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Local Services to Perleta MagicLocal services, you gotta have them. Local is better than remote, or long-distance. Sometimes it does make sense. When it comes to food or the ideas of food and shopping, you've plenty of choices when you come on vacation in Spain.
A little further on, we find Antonios, the local store everyone goes to for all things to do with the garden, hardware, maintenance, plus a whole host of other products people generally need living out from the city.... our spot for replacement bottles of butane gas.
ValverdeGoing the other way to Valverde, the Dicost supermarket also has good pastries and fresh bread, a fresh meat counter, a delicatessen and charcuterie, amongst other things... and a postbox just outside. (Both Valverde and Perleta have pharmarcies).
You can also find in Valverde, other local services including a Bernas Multi-Precios shop which sells everything from washing-up liquid to curtains, hair clips to incense to make-up, home decor to clothes, bikinis and handbags to weed-mat... it's a great local store, and they also do some fresh bread and pastries.
Just down the street is the small church and an open square. Casa Molina, a bar/restaurant with outside tables and chairs for al fresco dining, sits at the opposite side of the square. In the summer-time you can enjoy a drink as the sultry, deep blue skies slowly turn to night. Casa Molina also do buffets, wedding, communions, all kinds of functions, where they make use the first floor, which doubles the size of the restaurant. An example of this is the buffet on Monday (2010): for a glimpse of what is on offer, see Jacq's Musings #15.
And just around the corner is another local bar/restaurant, Indalecio, which is a smaller establishment but makes up for it by the lively and atmospheric clientele. Many of the older Spanish gentlemen come here to play cards and dominoes, eat some food and have a few drinks - always enjoying a laugh. This is more a Mom & Pop establishment, where whole families come to enjoy a night out.
Next door is the Inda Garden, part of the same management, a restaurant that's outside dining 'inside'; open air with a huge circular canopy plus trickling fountains, low pleasant music, trees, bonsai, palms, jasmine. Very soothing relaxed ambiance. They also do similar gatherings like wedding receptions, communions, functions.
An interesting observation: many western countries invest time and effort in fast-food, eating on the go because change of lifestyle demanded change of eating. Spain on the other hand, has always had fast-food, tapas, and it's universally available. The lifestyle may change in Spain, but thankfully the food doesn't need to. The three establishments are open all year round*, and it's a really low-key enjoyment of dining options in the area, no booking is required, and they all open late. All except for the Valverde fiestas. When it's time for festivals, it's well and truly booked well in advance. The fiestas in Valverde provide spectacular colour for 3 weekends in July. *the
exception is Inda - closed over winter for
obvious reasons
During the fiesta days, roadblocks are in order during the evening, and all the locals turn up as well as visitors who travel great distances for nights for of revelry. Drinking, eating, chatting, dancing till the wee hours of the morning, long trestle tables engender conversations of groups of friends and neighbours as the parties are under way. Wall-to-wall tables and chairs below gaily coloured buntings, outside in the road which had been cordoned off, and also in the square in front the of the Ermita. There is also entertainment: bands playing lively samba and merengue tunes, floats with dancing girls, games for the younger children, parades... the evening fiesta is always a drawcard! There is also El Trencaor, local bar/restaurant in Perleta, who do a similar thing, but they open less frequently.  Other local services, albeit a little bit further, are in Elche to the north and Santa Pola on the edge of the Med. 10 minutes one way will get you to Santa Pola; ALDI, HIPERBER, EROSKI, MERCADONA... and many other supermarket chains are available. 10 minutes the other way will get you to Elche and HIPERCOR (which partners El Corte Ingles in a new complex), LIDL, ALDI, CARREFOUR, EROSKI (in the commercial centre ALJUB). Many hypermarkets and supermarkets are available. There is a Saturday market at Santa Pola, with fresh fruit and vegetables, fish, and all manner of other foodstuffs, plus clothes and non-consumables, and a fresh fish market Mon-Fri in the evening at the port next to the Santa Pola marina. Click on the Santa Pola tab for more details. Everywhere now, you can buy fresh produce at various supermarkets, open all day. . |
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