Hola mis Amigos!

After having over a year to learn about Switzerland and its surroundings and culture, I realized that one week is just not enough to learn about a new country. We visited the Andalusia region in Spain earlier this month for a week's vacation with my parents. Considered one of the sunniest and warmest places in Europe, I was happily surprised by the warm weather. It was between 26 and 30 grad (around 80F), so we definitely enjoyed our outdoor pool and close proximity to the beach at the resort!

My parents graciously shared their timeshare points with us to stay at a condo in Marbella (west of Malaga). The location was good for exploring, with the beach at our backdoor, plenty of culture to experience and towns to visit. We rented a van so that we had flexibility for a few day trips. One of my favorite places that we toured was Ronda, which is a relatively small town seemingly in the middle of nowhere. The road to get there was winding and climbed in elevation for a good 45 minutes. Ronda has a gorge that cuts through the town, and the views are amazing from here. From the overlook, we took pictures of the dry and rocky scenery while listening to a man playing Spanish guitar. Very memorable. Incidentally, Ronda is also home to the oldest bullfighting ring in Spain that is still in use (built in 1784). Although we didn't see any bullfights, it was enough for me to walk near the ring to get a sense of this history.

Ronda

We also took a day trip to Cordoba, a city that is known for its mezquita. This cathedral is a former mosque, and cavernous inside with incredible architecture and very detailed handiwork. We enjoyed the general architecture of the rest of the city, including narrow, white alleyways that were created for shade and to keep the adjacent homes cool.

During our week, we also traveled to the U.K. Yes, the U.K.! We visited Gibraltar, a small British overseas territory on the southern coast of Spain. Landon immediately noticed more English when we crossed the border to enter the town, where we had a fish and chips lunch. We again had amazing views during the day: we took a cable car to the top of the rock to view Morocco and watch the ship traffic through the Strait of Gibraltar.
 
It was a pleasure to return from our days out and then walk to our choice of beachfront restaurants for dinner. One thing to note: Spanish food is not equivalent to Mexican food. No burritos or chips and salsa here. Instead, we enjoyed lots of fish, wonderful olives, and fresh, fruity sangria. I was surprised that the boys were adventurous enough to try clams, octopus and sardines. I have to admit that my view of sardines and anchovies was not positive prior to trying them in Andalusia. And I may never get a chance to try them like this again -- they were really, very good. A salty flavor without being too much.

The Spanish are known to eat dinner late, and we easily fell into this pattern. Surprisingly, the sun didn't rise until after 8 in the morning, so it was also easy to sleep in late. After one late dinner, we watched a flamenco performance. Flamenco originated in the Andalusia region, and all of us (including the boys) enjoyed watching the fast feet of the dancers and listening to the castanets.

So even though there is a lot more to learn about this region, we were able to do a lot in one week and it was absolutely worth it. Our experience was so good that I nearly forgot that our luggage was lost for the first 24 hours! (Reminder to all travelers: always travel with a change of clothes in your carry-on luggage!) We had a wonderful time with my parents, and enjoyed having a visit together while we were all on vacation. It was hard to say goodbye at the airport, particularly because we will not be seeing them over the Christmas holidays. So for now, we can think about the beach to stay warm...cold weather is settling in here in Basel!

Adios, amigos!