R&R on the Costa del Sol, Spain

Leaving Granada, it was Bill's turn to drive, with me navigating.  We had booked a 2br 2bathroom apartment on the southern end of the Costa del Sol, past Marbella and Malaga.  The Costa del Sol is populated by a few Spanish people, with the rest of the place taken up by English expats, either full-time or as summer visitors.  The number of apartment complexes we passed on the way down the coast was literally thousands.  Many of them set back on the hillside were unfinished or left in a delapidated state, mixed in with very expensive golf-course gated complexes.  There must have been a huge amount of money spent (and probably lost) in this area.  The whole strip (about 60km) had a Gold Coast touristy (a bit trashy) feel, without the highrise.


We checked into our Don Juan Apartment and were very happy with it - large living area, small kitchen, good sized bedrooms with a large covered patio area overlooking the pool and the beach.  One room had a double bed, the other had 2 singles and was definitely smaller, so we 'tossed a coin' for it with Lorraine and Bill.  We won, but I did feel bad for the others - no, really!


After trying to find some shops to restock our fridge, we gave up cos it was too far and too hot to walk.  Instead, we went for a swim in the Mediterranean Ocean - OK, we tried to go for a swim in the ocean, but it was soooo cold that only Bill ended up actually swimming in it.  The rest of us retreated to the pool, which was wonderful.   We then drove down to the nearest supermarket and spent up big.  We bought some fresh prawns, mussels, cheeses and salad stuff to bring home and enjoy on our patio.  Topped off with a couple of glasses of wine, it was delicious.

Next day was basically a 'regroup and relax' day - I caught up on my blog, Lorraine had a rest, Trev and Bill went to get some more supplies from the shop and managed to find a drink or two at the local beach bar.  For dinner we went to an English fish and chips restaurant which was recommended on Tripadvisor - it was actually very good, and we had a chat with the waitress (who was Australian) and the owners and staff.  They suggested that we go for a drive into the mountains and get away from all these touristy areas and find the 'real' Spain.  Great idea - and when we spoke to the reception staff at Don Juan, and they suggested exactly the same areas to explore, so we were convinced.

Next day, off we went to Casares, a gorgeous little whitewashed village high in the mountains - tiny, narrow, little cobbled streets which we walked down - then of course, we had to walk back up.  I'm certainly getting my steps up on my walking app here!  Next stop was Gaucin, another tiny picturesque place - but it was really difficult driving through the extremely narrow streets so as soon as we found a way out, we went for it. 

In need of refreshment, we found a picturesque cafe hanging off the side of a mountain at Algatocin - we parked directly in front of it, sat down waited for the owner to serve us.  She had no English, so my limited Spanish came in handy.  We ordered coffee, then she insisted that we come in and see her biscuits and desserts - so Lorraine and I did, and we ordered a chocolate wafer slice and a cheesecake to share, which were both delicious.  I took some photos of her cafe, and she proudly pointed out plaques on the wall that showed she had won first prize for her tapas dishes two or three times in a regional contest.  A pleasant little interlude.

On we went to Ronda, a walled town on top of a hill (of course).  Very pretty, but parking was limited in the historical areas, so we were told to move the car to a pay parking area.  We had a gelato then did a big walk around the old fort/castle area - magnificent deep gorges on either side, steep cobbled streets, very pretty.  We passed a church where someone was going to be married, and a beautifully decked-out horse and carriage made its way to the church - meanwhile, we watched lots of the guests arriving in all their finery, with the young girls trying to walk down these steep streets on 6-inch stillettos - hilarious.  They looked gorgeous, but not very graceful - you had to give them credit.

Back to our apartment, we decided that when in Spain, the obvious thing to do is try a Japanese Teppanyaki restaurant.  So off we went to the local shopping centre for Teppanyaki.  We had a great night, had good food and plenty of it, met a couple of English expats, one of whom was a real estate agent, and learned a bit more about the area.  Very interesting.

Rock of Gibraltar

That's Africa (Morocco)
in the background

On our last day at Don Juan we travelled overseas - we drove to the Spanish border then walked into a British Territory - Gibraltar.  We went through the border where a girl had a cursory look at our passports then sent us through.  We didn't even get a stamp, most disappointing.  We paid for a guide to drive us up the famous Gibraltar Rock.  It was really interesting - and what a huge rock!  The guide, who was a Gibraltan, told us a bit of the history of the territory, took us to various viewpoints, where we could look across to Morocco in Africa.  

We went into the St Michael's Caves which were quite extensive - the various chambers were lit up with colours changing in time with the piped music through the caves.  It was quite 'kitsch' but actually very well done, and I have to admit that I liked it.  A bit like being in a disco in caves.

We entered the tunnels built into the rock starting in the late 18th century.  The Royal Engineers extended the tunnels during World War 2 - they were built to house cannons throughout the rock to defend the territory. There are about 55km of tunnels in total, more than the entire road network of Gibraltar.

All over the rock, of course, are the Gibraltar apes.  The males are quite large, and can be agressive.  Despite signs all over the place saying don't feed the apes, people still do, and as a result, if you happen to be carrying food, the apes will go for it - as happened to one lady carrying a bag of nuts when we were there.  A big male jumped up at her, grabbing for the bag - she got a shock, and her guide tried to shoo him away, but the male had another attempt, so the guide took them from the woman and gave them to the ape, who ate them, then still followed the woman around.  She was quite shaken.

Back into the van, and our guide dropped us off in the centre of town - which was mostly closed, as it was Sunday.  It's all terribly British, with red postboxes, the red telephone boxes, Marks and Spencers, fish and chips, bangers and mash, and roast dinners.  We had a lunch at a pub, where Bill scored the best, I think - a steak and ale pie which was the size of a side plate.  I ordered chicken nachos, which were pretty poor - all corn chips, no sauce, Trev had chilli con carne which was OK, and Lorraine had nachos which she enjoyed.

To get back to our car in Spain we had to walk across the Gibraltar airstrip - that was interesting, as we went over just after a plane had landed.  Through the border again, no passport required, then a quick drink before heading back to our apartment where we again had a swim and prawns for dinner.  Next stop - Cortegana in the mountains.