A Day in Morocco

On Tuesday we drove to Tarifa, the southern-most point in Europe and took a ferry across the Straight of Gibraltar to Tangier, Morocco. I was surprised to discover that you can actually see Africa from the coast of Spain. In fact, the Straight is only eight miles wide and took just 35 minuets to cross.

Despite its physical proximity, as soon as we stepped off the ferry we knew that we were on a different continent. The Arabic signs, the women in kaftans, tile mosaics decorating doors, and minarets piercing the skyline all help to create the city's atmosphere.

We decided not to go on an organized tour, thinking that it wouldn't allow us to explore the Medina. Instead, we hired one of the guides outside the ferry port to show us around. Since there were six of us, including two guys, we figured there was safety in numbers and we were clear with him up front about where we wanted to go and what we wanted to do. For a mere 3 Euros per person he navigated us through the narrow streets, took us to stores selling what we were interested in, showed us the Kasbah, and recommended a good place for lunch.

Shopping was the main activity of the trip, and it wasn't long before each one of us was negotiating like a local. The best tactic we found was to state your price, then walk out. Most of the time the shopkeeper would follow you to the street and finally relent.

Other highlights included seeing the snake charmers, visiting a traditional pharmacy that sold homeopathic spices, and eating lunch.

Granada Day Trip

On Monday we took a day trip to Granda. The city, at the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, was the fathers in land that we planned to travel on our trip. About two hours north of the cost, the ride gave us a chance to see the countryside, which was a stark contrast from the green forests of Germany. Very dry, the mountains and hillsides were covered with olive groves.

The main tourist attraction in Granada is Alhambra, a series of Moorish palaces and gardens built under the Nazari Dynasty in the 14th Century. We didn't want to book a tour through the hotel, which only visited the castle and didn't allow visitors to see the rest of the city. And, despite the advice of the hotel's concierge, we decided to go without booking tickets in advance.

The number of visitors per day is limited to protect the monument. Since it wasn't high season, we thought it wouldn't be a problem to get in. However, when we arrive we discovered that there we no tickets to be had for three days.* Instead we choose to wander through the old city, have a lunch of tapas in a square near the cathedral, and walk to the Sacromonte district.

Sacromonte is also known as the Gypsy Caves. Though they look like regular houses at first glace, upon further inspection you see that these house are actually caves in the side of the mountain. At one time a large gypsy community inhabited these caves, and today is home to many Flamenco shows.

* Reservations can be made online at or by calling 902 22 44 60. For more information about the monument, visit www.alhambra-patronato.es.

Mijas Pueblo

After spending almost 100 Euros in taxis on Saturday, the group decided to rent a car for the week. Since there were six of us, we needed something big enough to accommodate everyone. We got a standard mini van for under 500 Euros for the week. Best of all, this gave us freedom to explore as much as we wanted. Mijas Pueblo, one of Andalucia's white villages, was the first town we set our sights on.

Throughout Southern Spain are the Pueblos Blancos, which have their roots in Moorish settlements from the 13th through 15th centuries. Many of the town were built primarily as defense and have ruined walls and castles. Mijas is home to a wall that visitors can walk on to enjoy views of the Mediterranean below.

The town also has winding streets filled with shops, cafes, and tapas bars. At the top of the hill is a bullring. And though we didn't want to watch the bullfights, I did enjoy seeing the Matadors ride through the village and horse drawn carriages with the fight's Queen.

Exploring the Costa Del Sol

On Saturday morning I headed to Nueva Andalucia to one of the street markets. The market was a bit of a disappointment. Many of the items for sale could be found on St. Mark's Street in New York. But the weather was nice and I had a delicious lunch at a little cafe in the middle of all the hustle and bustle.

The afternoon was spent lounging at the beach and swimming in the indoor heated pool. (The Mediterranean was too cold to go for a dip.)

For dinner the group decided to check out Puerto Banús. Though this town is known as the nightlife and party center of the region, we were a bunch of early birds and headed out before the sun set to wander down the strip and check out the luxury yachts and window shop in the high-end stores.

We had a seafood dinner in one of the many restaurants that line the road along the water. The paella was by far the stand out dish with gigantic prawns and rich and creamy rice reminiscent of risotto.

After dinner the strip was hopping, with people from all over Europe decked out in their club-going finest. For our part, we got cones of gelato before taking a taxi home.

The Rain in Spain...

...Fell mainly on the plane.

Friday was rainy and we experienced a lot of on the flight here. We landed at the Málaga airport and took a taxi 60 kilometers or so southeast to Marbella. Luckily, by the time we arrived at the hotel, the rain stopped.

Even if it had continued to rain I don't think it would have mattered too much. Kevin and I were preoccupied catching up with our friends who traveled from the U.S. to join us in Spain for the week.