Southern Spain pt 2

On Friday, we were leaving Málaga, Spain, in the morning. We hopped on a bus and rode to a tiny village called Mijas (pronounced meehas). As small as the town was, they were flooded with tourists. The town was bustling with locals and tourists alike. We had a group lunch date at a place called La Reja. This was one of the more memorable lunches we had, which included a ton of appetizers: fried camembert cheese with cranberry sauce, chorizo, Padron pepper skewers, and delicious garlic mushrooms. The main dish consisted of grilled prawns served with basmati rice and a salad. Again, the wine did not disappoint. Before and after lunch, we did lots of shopping. I was accosted into a leather shop, and fortunately for me, my wife bailed me out, telling the shop owner ‘no’. I was set to buy an 800 euro jacket for 400 euros, and then, after I walked out, he shouted, ‘200 euros!’ I laughed on the bus ride to our next destination, Marbella.

At first glance, Marbella doesn’t seem out of the ordinary; however, upon further inspection, it is a glittering town draped in Ferraris, Lamborghinis, and high-class escorts. An Arab fellow owned the hotel Alanda, and not too far away was a mosque that called Muslims to prayer 5 times a day. Although, I don’t remember hearing it 5 times. We had plenty of free time before dinner, so Don, Michelle, Tom, Barbara, and I decided to go for a walk. Laurie stayed behind as she was having issues with her ankles swelling quite a bit. We must have walked a couple of miles on this hard sand walkway right along the oceanfront before coming to an outdoor bar where we had drinks. The walkway was nice and wide and a bit sandy but hard enough that you didn’t sink into.

On the walk back to the hotel, the sun was setting, and the outlines of the mountains of North Africa were directly to our south. That was simply majestic. Michelle was trying to figure out how to get over there without missing out on our tour. Tangiers was not too far from the African coast. An interesting fact is that Michelle and Don have been on safari to Africa six times.

Dinner that night was on our own. Laurie and I, and a few others wound up going with our tour guides, Helene and Aryanna, and we were searching for some good food. However, the first restaurant we went to was full for the evening. I forget what time it was by this point, but it was getting late. Helene asked the hostess at the first restaurant to call their sister restaurant several blocks away, and made reservations for us for eight people. Dinner was delicious, as usual; however, when we received the bill, my wife and I almost collapsed because the restaurant charged us a la carte! Between the wife and I, we spent 150 euros. I was not happy because it was not told to us up front – and why would it be when their typical clientele is driving a Ferrari?

After all the food and wine thus far on the trip, I did not feel very well the next day. I cancelled going on the apartment tours with Geoff and his company, Always Marbella. My wife decided to go shopping with Don and Michelle in the old town. I think I slept until 9ish, got up, and went to the pool alone, as it was a spectacular day outside. Since I got to the pool early, I secured a cabana so when wifey came back, we could be a little sheltered from the sun. I spent most of the day at the pool (the pool temperature was frigid). Don, Michelle, and Laurie returned in the early afternoon, and we stayed a little longer, soaking up some sun. I finally had enough sun, and Laurie and I went back to our rooms. The hotel had the most amenities and was the nicest hotel we stayed in, but it gave me weird vibes. I don’t know how to describe it. The whole area gave off this weird vibe. It was my least favorite place we visited.

On Sunday, March 30th, we left Marbella and traveled to Seville (where Helene lives) via the town of Ronda. Ronda was a small town a bit away from the coast. It is where bullfighting started in the Andalusian region of Spain. We walked around town and saw the bullfighting ring, a spectacular gorge, and various scenic vistas. Lunch was at Abades Ronda, where we had more beer, wine, and fish. After lunch, we departed for Sevilla and settled into our hotel, NH Sevilla Plaza de Armas. Sevilla is a bustling city with two football teams (that’s soccer to my American friends) and lots to see and do. It cracked me up, but whenever I thought we were walking down a pedestrian walkway or pathway, no matter how narrow it was, here comes a car. So, pedestrians on both sides of the walkway would hug the buildings to let cars or trucks come through. The vehicles went very slowly as they snaked their way through the pedestrians.
By this time, several people had to take taxis to several lunch/dinner destinations during the tour. Mostly, the ladies took the taxis: Ellen, Michelle, and my wife, Laurie. Americans just aren’t accustomed to walking very long, especially 20 to 25 minutes to and from dinner, which was about the same length as the walk to dinner we had in Sevilla. Casa Manolo Leon was my favorite lunch/dinner on the tour. It was as if we were dining in someone’s garden, covered but with glass ceilings and an abundance of greenery. We were welcomed with an introductory cocktail, which was delicious – I had two, one for myself and one for my wife. I had our tour guide, Helene, take a group photo, and then the waiter took another picture with Helene included. I sat next to Tom on my right and Laurie on my left, and Tom and I cracked jokes half the meal.

I really had a great time, and I think my wife did too. However, she was getting tired of lunch AND dinner taking 2 to 2.5 hours. Again, we just weren’t used to it. For every meal, we would sit with different people from the tour, giving you a chance to get to know everyone. I got to know everyone pretty well. Tom and Richard would join Laurie and me during breakfasts at the various hotels. Richard was very quiet and kept to himself most of the time. However, the prize went to Dave from Texas, who kept his sunglasses on for nearly the entire trip and remained quiet. Dave’s wife, Polly, would talk your ear off mostly about the time she lived in Germany. I did get him to open up once at dinner. Rick and nice Karen would sometimes bolt off and go alone, but Rick would talk your ear off when we sat with them. He was Italian, and his wife, Karen, was 100% Irish. However, we formed a particularly strong bond with Don and Michelle. My wife would go off shopping with Michelle when the opportunity presented itself.

Four people celebrated birthdays on the tour. Michelle’s mom, Diana, and our guide, Aryanne, both had birthdays on April 1st; mine was the third, and Barbara’s birthday was March 30th (if I remember correctly).

When I saw the itinerary, we were supposed to visit a museum and attend a Flamenco show. I assumed it would be mostly a touristy thing to do. Boy, was I wrong. It was the highlight of my trip. The museum presented a history of Flamenco dancing, followed by a moving one-hour presentation featuring three dancers (two female and one male). Part of it moved me to tears. You weren’t allowed to take pictures or videos of the performances, so I don’t have anything to show you, but trust me, if you ever go to Seville, you have to catch this particular Flamenco show at Museo del Baile Flamenco. A renowned Flamenco dancer, Cristina Hoyos, owns and operates the museum.
Dinner was on our own, so we ate with Don and Michelle and wound up at a rooftop restaurant at some hotel down the street from our hotel. Most of us had burgers along with some wine. Halfway through dinner Barbara joined us and we all had a great time discussing our trip adventures.

Tuesday, April 1st, was Diana and Aryanne’s birthday. We departed Seville and headed to Jerez de la Frontera to visit the equestrian school, where a show of dancing horses demonstrated incredible horsemanship. This was not exactly up our alley, but Michelle had grown up with a horse, and she was looking forward to the show the most. It was a truly impressive show, showcasing the discipline the horses possess. My wife and Michelle had never met a gift shop they didn’t like, so they bought a few goodies at the gift shop, and then we departed in the rain to go to lunch at Amar.

After lunch, we visited a winery in the heart of Jerez; Bodega Tio Pepe had been producing various wines, primarily sherry, for several hundred years. We toured the winery, including where they store the sherry. It was a tiered barrel system. It’s a bit technical, and I won’t go into it here, but essentially, there’s no vintage to the sherry as it’s blended with different ages of the white grapes. We attended a tasting on the property, and then we were able to purchase various examples of the products they produce, including brandy and vermouth. It was a wonderful gift shop with a wide selection of wine, brandy, and various types of sherry. After we left the gift shop with my credit card smoking, we headed back on the bus for the trip back to Seville. Dinner was at El Pinton, a short walk from our hotel.