Today was a rest day. We moved a bit east along the Costa del Sol to a Meliá Hotel in Torremolinos.

We had snacks and played cards in the roof bar.

Later we went for a walk along the coast

This morning before we left Ronda we went for a walk down the gorge across the old bridge and back up the other side.

Next we left Ronda and drove to Gibraltar.

We took the cable car to the top of the Rock of Gibraltar.

There was a great view from the top. The Barbary Macaques were everywhere at the top. They were brazen and obviously not afraid of people.

We rode the cable car back down. It took us quite a long wait to get through customs and get out of Gibraltar.

Tonight we are on the Costa Del Sol in Benalmádena. There seem to be a lot of snowbirds from Northern Europe here. We decided to have fish and chips for dinner at the Irish pub across the street from our hotel.

After dinner we went for a short walk along the beach below our hotel.

Before leaving Antequera this morning we went to visit the Alcazaba of Antequera. An alcazaba is a Moorish fortress. The Alcazaba is, not surprisingly, the highest point in Antequera. The audio guide was interesting and the views were stupendous.

From Antequera we drove to Ronda. We have magnificent rooms in the Parador overlooking the gorge and the Ronda New bridge which was completed in 1793

We went out for a walk.

For dinner we ate at a wonderful nearby restaurant, Las Tablas.

The view from our room at night is even better than the daytime view.

We went to a bakery near our hotel for breakfast this morning. The pastries were truly works of art.

After breakfast we checked out of the hotel and drove about an hour and a half west to the town of Antequera. We are staying at the Parador in Antequera.

We got a map from the front desk with a suggested walking route to see the town. I also had some ideas of what I wanted to see from a YouTube video about Antequera made by Margaret of Moon in Spain. So we went out exploring and luckily the rain held off. First we walked by the Bullring.

Next we stopped at the Church of San Juan de Dios. The baroque interior was absolutely stunning.

The grocery store and bakery a little bit farther down the road was a perfect place for an afternoon snack. We felt it was important to sample the local lenten treat, Torrijas. The bakery lady explained that they are traditional to this area and eaten during lent. They start out a bit like American french toast but some are soaked in a sweet syrup or covered with cinnamon and sugar. We have seen them coated in chocolate and filled with custard. I can attest to the fact that Torrijas are delicious!

We browsed the grocery store. The selection of hams and the wide variety of price always impresses me.

Gayle and I enjoyed visiting with two of Antequera’s famous sons.

In 1410 the Moors were defeated in Antequera and were forced to leave. They went to Granada. This statue commemorates them. It was erected in 2010. I found it really moving.

We walked back to the Parador, had our welcome drinks and played cards.

For dinner we walked back in to town and ate at a place called Restaurante Abrasador Bodegas Triana. Our waiter said their specialty is barbecue. Gayle and I had beef and Roger and Duke had pork. It was all delicious.

Breakfasts in the Paradors we have visited have always been wonderful. This morning there was a fruit on the buffet that I had not seen before. It was cherimoya. The word is the same in Spanish and in English. It was sweet and a bit creamy.

After breakfast we checked out the parador garden.

Roger and Gayle had a noon reservation for the Alhambra tour. We checked out of the Parador. Roger and Gayle went on their tour and Duke and I drove down into central Grenada and checked into our hotel. We are staying at the Melia. Our room is spacious and comfortable with a nice balcony.

We woke up to what we thought was heavy fog this morning but it turns out that the air is thick with Saharan sand blown in ahead of the current storm. Everything is incredibly dirty and you can see the dirty air.

I mailed postcards.

We met Roger and Gayle after their tour and walked with them down to the hotel

The man helping us with our luggage said dirty air won’t be a problem tomorrow because it will be pouring rain!

For dinner I had wonderful octopus.