Andalusian Honeymooning
Fresh off the best wedding we could’ve hoped for, Anabel and I hurried home to Raleigh the next morning to switch out our bags and head to Spain! A mid afternoon flight was a small window, but thankfully all flights were on time and smooth as could be. Sleep was minimal the last few days, but well worth the sacrifice for getting there right away.
Our fuzzy arrival into Malaga was graced with a generous honeymoon upgrade from my man Rafael at National Car Rental…(although his generosity became quite an obstacle over the next ten days. More on this later.)
We made our way to the honeymoon villa in a small village called Salobreña, which is about an hour east of Malaga on the Mediterranean coast. To put it lightly, we were very pleased with the accommodation of choice. The villa was newly remodeled and nestled high up on a hill with panoramic views of the sea and mountains. This was by far the best place either of us had ever stayed at.
Once we got settled in, Uber Eats was clutch with the pizza delivery for two overly tired and hungry newlyweds. I don’t know if seafood pizza is good everywhere, but we can surely vouch for the ones on the Mediterranean. We didn’t hate the tiramisu or cannoli either.
With our bellies full neither of us put a fight with the inevitable food coma, and enjoyed naps by the pool. I’m pretty sure it was siesta hour in Spain anyways! (FYI it’s not uncommon for businesses to close mid-afternoon to sleep for a few hours. It’s how they roll.)
After a rejuvenating snooze in the sun we had a lonely, pregnant, and hungry kitty visit us for a bit. She came back several times after having her babies so we fed her as much as possible to help with the nursing at that critical stage…we’ll always remember the sweet little kitty known to Anabel as Cleo.
The next day was prime for some pool, rest and recalibration. The thought of leaving our place for long seemed silly considering how giddy we still were about the views, and the fresh kiwi and pineapple with some cane sugar greek yogurt made it even sweeter.
An important highlight to share…this was the start of our cheek tanning competition. The sun was intense so the initial exposure to the milky whites was risky, but when you get the chance to do it you gotta do it, right? We thought so, and felt no regrets while reliving our favorite memories of the wedding and discussing what we wanted to do with our time in Spain!
That evening we got our first taste of the car rental burden previously mentioned. If you’ve ever driven a car in Europe you know that most urban roads aren’t built for large SUV’s to navigate, let alone navigating a hillside community beside a castle! The dinner destination was a restaurant tucked away in the densely constructed, white walled village of Salobreña. With several nooks and crannies with only inches to spare, apocalyptic BMW sensors with no chill, and disapproving exchanges with the locals, let’s just say I don’t recommend trying this.
Our first day trip was an hour by car to Granada…a beautiful and thankfully much less stressful drive around the Sierra Nevada mountains. The main attraction for us was The Alhambra Palace and its surrounding Generalife which include a complex of other buildings, gardens, and palaces.
From what we understand, each of these architectural wonders were erected at different periods of times by different groups of people. The Alhambra originated as a 9th century fortress and changed hands several times since then. Its courtyards and rooms include colorful ceramic tiles, carved stucco, and an array of Arabic calligraphy.
Our Granada tour continued with a stop at the Basilica of San Juan de Dios, which was both extraordinarily ornate and unique…(the collection of skull and bones and model head of John the Baptist were an interesting touch.)
After stuffing ourselves with old sheep cheese, sardine bruschetta, and croquettes it was obligatory to take in the spectacular views from the neighborhood of San Nicolas, overlooking the Alhambra and Sierra Nevada mountains.
The honeymooning progressed the following day with some more pool time and another road trip. We visited the mountain town of Almachar for their annual Ajo Blanco festival. The scenic drive and pistachio creme croissant we found rocked our world, but only after near regurgitation of the village’s famous Ajo Blanco, which is a cold soup of garlic, almonds, bread, vinegar, and water. No bueno.
From Almachar I enticed my awesome wife to experience a little Spanish soccer in Malaga. Seeing they were playing the club from Granada, I figured we’d see a highly competitive match amongst two closely situated cities. It ended in a 2-2 tie with top notch energy and entertainment from some deeply passionate fans, but the driving experience was maybe the worst…major buzzkill.
We were hungry and eager to pass the garlic burps. Some burgers and ice cream from McDonald’s on the return home wasn’t how I envisioned a honeymoon meal, but under the circumstances who were we to say no the opportunity! (We also were curious how the menu would differ in Spain.)
And besides, the brunch we had the next day in Almuñecar then seemed that much better! After strolling the beach we decided this gloomy Sunday was fitting to try a winery in the mountains. So we savored some Spanish red at the Bodega Señorio de Nevada. The wine was delicious and after a long relaxing gaze at the mountains we went back to the villa for a siesta…honeymooning the Spanish way.
Dinner in Salobreña was at La Bahia, where you’ll find the neighborhood cats roaming freely and looking for friends. Respectfully of course. We had the best calamari and paella of our lives and closed the night out with some ice cream and a Packers season opening win.
All this driving lately called for another pool day. It’s been a blessing for me to start exploring the world together while simultaneously slowing the pace down from my past travel habits. I used to go hard, so I appreciate the balance that we’ve created in some relaxation. Having the best wife and an unbeatable view is a killer combo. Steaks, sweet potatoes, and corn put us right to sleep that night.
Our Spanish kitty paid us a visit the next morning before we drove northwest to El Caminito del Rey for a little thrill. Originally built for servicing a hydroelectric power station, this walkway literally hangs on the inside of a massive canyon. It is now a nearly 5 mile long viewing extravaganza and test of courage for locals and visitors to enjoy…(not all have made it out alive.)
Praise God we survived to see more of Spain…and those nutella covered churros. For us it seemed like a great way to celebrate and then move on towards the Setenil de Las Bodegas, where neighborhoods of the village are built into the side of rock. It’s fascinating and not something you see every day, but we didn’t stay long because the nearby mountaintop city of Ronda was calling us to it.
I’ve seen a lot in this world but few places as unique as one set atop a gorge. The bridge connecting the old and new districts is best seen from the bottom of the gorge where you can fully appreciate its depth.
Walking the cobblestone streets in the old district, it’s easy to see why it’s such a charming place. It was definitely one of our favorite cities despite an underwhelming dining experience. We got back to even with some gelato on the Puente Nuevo to admire God’s creation.
With only a few days left, we determined the road trip to Seville didn’t make sense and shelved it for another time. Besides, we had a castle and village in view from our pool that we had yet to see.
Anabel lost a fight with the door and broke her toe so we had to limit our walking, but we made it long enough to buy some gifts, visit a bakery, and explore the Salobreña Castle. And the dinner at La Roka slapped…patatas bravas, fried cod, and braised beef with a hot wife and view.
Neither of us were all that jazzed about the caves of Nerja, but we did decide to give the beaches a try the following morning. After popping around a few densely populated and tops optional plots of sand, the decision to brown our cheeks in comfort at the villa was an easy one. Some red wine and a couple of pizzas went down just as good as they did the first day!
This last day was big on gratitude, and it’s no surprise we weren’t ready to come back! We decided we were pretty good at honeymooning and that we should probably do it over again every year. What a blessing. God is so good.
