Brits bash Benidorm...but from Britain of course

...Being retired is great, but unless you do something then life can be boring, and your favourite place can be taken for granted. I do a few things which keep me busy, but I didn't come to Spain to work the 9 to 5 routine as it is in the UK. I do like the Marina bar, and some of my UK friends may say "have you nothing better to do than go in the Marina bar?" but can I in turn pose this question, "Is an early drive into town, doing a job you would rather not do and a drive back at 5 to do yet even more work or housework, better or worse than what I do?"



For example a typical day. I don't generally lie in bed late. I am up between 7 and 8 most days, check my emails, go shower, walk down to the newsagent for 2 English papers "The Express" and "The Mirror" (never let it be said that I am not balanced politically). Return to the apartment, make a bowl of fruit for breakfast, take the numerous pills I have to take and then leisurely read the papers for a couple of hours looking out into the Mediterranean occasionally or, when a boat passes by.



I may have to take Angela my wife shopping, we go to Lidl, Mercadonna and Carrefour for various essentials. Back home we have lunch, usually something with salad and with potatoes. If I know I am not driving and my wife isn't working later, then we may have a bottle of wine which costs the grand sum of 1 euro 15 cents. (and I hear the critics saying you get what you pay for, but if you are English and reading this you pay £6 for the very same wine). My wife and I may then go for a walk, sometimes all the way into Benidorm and bus it back or the reverse, and then we may even go to a few tapas bars in the bay. On the days we don't do a long walk, I or both of us go to the Marina Bar.



We also like to try new restaurants with our friends and have discovered great ones from 5 minutes walk to nearly an hour's drive away.



So I think I can say that when I am in the Marina "no I have got nothing better to do!". But I don't spend a fortune on drink, or have a 50" television or a Wii, Blackberry, fancy stereo, upkeep of a garden ,a full time job, stress, a boss!!!, road rage, full dustbins, dustbin police, UK petrol prices, nanny state, political correctness, instead of all that I just go to the marina when I feel like it. You choose your way of living dear reader I will not criticise.



Through the common denominator of the Marina bar I have met some excellent friends, which opens up doors for new things to do and places to go. Last night I went with Dave and Pete and Peter's sister Linda and her husband Phil into benidorm New Town. (my wife is currently in the UK no doubt playing on a Wii all my friends seem to have them there maybe cause it rains so much). We went to the infamous Cafe Benidorm, where an atrocious act was attracting embarrassed applause from a bewildered audience. The locals rarely go to the New Town. Its full of stag parties and hen parties, usually British, drunk, falling over drunk that is, this part of benidorm is minute in comparison to the whole and the bars in questions can't be more than 20 to 30 all focused in one low residential sector. But is gets the biggest and most negative publicity in the British press.



They don't stress that the trouble makers are British. Most other nationalities were brought up with alcohol in small doses with meals social drinking is taught in families so they don't feel the need when they are 18 to throw every last drop of alcohol down their neck until they fall over. Compare this to Britain where it is becoming socially unacceptable to smoke and drink. The Americans once introduced prohibition, it drove it underground and overnight the American Government helped to make the mafia one of the richest villains in the world, playing on every aspect of moral vices. Britain seems to be doing the same with stealth but lining UK government pocket by raising taxes.



Anyway I digress. From Cafe B, we went into Bahamas next door, this was better, good music and a lighter atmosphere we eventually ended up in Chaplins and 10 minutes after we arrived, it was announced "Sticky Vicky" was appearing, I have been here over 3 years and never felt the inclination to see this lady do what she does, but I have to say at the very least it is clever, if not vulgar. The audience of drunken Brits were very eager to watch and the minute she finished the bar emptied. Happy hour was over and effectively drinks doubled in price and the hen and stag parties moved on to find another happy hour.



We found such a bar, and had our last drink before returning home at about 0230am. Still I had nothing to get up for this morning and I haven't been to the Marina because I had something better to do, and now I am going for a curry...