Spain - Spring 2024 Jan 4th-Feb 8th (xmas, Jerez, Rich +Laura Nerja)

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Spain – Spring 2024 4^th Jan – 8^th Feb & 21^st Feb – 13^thMar

It was like having two Christmas’!! We came back to Spain earlier than usual ( After a month of rain in the uk!!) on the 4^th January so that we could see the Three Kings Parade on the 5th January!! They hadn’t had any rain in Spain and I think we must have brought some weather back with us , as we got caught in a horrific thunderstorm and got soaked!!, As Paul said to us - ‘ God works in Mysterious Ways!!’

Mercadona was very busy the next day ( I suppose its like their Christmas Eve!!) and we bought a Roscon de Reyes filled with cream – everyone was buying them!! Ita a festive, brioche ring, shaped like a large dougnut and decorated with candied fruit, that celebrates the arrival of the Three Magi on 6^th January. It also contains, hidden away, a plastic figurine of a King (if you are lucky enough to get it in your slice, you are King for a day, and a broad bean which means that you have to pay for the Roscon next year!! The origin of the cake can be traced back to the 2^nd Century and although Jesus was born on the 25^th December, it took the Three Kings 12 days to reach Bethleham. Caspar, Melchior and Balthazar (the three Magi) who brought gifts of Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh and are associated with the Parade of Tres Reyes when they literally throw tons of sweets out for the children on the evening of the 5^th!! This is followed on the 6^th January (El dia de los Reyes Magos!!) by opening of their gifts from the Three Kings.

We decided to go into Malaga to watch the Parade and duly got the train from Plaza Major. The streets were cordoned off and there were loads of people teeming into the centre! We picked a spot just down from Calle Larios and the Tourist office and waited……and waited…..and waited!!! As usual the Parade was about an hour late and we watched the bands, tronos and Disney type figures go past!! There was a little girl in front of us ( sat on her dads shoulder!!) that didn’t seem to catch anything, but her family managed to pick up a few sweets for her!!

We also had a few good walks – One was through the railway tunnels to Rincon de Victoria, which was where 15,000 - 50,000 the elderly, infirmed, women and children from Malaga walked to Almeria in four days to escape Franco, in 1937, called the Desbanda. Unfortunately, 5000 were slaughtered because of snipers and Italian ships that shelled them. The 4000 people that declined to leave Malaga, were systematically rounded-up, raped, killed and piled into mass graves. Another walk was along the ‘Corredor Verde’ which is a part of the board walk which will apparently, will join Malaga to the ‘Caminito del Rey’, We then cut back up, though the lemon groves to the Hermitage of Nuestra Senora de la Fuensanta which was built in the 16^th Century on the remains of a 10^th century Mozarabic church.

My sister had also given us a quiz to do around Malaga so we set off one Sunday to try it out!! It was not too bad and gave us a purpose to wander around Malaga and see things we hadn’t seen for ages!! Some of the answers were a bit obscure and we scored 56/100. It was a shame we couldn’t go back and re-check our answers!!

We did the recce of one of the walks we are leading (saw a Hoopoe!!) starting from Cerralba and down to the Rio Grande, ( which hasn’t got much water in it at the moment!!) past the Carob trees, 360 degree views of mountains and took about 20 people back to Tierra Santa for a Menu del Dia, on the actual walk!

Also had a walk down from the Buddhist Stupa in Benalmadena back down to the coast and caught the last 10 minutes of the Festival of St Anton, where they bless all the animals that have arrived. The women also throw stones up at the statue above the door, in the hope of hitting the penis, which ensures that they get married and are with child within a year!

We went to Jerez for the weekend! (Sherryflat Palacio) We had never been before as about 20 years ago, there was an unfriendly Mayor who didn’t welcome tourists!! Left Alhaurin in the sun and decided (rightly or wrongly!!) to go across the mountains. The clouds were dark and we had been promised rain, but it didn’t happen until we were in the mountains, which was a shame really as no views were to be had!! Found the AirBnB ok, parked the car and had a quick run around the centre of the town…..in the rain although the sun came out for a while and we had some lovely rainbows – there also seemed to be loads of orange trees which looked quite magnificent in the sun!! Had a ‘few’ sherries in various tabancas!!

The next day we visited the Alcazar, the oldest part built by the Almohads between the 12^th -13^th Century. Fairly interesting but I was more amused by the juvenile peacock who was strutting around, with its brown feathered tail up trying to impress the crows, who were busy having a bath in the fountains!! Pleasantly surprised, when we thought we had finished, we found the three-story baroque Palace of Villavicencic built upon the remains of the original Almohad Palace. Wandered around then town again, admiring all the squares and watching flocks of storks flying overhead before going to a sherry tasting at Tio Pepes. First of all we were driven in a ‘petit tren’ and our guide explained how the sherry and brandy was made and barrelled. Then we were shown all the barrels, loads of them, ( the smell was delicious!!) and some of them were Royal Barrels and some had been signed by famous people! Loads of little courtyards and alleyways as well as grapevine covered streets! We then had four lovely tapas as well as tastings of four sherrys!! Wandered about and watched the little birds ( I think they were finches!) dating in and out of the trees at dusk, before ending up at Tabanco El Pasaje where we watched flamenco ( and had a few more sherries!!)

On the Sunday we walked the route of the town, as advised by the tourist office and saw some more statues, squares, courtyards and lakes etc. Went into the Cathedral (we still had to pay even though it was a Sunday!!) but we did have the advantage of virtual viewing with goggles as well as explanations and stories on handsets in english!! The Cathedral was dark and dismal, nothing different there(!!) but it did have the advantage of a small courtyard. Walked up to Lola Flores statue, past then church of St Miguel and were lucky enough to find the Convento San Jose, that sold us some peanut and aniseed cakes (they were biscuits really…..and very expensive biscuits at that!!) where you put the money in a sort of closed Lazy Susan, rotate it round, and then the Nuns put the cakes on and rotate it back. This ensures that you never see their face!! Because we had such a good time at the Flamenco last night, we decided to go back, and watched a woman who had danced for Gino, Gordon Ramsey and Fred (Who. coincidentally, were on english TV last night!!) Drove home the next day, across the mountains in good weather, via Arcos, Ronda and Alozaina.

Richard and Laura were visiting for the week, and after three days of cloud, the sun eventually came out! There was no rain so we did visit Benalmadena Park and Port, Monda and The Three Crosses Church, with its amazing views and with the added advantage of almond blossom trees! They walked 12km on the Wednesday around Coin ( I only walked about 7km!!) and on their penultimate day went to Nerja to admire all the beaches followed by a good walk around the really pretty village of Frigliana. Mijas on the last sunny day and then down to La Cala for an ice cream!

Back to the UK for 1/2 term!

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