When you run out of coins, but travel the world in one day

I feel like I travelled the world in one day - but I didn't. At least not physically. It was only about two hundred kilometres in total, and I didn't even move from Spain. Somehow I still touched different places, through a dream, music and the language spoken around me.

The day started... strangely. I didn't feel very well last night, and the morning dawned foggy in my head. I had a strange dream; heading somewhere, maybe lost in a big, cold and grey city, in a country I had never been to before, but at the same time, it reminded me very much of the city where I studied. By the time I managed to wake up from the dream and look at the clock... it was already late. I should have gotten up, practised the piano and hit the road.

I had one lesson, then a one-hour break, and later a meeting with the choir director about upcoming concerts and rehearsals. We were also supposed to record the piano part of one song, the one I practised a bit in the morning. It is one of the new compositions that I will accompany the choir, a habanera called Todas las mañanitas. Before the meeting and recording, I got that one hour to spend in this sunny place and eat something.

The peculiarity of this city is that on the promenade you can hear English, Dutch, a little German... and almost no Spanish. When you hear it actually, it is a similar feeling to when you are abroad but suddenly hear your native language. This is just a comparison, as it is not my native... still, I hope you understood what I wanted to say lol. I warned you that I woke up feeling strange today.

It was very warm.

People were sunbathing on the beach, walking around in flip-flops, shorts, t-shirts and me...? I was prepared for the ice age! 😂

But nothing could spoil my gratitude and joy at being able to spend a little time there and share my meal with little birds.

Yes, I shared my meal with them again, this time not with sparrows but with doves.
I don't know if they have sharp eyesight or if they are monitoring all passersby, but they quickly realized that they could get a few bites too when I started eating and came to the bench that I chose to sit on.

A shame I didn't have more time to spend there in the sun... Luckily, I had to go because otherwise I would melt down and would not be able to attend the meeting with the choir director and the lessons I had during the afternoon.

I was going back to the car and remembered the little situation I had when arrived on this street and parked. I wanted to pay for the parking but had no spare coins, I had just banknotes and my card. You can't pay with them, so I got the idea to enter one corner shop and ask the saleswoman if she could exchange one banknote (5 euros) for coins.

Her smile and kindness disappeared after hearing my question. She quickly said she didn't have any. 🙄 Seriously?

Thanks to this I didn't pay for parking. And that is exactly how it had to be because at that time (siesta time) parking was actually free due to the decision of the city council to leave those hours free of charge, between two and four in the afternoon! Gracias, Benidorm. I mean, thank you, bedankt and danke, Spanish is a rare language there. 😂