The Winter Beach

One of the things we love whether we are in the UK or here in Spain is walking the dogs on the beach in the winter. The beach is a great place out of season. Its not manicured, there is flotsam and jetsam and, here in Spain, a whole different set of people. Add some rather unruly dogs to the mix and you have an interesting walk to say the least!
Take last Sunday for instance. We packed the dogs into the car and drove 20 minutes to Torremolinos Beach. Torremolinos is great because it goes on and on - seemingly for miles. You expect it to be empty. Wrong!!! Admittedly there aren't many sunbathers although last Sunday was a lovely day and so there were some British holiday makers who were baring more body than the rest of us.
A walk on the beach with two dogs on extending leads (imagine the nightmare if I let them off!)is fraught with danger. The first hazard is the fishermen. A neat row of rods in holders in the sand - no need to paint the picture of dogs one side and us the other. How to wipe out half a dozen rods in one fell swoop!
Then we have a lot of very small people, with the wobbly, undirected gait that strikes fear in the heart of someone precariously in charge of a mad Spanish Water Dog on the end of an extended lead. Similar action to the fisherman, I spend a lot of time reeling him in and letting him out again. Then you get the joggers - plugged into their IPOD's - determinedly running off last night’s excesses. Running people always make dogs think that they are doing it expressly for them – exciting – depends on your point of view I suppose!
There are the meditators (not sure that is a word – the spell checker certainly wasn’t helpful!) sitting cross legged gazing out to sea. These tend to cause us a little anxiety as meditation and salty, sandy exuberant dogs don’t exactly mix - I know, I have tried it. So leads get shortened as we pass those communicating on different level.
A lot of the cafes are also open on the beach during the winter so – provided they have tables outside which most do, and that unruly dogs have at least worn themselves out a little, we can enjoy a welcome cuppa before walking up onto the promenade for the last stretch back to the car. The promenade is similarly hazardous but our dogs are not the only hazard thankfully. Skateboard and rollerbladers, bicycles, pushchairs and tricycles all add to the chaos so that by the time we reach the sanctuary of the car and from there home again, both humans and canines are ready to veg out for Sunday afternoon.