Lunching on the Costa del Sol

Fuengirola, Friday 16 October

We stop for a long lunch at a smallish town on the Costa del Sol back on the Mediterranean coastline. Blue sky, turquoise sea, white sand, postcard pretty. Sardines and pitcher of Sangria are the order of the day, except something happened to the Sangria order and we have a bottle of house white for E9.50. We have not been in our seats long and a handbag hawker comes up to our table and starts to show us his loot. We don’t have to lift a finger, we don’t even have to stand. Now my partiality to handbags and shoes is rather well known and so I must look because I cannot not. He has quite a nice range. I think of the three in my suitcase. I decide I will not purchase. I stand fast for at least 30 minutes. Two others purchase. Lunch is nowhere in sight. I make a ridiculous offer and stand fast. He negotiates. I stand fast. Lunch starts to arrive. I do not buy a handbag. History is made. To celebrate 30 minutes later I buy a lovely little play watch. I love entrepreneurialism.