Andalucia – Page 5 – Timdar Travel Blog

15/11/202115/11/2021

Sunday – Leaving Malaga

Which we really liked.

Both of us feeling mildly spooked at the moment, for no rational reason. Combination of the hire car, unfamiliarity with being abroad, definitely FOIT (fear of IT what with all the paperwork etc. An example is parking in Cadiz – all you have to do is download an app – all in Spanish of course – register, book, and then use the app to open the barrier when you arrive. Possibility of it not working and us being flummoxed is huge. Anyway, it all worked perfectly, although no idea how!!!).

Anyway, moving on to Cadiz which is about 3 hours. Stopped in Vejer which we had been to in May 2017 but it was a bit hazy.

Here’s proof from then!

Anyway on to Cadiz. Pleased it was a Sunday afternoon as our flat is right in the centre of the old town, making navigating and unloading not the easiest. But we managed. Cadiz looking very fine.

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Surprising Malaga

Got to know it and really like it today. Morning walk…

Alcazaba

And just mooching …

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Fun Returns

It’s been such a long time since we’ve had a fun evening. We worked out that eating after 8.00 means you have to book – the Spanish eat ridiculously late – but rocking up at 7.00 means it’s easy to get a table. Buzzing in the old town and really seemed to hit it off with our waiter – from Marrakech. Ordered a bottle of Rioja which was only 3/4 full!!!! But the deal was we just kept drinking and he would keep us topped up. Great atmosphere AND there was deep-fried aubergine with honey which we’d had a few years ago. That combination of saturated fat and sugar meant it was easy to ignore the fact that it was aubergine!!!

And we still really like Malaga.

That’s what I call a blue sky – especially in November.

Obligatory ice cream

And views

11/11/202111/11/2021

Thursday 11th November

Or subtitled “the trauma was worth it”!

1. COVID paperwork is not easy but we managed

2. M25 closed at 4.30 am so diverting around Herts

3. Hire car a nightmare. Wouldn’t accept my old-style licence so booking nullified. Only company that wouldn’t so fiddling around on the phone booking another for immediate collection – succeeded and at 1/3 of the price quoted at the booking office.

Hey ho. It’s good to be back. Malaga is a revelation in a very positive sense:

Cheers!

And don’t be fooled by the last photo – the pavement is shiny like marble, not wet!

Tapas was terrific and ridiculously cheap, and sat outside in shirtsleeves until about 8.00. What’s not to like?

30/05/201708/05/2018

Monday 29th – last day

We had debated the night before about whether to go for a swim before we left. That problem was solved for us.

Said goodbye to the Storks. No real change – they just seemed to sit there – assume awaiting the other parent with food. There was another nest a couple of hundred yards away which was less easier to photo but looked as though they were a few weeks further on as we presumed they were fledging.

And on to Tarifa. Only claim to fame is it is the most southern part of Europe. On a clear day you may be able to see Africa, although it would help to know which way to look!

And off home.

Toll road was eccentric – 3 tolls of €1.95, 3.10 and 4.55 – strange amounts.

And then the good but risky idea to get a late flight home. Gave us an extra day, but a 2 hour delay at that time hurts a bit. Walked in the house at 2.15 a.m.

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Sunday – Vejer

A delightful hilltop town, so thought we would stay local and do a bit of exploring.

Siesta in the afternoon, then off to Barbate for a stroll and early evening drink.

Very meaty restaurant in the evening. Thrilled to find they served rinones (suggest veggies don’t look that one up!).

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Saturday – Cadiz

First, the answer to yesterday’s question.

We were at Cape Trafalgar, which has a very famous Square in London named after the naval battle here.

Checked in again with the neighbours. You can just see two chicks – both doing well.

Then Cadiz. It’s only an hour away from Vejer, so not a particularly long trek. Views from the bell tower.

And from the ground.

And, of course, there have to be views from:

Lunch;

Afternoon coffee – even on a clear day you still can’t see America; and

Dinner.

Nice shot reading the menu.

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Friday – Around and About

First a quiz question. No prizes and no cheating.

Here is a fairly non-descript landmark. It has another place named after it which is a zillion times more famous. Where are we?

Answer tomorrow if anyone’s bothered.

If it helps, this is looking the other way.

Cloudy but warm and humid. The daft amongst us didn’t wear a hat and got sunburned. Eileen swimming again today …

Mooched around the coast – nice place to stop for a drink. Loads of people surfing.

Then out in the evening to our local town, Vejer. Typical of the area but quite a lot bigger.

View from dinner.

Then they turned the lights on in the Plaza.

And it’s really naff to show pictures of your dinner, so here goes for an upmarket Tapas. Shrimps with sugar in a lime…

Prawns with gazpacho ice-cream….

were just two of the courses. Yummy!

Plan to head off to Cadiz tomorrow.

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Thursday – Leaving the Mountains

Crisis in the 21st Century is being without wifi for 24 hours. Aaaarghhhh … Anyway, we’re back.

Firstly a quick look back at Grazalema from the hotel.

Then a long twisty drive through the National Park. Gasping for coffee and came across a cafe that served fantastic coffee in the middle of nowhere. Fantastic scenery, although couldn’t get a pic to do it justice. And, according to the guide book, if you want to walk you need a permit two weeks in advance.

It’s getting really hot again, so straight to Vejer where we’re chilling until Monday. View from the pool.

And this is the house.

Quick trek into Barbate for a stroll. Should have realised dinner might be a challenge when we found they don’t speak English in the Tourist Info. Doesn’t appear to be spoken anywhere, so we had a mildly eccentric dinner as we hadn’t a clue what we were ordering! Here’s the view from dinner.