Friday, March 14, 2009 (This writeup has only one picture but more will be added tomorrow come back again..

Well, today we went off to Gibraltar to see the small British Colony on continental Europe. It was about a two hour bus ride from Benalmadena. We left at 9:30 and got there just before noon, a bit late since there was a large line at the border.

Gibraltar, as you may know is located at the southern tip of Spain just across the strait from Morocco, in fact about 12 miles. On a clear day you can see Africa from there, as we did. We first walked up Main Street, which is the principal street of Gibraltar. It is rather tacky with more than 50 jewelry shops, many perfume shops, and lots of souvenir places. We had lunch in a local place patronized mostly by locals as far as we could see.

We then took a two hour tour by van up the mountain to see St. Stephan's cave, the lookout point, and the ape abode. We also saw many beautiful sights from the narrow winding roads going up and down.

The cave is one that was carved out of the limestone by water. There is an actual small theater in the largest opening. Many famous performers have performed there.

We also stopped at the lookout point to see the panorama of the Straits of Gibraltar.

Then on the way down was the monkey reserve. You can read more about it at the following web site.

On the way down we could see the entire city, the port area, the Spanish city of Alcazires on the other side of the strait, and the ships in the strait.

We arrived back at our resort about 7 and went immediately out for dinner since we were getting up at 5 am on Saturday for our flight to Paris. We had paella again, this time at the same restaurant where we had our second paella. It was very good. We chatted with some Brits at the next table and had a good time. When we left, the owner treated us like old customers and we got the customary three kisses on the cheeks. Back at the resort, we went to bed early.

Thursday, March 12, 2009

For the last two days in Malaga, there will be a slight delay in posting since we will not have access to the Internet. See you in a day or two.

Wednesday, March 12, 2009

Today we decided to go back to Malaga to see some more of the city. We arrived at the bus station and went back to the tapas bar/restaurant that we had eaten in earlier in the week. It is called La Barra and is located very near the cathedral. We each had several tapas along with a glass of Rioja wine. We were right in the midst of all the locals who were there for the same purpose.

We went back to the Tourist Office where we got, at no charge, two IPods that contained walking tours of the town. We chose the tour called the Traditional Malaga. We followed a map and listened to descriptions of each of 15 locations in the old section of the town. Amongst other places we saw the Wine Museum, the Central Market Building (now being redone into luxury apartments),

San Juan church, and the Brotherhoods Holy Week Museum. After about 1 ½ hours of the tour, we went to the Plaza de la Constitución where we had liquid refreshments in an outdoor café right on the square, one of the most popular in the town.

We were serenaded by a mariachi band and enjoyed the sun.

We walked back to the Tourist Office to return the IPods. We went back to La Barra and had a bite to eat before going to the cathedral for a concert. We had seen the concert advertised in a shop window so we had decided to go. It was a free concert sponsored by Manos Unidas, a charitable organization in Spain. It featured a string quartet, a pianist who played several of his own works, and a soprano. Most of the seats were occupied, at least several hundred. It was a very good concert and we enjoyed it. The church was very impressive lit up at night.

We walked back to the bus station, waited for about twenty minutes, and then took the bus back to our resort. It was a long, but enjoyable, day.

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Today we took the first long trip away from Benalmádena when we drove to Marbella. The roads took us down the coast for a while and then onto a four lane highway. After about 45 minutes en route we arrived . Marbella is supposed to be one of the poshest resorts on the Spanish coast. We might agree. We parked underground near the sea and went out onto the boardwalk. Much nicer than the one in Benalmádena .






We strolled for a bit and then went into a very nice restaurant just out of sight in the photo on the right. After a light lunch we walked some more in both directions. There were many lovely apartment buildings along the sea coast.





The lovely palm-lined boardwalk had many good looking places to eat and other shops. Not nearly as tacky as where we are staying, but where we are is still very nice. There seemed to be fewer Brits in Marbella.

The beaches were also very nice. They had showers to us before and after using the beach. See one of the showers here. How would you like this life-sized shower head in your bathroom?


We drove back to Benalmádena passing along a very nice main shopping street in Marbella and then on to the same highway as this morning. Back at the resort about 4:30, we did some laundry and got ready for supper. We had a lovely dinner in a restaurant along the “boardwalk” called Santa Ana Restaurante, so-named since the beach in that section of town is called Playa Santa Ana. We had a very good paella in a cozy room. There were only a few other tables occupied as seems to be the case at this time of year. We hope to have the paella once more before we leave for Paris on Saturday

Sunday, March 8, 2009

We went out of the resort planning on taking the bus to Malaga when at the entrance we saw the small train that goes around the town.

We decided to do that instead and save Malaga for another day. The first stop was the Puerto Marina, a very large mall with lots of shops and places to eat. There was also a very large marina with hundreds of boats, yachts, and party fishing boats. There were also some very nice apartment complexes over looking the harbor. We walked around a bit, had some cappuccino, walked some more, and spent two hours there. We went back to the train and continued the ride around Benalmádena. The train stopped at the Seaworld, the Tivoli Amusement Park, the cable car to the top of the mountain, and the City park across from our resort where we ended our ride. We went into the park and walked around the lake to see the ducks, gulls, swans, and chickens. The chickens were not in the lake.

We got back to our room around 5 pm. After some laundry we drove to our former resort for our aperitif, and also to use the WiFi in the lounge since our current place doesn’t have it.

We had dinner at a small place near or resort called El Naranjo which means orange tree in Spanish. It was not very Spanish being run by Brits and almost exclusively patronized by English-speaking customers. But the food was very good and not expensive.

Saturday, March 7, 2009

This was moving day so we got up early to get packed since we had to be out of the room by 10. We opened the blinds and found a lovely day and it got better every hour. We checked out and drove to the new resort. It’s a bit different from the first in that there is a lot more walking from the street to our room since we are in a building at the edge of the property. The room, actually a one-bedroom apartment, is nicer than the first week with better beds, larger rooms, and better furnished. We are satisfied with the change. After settling in and unpacking, we went out for lunch. By and far the best day we’ve had. Sunny, cloudless, and temps that seemed in the mid seventies. Just beautiful! Oh well, eat your hearts out friends in the US and in Europe. We had a light lunch and walked along a type of boardwalk. See below.

There are many nice looking restaurants along the beach. This end of town is quite different from the end where we spent out first week. We recognize our street by the little pinwheels that spin in the wind. in the center of the roundabout.

We went to the happy hour at the new resort and did not like it as much as the previous one. For one, they allowed smoking in a part of the room. Since the room was not so big, we had the effect of the smoke in the non-smoking section. Nevertheless, we had an aperitif and then went back to the boardwalk where we had dinner at a restaurant called El Capricho. We had a very good paella that we shared. We also had a good crema catalana which is like a crème brulée not not exactly. We walked back to the resort and it was cool but comfortable in a light sweater.

Sorry, some of these are late in posting. Our new resort has no WiFi so I had to back to the old one on Sunday to post.

Friday, May 6, 2009

The day looked promising so we decided to go into Malaga and spend the day. We had some sun but it was quite a bit overcast, but as long as it didn’t rain, we were fine. The bus from Benalmádena to Malaga was mostly local, taking just over an hour. The last half hour it was standing room only. Fortunately, we got on close to the beginning of the route so we got seats. We arrived at the terminus and found that the open top London-type sight-seeing bus stop was only a few feet away. It was a 1 ½ hour ride around the city with over fifteen stops for descending to sight see. We stayed on for the entire trip just to get a general idea of what the city had to offer. At the bus terminus we walked about 100 feet away and found ourselves on the Avenida Principal, the main street as you could guess. We wandered around some of the small, narrow streets behind the Avenida and came across a wonderful tapas bar and restaurant. We went in and had a fine meal. I think we were the only foreigners there. Mostly Spanards having tapas for lunch. We will try it again for the tapas. Mostly business types. (Alexandria on the left.)



After lunch, we went to the cathedral which was only around the corner. We have seen many of the well-known cathedrals of France, maybe six in England, and others in Italy, Germany, etc but we have never seen one quite like this. It is very large and very well maintained, unlike many French cathedrals which can have some damage. In addition to the chancel, the choir, and the aisles, there are 15 chapels, each one more magnificent than the next. Her are just a few.






The chancel is also beautiful along with the organ. See the ceiling and organ below.



We spent over an hour in the cathedral and may well go back again next week. We went to the Tourist office for some maps and found out that you can borrow an Ipod with a guided tour of the city, and at no charge. We will do that also next week. We took the bus back to the resort, had something at Happy Hour, and went out for dinner at a restaurant down on the beach nearby. It specialized in fish. We had a good gazpacho along with a good broiled fish, sea bream and dorade. The restaurants here, at least the ones we have been to, tend to serve an after dinner drink on the house. Here we had some manzana verde, a green apple liqueur. We had this after a carajillo, which is espresso with cognac. We have this often at home but with sambucca instead of the cognac. We walked along the beach front back to the resort. We slept well that night.

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Went for a long walk this afternoon. We are staying in one resort, The Sunset Beach Club, in Benalmádena, right now for our first week but since we couldn’t get a second week here, we will be in a second resort called the Kingfisher Club at Benal Beach. This long walk took me down the beach to the Kingfisher to check it out. It is an immense place as you can see.

And this is only one of the five buildings. I took a tour of the place and found there were five outdoor pools, one indoor pool, a health and fitness club, etc. This is about a mile from our current resort, so walking down and back was a good workout. Helps us sleep at night. We had a light supper at the resort, being entertained by a singer who sang pop songs of the 60’s and 70’s.

Wednesday, March 4

The day started out sunny. We went out for a walk along the shore, but the wind really started to blow and it was rather chilly, so back to the hotel lobby/bar. There are always 20 or more people reading or using their computers. Plus those with a beer in their hands. Alexandria got her book and read for a good part of the afternoon. Erwin went out for a long walk up again to the left and then down to the Casino. Luckily, it had not opened for the day. He went along the sea and stopped at a small cafe right on the beach. He met a couple from Quebec so got a chance to speak French. Had a very pleasant half hour with them. Back to the hotel after having done probably more than a mile of brisk walking. Spent some time working on the blog before Happy Hour and dinner.

Tuesday, March 3

Spent some of the morning in the lobby updating the blog. In the afternoon, we went for another long walk but this time instead of turning right out of the hotel, we turned left. It took us out along the coast but into a more residential area. We stopped for out usual afternoon tea in a nice cafe. Back at the hotel we relaxed for a bit until Happy Hour. We then went back to the small restaurant where we had dinner on Saturday. It is nothing spectacular but the food was fine and the price good, 22 euros (about $28) for two. We were offered an after dinner drink, manzana verde. Green apple liqueur. We have had it before and enjoyed it. Back to the hotel and bed.

MALAGA
Friday , February 27, 2009

We have a flight at 21:45 out of JFK. Nina and Henry were kind enough to drive us there. The traffic wasn’t bad except for a short distance on the Staten Island Expressway. We had elected to go to JFK which can be a bit of a hassle since it was the only direct flight to Malaga. Nothing from Newark. Our check-in was quick and easy and we went to the Delta lounge. We flew on Delta but it was an Air France ticket. The lounge was very nice with a good selection of salads, fruit, and sweets. And, of course, the usual bar. We relaxed until boarding time. The flight was almost full, with many Spanish-speaking people. The flight was uneventful and we arrived on time at the airport of Malaga.

Saturday, February 28

We arrived in late morning and were met with the usual wheelchair making it easy for Alexandria on the long distances and for getting through passport control. We got our luggage and went to the Avis office where we picked up a Fiat Fiorino which is sort of like a small van. We started out toward Benalmadena. The roads were a bit confusing so we called the resort three different times for directions. After driving about for over an hour (it is about a 20 minute ride from the airport). we finally found the place, Sunset Beach Club. We checked in and went to our room. It was nice for this type of resort. A smallish bedroom, a larger living room, and small bathroom and kitchen. There was a balcony that looked out over the beach and the city.

We settled in for an hour or so and then went out to explore the complex. We stopped in to the super market (yes, there is a small one right in the complex) and purchased a few things for the room. We went upstairs to the lounge and had an aperitif there. It is a large room with several TV monitors scattered around. There were 50 or more Brits with beer who were watching an important rugby match from England. Most of the people we saw here seemed to be Brits or Irish. The hotel has more than 500 rooms so that means lots of Brits. We heard some Spanish but not much. We went down to the restaurant for dinner, being too tired to go out. Actually, it is rather good. We both had a nice meal, It was early, about 8 o’clock, but not having slept very much on the night flight. We got ready for bed, did a crossword and suddenly about nine o’clock, we were so sleepy, we went to sleep. We both woke up once for a while but back to sleep and didn’t get up until after eleven Sunday morning. We really needed to sleep.

Sunday, March 1, 2009

After getting up so late, we missed the breakfast buffet. Oh, well. We’ll try it another day. By the time we got going, it was after one o’clock. We walked along the main street for a while, noticing all of the typical Spanish restaurants. Following are some pictures of them.

See what I mean about the Brit influence? We found a Spanish bar/restaurant and went in. The room was ¾ filled with a large family of about 25 people including parents, grandparents and children. We had good feelings about the place since we were the only non-Spanish there. We had a good paella followed by a crème catalane (similar to crème caramel) and we each had a carajillo which is espresso with a local brandy added. We first learned of these on a previous visit to Spain. The Italians call it café correto. We continued our walk along the main street which runs along the beach. We were even stopped by an English woman who wanted to know if we wanted to join them to sing prayer songs. We regretfully declined her invitation. The area reminded us similar resorts on the Spanish coast south of Barcelona, or those in Ocean City, Maryland, or the coast of Portugal near Estoril and Cascais. But it was neither seedy nor overly commercial like Atlantic City. Back to the hotel, I worked on this blog while Alexandria read. We went out for a light dinner, again in the resort restaurant. This time we each had an individual pizza which we couldn’t finish. We brought them back to the room for another time. Some more reading and crosswords and then we wen t to bed trying to establish a routine and to get over the jet lag.

Monday, March 2

We got up to a rather dreary day. No rain but overcast. We went down to the health club to do some exercise, but were disappointed to learn that the club was not a part of the resort . Their fees were about $12 a day each or $55 a week. We decided to pass on that experience and just do a lot of walking. The city is amenable to lots of walking and sightseeing. We spent the morning on the lounge where Alexandria and Erwin worked on this blog.

In the afternoon, we went for a walk, had tea in an English restaurant/tea room and watched the world go by. It is amazing the number of Brits and Irish that are here. In this tea room there were five or six tables, all occupied with English speakers. We then went to the nearest super market (supermarcado) where we picked up items for breakfast. It was a modern. well-stocked place at good prices. We went back to the hotel where we had an aperitif. The lobby/bar room was filled with people probably since it was happy hour. Then went to dinner in a nice restaurant opposite the hotel on the beach. It was still raining lightly. It was a very nice place.

We were the second, and last, table to have dinner. We had a very good meal and a lovely chat with the waitress. My Spanish was adequate to talk a bit with her and to understand what she said. She told us that this had been a colder, rainy season in Malaga. We concurred since we had been here since Saturday and have seen no sun. I guess that their business suffered due to the poor weather. Then, too, it was a Monday evening. Back to the hotel and bed.

Tuesday, March 3

It was rather chilly and overcast so we did some things in the hotel. In the afternoon, we decided to go for a walk and guess what? The sun came out and we went out to the left instead of the right as we had been doing. We walked along the coast road which was along a bit of a cliff. The sun stayed out and it was a lovely afternoon. We stopped and had our usual tea in a nice cafe along the road.

On the way back to the hotel, look what we passed!

I didn't check it out to see if it actually worked or not. In case you don't recognize it, it is a British telephone booth. Ah, the British influence again.