Back to the Old Town

We have decided to go with stainless steel for the wind gen support. It will match what is already there and be sturdy. At the same time we’re going to replace the old shower rail we used to create supports for the grill as they are looking decidedly patchy. Given that the s/s is not that cheap we’ve decided to hire a well recommended local to do the install. This we all arranged yesterday morning. Not that we may benefit much from it here. The winds have died down making the place very hot. Also, what wind we have is quite fickle as it churns around the nearby buildings. This sets the boats in the anchorage pointing in all directions.

Later in the afternoon we set off for the old town for a second time. This time we wanted to find some cheap wine, visit the cathedral and to visit the old town as the light fell. We also figured we’d eat out again.

We revisited “Contraband Alley” where the cheap wine is supposed to be. The lowest price found was $5 a bottle. We’ve seen better but we vowed to pick up a couple of bottles on the way back to try out.

Next stop was the cathedral. We picked up English audio tours for the place and were able to learn a little about the history of the place; how Drake almost demolished it and the French ransacked the town later on to pay for the Palace of Versailles. It was quite ornate and well looked after inside.

We continued our walk around town as the light fell. Right outside the cathedral in the park there was some dancing. Not sure what it was all about but it was certainly quite energetic.

As dusk fell, the lights came on and the old town changed in appearance. Perhaps because it was Friday evening, the place filled with locals. Very popular were the horse drawn carriages with young couples.

Our quest soon became one of finding a restaurant to eat at. All the restaurants had waiters/owners standing outside encouraging us to see the menu and come inside. The menus were hard to decipher being all in Spanish but somehow we got a sense of it all. At one courtyard there must have been six to eight outside restaurants all next to each other really trying hard to draw us to their table and their menu which looked just like the ones beside them.

In the end we did find somewhere to our liking. It was a small place with just a few tables. I think what swayed me, at least, is my tired feet and the offer of the first beer being free. We shared a mushroom dish cooked in cheese for an appetizer while for main course I had another fillet steak while Helen had a mixed kebab. All very nice.

We just about made the wine shop before it closed while walking back and bought a cheapo red and a cheapo white. We’ll sample them soon and see if it’s worth buying more.