I returned today to the National Police for my appointment to replace my lost residency card. As you may recall, the Englishman at the front desk Thursday gave me mis-information, telling me I needed to go to Málaga to replace my card. After phoning the Málaga police station I learned the truth. I needed to go back to the Fuengirola office. I did and I received an appointment along with the forms to be completed. Per instructions, I paid the 15.31€ fee at the bank and I made a copy of every page of my passport, including blanks.
Today, I waited 45 minutes for my number to be called. The officer who helped me was professional and pleasant. He told me I was perfectly prepared, except I only needed to provide a copy of the front page of my passport. He had the assistance of an expert staff member to look up my info in the database. The staff member — also professional and pleasant — gave me another form that indicated I owed an additional 3.06 €. He said the wrong price had been written on the first form. The staff person told me I could make the payment at the bank and come right back. I wouldn’t have to wait again. The nearest bank was 5 blocks away. I filled out the form. I paid the fee. I walked back to the police station. In 30 days, I go back to pick up my new card… from the Englishman at the front desk.
I took a taxi there today and I walked home. My bacterial infection has returned and so have the antibiotics. But I’ll whine about that another day. (Meanwhile, click any image to see a bit of what I saw.)
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| THE WALK HOME. |
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Before the walk did me in, I passed Fuengirola’s main post office. It’s a contemporary building that backs onto a charming small plaza filled with restaurants and shops.
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| THE MAIN POST OFFICE. |
The plaza, as I mentioned, is charming. The post office is a large white marble box. But, someone gave it a little charm by placing four lions’ heads on the entrance ramp. You drop your mail in the appropriate lion’s mouth. There’s a lion for local mail in the city of Fuengirola, one for Málaga Province, one for the other 49 provinces of Spain, and a final lion for anywhere else in the world. Four lions, no waiting.
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| THE REST OF THE PROVINCES. |
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| 15 MINUTES FROM HOME AND NEEDING A SIT-DOWN. NO SENSE IN WASTING THE MOMENT. |
