How the other half lives!

Following golf we drove to the Port to take a sailing boat along the Marbella coast.  Designer shops, smart cars including BMW, Mercedes, and even a handsome grey Ferrari (ferraris should be red) lined the street filled with "beautiful" people seeing and being seen.  Cafes were full and early diners sipped tall drinks.  BUT the boats! Wow! Every size from ocean going yatchts to cabin cruisers.! Security people every where and many boats in full party mode.

The sail along the coast, sipping champagne was another world.  This is resort heaven if this is your scene.  Even saw a film being shot in the port - no one we recognised - place to find James Bond though.

Our hotel looked huge from the water and as we sailed back to port we saw dolphins skipping through the water beside our boat.  A magic end to a super day!

Finca Cortesin

Today we played at the very beautiful Finca Cortesin golf course in Marbella. Most challenging so far - 100 bunkers but I only got in 2! Fairways were long and sloping and a numer of tees required you to hit over scrubbery.  The service was wonderful - fresh fruit and water delivered half way round and our preordered lunch ready when we finished.

Surrounding countryside is bare and mountainous contrasting with the lush fairways. Lost 2 balls in scrub but enjoyed the challenge.

Check out the driving range! Club house very luxurious as seems to be the norm.  Clubs here have nomination fees of 100,000€ and more with yearly fees starting at 10,000€.  Golf membership is for people with deep pockets.

Golf Aloha

Today we played at the very beautiful but challenging Aloha Golf Club in Marbella.  Marbella is a popular destination for British and Europeans who flock here for the great beaches and favourable climate.  Consequently it's full of up-market hotels and resorts, condos and other accomodations and caters to tourists and a fairly afffluent local population.

Aloha Golf Club has fine dining as well as casual and cafe dining on terraces overlooking immaculate fairways lined with olive trees, hibiscus, oleanders, morning glory and weeping rosemary.  Fairways are wide, often with substantial runs down slopes, tiered greens and bunkers although not as many as El Pratt. Fountains, waterfalls, ponds, lakes and a stream add to the challenge. The course is surrounded by hills and dominated by a rocky mountain looming over several holes.

Crows were not a problem! However - Gillian, playing in my group did lose a brand new ball (guess what colour) - To a DOG!  A labrador pup was sitting waiting as we approached a green.  She waited until Gillian chipped on and calmly picked up the ball.  No amount of coaxing would induce her to "drop" it and she finally tired of us and took off. We could see the ball on the terrace of the nearest house! No penalty!

Our shotgun start was a real charge fired into the sky before exploding high above the first hole with a bang heard and seen from each tee.

Everyone agreed the course was impressive and we left feeling pleased with a great day.

Tangiers 2

A few more shots - check out Julie and the camel!

Tangiers

On the bus early in the chilly dark to the ferry for Morrocco. Breasting a hill, in the distance,  stark and shimmering white against the grey and threatening sky, rising like a mountain was Gibralter. Close by,  off the coast of Tangiers,  the Battle of Trafalgar was fought in 1812,  resulting in a narrow victory for Britain but the death of her naval hero Nelson.  The strategic importance of the area contolling the narrow straits between Africa and the continent is illustrated by the number of forts and fortresses built by successive regimes which remain evident today.

After a short ferry trip from Tarifa we landed in the port of Tangiers and joined a new coach for a tour of the city.  Buildings rise out of bare plots, storied up the hill sides mixing new with old as well as palatial, gated estates of kings and princes.  Security is high and gun boats patrol the waters whilst police (one hiding behind a bush) guard the hotels currently hosting the King of Saudia Arabia who has come to enjoy the excellent and clean beaches.

We viewed a light house guarding the Atlantic ocean and the Mediterranean sea before descending to the old town for lunch and a belly dancing display - a most agile and flexible young women  performed for us.  Here the remains of a centuries old Portugese fort forms part of the community with crumbling walls and ancient guns still pointing seawards.  Narrow streets lead down to the medina market filled with the fragrance of baking bread and the sounds of artisans creating everything from mosaic furniture to leather goods in dark and cramped spaces.  Hawkers are persistant and insistant.

At the museum in the old town set in the palace of a sultan we saw wonderful mosaics and gained a perception of the household - the ornate and decorative bedroom of the sultan, the rooms for his concubines, a garden for his pleasure, around a central elegantly mosaiced courtyard with a fountain. Once again the intrepid Romans dabbled in this area also.

Locals are very proud of their country and culture - 90% of education is free as is health care, women occupy important roles (15% of seats in parliament held by women) and the King is respected and admired for being progressive.

Tangiers is a blend of ancient and modern, sometimes "down" but never out.  Our day was exhausting, sometimes a bit overwhelming but a memorable experience - everthing I thought it would be.

PS Les liked the camel but Vicky wouldn't let him take it home.

Malaga

Left beautiful Barcelona in rain for short flight to Malaga landing in brilliant sunshine. Touring the city sights we passed the main street covered over in huge sails to shade the strolling and dining locals and tourists - outdoor dining everywhere at all price points. From a lookout high above the city we viewed the bullring, apartments as far as we could see and the Mediteranean. 

Bull fight are held daily during festivals but generally only Friday and Saturday. Depending on the skills of the torreadors a seat costs anything from 36€ to over 300€.  The city of Barcelona is the only place in Spain where bullfighting is banned- Barcelonans ban all forms of animal exploitation including the circus. Elsewhere bullfighting is feted and well attended - a bit like our local football matches.  Sadly the bull doesn't appreciate the spectacle although we are told his life is happy and respected - until the actual bullfight and his end is viewed with great excitement and cheers for his courage as well as the torreadors. I'm glad I am not the bull!

Our hotel is sumptuous! Azure pools surrounded by lush gardens, cabanas and rows of banana lounges (elegant ones).  Women and men of all shapes and sizes are roasting nicely, well basted before turning over.  Bikinis are very popular and inhibitions are certainly not evident - if you'e got it (and even if you haven't) flaunt it.

We walked along the boardwalk, people watching , searching menus at the numerous eateries before choosing an almost empty one. By 10 pm it will be full - dinner is late here. Service was great and food fresh and tasty. Tried whitebait and alocal fish with aoli. Yum! Couldn't understand our waiter much but smiling, pointing and laughing gets results.  I ordered a sangria and got a jug.  Seems fairly innocuous really but creeps up on you a bit. Can't believe I am sitting on a beach, sipping Sangria and looking at the Med!

Back at the hotel we found our beds turned down, jamis elegantly arranged and a good night chocolate. So- goodnight.
PS. Tangiers tomorrow.

El Pratt

El Pratt designed by Greg Norman has more bunkers then I have seen and I ulilised a number of them.  Course was challenging but fun.

After a rest we put on our glad rags and went out for dinner and a flamenco show.  First impression? Incredibly noisy but such amazing foot stamping and clapping - and posturing etween the dancers. Flexible?  times 100. Flying to Malaga tomorrow.