Sierra Mijas (mountain trip by cablecar)

I'm getting towards the end of my Spanish saga so you won't be bored for much longer. Although I know I have a captive audience in my family, I guess this is the equivalent of the 'you must come and see our slide show' well I can't see you stifling the odd yawn, nor can I see you hop onto a more interesting blog so I am quite happy prattling on.
















You may recall this photo of the Sierra Mijas mountains that we could see as a backdrop to our holiday venu.



The day before we were due to return home was the day we decided to take a cable car ride up 2,750 metres into the mountains to look at the views. We left it until the afternoon and unfortunately this was the one time it became slightly cloudy and overcast. It was very windy and rather cold and the view was spoiled by the mist that suddenly descended.
We could see the vast amount of development that is still going on in this already overcrowded area of the Costa-del-Sol.



This solitary flower was a pretty sight growing from a rock.



It was a bit too cold to sit through the whole of the rather mediocre exhibition of horse training and we decided not to wait until the next Falconry display. The donkeys looked a little forlorn and I couldn't persuade my friends to trek to further vantage points on foot. So it's fair to say you need to pick the right day for this jaunt into the mountains. It will always be a lot colder and warm coats and sensible shoes are a must.




The actual ride in the cablecar was very enjoyable. I don't like heights but I was too busy getting a birds eye view of villas and appartments on the way up to let it worry me. I would have been less happy if I was staying in one of them. Can you imagine having a constant steam of cablecars overhead and being oggled by strangers. Not my idea of a fun holiday. Once we reached our destination there were lovely views from the different vantage points.

We packed quite a lot into this holiday. The warm climate, friendly people, relaxed lifestyle and rich culture, oh and the sangria, makes it an attractive destination and I would like to hope I can return to visit other areas of Spain in the future.

Spain continued

Here are a few pictures of the old part of Malaga. The inside of the old cathedral is really beautiful. There are a lot of different religious influences to be seen and the cathedral organ is enormous and I would love to have heard it playing. Link to more pictures.


The Alcabaza is an old Moorish fortress and from there you can get some good views of the city and harbour

This is a not very good view of the Roman Theatre beneath the walls of the fortress. You can just see it through the wire fence.


Harbour Views.



Picasso was born in one of the houses off this square. On the day we visited this square was being set up for a festival so it was full of marquees (so photo is courtesy of the internet). I would have liked to see the Picasso exhibition (not that I am a fan) but my friends were not keen so I let it go and I actually regret missing this opportunity.


Stopping to take photos I suddenly noticed this little bug heading towards my bare toes and I couldn't resist a quick snap. I've not been able to find out exactly what type of beetle it is, I thought it might be a cockroach (not that I've ever seen one). So if anyone can enlighten me I would be pleased to know ??

Granada-the Alhambra

We started our trip to Granada before sunrise and I got this not very good photo of the sun, through the coach window, as it began to emerge from the sea. As we neared our destination we got glimpses of the Alhambra with a backdrop of snow covered mountains.
I found the history of these magnificant buildings fascinating and our guide made it easy to imagine life as it was all those centuries ago.

The name Alhambra comes from an Arabic root which means "red or crimson castle", perhaps due to the hue of the towers and walls that surround the entire hill of La Sabica which by starlight is silver but by sunlight is transformed into gold. But there is another more poetic version, evoked by the Moslem analysts who speak of the construction of the Alhambra fortress "by the light of torches", the reflections of which gave the walls their particular coloration. Created originally for military purposes, the Alhambra was an "alcazaba" (fortress), an "alcázar" (palace) and a small "medina" (city), all in one.

There is no reference to the Alhambra as being a residence of kings until the 13th century, even though the fortress had existed since the 9th century. The Nasrites were probably the emirs who built the Alhambra, starting in 1238.

The founder of the dynasty, Muhammed Al-Ahmar, began with the restoration of the old fortress. His work was completed by his son Muhammed II, whose immediate successors continued with the repairs. The Alhambra became a Christian court in 1492.

During the 18th century and part of the 19th, the Alhambra fell into neglect and its salons were converted into dungheaps and taverns,occupied by thieves and beggars. Napoleon's troops used it as a barracks from 1808 until 1812. In 1870 the Alhambra was declared a national monument and it is protected, cared for and preserved and has many visitors.

Alcazaba


This is the oldest part of the Alhambra, reconstructed upon the ruins of a castle in the 9th century.

The Alhambra contains the three divisions usually found in a Moslem palace, including a reception salon and the royal apartments Chamber of the Lions. (under restoration so no pictures)
Examples of mosaics found throughout the building.

The lions were undergoing restoration and were covered so could not get a picture. This is just one corner of the courtyard leading to the royal appartments.

This is an image I found to show what it looked like before.

The Court of the Lions is characterised by its profound originality, a harmonious merging of East and West. It has been compared to a grove of 124 palm trees, most with double columns, around the oasis of the central fountain with its twelve lions.


Four large halls border the courtyard. The reflection of the building in the water was specifically designed to give visiting ambassadors the impression of a huge imposing building.

Beautiful carved ceilings.



The gardens are terraced and specifically designed so that the palace can be viewed from each level.
Below are some of the different areas of the gardens.










The gardens are still cultivated much as they always have been.




You may be able to see the caves in this mountain are inhabited and they are now homes to gypsy families.


General views from the palace.




This is one of the many different small courtyards, most have a fountain.

I really enjoyed my visit and if I ever had the opportunity I would like to see it again as I think it's difficult to absorb everything the first time around. So if you're ever in this part of Spain I recommend you put it on your itinerary.

Whatever your plans have a great weekend. I'm doggy sitting and have just been on a last walk and Angel (my niece's dalmation) is now fast asleep. I know I'll be getting plenty of excercise this weekend so I'd better hit the sack pretty soon then I might be up bright and early even though it's Saturday.

Sunny Spain

On the day we went to Spain we had to be at the airport around 4:30 am, I must have been mad when I booked such an early flight forgetting we had to arrive a couple of hours before departure. My friend Tina had all her hand luggage checked and I was frisked as I always set the alarm ringing for some reason, Anna had no problems. We finally left a cold dreary Bristol and arrived in a warm sunny, Malaga where temperatures were in the 20's by 10 am. It took us approximately half an hour by taxi to arrive at Pueblo-Evita on Benalmadena, an area of the Costa del Sol.

We were a bit apprehensive as this was free accommodation won by Tina. On our last trip back in November, also an accommodation freebie, we had an upgrade, getting a very good appartment. Not so lucky this time, it was a small top floor apartment with only one bathroom but we managed.

This is one view from our balcony and you can just see the sea in the distance.










Another balcony view, the pool is just out of sight in this photo. It was being refurbished so was not in use for the first five days. Although very sheltered and warm around the pool, it was so deep the water didn't really heat up. This meant it was actually too cold for us to swim. I actually didn't see anyone use it, but one child was having fun in the baby pool on our last day.






It was an easy walk to the beach, only a few minutes walk away and we spent a very pleasant afternoon enjoying the sun and the sea and generally exploring the area. I did paddle but couldn't convince my friends to join me.







You can see from the photos looking up and down the beach that it's a very long stretch of sand. It will not be half as nice in the summer when its crowded.
















Behind the complex you get a view of the mountain and you can just see the cable car in the distance, the day we took this ride was rather cloudy. We did a lot of sight seeing, taking in the old part of Malaga, Granada (the Alhambra palace was amazing) and we took a trip to Morocco (it reminded me of the old Bing Crosby, Bob Hope film 'Road to Morocco', now that shows my age). We found a wonderful fish restaurant and ended up going there three times for lunch. So will reveal more in future posts.

Mijas

Although Mijas caters for tourists it is a picturesque little town with narrow streets, typical white houses and plenty of flowers and plants. It overlooks the mountains and the coast offering wonderful views. There are lots of attractive little squares, a park, cafes and shops to keep visitors happily occupied for several hours. There is also a bullring but we gave this a miss figuring one was enough (Ronda post).


These three photos were all taken from different angles of the same vantage point. This view is down to the coast and the drive takes about 20 minutes.






Part of the town with mountains in the distance.







Behind the town you see pine tree on the lower parts of the mountains.









This is 'San Sebastian" the street that you see on lots of the postcards. I was expecting it to be a lot steeper than it actually is and once we found it it only took a few minutes to walk to the top and back. It's a pretty little street and there is a church at the top.





This is the a quaint little chapel hollowed out from a rock and there are some religious relics on display. The candlesticks were quite impressive.






Mijas is famous for the donkey taxis. Although they are a big tourist attraction I'm not sure how the donkey's feel about this. They looked pretty pleased when we saw them trotting home at the end of the day .





I can honsetly say I enjoyed my first visit to the Costa Del Sol so I am looking forward the re-visiting in March when we plan to take a trip to Granada and hopefully Tangiers. As far as I am concerned out of season is the best time to visit. I know some attractions and cafes etc are closed and it's not really warm enough to swim outdoors but it's much easier to get about (less people), and the temperature is comfortable for sightseeing (gosh am I winging and turning into the female version of Victor Meldrew).

Ronda

Ronda is one of Spains oldest cities, it is split in two and divided by a river gorge. You will find Ronda In the middle of the mountain range Serranía de Ronda, at the edge of a canyon of a depth of 120 meters; to get there the coach had to contend with a winding road of continuous bends. The constant swaying made me feel a bit nauseas and I was quite glad when we reached our destination. The view as we drove up the valley was well worth the discomfort. At one point we drove through some low cloud and you could feel the temperature falling. Our guide pointed out a section of the old road which was so narrow with no barrier driving up it must have been a hair raising experience. The old town, which is entered through a walled archway, retains its Moorish influences and appeales to me the most. What could be better than quiet little cobbled streets, beautiful old buildings and churches and attractive little squares to sit and reflect, all-in-all very peacful and relaxing and although there was some breeze it was still very warm in direct sunshine. The views from the bridge, "Puente Nuevo", which spans the gorge, are quite different but all are very spectacular in their own way as you will see from the photos below.

Only a small sections of the outer wall remains. This is where we entered the city.







This photo does not really reflect the beauty of the gorge.






Some of the houses are built on the rocks.













Differing landscapes looking back to the mountains and down the valley.




























This is the oldest bullring in Spain and as it has a small seating capacity, (it's not financially viable) and is therefore only used for special fiestas such as, once a year when the King of Spain visits. I am not really in favour of bullfighting so I will not go into detail except to say it takes five years to rear a bull for the ring, they are apparently lavished with good food, love and attention and it is a very costly process. Something you might not know Ernest Hemmingway and Orson Welles were keen followers of the bull fight, they spent a lot of time here and were friends of the owner of the ring who was a great matador, (by the name of Antonio Ordonez) and Orson Welles ashes were scattered at his nearby ranch.

Ronda is well worth a visit if you are planning to holiday in this region of Spain.

P.S. Beccy In answer to your query about the apes roaming freely as you can see they even like to do a bit shopping!!!