Alicante, Day 2

Today we took it rather easy. This is because a) we chose the wrong shoes and b) we stayed out 'til 2 a.m. the night before, hitting the clubs and dancing. Yes, you read that right, dancing. It seems clubbing really is for the young and dumb, because I just can't handle that shit anymore, especially the day after.

We woke late and wandered down to a cafe for tostadas and coffee. Now, when you say tostada, I think, well, tostada. You know, open tortillas piled high with all sorts of taco fillings. Here, tostadas are pieces of bread with olive oil and tomato or ham. This is at least what the menu tells me, it may all be a conspiracy to make tourists think toast is called tostada, and then everyone laughs behind their hands....

After breakfast we headed down to the beach and got on the Hop On, Hop Off bus. We wound our way through Alicante, the taped guide was slightly off so everyone was actually Ooohing and Aahing at the local hospital instead of the Museum of Architecture. Seriously, you'd think the ambulances lined up in front of the building would give it away, but no, people were snapping pictures and pointing. The local old fogies getting their pacemakers tinkered with are probably used to being gawked at by foreign tourists by now.

The bus climbed the hill that overlooks the city and the beach, belching us out at the Castille Santa Barbara. Built by the Moors in the 9th century (or so the tape told us), it was taken by the Spanish in 1240. There's a lot of room to run around and poke about, a cafeteria, and even a few stalls selling trinkets to tourists.

One of our most important transactions thus far (other than shoes for me, shoes!) has been the acquisition of sunglasses. Not just any sunglasses, no, obnoxiously obvious rip off sunglasses! Sverre is in love with his Rey Beri glasses, and has stated he only wants Rey Beris from this point on. My plastic faux-Armanis (Fauxmanis?) feel quite indestructable. Best few Euro spent so far!

Not much food porn today. We managed to strike out big time with lunch, this food was so horrible I actually got queasy! But, after a long day of recouperating, a bedtime snack of hot chocolate and churros cured the Bad Tapas Blues. Tomorrow starts a brand new day of lookin' at stuff. The Volvo Ocean Race will start from Alicante next week, and we'll head out to the marina to look at all the boats.