España: Days 54-58 (El Campello)

Day 54:
As August is wrapping up, people are starting to leave this beach town we call home. Kids will go back to school soon so I expect the beach to mellow out then. I asked Scott, do you think it will be half the amount of people or less once everyone leaves? I hope to have the answer soon. I want to be able to enjoy the sand and the sea a little bit more than I have! Today we had fish for lunch at La Tasca Marinera along with our usual bottle of cava. For dinner we went to Star of India (and made a reservation for tomorrow night at Bar Merfin).

Lubina (seabass) at Tasca Marinera

Lenguado (sole) at Tasca Marinera

Garlic Naan, chicken madras and pilau rice at Star of India

Day 55:
Scott has a friend from law school (Emory in Atlanta) that will be coming to Spain with his husband in the beginning of September and we have been talking about meeting up with them. They already have their travel plans scheduled so we would just meet them somewhere that they will already be. So, Scott and I have been trying to figure out a road trip to San Sebastián. The problem is, I do not like long drives and this would be almost 7 hours if we went straight there so Scott suggested we do it with stopping in a city along the way called Zaragoza. This week we are planning our road trip for next week! We popped on over to Max Pizzeria Restaurante for lunch today and had some pasta along with a pitcher of sangria and then I think we also got a pitcher of Tinto de Verano (red wine usually mixed with 7up)....

Penne at Max

Pesto penne at Max

Tinto de Verano translates to red of summer

On our way to Bar Merfin, we stopped at a store called Marvimundo which has men's and women's perfumes, daily grooming essentails and home cleaning supplies. Grocery stores here do not have as much of a selection in those items so it is nice to have this store close by! At Bar Merfin, we had 2 items that we have had in the past: tortilla Espanola and pollo crujiente (fried chicken strips) and we picked 2 new items to try: Rollito de Salmon (salmon wrap) and Pincho Sobrasada (spicy sausage). The salmon wrap was pretty freaking delicious! I was skeptical when it first came out because it was just 1 wrap and I assumed it would be more like small rolls. Anyways, it was great and Scott really enjoyed it too which is saying a lot because he is not always a fan of salmon. The sausage dish was good but hard to share because of the single long piece of toast it came on. We also did not care for the honey that was drizzled over....when eating tapas with your fingers, it makes for a sticky situation. The combination of flavors was nice though!

Artadi 2014 Tempernillo at Bar Merfin

Rollito de Salmon at Bar Merfin

Pollo Crujiente at Bar Merfin

Pincho Sobrasada (spicy sausage) at Bar Merfin

Pincho de Tortilla at Bar Merfin

Coco is pooped....

Day 56:
I decided I would go to the beach today...it is a beautiful Wednesday and not too many people on the beach! For the first half hour, there were not many people and I felt like I almost had this beach to myself! Soon more people came and I left but I really enjoyed my toes in the sand and soaked up the sun after dipping in the ocean for a bit.

Playa El Campello (Carrer de la Mar)

I have been expecting a package from my mom and it arrived at the rental office today (we have to have things mailed there) so Scott and I decided to meet there and go to lunch after picking up the package. It was really hot out (like 90 degrees and 50% humidity) and I had to bring my carry-on suitcase because it would be easier to put the package contents in there than carry a box around. So, I had that and Coco and had to haul ass because we were afraid the office might close soon for siesta. By the time I got there, I was drenched and dripping sweat but made it just in time. I am so excited to have my new Olukai sandals and Q-Tip brand Q-Tips! It is not easy (and mostly not possible) to find the same brands of products that we used in the United States. There is a saying, you don't know what you're missing until it's gone....well that applies soometimes here. We usually adapt and find other products but Q-Tips are one thing I cannot use the alternative for. Everything else in the box was stuff for Coco! She got a nail grinder so I can maintain her nail length myself. Ever since the vet hit her quick, I dont want to make her go through that again. She also got some treats from her grandma! We walked around the corner from the office where we discovered a new restaurant and decided to try it out. It is one of the furthest from our place on the boardwalk, which is why we have never seen it. We typically stop at a certain point. La Espiga Pizzeria Restaurante is nice & peaceful (except for screaming children at times) and is our new favorite pizza since il Cuore di Napoli is looking more and more like they may never return 😭
The rosé we had was crisp and refreshing and the pizzas were pretty perfecto.

Raventos i Blanc de Nit 2012 rosé cava at La Espiga

Pizza del Soltero at La Espiga

Pizza Margherita sin queso at La Espiga

When we returned home, we went through the back entrance where all the black cats hang out. I have been making friends with them by giving them Coco's water anytime we come back. Coco has also been making friends with them. It is funny that she acts so afraid of dogs anytime we are walking her but when she sees cats, she is fine. Maybe she likes the hard to get aspect. Dogs always want to be her friend and she wants nothing to do with them. We packed Coco's treat ball with a few Thinkers (her favorite) and let her play for a bit when we got home.

Black cats of La Isleta, Campello

Day 57:
Happy 1 September!

Sailing school in El Campello

I have decided to bite the bullet this afternoon and get a Brazilian wax. I asked Scott to go with me to help me communicate with them initially. I was thrilled when she said she could do it now. That suddenly turned into fright...I am used to a very professional atmosphere and I knew immediately after following her to the waxing room that this would not be like my normal waxes. I felt as if she read what to do off of the back of the box before turning the wax to level burning hot. The wax kept breaking every time she would try to pull a strip off. Sooo painful. A little too much information but this is too funny to not share.....A couple of times after she would pull a strip off, wax (with my hair) went flying and stuck to the wall! Not only was the wax a terrible experience, she did not get everything and she left my nether region very sticky. Scott and Coco were waiting for me at the bar next door and an older lady he had been talking to about Coco asked me how it was. I laughed, shook my head and said no bueno....

For dinner we went to Da Riccardo di Maria where we ordered their version of patatas bravas but there was something off about it. I did not like the sauce one bit. I don't know if it had eggplant, olives or mushrooms because whatever it was was diced. I do not like any of the above so I could not eat it.

El Coto 2012 Crianza de Rioja at Riccardo

Patatas at Da Riccardo

Penne with garlic and olive oil at Da Riccardo

Penne Arrabbiata at Da Riccardo

Day 58:
I have not done much the past few days because my back has been in a lot of pain. It is hard for me to even sit down at a restaurant for a long period of time. Today we just had some pizza at La Espiga and chilled at home for the night.

Pepperoni pizza at La Espiga

Pizza Margherita sin queso at La Espiga

Since we were in for the night, we rented a movie called The Nice Guys. I am normally not a fan of Russell Crowe but I must say, his character and Ryan Gosling worked for a good laugh.