Waking up today I realized that mixing jet lag with hangovers results in really bad hangovers. Still, I headed out to Torre del Mar, a beach town about an hour east along the coast where I might live, with Julia, the girl I'd met in Dublin who will be teaching there. I understand why some talk about the Costa del Sol with misgivings; condominiums and boxy summer homes interspersed with tacky tourist shops line the shore, popping into view around every bend and over every hill. Still, the ocean is beautiful, and the sand is black and pebbly. At this time of year, Torre del Mar seems like a retirement village in Florida in a slightly more exotic location. It's heavy on the condominium side of the, well, condominium scale. Unlike most European cities, there doesn't appear to be much about it that's old. The name suggests that there's probably a 12th-century tower somewhere, though I didn't see it. Still, there are mountains in the backdrop, a beautiful crystal-blue ocean, and old dilapidated fishing boats pulled up onto the sand. It can't be all bad. Plus, it's home to a magical electronics store that had a magical plug converter/adapter that magically made my day much better.

Coming back into Málaga, we walked around for a bit and found a place to eat. The books tend to say that the city doesn't amount to much, but I've liked what I've seen. I've already found my beloved digestive biscuits that I became addicted to while in Barcelona in July, and I've started introducing them around to others. Tomorrow I'm hitching a ride to Periana with one of the directors of the bilingual program. He lives in Málaga and offered to take me there to meet people and check out the school, so that's exciting. And on Thursday there's orientation in Málaga, so I'll get to meet all the other assistants in the area. For now, though, I'm taking it easy and enjoying the last of my extended summer.