Local intel
Book it — mid-week lunch, no drama. Call +34 951 19 60 29 for a table at La Cocina de Santos (Calle Ávila 1), a quietly confident family spot where the menú del día is what locals order. Around 13:30, ask: "¿Abren cocina todo el día?" — Do you serve food all day? They usually do. Straight-up Andalusian plates: grilled fish, honest olive oil, the kind of lunch that resets your week without trying.
Errand geometry — beat the queue. Town-hall counters and bank branches are kindest early. Bring your passport, padrón — town-hall census registration (or as we'd say: "register at the town hall") — and your own photocopies (counters don't always make them). Take a number, breathe, ignore the WhatsApp pings.
Parking peace — blue zone without the grumps. Check the zona azul — blue-zone parking — sign on the post, not your memory. Machines usually take cards, and apps save time once set up. Underground car parks are emptier mid-afternoon if the seafront is rammed.
Live like a vecino
One small comfort upgrade. Flip your AC to heat for three minutes and make sure warm air actually reaches you. Clean the filters while you're there. A tiny tune now saves the "why is the flat cold?" text at 22:00.
One quiet money win. Glance at your electricity contract this week. If you're paying for more contracted power than you use, ask your provider about stepping it down. If you've got off-peak hours, move the laundry and dishwasher to the sleepy slots. Small habits, lower bill.
One easy walk (and a coffee). Start at the San Pedro Boulevard, slip onto the paseo, and turn at Cortijo Blanco. Forty unrushed minutes, then a flat white where the chairs catch the winter sun. Price, pace, and sunlight.
Spanish-lite
"¿Abren la cocina todo el día?" — Do you serve food all day?
"¿Dónde se paga la zona azul?" — Where do I pay for the blue-zone parking?
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-Not bad for a Monday — A & the WaypointSur team