Almeria.

We've been in Almeria for two days now, and time here slips by like a
thief in the night; when you notice, the day is gone. Almeria is a
smaller city on the Maditerranean coast; like Barcelona and Valencia
it has an old town, it also has a beach. What it doesn't have are
crowds; there are tourists but not mobs of them.

We spent yesterday at the beach, alternately bobbing in the light surf
and reading in the shade sipping a beautiful red summer wine poured
into a stein over ice. Then, after a nice walk to burn off the sips of
wine, we drove back to the hotel for dinner.

Driving here is hectic and stressful, though not unrewarding given the
challenges involved. Streets are narrow, lanes unmarked, and other
drivers are alternately ballsy and courteous, and sometimes both at
once. We're in a Toyota Yaris, a tiny car with great handling, but
still often pass cars - parked or otherwise - with what feels like
less than an inch of clearance. Street signs are ambiguous, parking
rules lax. Two nights ago, following the example of locals, we drove
up over a sidewalk and parked on the dirt margins of an undeveloped
lot. No ticket, no tow!

Fun, perhaps unrelated tourist fact: In Valencia, the names on the
posted plaques didn't match the names on the map!

We spent a few hours in Aslcazabar, the great fortress on the hill on
the outskirts of town. For centuries it has sat there as a defense,
though it changed hands several times as the christians and moors
traded dominance in the region.

Well I could go on but we're getting ready for a short drive along the
coast to capo del gato. We'll let you know what's there when we find
out...
--
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Mike Ramberg
mramberg@visi.com
http://grebmar.net
buy my book: http://lulu.com/mramberg