Style Blog

I’ve been in the ‘bubble’ of marina life for two weeks - much disconnected from the realities of working Spain - but just up the road here is the city of El Ejido that is worth a visit for a bit of local culture.

More a town than a city in size, it’s furiously hot and dusty in the summer and scares many tourists away with its unattractive industrial outskirts and ‘plasticos’ - a sea of greenhouses supporting the thriving local fruit and vegetable industry.

And yet, if you look under the surface, the city is rich in culture.  There is an abundance of restaurants and bars, and if you’re lucky, you might catch some Andaluz flamenco music, unforgettable and authentic.

Today, under unusually leadened skies and after a strong ‘café con leche’, I took a stroll around the local flea market run by a German chap. The stallholders hailed from diverse backgrounds: local Spanish and Moroccan, plus German and English nationals. There’s a bizarre mix of stuff on offer from some fairly exotic-looking furniture and antiques, to DVDs, bohemian jewellery, books, tools, and television sets. A good place to get a bargain and brush up on the haggling skills.

@jsmithwriter

This marina is used frequently by research vessels monitoring the health of the seas and also investigating the whale, dolphin, and turtle population of the Alboran sea.

A great organisation called Promar have a strong presence here and are dedicated to the conservation of marine wildlife.

Leaving you with tonight's sunset:

@jsmithwriter

In Spain, be sure to check out 'chiringuitos', beachside bar-restaurant-cafés. These great local places serve up excellent tapas and 'raciones' for good prices and with attentive staff, so you will be served whether there are two clients in the establishment, or hundreds!

Favourite dishes of mine are grilled sardines, chipirones (fried baby squid), and lomo (thinly sliced pork).

@jsmithwriter

It's amazing the wildlife you see in and around a marina.  Yesterday it was a small viper, and swifts darting around, and today a special treat, about 30 Honey Buzzards migrating above our heads from North Africa into Europe.

What will tomorrow bring?

@jsmithwriter

The wine available in the supermarkets here in Spain ranges from 99 cents to 4 euros and above. Generally, I go for a Spanish-produced red in the 1,30 - 2,00 euro bracket, such as the vino tinto Tempranillo pictured.

Now, I can just hear the cries of derision from Brits claiming, "It must be rubbish at that price!” - something I have heard many times before. And therein lies a deep naivety, since the Spanish people do not accept junk. Generally, they have refined pallets, do not overindulge, and certainly know about quality in the food and drink department.

The quality of my ‘budget’ wine is usually far superior to the processed screw-topped equivalents in British supermarkets, off-licences, and certainly wine bars and pubs.

Something to ponder when you're next spending £6, £11, and £20 on your bottle of wine in the UK.

On a final note, please opt for real cork stoppers, since cork production is a sustainable industry and the cork oak forests provide vital habitat for globally endangered species.