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Published: June 19th 2017
An Andalusian torero's graceful pivot.
I did not take this picture but am using it to kick off the series of pictures taken by me in this part of Spain.Through the scientific breakthrough of DNA testing, I recently learnt that I have a small percentage of
Iberian blood in me. That unexpected development has added another intriguing dimension to my longstanding love of things Spanish.
As the huge yet sleek Boeing Dreamliner lined up to approach the city of
Madrid for this our third visit to this vibrant, historically rich and culturally diverse land, I wondered how I would be affected, given my latest discovery.
We would spend the first part of this vacation in
Andalusia, the land of the teroro or matador and so we changed flights and boarded for Malaga. While many see sheer brutality and torture, I see technical skill, grace and romance in the unique experience of the bullfight. Luring Jeanette to yet another of these magnificent spectacles, complete with its incredible music and ceremony would be nigh impossible and I was saved the dishonour of a decline to my invitation by it being simply, out of season. For her, one experience (it took place in South America some years ago) was enough.
After landing in Malaga, we picked up our rental Audi and headed to our resort, located in
Playa de la Calahonda,
south of Malaga city and perched on the sun scorched hills overlooking the sea of the famous
Costa del Sol. Once again, kudos go to Jeanette for almost exclusively planning this exciting month long trip. My brother Norm and wife Jenny flew with us from Calgary while my sister Heather joined us from England for the first week.
And what a week it will be, before moving on to Portugal's Algarve – Granada, Ronda and Gibraltar are but some of the magnificent places to explore. From the World Heritage site Alhambra to the famous caviar-producing area of Rio Frio in the Andalusian hills, there is much to experience here under the cloudless skies of this European playground.
On our first evening, with the boredom of airport food behind us, we thought we would give the receptionist’s recommendation a try and headed for the on site restaurant. And what surprising delights awaited us – L.A. Cocina did not disappoint - a sumptuous Indian/Malaysian main course, Jeanette's inevitable Sangria and superb top class Flemenco dancing by two accomplished beauties. Could we ask for more on our first evening?
Malaga Next day, a trip into Malaga and the pedestrianised marina
area with superbly tasting ice cream was a foretaste of the excitement to follow. It was difficult for me to identify the boardwalk location I had visited some years ago but that did not matter in the least.
Granada Heading out early the next day for the fabled historic city of Granada we took a well-planned detour through the hill country for a stop in
Riofrio. The little town, population 423, nestled at the foot of the arid peaks and lay to the left of the road while we followed the signage to the
famous caviar-producing area. This is the world's first organic caviar. We purposely decided on breakfast here and of course we had to have the renowned caviar. Served on ice, the tiny container concealed the most delightful sturgeon produced fish eggs. At
€35 for ten grams only, we got a not so inexpensive idea of a rich and famous staple. Aftér breakfast, getting back on the gently curving road, we headed through the Sierra Nevadas towards Granada and the famed Alhambra.
Alhambra If there is one place in all of Iberia, especially Spain, to understand the impact of the Moors and the transitional
pragmatism to its Catholic kings, it is this place. From the intricacies of
Moorish architectural design and art to the relative simplicity but dominance of the
Spanish Roman Catholic monarchy. See the pictures and enjoy the detail.
After our four-hour tour of the palaces and gardens, we drove down to the Granada city centre, found parking and enjoyed drinks in the shade of a small plaza before wandering the streets and their people filled side walk restaurants. As usual, music and festivities seemed to dominate activity everywhere. We returned to the resort after midnight.
Ronda and surrounding Heading northwest through very mountainous terrain and numerous road switchbacks, we eventually pulled over and took in the beauty of the white-painted houses of Ronda in the distance. The drive brought back memories of our last drive through the Pyrenees between France and Spain. We would first bypass Ronda and head another twenty kilometers searching for the cliff-dwelling homes of Sitenil. On our way there, we stopped in the small hamlet of
Montecorte and had a delicious lunch, including black pudding, quail and mixed fish dishes.
Minutes before Montecorto, we unexpectedly came upon
Zahara. Typically perched
on a mountain top, this gem of a surprise added to the journey with a historic castle and church as well as an amazing view of the lake below.
Carved out of the hills in ancient times, today, homes, bars and other businesses in
Sitenil continue in the same fashion. Again, the pictures speak for themselves. See how narrow the streets are with just enough space for my car.
Setting the GPS, we followed winding roads through olive and wheat plantations to the quaint 34,000 people town of
Ronda and it's famous 1751-built bridge. This impressive structure was really worth the visit but an incident there reminded me of one of the reasons I absolutely love Spain. I parked my car on a roundabout in the plaza and put my flashers on while I took the chance to take pictures of the nearby bridge. A police car approached and the two officers quietly continued on their merry way without giving me a second thought.
The rock – Gibraltar Not much more than an hours drive away from our resort, a visit to this still disputed British holding on the Spanish main, was well worth the visit.
With over
12 Million annual visitors, it was humming with activity. Our tour took us to
St. Michael’s caves, the complex
fortified tunnels and of course we spent time with the
monkeys who eagerly waited interaction with the visitors, ever alert at the opportunity to make off with an unsuspecting victim’s personal belongings in search of food. The views were absolutely stunning. Based on what I learned about life there, small wonder its citizens have absolutely no interest in severing ties with Britain. We must watch the Brexit negotiations to see what happens here although I doubt they will be negatively impacted.
For our final evening in the area we drove to the
Fuengirola for dinner. Outdoor restaurants lined both sides of the streets as locals and visitors mingled and enjoyed a wide variety of Spanish cuisine. My
griĺled squid was tasty and enough to feed two. Next to our table folks enjoyed their
Parrilla.
First thing the following morning, we headed to
Sevilla planning to share it with my family and to bring back fond memories of one of Europe’s most dynamic cities. Today,
Sevilla hit 45 degrees centigrade. Spending such a limited
time there in the intense heat curtailed what we could show them but Norm's camera was clicking away constantly. At least they were able to see the beautiful
Sevilla Cathedral where
Christopher Columbus is buried but little else as
we too soon dropped off our rented car and boarded the coach for
Albufeira, Portugal.
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Josie James
non-member comment
You are so blessed. Enjoy for the rest of us who can't And thanks for staying in touch. Hello to Heather who I don't think remembers sitting next to me in class.