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Published: February 2nd 2015
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Thursday 29th January: after a leisurely and very good breakfast at the hotel in Estepona we headed off along the coast highway towards Gibraltar. We once again went through La Duquesa where we had spent the first and second days of the trip looking at properties, and then on to La Linea adjacent to Gibraltar Airport. Rather than joining the long queue of traffic waiting to cross into Gibraltar we found a very convenient car park just 200 yards from the border crossing and walked into the Territory. First impressions were not favourable as it all seemed very scruffy and somewhat seedy; not improved by the overcast weather. We enquired about getting a taxi to the top of the Rock, which was the only place we wanted to visit but were told that the only, and non-negotiable, option was to join a taxi tour: minimum of 4 people at £22 each. So we passed on that and walked some of the way up the Rock, and even then had to pay to continue into the nature reserve area. We returned downhill to the main town and got ripped off for a spinach soup: advertised at £2.50 but actually costing £5 if
you wanted to eat in the restaurant which we did. This experience did nothing to improve our opinion of Gibraltar and we returned to the border crossing, found our car and headed back along the excellent E15 motorway to Fuengirola.
Friday 30th January: last day. We took the train into Malaga and we headed for the Picasso Museum. It's in the house where Picasso was born and lived to age 10. As as adult he never returned to Malaga on account of a difference of opinion with General Franco and his fascist regime, but he wanted to be remembered in his home town and so his daughter in law and grandson set up this museum; which is very good. Afterwards we had a final tapas lunch in a nearby square then took a taxi to the Malaga Motor Museum which I'd wanted to see. A fabulous display of cars from all ages, cunningly accompanied by elegant examples of ladies dresses from the same periods as the cars: thereby ensuring that wives and girlfriends who get dragged here by their petrolhead partners do have something to look at that interests their more cultivated tastes. Wonderful museum and highly
recommended. Then a taxi back to the railway station and train back to Carvajal, our stop in Fuengirola. Thereafter packing and tidying up the flat before going to bed early because we had to leave the flat at 6am in order to return the hire car and catch the 8am flight to Cardiff.
Saturday 31st January: all went very well until we were in sight of the car rental place but a wrong exit on a roundabout had us heading away from the airport towards Torremolinos and all points west. After a couple of failed attempts to backtrack we stopped at a filling station to ask for guidance back to the airport. Then by way of an illegal left turn at a set of traffic lights we got back to the airport and the car hire garage only 10 minutes behind schedule.....proof that leaving early is good policy. The flight left on time and we landed in Cardiff just over two hours later at 9.45 local time; and were back home before 11am. Excellent journey.
The property hunt was successful in that we now have a much better understanding of what the Costa del Sol is
Gibraltar
Resident with tourist like and what's available there; but given the state of the property market and the huge numbers of unsold properties there we're reluctant to buy and will probably look for a longer term rent.
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David
non-member comment
Malaga looks nice
Hi Anthony, Well I finally got round to reading this instalment of your blog, and I think it is one of your best! Nice pics of the Picasso and car museums. Looks like a nice place to visit. All the best, David.