I Have Company!

My dear friend MaryAnn came to visit for a couple of weeks. This is an opportunity for someone back home to experience Torre Del Mar through my eyes.

As the sun peeks through the clouds announcing MaryAnn’s arrival, Paco, our driver, steered us towards the airport.

I hopped out of the car and made my way inside the airport terminal. As expected, there was a hold up with the luggage.

If you are from the European Union (EU), passengers go to the carousel noted on the screens. Anyone outside of the EU collects their luggage from a separate area. There is, however, poor signage and I wish they would improve it to avoid unnecessary stress. The sign is so small and in Spanish. Fortunately MaryAnn was given a heads-up. She ended up assisting a British couple who thought their luggage was lost. With Brexit, I guess the British have to go through the same process as us Canadians.

As you can imagine there were huge hugs and squeals of “Bella!” as we found each other. Another woman was joining us on the car ride to Torre del Mar. Her husband is staying in the same complex as me. She got impatient waiting for MaryAnn and hit the wine bar and guzzled it down on the way to the car. We all had a giggle about that.

Traffic was basically non-existent and 35 minutes later we are standing on the sidewalk at Los Apartamentos Yucas. Paco, our driver helped us with bags and her adventure begins.

The weather for the next couple of days is going to be rainy, but it is welcomed after the previous years’ droughts. The River Seco (seco is dry in Spanish) is down to a trickle, and the reservoir is below 10%. Moisture is definitely needed. I figured MaryAnn would need a couple of days to adjust to Spanish time anyways, so I didn’t plan anything strenuous for the first couple of days.

She quickly unpacked and we headed to the Fernando Cerveceria located on Calle Del Mar for tapas and wine. The tapas were large and delicious. We had terrific service and I will definitely return.

I think it took all of five minutes for MaryAnn to fall for this lifestyle. The next morning and every morning for the next two weeks, she drank a coffee with hot milk, followed by cafė con leches at Cafetería Bar Las Yucas and a beach walk.

It was fun watching her breathe and relax. Now as idyllic as it looks in pictures, we have had rain almost every day since she arrived. We are not talking about ‘spitting’, we are talking torrential downpours. We eventually stopped leaving the apartment without an umbrella. There is a weather phenomenon called a ‘DANA’ that has hit the Iberian Peninsula which is very unusual.

Damn DANA

Maria, the apartment manager explained that we are getting a DANA. DANA is an acronym for Depresión Aislada en Niveles Altos and is basically when a low pressure meets a high pressure and creates extremely heavy moisture clouds. These clouds dump huge volumes of water. The reservoirs that serve the region have been as low as 7%, and with it being an agricultural region (avocados lemons, limes, mangoes, oranges and olives,), it is wonderful to see them fill up, but too much rain can cause landslides. The area is on Yellow Alert.

Oh Mister Sun ☀️

Even the torrential downpours can’t dampen our spirits. We get our walks in and explore the seaside. The first evening we head to the Safari Lounge for some fish. We had such a great time catching up. The Gambas Pil-Pil Especial was a hit and we discovered an Ensalada Mixta with fried Camembert drizzled in a pomegranate dressing. OMG!

Where Are We?

We are in Andalusía which is comprised of many autonomous (meaning they can self-govern) communities. Andalusía encompasses the provinces of Huelva, Cádiz, Sevilla, Málaga, Córdoba, Jaén, Granada and Almería.

Our town, Torre del Mar is in Axarquía (pronounced EX-AR-KEE-A), on the Mediterranean Sea in the Province of Málaga.

The capital of Axarquía is Velez-Málaga.

Taking the Bus to Velez Málaga

We decide to take the local bus for 1.30 euro to Vélez-Málaga. The bus stop is directly in front of the café below our apartment and runs between our two towns every 15 minutes.

I decide to buy an umbrella based on the nasty weather ahead and I am so glad I did. Just as we got to the bus stop, it came down in torrents. There was a local, senior gentleman also waiting for the bus. I engage him in conversation and managed to get confirmation on the bus fare and that they take cash (en efectivo).

We take the bus to the end of the line as I point out to MaryAnn the parcels of land, the hospital, the shopping centre, etc.

I was in Vélez-Málaga in 2022, to witness the Semana Santa celebration, but it was with a tour; coming by bus is a little different.

We made our way through the streets while it rained on and off. We reviewed the names on statues and then came across a cool dead tree that had figures carved into it. We wound our way up and down cobblestone streets looking at the stuccoed homes until we were beneath the Fortaleza de Vélez-Málaga. We hit a dead end and carefully made our way back down the steep streets. Eventually, we ended up at the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore. There is a metal sculpture of an adult member of a confraternity and a younger boy next to the church.

The Capirote

(Source: Wikipedia).

The pointed, conical hat is called a capirote, a symbol of the Catholic penitent and only members of a confraternity of penance are permitted to wear them.

Children can also wear them after they receive the sacrament of Holy Communion and when they enter the brotherhood. It is part of the uniform of brotherhoods such as the Nazarenos and Fariseos and usually worn during Holy Week and other Lenten observances.

MaryAnn was taking photos of the square and the church, when I asked her to turn around. The look on her face could only be described as ‘shocked.’ I was the same when I first saw it. It looks like a Klu Klux Klan (KKK) hood and just conjures up horrible visions and memories of the atrocities committed by this group. I assured her it had nothing to do with the KKK.

The penitent faces are covered while they repent to God so as not to draw attention to themselves. Travel really is the best education.

The rain is unrelenting, so we duck into a cafeteria for a coffee. MaryAnn is beginning to understand my love of the Spanish coffee culture. Yes, there is takeaway, but sitting down to enjoy a coffee and a conversation is the preferred way. We decide after a few hours of sloshing and splashing to head back to Torre del Mar.

The bus was at the stop and we made a dash for the door only to be told not now. The bus driver was on break. LOL MaryAnn decides to run across the street to the closed market just to have a look and then the sky opened up again.

After we dry out, we head to Trece Larios for a drink before dinner at Tulum, a Mexican restaurant. I forgot to get a photo of the nachos, but they were soooo good! You can’t beat the guacamole here. It is so fresh. Tulum got an excellent Google review tonight.

The weatherman has been spot on, dang it! You just make the best of it.

Tomorrow, MaryAnn does Málaga …