Loving the south

Our drive to Nerja from Granada was through the beautiful Sierra Nevadas. It was glorious with every corner revealing a new vista of olive groves, vineyards, sunflowers, wheat. High rocky outcrops with white villages tucked in there. Glorious and totally unable to be captured with a photo.  

Nerja has a Rick Steves recommended beach on the Costa del Sol and we did enjoy a coffee and swim here. It was refreshing after very hot humid days in the inland. 

Ronda, a white village inland from the Costa del Sol was our next night and we enjoyed wandering again. This little town has two claims to fame. 

this bridge that spectacularly spans the gorge that separates the old town from the new town is one of them and this bullring, one of the oldest in Spain is the other. 

We had the best tapas meal we have had in Spain in Ronda down by the old walls in a little plaza. As an example this was one of the courses

Beautiful to look at and to eat.   We have thoroughly enjoyed the Spanish food. Surprising and delicious. 

Our next stop was Gibraltar. We actually stayed in La Linea in Spain with a delightful couple and walked into Gibraltar each day. There is no love lost between the Spanish and the British but we loved Gibraltar with its great big rock and familiar food (couldn't wait to get some steak and ale pie into my mouth!!) and its history cropping up in unusual places. We caught the cable car to the top of the rock and had a leisurely stroll down with two locals who were happy to impart their knowledge of this little country that they obviously loved.  A real treat. It was a bit of a hazy day but not bad. We saw two planes land at the airport.  It is a crazy airport as the road runs across it. When a plane is coming in they put the boom gates down and when it opens all the traffic flows in and out of Gibraltar.

We drove into Gib each night and had a rum at Europa Point (above). Lovely and quiet and relaxing. Had a great swim across the road from where we were living. This was the view from our window and we really appreciated the beach in this stinking hot weather. 

We left Gibraltar this morning and drove via the coast to Jerez.  We stopped in the lovely town of Tarifa where we had a look around and a coffee watching the kite surfers. Tarifa is the most southerly point of Europe and is a most Grecian looking town. 

We then drove out to Bolonia for lunch and that was also delightful.

We are now in Jerez and tomorrow are going to see the Andalusian horses and do a sherry tour. Can't wait.