Spain October 2008

Vacation to Spain.

While I did not go to the home of my favorite tennis star, Rafa, in Mallorca, I did get to explore some lovely towns in Andalucia. We stayed near Fuengirola, a resort hot spot for British tourists. We breakfasted several times at an Irish pub on sausage, egg and beans, though I did get to try churros several times and toast with dulce de leche. The Brits were very funny. Some days it was overcast and cold, 60 degrees Farhenheit, and at 9am, the Brits would be at the resort pool laying out and swimming...rain or shine. We hung out mostly in Marbella, our favorite town, but took day trips to Ronda, Sevilla, Granada, and Malaga.

I did not get a good pic, but the Mediterrean Sea is spectacular when it's a clear sunny day. I kept looking for a glimpse of Africa, but I guess I was still too far away. We enjoyed the cuisine and wine, but more so, the laid back atmosphere, imbibing all hours of the day, sitting at a cafe late at night, and dancing til dawn. Siesta was good and bad, we'd always arrive some place at siesta time and couldn't shop or eat til later, but I am a believer in the concept of taking a long break from work during the mid day. I could live in southern Spain for siesta alone, however, the constant cloud of second-hand smoke would definitely kill me before long. In case you didn't know, Europeans are gifted in the art of chain smoking.

The architecture and historical sites of southern Spain, particularly in La Alhambra in Granada, La Mezquita in Cordoba, and the cathedral and palace in Sevilla where the cultures of Islamic Arabs and Catholic Spaniards clashed was fascinating to me. These amazing buildings were a reminder that the clash of civilizations goes back centuries.

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