Tuesday, November 8 – Decisions, Decisions

When we were here in the Spring of 2015, we had three goals – to find lidocaine patches for MA; to buy saffron; and to get lunch.  We were unsuccessful in all three.  We fared better today.

Malaga is a lot like other towns we have visited in Spain.  It has a large pedestrian shopping area catering to the local population rather than the tourists who flood the place.  Yes, it has its historical landmarks, forts, churches and museums but we were able to avoid anything of cultural value.

We were in no hurry to go ashore and ate a leisurely breakfast in the MDR.  We finally disembarked sometime after 10, went through the terminal and past all of the shops and outside to catch the shuttle to town.  Last year the ship docked at the old terminal right by the heart of town; today, we were at the new terminal and a 45 minute walk to town.  The city graciously provided a shuttle bus but charged 5 euros for the round-trip.

Once we were in town, we got a map of the city just to confirm where the city market was located and headed out on our adventure.  Last year, we were here on a Saturday and the pedestrian shopping area and, especially, the market were so crowded it was hard to walk; we could barely get into the market and turned around immediately.  This morning we walked right in [once we found it] and were smack in front of a spice seller.  Rather than risk getting lost in the market, we bought 3 containers of saffron but had to mortgage the house to pay for them.  One task completed successfully.

By this time, almost noon, we decided it was too early for lunch, but we would stop for coffee.  A cappuccino would be hit the spot.  We ended up at one of the cafes where we couldn’t get service last year, but this time we had no problem.  Decaf cappuccino and free wi-fi made this another successful choice.

While MA finished her coffee and Facebook, D checked out several nearby stores selling eyeglasses.  Prices and styles varied as did shopkeepers’ attitudes, but D found a comfortable pair in the right strength.  Even better, it was the least expensive pair he tried.  Still, at 16 euros for the pair, they were triple the price of the ones he had from Costco.  Another task completed.  We were 3 for 3.

Not pressing our luck, we meandered back to the shuttle stop and returned the ship, happy and sweaty.  Sweaty?  Temperatures were in the mid-60s, but we had on lined jackets [and D was wearing a sweater as well] on a bright, sunny day.  We will wear fewer layers tomorrow.

Lunch in the Lido, trivia and afternoon SCAN completed, it was time for dinner.  MA had invited a couple from a neighboring table to join us. They talked a lot, perhaps too much, but it was all about themselves.  We will not be making the same mistake again.

Back in the cabin, we watched some pointless election coverage from MSNBC because CNN is not available on the ship.  It may be 10:15 p.m. here, but it is only 4:15 in Maryland.  When we awaken in the morning at 8:00 or so, it will be 2 a.m. and the polls nationwide will have closed.  Maybe we will find out who won the election then.  Of course, we live in Palm Beach County, maker of presidents, and we remember the 2000 agony.

TOMORROW – Alicante, Spain