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Published: March 10th 2012
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About an hour’s walk from my flat, there is a beach called Samil, maybe it is the fact that since I left Liverpool 10 years ago, I haven’t lived near a beach – Leeds, San Jose, Xiangfan and Budapest all being decidedly inland – but as beaches go, it’s a damn good one. White sand, clear blue water, little quiet inlets and bays and lots of rocks just waiting to be climbed on. The islands opposite, accessible only by boat and only in the summer, are called The Cíes Islands and a few years ago they were voted the most beautiful beaches in the world – although by whom is something I’m not sure about as it may have been The Cíes Islands tourist board for all I know.
Of course, it’s not all sunshine and roses, with it being by the Atlantic, it’s always going to be as pleasant as an ice bath to go swimming in, this, coupled with the fact that the local river lets out straight onto the shore, with all of the delightful treats that brings with it – some of which reminded me of swimming in the sea in Menorca when I was about
12 and peering out from my lilo to see a fully formed poo float past me – you can’t buy memories like that. That said, it’s still a real treat to have somewhere that beautiful to head down to at weekends. Just to be able to sit and watch the waves with a coffee and my kindle (yep, I’m one of those people now) is one of the best ways to spend a spare few hours that I can think of.
It will be interesting to see how Samil, the beach and all the surrounding bays change come the summer, however. The big fear here seems to be of the days ‘The Portuguese’ come north (tourists I think, rather than the army) and take over the place when it gets hot, so maybe that will push me somewhere different and quieter after Easter.
Either way, one thing that will be difficult to avoid, at any time of year are noisy children in restaurants, cafes, shops or indeed anywhere that isn’t my flat. Spain is famously very family-orientated – children leave home far later than in England, families often seem to eat and go out on days out together
much more than they do at home. One of the consequences of this, of course, is that the usual unwritten, social rules governing when it is ok to allow your children to run about in a public place, go out of the window. This said, however, here it is in no way annoying. In other places, people would be getting angry, tutting and glaring at the parents, here, people love it! Partly due to the siesta thing, I think, kids seem to be able to stay up surprisingly late and so this is why restaurants and cafes are not solely for the quiet enjoyment of adults as they are elsewhere. Something this does show off though is just how much people here love children. If there is a young kid in a restaurant they will get little free treats from the staff, the waiters will also stop and have a bit of a chat or a mess around with them and on top of that, people at nearby tables will try and join the fun. It appears that it is completely socially acceptable to leave your own, childless table, and go and play a couple of little ‘peek-a-boo’ type games
with the nearest kid around. Far from being as weird as it probably sounds, it really is a nice thing to watch, although it shouldn’t perhaps be all that surprising, given just how friendly people are here. There is an element of the American ‘Have a Nice Day’ routine to an extent, but for the most part it is all warm and genuine, and something that tends to make you feel incredibly welcome where ever you are.
By way of a final note, has anyone heard of a type of music called “Reggaeton”? I hadn’t until a couple of weeks ago and even now I still feel a little like my Nan when I talk about it. I’ve been told it’s a sort of hybrid of Reggae and Dance from South America that is becoming increasingly popular over here for young adults who like to go out and dance and party and do whatever it is that young adults do these days. It has been variously described to me as something that “is great to go out to”, “is ok, but not that interesting” and “contains lyrics that are deeply offensive to women.” I can’t imagine making all that
much effort to find out to be honest, because frankly, it sounds about as much fun as discovering a human shit next to your lilo in the Med.
Pura Vida
Dave
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