Malaga & mountains

Took a very comfortable local bus to Malaga this week (great value at Euro 3.5). It has an extensive old quarter with some Roman ruins, a castle, & the Picasso museum (including some fabulous early works showing how talented a conventional artist he was at a very early age). In the basement of the museum were some remnants of Phoenician (6th Century BC) & Roman (2nd Century BC) buildings. At the museum the loos were so high tec Sue could not work out how to get wash or flush water - then it turned out to be all automatic anyway!. The Produce Market was 3 large halls of mouth-watering produce (meat, fish & fruit). Lunched on delicious salads in the Plaza de Merced under sunny skies.

Walks this week included a wonderfully scenic route with Gill,Andrew, Sue & Graham. Set off from a small car park area above Frigiliana village & did a circular walk of 13 miles climbing from 400m at the start to 900m at the highest point. Saw a family group of ibex & a half-metre snake crossed the path immediatley in front of us as we walked. Lunched at a remote hotel & got back to the cars just before dusk. Also walked up the rio Higueron to Frigiliana & back Sunday. People-watched in the sunny square whilst we ate a picnic lunch.

With a full moon & storms across the Med in N. Africa, waves have been crashing onto the Nerja shoreline for the lastfew days. This has not deterred the local shore-fishermen who have been out in force in front of our appartment block (& we actually saw a fish caught as well!)

Walking with friends

Have met local Brit expert walkers & enjoyed a wonderful day led by Gill & Andrew walking the Sierra between Frigiliana & Maro.This included 'river-leaping' & some steep inclines. Saw our first black squirrel & many wheeling vultures. Also the effects of the 21stSept rains washing 2metres of riverbed away from the rambla.

Visited Tuesday street market in Nerja. Streets full of cut price & fake designer goods stalls & great local produce (esp. nuts)

Equally exciting walk with our first visitors (Barbara & Will) took us up an initially dry rambla, but we ended up wading up to our knees in the swift flowing stream in the narrow gorge (Mike managed to keep dry feet as Will provided an obliging piggy-back! Sue's shoes still drying out).This was north of Nerja towards Frigiliana,but we could not reach the village so turned back. With B&W found some great restaurants to take future visitors.

Don't worry,we are still keeping up our cycling, with several trips around the local hills in the last week.

Weather still great, but evenings getting cooler. Little Christmas hype here as yet - what a pleasure to be free of that (bah humbug)!

Sierra de Tejeda

Local exploring within 40miles of Nerja we have been to Competa @ 600m high. Great scenery & weather. Also visited the church at Velez Malaga where annual easter passion processions take place. Upto 120 people needed to carry each religous effigy around the town!!!

Walked from Nerja to the Rio Chillar valley & also from Maro into the foothills of the Sierra de Tejeda, where we saw ibex roaming the slopes.

Looking forward to seeing our friends Barbara & Will who are flying in from London at the weekend for a few days visit - hope the weather holds for them.

Continuing to explore new tapas bars & paella restaurants - it's tough but somebody has to do it!

Have spoken to Chris a few times & he is working hard & playing hard - has got his first rowing competition this week. Apparently apart from the cox he is the shortest one in the boat - god knows how tall the others are.

Nerja in Andalucia

Reached Nerja on 26/10/08 & booked into charming small town centre hotel as nearby campsite closed for October holidays. Within a few days we have been able to rent a ground floor apartment (easy bike acess) handy to the town centre, beach & tapas bars - ours until the end of March 08.
We are exploring the local hill villages (great to be cycling without the luggage!) Weather has been brilliant since we arrived - big blue skies, sun from 8.00am til 7.00pm (can it last?) Planning longer trips to Malaga, Granada etc by bus.
HAPPY BIRTHDAYS TO HARRIET (4th Nov) & CHRISTOPHER (10th Nov) THIS WEEK - XXX