Centre Òptic Salou — Local services in Salou

In today's episode of 'An Idiot Abroad', the eponymous hero turns up, still damp, to squint out which vague blob looked like a human and then to announce via Google Translate that his eyewear had been lost to the sea.

An eye test followed. They did not measure the pressure of my eyeballs with a puff test, or photograph my retina, or gaze deeply into the window to my soul, as they do in the UK, and nobody asked for my reminisces about my family history of diabetes, or my complaints about the many long hours accountants spend communing with their computer. This was fine with me: my pressing issue at the time was being able to spot my wife without blearily peering at every lamppost in the vicinity from a 50 centimetre range.

When I had finally finished and fished out a wallet from the interior depths of my trousers - it was complicated - I had been provided with an emergency supply of contact lenses. Putting these on was even more complicated, and then I was free to begin the treck back to the hotel. It was a pleasant 45 minute stroll; and none the less pleasant the second time around when they WhatsApped me to pick up the kippa I had left behind.

Remarkably, a replacement was procured within a single working day. The third trip to pick them up felt like an established ritual, and my only regret is that there is no need for a...

My daughter travelled to Salou and forgot her contact lenses, I sent a message expecting to hear back on the Monday when it reopened but I got an instant reply from Carles who couldn’t have been more helpful. I sent him a copy of the lenses strength that she used and messaged me back first thing on the Monday before they opened to say they had them in stock. She didn’t need to have an eye test and went over and above to assist us. Would highly recommend them and thanks...

Fab friendly service, went in when my wife's glasses arm had fell off. They happily repaired the broken arm, tightened the other side and cleaned them. With no charge. Thank you for your help. Would recommend them if you have any issues with...