Sand Dunes and Tapas

Thinking we could stop for a coffee and croissant before taking the ferry back to Tarifa, we packed up early and made for the elevator (we were on the 9th floor). The key fob sensor that had to be used to go up … was also needed to punch in the number for going down. The door began to close … then stopped just a couple of inches shy of shutting.  We tried again.  Nope.  After ten or so tries, we gave up and looked around for the stairs.  Um, where are they? There were two other apartments on this floor, and two unmarked wooden doors with no handles.  A tentative push of the nearest one — aha – we have stairs.  Met the apartment manager on his way up in search of the problem.

It’s a 25 minute walk to the ferry terminal so no time to stop for coffee. We’ve thoroughly enjoyed our time here — the only thing we won’t miss are the hair-raising road crossings … the red and white striped markings don’t help in the least!

The voyage back to Tarifa was delightful.  No passport control line-ups, there are comfy seats, great views and good coffee.

I was curious to see how the area between Gibraltar and Estepona had changed over the years … it won’t be the sleepy fishing village any more. Surprisingly, there’s a stretch of shoreline near the town of Milneva, just south of Estapona, which is relatively untouched by the Costa del Sol tourism machine.  A quiet beach with natural walking trails, an eco-reserve for wildlife and plants … just the sound of gentle waves with distant views of Estepona around the curve of the bay.

Feeling hungry, there happened to be a Burger King handy … not our first choice of food establishment, but it was close by.  Yikes, the prices!  Nine euros for a mediocre burger  … I think not!  We drove on and found a quiet corner bar and ordered tapas and a small beer each.  And what tapas they were too!  Four to start with … meatballs in a tangy tomato sauce … pulpo (octopus) salad with finely diced potatoes and onions  … spicy gambas (prawns), and slices of beef and mushrooms in a creamy roquefort sauce.  All came with a crusty slice of bread and petite forks … and all were delicious — but the octopus and beef were outstanding.  We went back for seconds of those two and added a lobster salad as well.  The perfect amount, and the total (including beer) came to less than two burgers!  Absolutely no contest!

One excursion in Tarifa I forgot to mention, were the sand dunes — at Punta Paloma   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0nnn46KTFY

We took our shoes off and struggled up the dune beside the road, sinking into the fine white sand and reaching the top,  stood mesmerized.  There before us lay the entire bay all the way to Tarifa with Jebel Mousa (mountain in Morocco) in the background. Deep blue water, a wide rim of pale sand … and dozens and dozens and dozens of windsurfers and kite surfers racing back and forth across the water, leaving trails of white behind them.  We sat on a warm sandy hillock and just watched the ever-changing spectacle — like a living kaleidoscope.  The sails used by some of these windsurfers are quite different — not attached to the board at all, but held up like a pair of wings and tilted one way or the other.  Then, in order to build up speed after a dunking, the windsurfer would bob up and down – almost like a character in the old cartoons.

In some places, the natural twig/bamboo fences used years ago along the dune ridges — to stop sand from blowing and moving about – have become a hazard.  The dunes have shifted — covering up most of the fences and leaving only the sharp, foot-stabbing tops, barely visible … and sometimes, not even that.

A family on horseback rode down to the firmer sand along the water’s edge … Mum and Dad in the lead … teenage daughter behind … on her cell phone!