Andres is special but Jesus disapproves

 On we go, camino de servico all the way.  Motorway to the left of us, olive trees to the right, here we are, enjoying the view and the weather.


The average temperature for today is 9oC. This week is oddly low on the averages, in that the first two weeks hang a round at 10 or 11 and next week it goes to 13oC.  The average high is 15oC, the average low 4oC. While a little chilly, it is probably going to be sunny. 50% of days are in March.  About a quarter of days are wet, but with 47mm of rain a month, let's hope today is dry.

We are heading towards Fuensanta, which, I appreciate this may be cruel, looks to be a motorway service station with a hamlet attached.  This is not entirely unfair. It was created by the National Institute of Colonization in the 1960s. The Institute was set up in 1939 to attempt to revitalise the Agricultural Sector as part of Franco’s autarky plans. 

The place has some wonderful street names.  Pluto Street, Neptune Street, Uranus Street and Jupiter Street are joined by Calle Sol de Funensanta and Calle Futbol de Funensanta.  About 200 people live here and, apart from the hotels and cafes, there is work in the agricultural sector.

As we wander into Funensanta we hit the tiny office of Fitsa Tickets Ferry FST.  https://fitsa.net/  Given we have only 3 reviews, 5, 4 and 1 - so we don’t really get a real sense of the body.



Nearby is the Hotel Restaurante Albenzaire.  It is a three star hotel.   https://albenzaire.com/  It has a cafe, a restaurant and 1388 reviews - giving 4.1 stars.   Andres is clearly a hit.  The first three reviews are from Alejandro ‘Andrés is an attentive, friendly, and funny waiter; it was a pleasure spending the day with him.’  Santi says ‘Andres is the best waiter. Very good service and excellent food.’. Pilar felt ‘Andrés is the best waiter. Super attentive and very friendly at all times.’. I feel let down by Guille, who merely stated ‘Great place to eat, the meat, ribs and burgers are spectacular, the service is very good, this is the 3rd time we've stopped here when we travel, thank you!!’




Back on the road and this time to a proper service station. The Hotel Paraiso de Granada is a three star modern looking.  https://hotelparaisogranada.com/  Almost 3000 people give it four stars.  Yesterday Jesus was unhappy. ‘We'd just finished a hike in the Sierra Nevada mountains and stopped here for lunch because it was one of the few places serving food at that hour. It was a complete disappointment. We ordered combination plates; the meat was so poor quality it looked like a piece of cardboard from a box. You order a hamburger and they bring it without a bun—where have you ever seen a hamburger without a bun?! On top of that, it was overpriced for the quality. I won't be stopping here again. It's been years since I've written a review of this magnitude, but it's worth mentioning.’   Three days earlier another Jesus gave one star.  A week ago Aida was more positive. ‘I went with my partner and our 6-month-old baby, and they put us in a very spacious room with an enclosed terrace. The mattress was very comfortable, and we slept very well. The hotel staff were lovely.’



So we push on and cross the A-92 and end.

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