Like Webster''s Dictionary ........

  ...we're Morocco bound.  We decided to make a little diversion from Spain ....to Africa!

We took our first visitor back to the airport on Saturday morning and made the most of the enforced early start by getting on the road further south.  We saw the sunrise over the harbour in the expat haven of Duquesa and took advantage of a full English breakfast! Then we pressed on to Vejer de la Frontera but not without a stop on the beautiful and almost deserted Atlantic beach along the way.

Vejer is a an extra special white town, high above the River Barbate, designated as a Historical Artistic Monument of Natonal Importance no less   ....   and well worth the visit.

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Then down to Tarifa for the night in the best 1 star hotel I've ever seen. Famous for its fortress and its fish we sampled the local variations on tuna. Then another early start for the ferry over to Tangier in just 45 minutes.

What a culture shock!  Spain has already become familiar and 'home'.  We have been to Morocco before and loved Marrakech and Essaouira but Tangier was just crazy. Although our riad style hotel in the medina was charming and cheap as chips.

We liked to think we we were experienced enough travellers to make our own way around the kasbah but we should have known better.

 Having gone round in circles and seen the same kids playing 3 times we gave in and took up one of the many persistent offers of an unofficial guide, a local young student named Mohammed of course, who spoke 5 languages and really knew his stuff about his home town.

We also explored the newer side of the city where the King has decreed that a huge investment will be made in developing the marina.  Something along similar lines to Malaga we suppose, will transform the town and bring much needed employment.   But for now the whole long seafront is a building site.

By this time, in search of refreshment, we reached the main plaza back in the old town. We made the mistake of hesitating, which was the cue for waiters from at least 3 different kerbside cafes to descend and try and persuade us onto their precariously perched plastic chairs.  Ideal for people watching & enjoying not being part of the traffic chaos.

One promised coffee & cake rather than the inevitable cous cous or tagine. We waited.  Coffee was delivered, clearly from a take away somewhere else in the souk. We waited. Cake was described and discussed in 4 languages and drawn in the air. Finally it came..... a chicken mince puff pastry tart.... dusted with icing sugar.  Oh well you can't win them all!

Pueblos blancos

In the Axarquia region, where we are based, there are apparently 31 pueblos blancos. 

These famously pretty hilltop villages are each a cluster of white painted houses, straddling the hillside with an abundance of plazas, fountains and beautiful tiled steps........ lots of them. Always at the centre is the church, which often seems too big for the village it presides over.

They are inevitably difficult to reach with steep, winding roads and precipitous drops but compensated for by the most amazing views.  Of course, Martin loves a driving challenge so we have been exploring a few for ourselves and have had a couple of leisurely days of discovery.

Some are tiny,  you can blink and miss them or get swept past by the twists of the road.  Our first stop was in Sayalonga but we missed Algarrobo altogether and Riogordo did not live up to its promise, but then Competa was a delightful and typical example.  When we stopped for lunch in the main square we were surprised to find ourselves surrounded by English - oh no! - apparently it's a very popular destination for ex-pats who live in the 'campo', too isolated for us but certainly very nice to visit.

Alcaucin''s narrow streets were hard to navigate, but worth it for coffee at just 70p, in a charming square, with obligatory fountain, although finding our way out again was a bit hairy.

Periana was quite a find. Firstly we got adopted by a local old character who showed us the almond trees in bloom and then insisted on taking us into the supermarket to introduce us to his son (who looked suitably bewildered). Then we stumbled upon the Cooperative Olive Mill and it was fascinating to see the neighbourhood farmers bringing in their olive crops, of varying sizes, to be pressed and turned into delicious olive oil - so of course we had to buy some, in a large tin (NB Jonny).

Comares  sounds idyllic but the guidebook rightly says ' it sits like a snowdrift atop it's lofty hill, the adventure is in getting there',  mmm.... I think we'll save that one for another day!

Our new best friends

Our new bfs are our sturdy mountain bikes, think Don Quixote & Sancho Panza equipped for 2016.

One of the attractions of the location we have chosen as our base is the 'Paseo', stretching out in both directions along the coast. You can walk all the way West to Malaga or East to Torre, barely touching the road.  Spanish tradition is that, especially on Sundays,  the family parade up and down, eat, drink, socialise,  meet all the other families,  it is part of their way of life and there is a paseo of some sort in every town.

The beauty here is that it is almost flat, with a sea view all the way,  often smoothly paved with marble tiles & so provides a perfect bike track. It is lined with bars and restaurants, mainly the 'chiringuitos', which are the beach cafes specialising in skewers of sardines, called 'espetos'.  They cook  these over a barbecue fashioned from an old upturned rowing boat, and they cost the princely sum of 2 euros per skewer.

To make the most of this and to get some exercise to fend off the effects of all the aforementioned bars and restaurants, we have invested in 2 new bikes.  Carrefour supermarket''s finest proved cheaper than bike hire and hopefully we will pass them onto some good cause at the end of our stay, ( possibly other gastronomically challenged ex pats!).

I am proud to say after a couple of warm up rides we cycled right into Malaga and back on Saturday, 30 kilometres in all.  We took our time and I admit we did sample
the espetos along the way, well it had to be done.

The biggest challenge and all part  of the fun, is dodging all the other paseo life...........cyclists,  especially serious ones, prams & buggies, dogs of every breed and size, skateboards, roller skates, families who amble 5 abreast, waiters, abandoned toys, market stalls, footballers, heelys, toddlers, hover boards and what seems to be the latest craze here,  'fliker' scooters, which take up twice as much space!

The next plan is to put the bikes on the back of the car and take them up to some of the natural parks nearby, further inland and take advantage of this exceptional weather we are having, as long as there are some flat bits!

Granada , you've got me under your spell

I was amazed to hear the church bells in the city centre  ring out the first 2 lines of the song 'Granada'  before they chime the hour!

To make my Spanish style birthday even more special we decided to spend a couple of days in Granada,  which was always top of our must-see list while we were here. We made the trip by bus, leather seats, free snacks & water.... and on time, very impressed.  It meant we could both relax & enjoy the view.  Our hotel was in the historic old town so we could happily wander.

You really visit this city to experience the unique Alhambra, which did not disappoint. With a back drop of clear blue skies & snowy Sierra Nevada mountains the ornate splendour of the palaces, forts & gardens are overwhelmingly beautiful. The intricacy of the Moorish carvings is stunning with Muslim & Christian histories intertwining, layer upon layer.  Plus great views across the city.

It was also fun exploring the quieter streets of classy 'carmenes' villas in the Realejo (old Jewish quarter) and the mini maze of Moroccan style souk streets in Albayzin (the old Muslim quarter).

We had heard that Granada is not best known for its gastronomy and despite the novelty of being offered free tapas it left a lot to be desired. However, we found good company in some of the tapas bars on notorious Calle Elvira and ended up making friends with an Italian chef on holiday & a Dutch couple who live half their time in Marbella. We even got the barmen on first name terms and it turned into a very good night!

                        This was a strange little bar packed full of religious memorabilia

             We counted over 100 Serrano hams hanging over this bar & the waiter
                          reckoned they would get through them all in one year

I haven't spent my birthday in Spain before so it was memorable,  We are already thinking where to go next year!

It's raining sweets

Fiesta des tres reyes............ 5 January is a huge fiesta in Spain celebrating the coming of the 3 kings with gifts for Baby Jesus and traditionally children wait until then to get their Christmas presents, although Santa Claus and the 25th is confusing the issue these days.  But the 5th is a huge public holiday and we took the local bus into Malaga city centre to see the biggest and best parade ever.

Some ill-timed rain and cold wind did nothing to dampen the spirits of the  Malaguenos.  Amazing Christmas lights and a cavalcade of floats depicting both religious scenes and random Disney themes e.g. Frozen, paraded by, showering the crowds with sweets while the children tried to catch them with open carrier bags at the ready or in upturned umbrellas.

                        It was like being in a surreal hailstone storm of boiled candy!

What we didn't realise was that Spain was effectively closed for business the next day while everyone recovered.  It's back to normal now except that they haven't taken their Christmas decorations down -  and it's 22 degrees again and sunny - wrong in so many ways!

Are we there yet ......

Yep we've arrived,  in fact we are unpacked, settled in, food in the cupboard , G & T in the hand (with lemon picked from the tree in our own garden, which thrilled M) and off for our first night out in Rincon.

But not until I had broken out the Yorkshire T bag's,   4 days without a cuppa, I had withdrawal symptoms.

After an epic day's driving yesterday we struck very lucky with a handy IBIS hotel in Madrid right nextdoor to a lovely traditional restaurant and didn't have to dodge the rain drops, yes it was raining here too!

Our route took us across the lower reaches of the Sierra Nevada and a tangled switchback of amazing roads, bridges and tunnels criss-crossing some stunning gorges & a huge reservoir.   M is very impressed with Spanish civil engineering! Another early start meant we reached the coast in time for lunch on the beach at Salobrena, not bad for 2nd Jan.

I'm afraid I do have to report blue skies and temperatures of 22°.  I hope you are all OK back home & not too badly affected by the flooding we have seen on the web.

Our day ended with a romantic walk along the edge of the Med just before midnight, well we are newly wed's after all.......

Rocking & rolling, but not dancing

A rather rocky Channel crossing, but we survived ( thanks to Leading Seaman Jennie Burn for Sea wristbands recommendation - they work!)

New Year in Nantes was a quirky but tasty meal in a friendly restaurant in the liveliest cobbled street, with champagne of course ( to pinch a quote -'may all your pain be champagne').

But we could barely keep our eyes open for midnight!  On the road before dawn (possibly a first), but what a way to spend our first day of a new year, driving down through France, across the border near San Sebastian, over the stupendous Sierra Guadarrama, & into Madrid in time for cerveza & tapas. I have to make special mention of the best motorway services food ever, but I forgot to take a photo!.... still getting used to being a blogger again.