Nerja

Today we left Malaga to our destination in Orgiva, and along the way we stopped in Nerja.  Nerja is an up-and-coming beach town, but we were fortunate to find a stretch of un-built beach (the “playazo”), with three beach-side restaurants and nothing else.  We parked the car by Chiringuito Mauri, which had the most people in it and a wood cooking fire outside. Both of these are good signs.

A pan of paella was cooking as we went in, and I was really temped to order it until I saw that they could cook “fish on a pole” as well, so I ordered the dorata al espeto ("gilt head on a stick" on the English menu) instead. A few minutes later, the cook had it on the pole and by the fire.  I asked him about the preparation, and he said it was just salt and fish.  As for the wood, he used olive tree and “aguacate” or avocado wood. The olive wood was for flavor – it’s a slow burning wood- and the aguacate was to keep the fire going.

Oh – the dorata (served with a couple of lemon slices) was delicious!

After lunch, the Sue and the kids enjoyed the beach for a little while. Laurel found some more great rocks for her collection, and Bryce was happily throwing the rejects into the ocean.