Roquetas de Mar (Contd)

Saturday 8th March 2014 


We explore Roquetas de Mar town, on foot, and discover, among other things, another church.

There is a service at 19:00, Kathleen resolves, she is going to go to church this evening, in Roquetas de Mar, on the back of the scooter.

Quite what has brought about this sudden change of heart, I have no idea, best not delve too deeply into the workings of a woman's mind.

So, 18:45, all kitted up, we are ready to go, it is only three miles away, so, plenty of time. For some reason, it would appear that the entire population of Roquetas, and the surrounding district have decided to go out in their car, this evening, the traffic is dreadful, we arrive, just in time.

By the time Kathleen emerges from church, it is dark of course, and, the church is in a one-way system, so, we cannot just retrace our steps. 

A couple of wrong turns, into cul-de-sacs, but, we make it back in one piece.

Sunday 9th March 2014 

A cycle ride to the restored fort of Santa Anna, just beyond the Marina at Roquetas de Mar.

The fort dates back to the Moorish period, and, has suffered several misfortunes over the centuries. Not least of which was an earthquake. I was not aware that Spain suffered earthquakes on a scale significant enough to demolish buildings?

An excellent restoration job has been done, the interior is now an art gallery, it is all free, worth a visit.

Suitably fortified with culture, we cycle the 8 miles back to Aguadulce Marina, to have our Sunday lunch at the restaurant we found last week. It is called "La Belga", and is owned and run by a Belgian.

It was so good last week, we decided to return. 

Last week, we had Chicken Breast (Kathleen), Chicken Kebab (me), both where excellent, but, I had noticed, the Fillet Steak also looked very good. 

It was my intention to have the steak this week, but, the waiter talked me into the special of the day, an excellent mixed grill. I will have to return for the steak, next Sunday.

This is Kathleen with her, after lunch, quadruple Cointreau, this after consuming a beer, and half a bottle of wine, drunk in charge of a bicycle again I suspect.

Monday 10th March 2014 

We decide to visit, Almeria (town), on the bus.

This of course means that Kathleen gets to see the coast road, before we attempt it on the Scooter. As I suspected, it is a thumbs down, Kathleen will not be travelling that road on the back of a scooter.

The "old quarter" of Almeria is very pleasant, the usual Cathederal, built on top of a Mosque, after the Moors were ejected, clearly in a period before reconciliation and peaceful co-existence was the fashion.

Whilst we have been away, we have been reading books set in the period of King Henry viii, clearly, Spain never had anyone to strip the churches of their finery, as this opulent display shows.
  

Also a very impressive fortress, dating back to the time of the Moors, no doubt much restored of course.

For some reason, which I cannot explain, the bus fare there, is 1.30Euro, each, but, comming back, on the same bus, with the same driver, it is 1.45Euro, each. I addition, the bus does not take the same route back, but, for some reason completely bypasses Aguadulce.

Fortunately, it does stop, where we need to be off.

Finally, a couple of oddities, this, what appears to be a rather fine building, is, in fact a canvas cover, painted to look like a building, the actual building is in the process of being restored, behind the canvas cover, rather smart, I thought.

and, a trifle out of place, I thought, a Victorian style railway station!