Boquerones Victoriana

Another hot day today, but a very pleasant reason to venture out, in the form of an invitation to join Sue and Robin, two Malaga congregation regulars to meet for coffee in a pleasant place next to the town hall square, and then to walk up the hill to their house, about half a kilometre away. Robin's parents lived in Rincon until they died, having arrived here when it was no more than a small fishing village with dirt roads and a derelict railway line, not long closed. 

The property Robin and Sue inherited has been added to, and used by their children and grandchildren as a holiday home ever since. Altogether they've been coming here for forty years. Outside the holiday periods, they divide their time between Rincon and Henley, and are active at church in both places. There are few houses in the valley where theirs is located, though the land is scheduled for development long term. Meanwhile, it has trees and other vegetation and a variety of birds. The terrace gives a great view, making a good wildlife observation platform.

We walked down to the beach, and had lunch at a restaurant there together. I enjoyed fried anchovies  -boquerones victoriana with a salad, and learned that Rincon is famed for its anchovies, as Vinaros is famous for its king prawns. I also learned that coastal waters inshore locally have become tainted with some kind of algae that makes fish caught near the beach inedible. This serves to explain why I saw several fish jumping out of the water close to the beach the other night. There's a higher concentration of uncaught fish near the shore than might otherwise be the case.

I also learned that the cement factory the other side of La Cala del Moral, a rather ugly industrial landmark on this beautiful coastline, is now owned and run by a Chinese company, employing Chinese workers, 200 of them, who live on-site, and exports its entire output to China where there is a cement shortage, due to the accelerated development of the country. That's how nations of Europe first went into business in other parts of the world. Colonialism in reverse. 

In the evening, after another Archers episode, which will no doubt long be remembered for its dramatic conclusion when Helen discloses martial rape to the court, along with all the rest of the emotional abuse she's been denying so long, much to the annoyance of listeners, eager for a faster paced story. The Archers has always had an Agricultural Story Editor on its creative team. I wonder if nowadays they have a Legal Story Consultant as well. No doubt highly paid.

Ashley and I spent an hour and a half working on a response to documents presented for the next Board meeting to consider. No early night for me tonight, and not because it's too hot to sleep.