Daytime In Benidorm…

So we had a lay-in, Dave got the bikes ready and we headed off into “town” but we’d just got outside the campsite & cycled a tiny way when YAY – we came upon a Spanish Market 🥳 !!! And it was a BIG one – rows and rows of the same stuff…

The main difference I noticed (from the last time I went around a Spanish market) was the lack of prices on a lot of the stalls. I can’t be bothered to see a nice top, ask how much it is, have them say €50, I have to say €1, pretend to walk away and we eventually meet at somewhere around €15-20… For all that I’m (supposedly) not exactly an introvert (!), I detest bartering with a vengeance 😡. I just want them to set (& display) a fair price and (if I want it) I’ll pay it – no questions asked !!!

Dave honed in on the “man” stalls (selling haberdashery items) and ended up with a “Helping Handle” (a handle with big suckers which I think is probably to help disabled peeps get out of the bath) but which My Dave will be attaching to the garage door of the motorhome as the current handles incorporate a lock and are (according to Dave) a rubbish design as he’s replaced the barrel lock on one of them already. I reckon it will just get dust & crap under the suckers & fall off on the motorway on the first trip but what do I know ? Anyway €10 later and he was a happy man !!!

He also ended up with a 15 metre “Magic Hose” which I think is going to help with putting water into The Van (which is “blue” job so I don’t get involved… 😂). He originally picked up the 30 metre one, asked the stall holder how much and I think the guy said €30, so Dave put it back, said “too much” and started to walk away (Ya-de-ya – see ? What did I say ???).

“You tell me how much you pay” says Mr Spanish Stallholder, “€10” says My Dave, “No, this is very long cable, you must buy short cable for €15”. Dave then asks ME if 15 metres is enough (blue job – not my remit) so the guy leaves his stall unattended and takes 15 large strides away from his stall then calls & waves to Dave to say that’s 15 metres and Dave barters him down to €12 and walks away happy – again…

I rest my case 😐

We didn’t have much cash (about €6 left over in the bum bag from our 2019 trip), €2.50 of which Dave spent on a new zippy wallet thing for his credit cards when he first walked into the market – so with the €3 that were left, I bought a little multi-coloured sparkly bead stretch bracelet and 2 pairs of sparkly earrings with steel posts (which in theory shouldn’t make my ears to green – but only time will tell !!!)

{ I’m actually in the market for a new leather jacket as I had three PVC ones which have all perished so I’ve chucked them – and there’s a few nice leather shops in Nerja (where Dave’s brother lives) so I’m saving myself for there… }

Piccies below of me outside the market (as we left), then down on “the front” at “Moon Beach” where we had a light lunch & a drinkie (and it was hot – 21 degrees supposedly but it felt hotter) and perused our purchases…

Then we had a little wander around the shops, had an ice cream & then settled down at another place at the opposite end of “the front” – 2 litres of Sangria later…

The final few piccies below are have “The Rock” in the background as it reminded me of the rock at Weston-Super-Mare (but it’s a bit warmer 😎 !!!)

And although it doesn’t really show it in the background, there WERE quite a few bikini-clad peeps on loungers on the beach and in the sea – just like a REAL summer holiday !!!