Dawn

Dawn

Thursday, January 02, 2014

Vexatious Vejer; Roughly East v. West; Eyeing up the Locals; & Funny menus.

After just one New Year drink too many, my daughter was asleep in the car for much of yesterday. So, I took it upon myself to decide that our next port of call would be Vejer de la Frontera. This is a lovely Andalucian white village on a hill, where the streets are so small and narrow the Rough Guide's map is even more useless than usual. And where even a larger scale map can challenge your cerebral capacity. Or mine, at least. After a tiffin and a tapas, I took to finding a place for the night and this is where the trouble began. All the hotels and hostels I tried were winter-closed and it took the help of the kind owner of one of them (El Cobijo) to find someone prepared to give us a room. And then, of course, I got lost trying to find it. And again when I was returning with said daughter and bags. Never was a siesta more deserved, or needed.

As for said Rough Guide - once recovered, my daughter read the section on Cádiz province and pointed out that the writer clearly didn't know east from west. Nor possibly left from right. Normally considered essential when giving directions.

Anyway, she and I were talking about the excellent service we always get in Spain and I said it had to be about speaking the language. She felt, though, that the most important thing was the very non-British ability not only to make direct eye contact but to maintain it. I conceded that she might be right. She usually is.

Finally . . . It's lazy stuff quoting menu typos but, nonetheless, here's a gem from last night's:- Fried Baby Squips.

And here's a translation challenge for the experts:- Prey (Dam) Pork.

No comments: