Hello from Almería, Spain

[Nigel]

Yo tambien, por favor ! (Just as long as we don't have to run up the hill to the Alcazabar).

I spent the week before my last (or should I say, most recent...?) marathon enjoying the faded glory of the Hotel El Dorado in Carboneras, just along the Almerian coast. Warm weather taper training by the Mediterranean.

It's a little town I found on a geology field trip once, and I was happy to return. Still the real Spain, with tiny grocery shops run by 85 year old ladies who look at foreigners as if they have just landed from Mars.

The hotel proudly displays signed photographs of all the 60s film legends who stayed there when it was the only place in town. For this is the beach where they filmed Lawrence of Arabia, and there's a cracking 3 mile route along the promenade, even if it takes you to the cement factory and back. It's a warm and unpretentious place.

My only concern was the 500 villas being built on the hillsides all around the town, and the 1,000 bed megahotel being built within the boundaries of the spectacular and desolate Cabo de Gata natural park. Another Benidorm or Mojacar was being born.

Joni Mitchell was right - por que no se reconocen la gente, las cosas maravillosas que tienen ?

Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you've got
Till it's gone.