The missus and I had Saturday evening appointments for MRI scans (resonancias) at Hospital Quiron in Marbella.
We set off early afternoon because we needed to get a replacement water filter from Leroy Merlin for our Philips osmosis device which purifies our contaminated well-water and makes it safe for drinking.
[QuironSalud]
Next .....
Having done that, as if one French-owned store wasn't enough, we popped into Al Campo, the French-owned supermarket in the La Cañada shopping precinct.
Then it was time to head for the hospital. We got there early, checked in and discovered that the patient before us had not turned up, so we got "seen to" earlier than scheduled.
The scans were of our heads to check whether we had symptoms of developing dementia. We'll find out in a week when the results come through.
[QuironSalud]
Time for dinner
So, out of the hospital earlier than expected, our thoughts turned to dinner. We decided to head for one of our favourite chiringuitos in the area, "Kala Kalua", on the beach in San Pedro de Alcantara.
We got there at around 6.30 pm to find that they were in the process of closing! On Saturday night?
Chiringuito Kala Kalua [Trip Advisor]
The very polite and apologetic waiter suggested their sister restaurant, "Nuevo Reino", as an alternative. "The menu is similar", he said, and, more importantly for us, it was open for dinner.
OK, we thought, we'll give it a try,
The terrace was fully booked, said the head waiter, unless we could finish by 9.00 pm, when one table was reserved from.
It was 7.00 pm, so we had two hours.
"I think we can manage that," I said.
Rita chose ensalada Cesar (Caesar salad) and I went for sopa de mariscos and fritura malagueña.
Restaurante Reino Nuevo [CIT Marbella]
Rita's salad was enormous, yet she was disappointed. "It's better in Kala Kalua," but she was nevertheless full.
I enjoyed my seafood soup, well-priced too, at just 8 euros.
Unfortunately my fritura was hugely disappointing. There was little variety and few decent fish on the plate. At 25 euros that was definitely a rip-off!
"The fritura is also much better at 'Kala Kalua' !" I decided.
The drinks were normally priced for the coast, ie expensive, but what really "caught my eye", or "stuck in my throat", was not a fishbone, but the cover charge for a bread roll and a little slab of butter - a massive 1.75 euros per person!
The version of me of some years ago would have kicked up a stink, but I'm older now and I don't need the stress.
And anyway, the waiting staff were delightful. It wasn't their fault, so we tipped them generously. But we shall not be going to "Nuevo Reino" ever again!
Our bill [Paul Whitelock]
Home time
I'd consumed two beers, so Rita took the wheel.
Everything was going fine. We were halfway home, until she hit a small rock lying in the road.
The tyre deflated instantly, but she couldn't stop, because it's a winding mountain road and there wasn't anywhere.
By the time we got to somewhere off the road and level, "Venta Madroño", the tyre was pretty wrecked.
The venta was closed and it was pitch black.
I investigated the situation to see whether I might attempt to change the wheel, but the long handled spanner (tyre iron) was missing from the car. Why?
Venta Madroño in daylight [Cadena SER]
I rang the insurance company, Mapfre (breakdown is included in your car insurance policy in Spain). The nice lady in the call centre in Barcelona took the details and within a short time "Gruas de Ronda" rang me. The mechanic said he needed 30 minutes to get to us.
He arrived bang on 30 minutes after our call.
He did the necessary, and changed the wheel. I signed the paperwork and took over the driving (Rita had had enough and was not a little distressed).
[Above photos by Paul Whitelock]
Conclusion
So, we got back home two hours later than envisaged, gone 11.00 pm, to find two starving pussycats waiting for their dinner.
Rita went straight to bed and I adjourned to my "local", Hotel Ronda Valley, for a well-deserved beer (or three!)
Hotel Ronda Valley [Paul Whitelock]
© Diary of a Nobody
Photos:
CIT Marbella, Kala Kalua, Nuevo Reino, Paul Whitelock, QuironSalud, Trip Advisor
Tags:
CIT Marbella, Diary of a Nobody, Kala Kalua, Nuevo Reino, Paul Whitelock, QuironSalud, Trip Advisor