Life: Idiotropic

Friday night and for the first time since arriving here in Spain, we're finally going out for dinner.

Restaurants don't open until 9, so we left just after and headed down to the beach. El Turko was closed as are many normal businesses here as shop owners take their vacations in August, but El Nazareth was open with just a couple patio tables full and the inside completely empty, so we sat down and waited. No reservation. But that was ok. We ordered a tapas plate and calamari to start, then Paella Valenciana for 5. 8 toasted breads sat on the tapas plate topped with chopped tomatoes and herbs, then fat strips of fish and good Spanish ham. Tuna, salmon, herring and a few others I couldn't identify, but it was all delicious as was the calamari.

So relaxing. At 9:30 it was light out and the restaurant was near empty. By 10, crowds started to trickle in and even the boardwalk along the sand's edge began to fill with people of all ages. A group of teens came into the restaurant to order ice cream to go, then leaned against the cement wall separating the sand from the pavement and talked for hours. Families with small children and babies sat talking and eating together while the kids ran to and from the table in groups laughing and playing. Kids made normal kid noise. Some brought scooters and rode up and down the sidewalk while the adults enjoyed the peace. Some children ran and played at the nearby playground. My three ran to the beach and poked their toes in the sand within our view.

Large families, older couples, obvious tourists out of their element. And as the hour got later, the place got full and though the level of noise rose, it didn't offend. The sounds were happy ones.

The paella was served with 5 big spoons so we could all help ourselves and eat from the same large pan that it was cooked in, but I still got plates for the little girls. Delicious. I could eat that every day. We sat and watched kids play and couples walk their dogs along the boardwalk. By 11:30 when we were getting ready to go, the entire area had come to life full of people's movement and laughter.

Tired and not quite adapted fully for the later night, we left dessert for another day although it was killing me. I haven't had coffee in days and the tiny cups of java I saw at other tables called to me. But 11:30 is late enough, no?

We got home just before 12 with exhausted girls. Next time we go, we'll bring scooters, so that they can ride and play too.

(Tiara was not at dinner with us. :) We brought home extra paella for her, but she would not leave her puppy alone for so long. Such a good "mommy.")

And on the puppy front - all is well. She's been with us just under a week managing to squirm her way into our hearts. Her likes are plants of all kinds with a special interest in giant dry ficus leaves. Her dislikes are cats (she's curious, but scared), and the word "no." Oh, and she loves dirt - particularly wet dirt. The yard guys came today to fix the watering system and so there was a wet mess in front and Logan rolled and played, jumped and wiggled all around it.

Dirty, but adorable. We might just have to keep her. ;)