Birthday in a Fish Shop and Other Stories

This year, it was a rather unusual birthday.  Normally I go on a day out in the UK, perhaps visiting a National Trust property and having a picnic.  It's always weather dependent, and in the days before I am anxiously looking at the forecast.  Not this year - sunshine was guaranteed in Spain!

The day started in our apartment with a lovely breakfast of scrambled eggs and smoked salmon, followed by the most gorgeous pink raspberry dessert from the popular Ruiz bakery, and a cheeky glass of pink cava to get things rolling.  It was going to be a day of sight-seeing and walking around, so I wore a simple white shirt dress that covered my shoulders, comfy sandals, and a headscarf to keep my hair off my face a little.

We hot-footed it across town then to the pick-up point for the mini-train.  Our destination was the famous Nerja caves, that we'd never actually been to before on any of our previous stays.  The ride is quite fun, through the streets of Nerja and then out on to the main road to the next little town of Maro.  The journey passes by lots of agricultural areas, a historic aqueduct, and the ruins of factories from a time when the sugar industry was at its peak.

The caves were really spectacular, like stepping inside a cathedral.  They occasionally hold concerts there - I bet the acoustics are awe inspiring!  Next to the caves is a newly opened botanical garden. We had a stroll around it, but maybe as it's so young, there is little shade and it felt rather arid.  Certainly none of the flowers and colour that a British garden has in May. There wasn't much variety in the plants, lots of rosemary. I'd be interested to go back in a couple of years once things are better established.





We headed back to Nerja on the train and found a much more welcoming garden in the courtyard of a Moroccan tea house.  I had a superb almond tea with amaretto; it was divine, and served in a traditional metal pot and coloured glass.

Suitably refreshed, it was time to hit the tapas trail!  Ruta de la Tapa is an annual Spring contest where restaurants and cafes compete by providing a special tapas dish.  The public picks up a 'passport' and visits as many establishments as they are able to, where for €1.80 the tapa is served along with a glass of beer, or wine.  We'd been ticking them off our list but hadn't yet visited the fish shop, so off we went.  It's just like it sounds - a cafe in a fish shop, as this photo depicts. 

After that, we headed down the road to a taverna.  This tapa was 'cook your own'.  Nothing says 'happy birthday' like a flaming sausage.



We squeezed in one more establishment, before heading down to the beach for a rest from all the walking.  The beaches are quiet in the early evening, perfect for listening to the waves and sipping some ice cold cava.  Bliss!

As the sun started to set, it was time to head back to the apartment and change for dinner and a night on the town.  It was our last night in Nerja, and we certainly made the most of it!



That felt like quite a birthday!

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