Wednesday 1 June 2016

Expanding ...

... connecting ... wandering ...

Since tomorrow is set for Marbella with Susie ... Marks and Spencers ... an unexpected pleasure, but all good ... this morning's idea was wandering ... staying open ... so, equipped with walking shoes, sun hat, water, but no breakfast ... out on the track to Secadero ... maybe eat there, maybe 9 am bus back to Guadiaro ... passing the Cortijo the black labrador which followed me home last week, spots me, finds its escape hole ... bounds up to say hello (which is different from barking) ... hello, are we walking, follow me ... after last time, trying to persuade her to go home, decide to walk with her, see when she might turn back ... of which she shows no sign ... and at the cows' gate she looks at me from the other side and says, well I'll soon find a way round that!

So, bearing in mind the fear of cows with calves and dogs ... unsure whether the dog plans to spend the whole day ... we turn back ... in time to find her humans driving out of the Cortijo ... yes, she's always doing that ... don't worry ... hmmm ... the assumed scenario possibly disproved (sloppy black lab, Brit owners) as the friendly young blokes turn out to be Romanians ... or to be accurate, when asked if the dog, called Holly, spoke English or Spanish, said no, Romanian ... more information required on this and doubtless Holly and I will meet again ...

Thanks to Holly, a change of plan ... back along the lane and at the polo road a left up an unknown route, parallel to the previous, past posh finca until the road appears to finish in an impressive entrance ... until, on closer examination, an ancient portal appears ... a path winding up and through thorn bushes, trodden by cows ... and at the top reunited with the Secadero route ... by which time the idea has formed to swing south along the ridge and try to link with yesterday's road ... and back to San Enrique ...

At the top the possibilities expand again, a lane swings east ... heads for a tunnel under the motorway ... towards the sea ... declining coffee at the services ... the old road meanders past a goat farm and into signs of new drainage systems ... and the rear entrance to an abandoned urbanisation ... quite a find ... an unintended return to the shallow Costa ... wondering about some alternative uses for all these dwellings ... maybe prison cells ... since the architecture looks similar from this aspect ... residential driving lessons ... the roads all laid out for parallel parking, reversing, three point turns, emergency stops ... refugees obviously, though probably less likely ...whoever writes these meta scripts lacks compassion and common sense ... prices still seem high and the Bank appears to own it all now ...

Across the coast road in search of coffee at 10am ... the first chiringuito closed, the next with folks sitting around making party decorations ... hola! ... 'ello mate! ... err, how did you know I was English? ... I didn't, I'm English, I don't speak Spanish ... fair enough ... some questions ... it's a wedding, no chance of a coffee, the beach bars don't open 'til 12 ... who is getting married ?... the groom's son joins the conversation ... friendly, interested ... the older bloke, the groom's friend is spooked by the questions ... what are you, a detective? I desist, share no names here, request no photos ... in the Cockney culture of this, my generation, relations with the law were not always cordial ... who knows? ... maybe a place to gently discover how that game is playing out in the sun ...

At the Chiringuito Tubalitas.... a shady spot for breakfast ... starting the blog ... then back along the beach, hot now, in time for the 12.45 bus from Torreguardiaro to the brothel ... which arrives at 1.15, to the increasing consternation of a Russian woman, living in La Linea, cleaning flats here, just finished work and wanting to get home to her daughter ...

So, a wonderful off road route across the campo to start the day ... a chat with Holly, the very friendly dog ... Romanians, Russians and Cockneys ... and all set for the joys of Marbella tomorrow, power base of Jesus Gil, colourful criminal, three term Marbella mayor, president of Athletico Madrid ... long since left the stage, but not forgotten ... his legacy lingers ...





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