![\"imgp8013\"](\"http:\/\/www.raecrothers.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/IMGP8013.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nI saw a lot of men\u00fa del d\u00edas for 11-13 euros for two courses, drink and dessert\u00a0not included. Not a great deal! I brushed off the touts and continued wandering until I found a quiet alley and a restaurant with a Spanish-only 10 euro\u00a0men\u00fa del d\u00eda that looked good. Service was slooooow, but the server acknowledged me right away, so I knew he was just being run off his feet and not ignoring me. I eventually ordered my two courses and he confirmed that I could have a glass of white wine with my meal!<\/p>\n Considering I’d ordered pasta as a first course, I was a little confused when he brought me a big salad. I squinted at the menu board and, sure enough, it did say salad above the first course. So this\u00a0would be a four-course meal! I was almost done with the salad when he brought me my first course (I was surprised he didn’t wait till I was done).<\/p>\n I was a bit shocked when I saw the size of the pasta portion. It could have been a meal unto itself! It had a really lovely sauce and the meat was cooked with a touch of nutmeg. So far, I was really impressed with my meal.<\/p>\n I chose the baked pork ribs as a second course and was surprised by how much meat was on them and also how flavourful and tender they\u00a0were. The beans\/carrots\/eggplant were\u00a0well seasoned and very tasty as well. I was surprised to have the veggies. I was shocked when the server came to ask me if my meal was okay, something that I’m told really doesn’t happen in Europe.<\/p>\n I wasn’t done yet… The included dessert was flan. I declined, telling the server\u00a0I’m allergic to eggs. He\u00a0offered me ice cream instead! This vanilla and three-chocolate confection came shortly thereafter…<\/p>\n Maybe Spain won’t be as unaffordable as Barcelona makes it out to be…<\/p>\n I headed towards the waterfront and found this trio\u00a0of fine American dining options.<\/p>\n I really think I’m meant for this climate…<\/p>\n My favourite captain! \ud83d\ude00<\/p>\n Um, wow…<\/p>\n Can’t believe I was all the way up there yesterday!<\/p>\n Dates!<\/p>\n I can’t believing people were swimming. It wasn’t that hot out and the water was cold…<\/p>\n Taking my first steps into the Mediterranean Sea. \ud83d\ude00<\/p>\n Sandy feet are the only thing I don’t like about going to the beach. Surely, there had to be a place to rinse off…<\/p>\n I was right!<\/p>\n This tiling job is incredible!<\/p>\n At first, I thought this walkway is a waterslide. I bet that’s the effect they’re going for.<\/p>\n I must have gotten “Je parles fran\u00e7ais” tattooed on my forehead at some point and forgotten about it because how else can I explain tourists coming up to me and asking me for directions to the castle elevator in French?! It’s funny how I end up giving tourists directions everywhere I go.<\/p>\n I was rather impressed by this retaining wall.<\/p>\n The Polvora tower. I like how they are rebuilding it with the same material to show what it would have looked like new.<\/p>\n That stone is really gorgeous!<\/p>\n I got back to the Rambla, a main street, when I realised I wasn’t quite ready to go home yet. So I headed towards this interesting building, with the water behind it.<\/p>\n I passed a shop with notebooks that had funny messages on them. My favourites are: “Come on. Eat the world!”<\/p>\n and “Life is a journey, not a race.”<\/p>\n I had such a laugh when I was looking for lunch\u00a0and headed off to this giant TACO sign in the distance. What a disappointment!<\/p>\n Bast, did you open a restaurant in Alicante?<\/p>\n I can’t quite make out the last word in this, but rico would make sense. So “Marry someone who cooks well. Beauty is fleeting, but hunger isn’t.”<\/p>\n Am I following my dreams if I follow this arrow?<\/p>\n This ad for a new real estate project had me burst out laughing in public. The wife: “New construction homes. What more could you want?” Husband: “A steak.”<\/p>\n The arrow above took me to this wonderland!<\/p>\n Children were playing hopscotch. I had to wait for one to finish to take this picture and you can see a bit of his shoe.<\/p>\n This sign told me something very interesting about Alicante. This area was the original elevation of the city, which for a very long time impeded its development. Levelling works ended in 1946.<\/p>\n Here’s something I’ve noticed since I got to Spain. They use the verb “alquilar” for renting, as opposed to “rentar,” like I saw in\u00a0Mexico. I did some research and learned that Mexico is the only Spanish-speaking country that uses rentar for this meaning.<\/p>\n Here’s the park outside my window again. It’s prettier from this angle.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n