Another great day in Centro

I've got the pictures posted to the blog and drew a blank on what day is today? How could I forget that it is Feb 18, 2018 - its Daytona baby! The first race of this season and my favorite driver drives the #18. Will he be lucky or not? Daytona is nothing but a crap shoot and a demolition derby - so LUCK plays a big part. 
This morning is again gray, sun is trying to come out but marine layer isn't letting it. According to the weather report humidity is in the 90s so if it does come out it will be muggly. 
But back to yesterday, Saturday. First thing every morning Bill asks, "What do you want to do today?" My answer is, "I don't know." He replies, "Where do you want to do 'I don't know.'?" I shrug and whine, "It's too early." That usually ends the conversation for a while. A little later yesterday he says, "Let's go out to breakfast." My reply, "Let me get ready!" I figured we were just going across the street so I wore a t-shirt instead of one of my cooler blouses. 
Hum...we passed Torres, we continued on through town, so not going to Panchos. Then started down the Malecon. Now that Carnaval is over the work continues on the Malecon, a lot of it was not completed before they cleaned it up for the parades. Here is a guy painting the bike path. He has an awful lot to paint. 

 They are working on the sea wall and putting in the tiles for the walkway. 

 Not a good shot and no idea what they are doing except that it requires machinery. 

Got into old town - Centro - and parked in the lot we always park in. Need to go to the bathroom? 5 Pesos - it is that little cubby with the shower curtain. 

Then we  headed to the Via Condotti restaurant where we'd eaten Thursday afternoon. Next to this is Hector's Bistro and behind it is the bakery. When we got there there were no tables outside so we went inside to sit. Just as we sat a table outside emptied. We rushed out and grabbed it.

The two restaurants and the bakery are in my most favorite old building in Centro. I wrote about it not too long ago. It was built in the mid 1800's and all this tile was brought from France. This tile is on the bottom side of a wooden balcony. I too the picture looking up between two awnings. 

 While eating we watched this guy. He is collecting metal to sell. Has two bags of cans and is pulling a cart with various items on it. The white stand had shifted and the top of it was dragging on the road and slowing down his progress. So here he is re arranging the things on the cart. He has stopped in front of the Casa Haas a beautiful old home that has been restored and is used for events. 

 This is Bills breakfast - a Frietatta or Spanish Tortilla. has greens and cooked small tomatoes on top. This is about the third time he has ordered and eaten it so must be good. 

 My breakfast. Ham and cheese omelet and little potatoes covered with herbs. They are almost like the ones Bill makes. We both cleaned our plates. 

After eating we went into the bakery to buy cinnamon rolls. Some of the bread that is freshly baked every morning. By noon it will all be gone. 

 Out the other side of the bakery another beautiful old building. When built it was a German owned general store. When we first started coming here it was painted purple.

We stopped in the optometrist to see if by chance my glasses were ready. Nope, next week. So we continued on. Stopped in the big yardage store to check out the material. This year so far nothing that I really wanted. Not like I need any any way. Then on across the street to the Central Market. This guy was in the middle of the intersection directing traffic. His hat is made of silver sequins with the little flag sticking up out of the middle of it. He was doing a good job of keeping the traffic moving. 

 Bill buying some plums, grapes and tangerines from one of the stands. 

Also stopped at our favorite clothing vendor and he bought me another blouse. All hand embroidered like the last one but different design and colors. 
Pretty dresses all in a row. 

Buy then it was getting hot so we headed back to the parking lot to pick up our nice clean just washed car. Bill usually buys extra cinnamon rolls for the parking lot manager and the car washer. When we were leaving the manager told Bill, "If she gets tired of you she can give you to me." Guess he likes the rolls as he has a wife. 
Back on the Malecon heading north. Still working on this side too. Putting in new sidewalks and curbs.

Work is continuing on streets every where including in the heavily traveled Golden Zone.

Back up on the main street Bill stopped at a shop where I've been eyeing this ceramic chicken since he was in the hospital across the street. Three years now. They wanted 4000 pesos - 220$US. They have come down to 2000 pesos - 108$US. We are still thinking...It is about 30 inches high. And I love it. But how to get it home in one piece...

Got home and stayed there. I did somehow manage to get the Xfinity race on my laptop, but without sound. As always a couple of big wrecks. What a waste of time and money. 
Tonight we are meeting friends and going to the Plazuela Machado to listen to music and eat dinner. Hope the wind is not as bad as last night. Last night it blew most of the flowers off of our plants.
Ugh sun just popped out, humidity has dropped to 73% with dew point of 66% Think I changed my mind - Blow Wind. 
As I post this the #18 car is having a very bad day. Enough said.