Off time in Torremolinos

Debilitating jet-lag. Cancellations. Lost wallet. Forgotten bag. Pollen season. A serious case of gastro and a ridiculously over-crowed gym. These are the first world problems that welcomed us when we got to Europe. Problems that every person faces at one point or another if you've taken trips throughout your life, but together, we had mostly avoided - up until our arrival into this Andalusian fishing village that built itself into the first tourist-trade town on the Costa Del Sol.

Torremolinos is active, packed with loads of retirees probably reliving their backpacker days from the UK in the '80s along with families of Spanish and international tourists. What it lacks in old world personality, it makes up with affordable holiday fare and a lifestyle centered around its almost 8 kilometer long beach front.

We knew what to expect, having visited in 2019, but our unexpected events had us missing the beat of the place as we settled in for a month-long stay. Unfortunately, we never really relaxed into the lazy days of beach, beer, coffee along the promenade or plazas and then more, beer, beach, dinner, drinks and bed at midnight on weekdays. We always felt like we were arriving a bit too early (where is everyone?) or places were jam packed (should we have made a booking?). We experienced the town as much as we could, but far less than if we had found Torremolinos's rhythm.

In this part of the Province of Malaga, you wont find the historical Gothic or Baroque builds of its capitol just a few train stops away, or remnants of the Islamic heritage of the charming nearby city of Ronda. But what it lacks in architecture Torremolinos makes up for in some of what nature does best. The sea views are beautiful - even without the gold-standard white sand beaches. The water is fresh in May and the sky, crystal clear shades of blue with rose tints at sunset visible even without the proverbial glasses. This is what we'll remember most and provided needed relief to our traveler's traumas.

Maybe its our age or jet-lag or problems taking advantage of a good siesta, but dinner at 10pm seemed to be a schedule we couldn't keep, especially for one of us in particular (winking emoji here). We muddled through, enjoying only a limited number of late nights, and until the gastro hit, tried as much of the local inexpensive bodega and chiringuito fare as we could.

Our Airbnb was on one of the main drags, overlooking Avenida Palma de Mallorca; a two minute walk from both a taxi rank and the train station making it easy to travel to and from town. We took advantage of the convenience jumping in and out of taxis, trains, rental cars and even a last minute plane flight. The pay-off was some beautiful memories made from short stays in a number of places in this region - and even further North.

Our first stop was the windy coastal town Tarifa. This side-trip was so memorable we gave it it's own travelogue.

A trip to Barcelona

Our first trip together in 1995 was a whirlwind tour that included Spain and Greece. At that time, Antoni Gaudi's masterpiece, The Sagrada Família, was "only" 113 years in the making. We climbed scaffolding and purpose built observer platforms to photograph the roofless, emerging, overwhelming architectural feat. Fast-forward 29 years. Work continues, but there is a fully functioning temple housing Gaudi's dreams. The three facades appear to be complete. Window frames that once mimicked the sketches of an original neo-Gothic design, are now filled with modern stained glass, and light-play magnificently illuminates the space. There is now a projected completion date of 2026, in time to mark the 100th anniversary of the architect's death. The structure is as much a representation of his religious devotion as it is a memorial to his creative genius. He is buried in the chapel of the Virgen del Carmen - la verge del Carme - to the left of the altar in the cathedral's crypt.

This video gives a taste of the changes we experienced from '95 to'24.

The reality of taking advantage of last-minute-fare-saving plane flights and budget lodging is you pack as much into the time spent as you can - even when weather doesn't cooperate. Besides our goal of re-visiting La Sagrada, we ran around Barcelona seeing Juan Miro's Foundation, took in the Gothic Quarter and had a quick catch up with friends from Sydney now living in Europe. Good to have a chin-wag Dan and Csaba - thanks for taking the time on a rainy night.

Heading into the other big city

Malaga has really pulled itself together in five years (in our touristy eyes). Last visit it was under major construction with transportation upgrades, a mess of re-routed traffic and the eye-sores that come with it. This visita a españa, we traveled in on the train twice and could have easily returned a third time. You'll find all the elements of a romantic, dreamy European destination - historic architecture, plentiful museums, cafe-lined streets ideal for people watching, and plenty of sunshine sprinkled through the winding caminos to open-air plazas. We shared one visit with another Sydney friend who has made London his home and joined us for a few days in Torremolinos. Together we pretty much just wandered - aimlessly yes, but soaking in the malagueño vibe. Thanks Tim for catching up with us on the adventure and sharing laughs and your over-and-above selfie-taking skills.

Destination Ronda and The King's Little Path

For our final Andalusian outing, we planned a drive through the countryside, an overnight gazing at the vistas of Ronda and a meander back through the countryside to trek along the sheer cliffs of the el Caminito del Rey. Due to the aforementioned gastro, we had to turn the meander into an eight-hour sprint. Even with a rushed day, the drive through the bucolic sierras was meditative, putting us in the right mindset for exploring Ronda. The city has been home to many cultures over the centuries and its architecture, ruins and instagram-famous views are a testament to its diverse past. We tried not to mope about the fact that we missed a night here which would have been absent of the tour-bus-hordes. Hmmmmm, for a future trip….

Feeling energized by the beauty and refueled from a bocadito, we headed for El Chorro and the jumping off point for the Caminito. The journey itself is not arduous - just one you wouldn’t want to take if you have any fear of heights. The history and detail is here, but it’s the pictures that tell its story today.

On the last day of our Torremolinos residency, we carefully planned a visit to the overcrowded gym. We would put ourselves through our own virtual spin class using a YouTube teacher. After all, "the bikes have never had anyone on them" on any of our previous visits. We arrived to every one of them occupied. Ahhhh, once again, out of step, can't quite find the rhythms of this place. Laughter the best medicine. We did come to realise that one reason the gym was always so packed was its location. It lies in the gay residential and tourist area of the town, and we all know gay men need their gym time (winking emoji again). This was one of the reasons we'd booked into this Spanish coastal town in the first place. As a gay couple, even at our ages and years of travel, we still find it safer and more familiar when there is some visible inclusion. We found that in droves. There is a concentrated bar scene and beach area and the town hosted three major "rainbow-themed" events during our stay. We had no problem feeling welcome or safe. As a matter of fact, watching Eurovision in Torremolinos's crowded gay precinct was the next best thing to being there. But while everyone clapped and sang along, we watched from the sidelines, a copa de cerveza in hand, having fun, but missing a beat or two.