Arrived in Estepona
It was an easy transfer from Gran Canaria to Estepona in southern Spain. Another shout out to Ryan Air, who despite all the current airline problems throughout the world, once again managed to efficiently get passengers on the plane, take off and land on time (actually early) and quickly have luggage on the carousel. The worst part of the trip was being packed into one of the little airport buses that transfer passengers from the terminal to the runway where the plane awaits…budget airlines don't get the highest preference of their "parking" spots! An airport pick up had been pre-arranged and our driver Natalia was there - but had a story to tell. Although her "older" car had broken down on the entrance to the highway - she parked it, "phoned a friend" and was there to meet us, albeit in her friend's car. These 2 gregarious ladies entertained us with their chatter for over an hour, from Malaga airport to our arrival in Estepona. Natalia got out of the car on the same road where her car was still parked awaiting the tow truck, while her friend, Alla, took over the driving and delivered us to the apartment. When Trevor gave her the cash for the service, she refused the tip, even pushing it back in his pocket after it had gone back and forth a few times!
Nadin - our rental agent - met us at what will be our new home - a small 1 bedroom unit on the 3rd floor of an apartment complex. Although very different to our large, traditional rental in Gran Canaria - this one has the advantage of having both heat and air-conditioning + a large balcony overlooking a green area. The kitchen counter space was a bit challenging, but as we often do, we re-arranged a few things to make it work for us. Nadin left us a gift of fruit, a bottle of wine and a shopping buggy - this buggy being a reminder of the one we left behind when we had to leave Estepona earlier than planned almost 4 years ago. Although we mutually communicate with a translation app, her smiles acknowledged that she'd kindly remembered our "need" for this shopping "assistant."

We'd remembered Estepona as a lovely town - and were delighted to find it's even better than we remembered. Situated on the western part of the Costa del Sol, at the foot of the Sierra Bermeja mountains, it has a long coastline and many beach areas, including the main town beach which is 2 miles long. Access to the beach is easy as it's located right in town - in fact it can be reached right at the bottom of the main avenue of Juan Carlos. The long promenade - Paseo Maritimo - which runs all the way alongside it and beyond, is perfect for walkers, cyclists and strolling at any time - day or night. The beach has all the amenities required for a nice day on the beach - showers, toilets + chiringuitos for drinks and food. There's also paddle boat rentals and shaded beach chairs for rent. Although part of the popular, and often maligned Costa del Sol, Estepona is quite different to the party towns and "over the top" images made famous by Monty Python….it is neither full of English breakfasts nor Watney's Red Barrel beer! It is often called the "pearl" of this area or the "real" Spanish seaside town…but without doubt it is the most attractive - and is well deserving of the name El Jardin - The Garden - of the Costa del Sol.
After our exploration of Gran Canaria we decided to have a quiet first week rediscovering Estepona. We regularly walked the promenade end to end and wandered throughout the old town, which is full of narrow cobbled streets, quaint little shops and whitewashed houses. At this time of year the scent of orange blossom is everywhere and flowers fill almost every available space. Pots full of flowers line every street - not only in huge containers and tubs, but in and around every piece of ground. Plant pots of various colours including blue, red and yellow are also full of blooms and are hanging on all available walls. This amazing display is hard to visualize or capture in a photo - but is truly a stunning sight.
Together with the many choices of beach-side and old-town cafés, bars and restaurants, there are numerous places to sit and enjoy a drink, tapas or a meal. There's definitely no shortage of excellent gelato and pastry stores either...and so, we've been content to relax and while away our days in this sunny, warm and relaxed atmosphere….but watch this space...We'll be taking some fun day trips again soon!