One of the hardest things for me to decide when we're at the beach in Spain is whether we venture out for something new and unproven or we stick with what we know. We've done pretty well over the years with the little beach finds and fortunately Nacho and I like the same kind of places--smaller, more secluded or private areas without a ton of people. It doesn't matter so much to us if there aren't amenities as long as the water is nice and not too rough. Knowing our demands aren't easy to meet, it's easy to want to keep hitting the same places all the time. But on this trip, I had made it a goal to get to a new town called Las Negras which we had passed nearby many times before. José and Irene had great things to say about it having been there for New Year's many times, but I wasn't sure what the summer beach vibe was like. With one day left in our stay, I thought it might be a mistake if we got there and didn't like it, but we saw there were a few other playas nearby so at least we had a Plan B. Turns out we didn't need one.
Within minutes of making it to the town and finding prime parking, I felt like we were onto something good. Rounding the corner to see the beach laid out before us, I knew this was going to be a good choice even if the pebbles and stones were a little more challenging. Turns out there were plenty of sandy spots to enter the water from and we plunked down our stuff near one and got right in. And oh my, the water was nice. There was a kind of rocky shelf a few dozen feet out in the sea and that keep the waves from breaking anywhere near us. The girls needed a little help to navigate the rocks in the water (and Elisa some coaxing about the stupid fish) but the reward was a beautiful, clear spot for great swimming. Yes, the fish were nibbling again. And yes, Elisa eventually saw them and busted a move so fast to get out of the water that Nacho and I were left practically in tears laughing so hard. I have never seen her move that quickly. But gosh, the water was delightful. We scoped out a restaurant overlooking the bay just above us and I was already picturing lunch up there. By the time we got out and wandered over we found out we missed the chance to order a rice dish which was disappointing. We had promised Elisa paella for lunch and they were making some beautiful ones. But not for us. We should have called ahead (had we known). Oh well. You live and you learn. We ordered fish and the girls had another breaded meat with fries and for dessert, Elisa finally got to try her frozen lemon sorbet. It was all worth it. Our original plan was to move on to another beach after lunch but Nacho and I decided to scrap that after thinking it might not be as nice as the beach we were already at. Why tempt fate? So we dipped ourselves back in the water after lunch and swam until just before sunset. It was a perfect last beach day. After grabbing some granizados and sitting on the boardwalk, we walked over to hear some live music drifting out of a small white washed calle on the edge of the village. A typical Andalusian singer was giving the crowd the best concert outside a bar and everyone was swaying and enjoying their drinks. It was such a purely relaxing moment. I wanted to stay there forever. Instead we tried to soak it all up and carry it with us. We made a quick pit stop at the top of the hill on our drive back to Agua Amarga and the rest of the night was getting ready to pack up and leave in the morning.
Good bye, Agua Amarga! Hasta la próxima
Our next stop was hitting Calnegre on our drive back to Madrid. It's amazing what a memory of a fabulous meal can do to your driving route. Instead of just hightailing it back home, we opted to take a slightly longer route and venture back up the coast to this little village to indulge ourselves with a caldero from the same beachside restaurant we hit last year. Sometimes you just have to prove it was that good. It was. Carolina on the other hand was not so impressed. By this point in our beach vacation the girl was over having breaded chicken cutlets and giant, soggy fried potatoes. Oh well. She didn't want to try anything else. But she did want ice cream. Yes, there was more crying. No, I was not amused. She just couldn't make herself look any more pathetic. Fortunately, I was in a good mood and relented. But really, look at that face. The kid was milking it.
The drive back was uneventful and we made a new discovery of melon gum at one of the gas stations. It was a big hit, as was the coffee we grabbed on the other stop. Another 5+ hour drive and we were almost back to Encinar. The beach trips in Spain aren't without their downsides and the long car rides are the biggest ones. But in the end, it was such a good week in Almeria that I think it was all well worth it. The girls had their new tablets to play with in the car on the way back and Nacho and I enjoyed chatting and talking about the rest of the trip to come. Including our planned getaway to Paris next week. So yes, it was good to go and good to be home. And now for a little more time with the family!
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