The first week of May was just regular life, cycling, work, getting together with friends–and looking forward to our trip to New York the following week.
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I started the week with a ride south to Elche and Santa Pola. I stopped briefly on the beach at Urbanova; it was early so not many people on the beach yet. I always like to look at the view of Alicante from there:
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In the fishing harbour of Santa Pola (one of the most important fishing harbours in the area, far larger than the one in Alicante), the nets were laid out to dry, and people were out and about strolling in the nice weather:
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A statue of a fishing family by the entrance to the harbour:
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The signs, saying “We are fishermen, not criminals” are everywhere in Santa Pola harbour. The fishermen are protesting against some new regulations (as in many other places around the world, if left to their own devices, these fishermen would empty the sea of fish, leaving nothing for future generations):
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As I always do, I cycled north towards Alicante from Santa Pola on the coastal road, stopping for a short break at this tiny chapel:
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The sign explains that the chapel was rebuilt by the Santa Pola municipality in 1946–presumably it had been destroyed during the Civil War:
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Later in the day, we went to our friend Eliot’s house for lunch. He was in the kitchen, I was on the terrace, giving moral support:
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Alejandra, the girlfriend of Eliot’s son Lucas:
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Alejandra and Lucas brought their dog Palta:
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Palta and Balu. The two dogs are the same age, about 3 1/2 years old, but Balu is by far the more boisterous one:
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During the week, I stopped for a beer on the beach again, taking in the sights:
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A sure sign of the beginning of summer is the appearance of the temporary beach bars, chiringuitos. Their size and number are strictly regulated to ensure that they do not dominate the beach:
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A small skate park and memorial to Ignacio Echeverría, killed in a terrorist attack in London in June 2017:
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Most bigger cities in Spain have an establishment similar to the Real Liceo Casino de Alicante. Founded in the 19th century, it was initially a mens club, not dissimilar from English clubs. Today it is something hybrid; there is still a membership, but it is quite open (my wife and her bridge gang are members so that they can use the facilities to play), and the main activity is a restaurant where we went with friends on Saturday (that’s my daughter Monica on the right):
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Our friend Assumpta’s son Alberto works as a waiter in the restaurant:
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The food was quite presentable and tasty, starting with an ensaladilla rusa (they really should change the name):
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Some nice bread for dipping in olive oil:
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My tuna tartar:
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Sea bass for sharing:
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Overall the food is good, but the main attraction of the restaurant is the terrace overlooking the Esplanada de España and the waterfront:
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