Costa del Sol, Southern Spanish Coast

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Buenos dias from Andalucia and the sun-drenched beaches of Malaga province in Southern Spain! We arrived in the largest city in southern Spain, Malaga, from Paris via Vueling Airlines, a budget branch of Iberia Air. The climate is Meditarranean and it sure looks like EVERYTHING grows here. The highway medians are overflowing with huge flowering bushes, including the largest hibiscus shrubs I have ever seen.

Anyway, we rented a car at Malaga and drove south to our hotel in the little town of Guadacorte, near Los Barrios. Then we headed out and about. Our first stop was a beach near Torremolinos. (See pic ) It is a nice quiet area without too many crowds.

Later, we headed to a much larger beach complex with shopping and restaurants called Puerta Banus (See pic.). Thousands of people gather here to soak up the sun by day and then cruise the narrow streets by night. The beaches are dominated by northern Europeans who can't get enough of the sun. They sprawl about, slowing roasting, some of the ladies with their tops down, so to speak. I get enough sun without trying, even with SPF 45 so I did not join them. DH already has his "tan" so he was as content as I was to sit in the shade and watch the waves undulate up against the shore.

The lifestyle in coastal Spain is laid-back and relaxed. People wake up late in the morning and then take a siesta during the hot part of the day. Toward evening, things start to come alive. Many restaurants do not even open until 9 PM. So we have slipped into having late meals although we try to keep it light.

When we travel we like to talk to ordinary people and often this adds a richness to our experiences. We also get the "inside scoop" on local things. For example, while walking in the town of La Linea, we met a retired British couple who have an 8th floor apartment overlooking the Rock of Gilbraltar. They live part of the year in La Linea and part of the year in the UK. They invited us up to their flat and showed up their 180 degree views of the ocean and the Rock. Fabulous!

Sorry this first entry is a tad short and disjointed. The internet connection here is not the best and it costs some euros. Anyway, the next blog entry will take you with us as we cross the border from Spain into the British territory of Gilbraltar. Stay tuned and Adios!

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