22/10/2010      Distance: 56 NM       “37:58.30N 0:41.20W”

Last night we arrived at 21.30 to Torrevieja. With the help of the chart plotter we located the harbour, negotiated our way into the marina and executed a by-the-book Mediterranian mooring in the dark without anyone helping us with the ropes. It is a somewhat tricky maneuver, as while Steve is going astern to the quay. I have to lower the passarel (a small “bridge” that can be unfolded to connect the stern (back) of the boat to land, if any) grab the ropes and walk through it in the air to the quay, jump and secure the ropes around two bollards approx. 6 meters apart before the whole thing (boat, passarelle and husband) drifts away, drifts sideways or altogether disappears in the dark. With the steady hand of the skipper on the helm it was all done without any glitch. So, we set out eagerly to celebrate the start of our recoveries from our real and imaginary illnesses with a light dinner. Innocently we walked through the gate of the Real Club Nautico and walked into the most bizarre scenery ever seen. The town architect/major decided to create homage to Gaudy. What he/she created became caricature of anything Gaudy had ever imagined. The most shocking was a walkway with endless concrete seats on both sides decorated with white mosaics twinkling in the bright neon light, covered by “sunshade”, a massive concrete structure that we initially suspected to be an overpass! . The walkway did not start anywhere and did not lead anywhere: it was in the middle of no man’s land. Some bored teenagers were shouting at each other aimlessly. We felt like screaming, too. Walking further away showed the imagination of the architect was endless: we came across concrete water falls, further concrete seats and flower beds surrounded by checkered tiles.