wanted to be able to post a picture. A spoonbill, a hoopoe and an azure winged magpie. This is how I am making birdwatching interesting for me; the hunt for the photo.
On crossing the bridge to the beach I was able to cross one off.

There were 3 spoonbills swinging their heads back and forth in the water in the lagoon.

That beak makes them look so odd.

Looking across at Isla Canela

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and back to Isla Christina.

I walked for miles along this pathway in the dunes until I came to a restaurant and bought a water. Paid 3 Euro for a bottle of water but it serves me right for not remembering mine.

I walked back through town. The part I was in is not particularly attractive. Mostly apartment buildings about 4 or 5 stories high. Wide streets and sidewalks though and a square that had an amphitheatre and event space (looked unused and over grown).

A monument to Mariners. There were plaques commemorating the names of sailors on at least 3 ships that had been lost at sea. Reminder of the dangers of being a fisherman.

I had just come to this pretty street and spied the church when I looked at my watch and realized I had to get back to catch the ferry. I had been walking for more than 2 hours. I will have to come back and explore some more.

Here comes the ferry and back I went to make tuna in citrus and mustard sauce for supper.