Marbella: So Chic

Yes, it is true, we were quite happy to be on our way from Gibraltar and eager to get back to Spain. The trouble is that the southern coast is littered with highrise resorts and apartment developments and during the summer months, is completely overrun with tourists. While these shores offer the promise of inexpensive package vacations for many, it is not the Spain that we came to see. Regardless, unless we wanted to make a big, several day hop at once to the Balearics, we would need to suck it up and continue to make our way east along the coast. We had heard good things about Marbella, so Marbella it was. You can imagine our disappointment when from the water, it looked much the same as what we had already experienced everywhere along the coast – white sand beaches whose beauty is hard to discern b/c of the hordes and hordes of people and umbrellas, all against a backdrop of highrises and endless development. Sadly, the beautiful Sierra Nevadas only just loom in the background dwarfed by the oppressiveness of sprawl. And on the subject of sprawl, I must make this note. It is EVERYWHERE. We are floored by the amount of development that is taking place everywhere. I have always associated this sort of urban development with the US but not so. With the exception of the Azores, it has been ever present in every place we have visited. Actually, I don’t think I have ever seen as much development per square mile as in Gibraltar. Ok, I digress…back to Marbella.

We had had a pleasant sail to get there and were in good spirits, despite the disappointing view. We set out immediately (almost immediately, David changed the oil first and you can witness below how much fun that was) in search of the old town. Well guess what? It was an absolute gem. It was so incredibly beautiful. There were flowers and vines everywhere – hanging from balconies, adorning the squares, and lining the quaint (immaculate!) cobblestone streets. What really struck me was how everyone dressed up. It was actually refreshing to see. Just out for an afternoon or evening stroll, everyone, men and women, all so smartly dressed. It was the first place that we’ve been in forever where the women wore heels…I even almost pulled out a pair of mine that have not seen the light of day in many months and have long since been relegated to the depths of some locker.

While we were there we took in a fashion show that just happened to be taking place one evening in one of the many squares, followed by a fabulous meal with our friends from Moonstruck. I’m sure you can imagine why David was happy to be back in Spain, just two words…jamon Iberico ;) There was a wonderful dirt path that led for miles along the waterfront and joy of joys, I rediscovered the runner in me. We would have liked to have stayed in Marbella longer but alas, we had to plan ahead for our overnight to the Balearics and had to take advantage of our next weather window.