Off to Spain today

Oct 30

We are both starting to deal with head colds, Oh joy!

We were up early to catch our 10:20 flight to Malaga. Way too early!! Unbeknownst to us, daylight savings had occurred overnight! It’s going to be a long day!! So, we arrived at the airport well before we needed to be there and got our daily exercise in.

Off the bus to find the Air France ticket validation desk. Start walking folks, it’s down at the end of that terminal that you past on your way in on the bus. “What do you mean there are no people movers here!?!” Oh, good, you have moving sidewalks but, NO, you can’t take the luggage cart on them, Dammmm………..I knew I should have packed less. Oh, well, we have lots of time to kill.

Next it is on to baggage drop off – start heading that away folks, you can almost see it way up ahead there on your left – there that’s done – next stop back the way you came to do the boarding check – done, time for a rest and some hydration – now it’s off to security and the little snake weave through five loops of control lines (even though there is no one ahead of you (10 steps if you go as the crow flies – 10, 000 steps if you go as the security line designer doodles out) – that’s done – now it’s walk, walk, walk, walk to the boarding gates where you sit and patiently wait until your time to board is called, then your final cue to get on the planes. 10,000 steps for today done and it’s not even 10AM yet!!

Flight was uneventful, it was very warm when we landed. For the first time, ever, I experienced plugged ears because of my cold and it took over an hour for the pressure to finally equalize. Next was the trek thru the Malaga Airport to find our baggage, then on to the car rental, out to collect the car, check for any damage and we are off.

Only one missed turn and we were on our way to Estepona. It was a quick one hour trip. Then we spent the next hour trying to find our accommodation – we could see it on the hillside, but could not find our way there. Finally, we got a local taxi driver to lead us there, but he too had trouble finding the spot. The signage is very poor, it looks and feels at times like you are driving down back roads, and the place goes by three different names!!

We finally arrived and it seems the confusion we had in finding the place is not anything new. We have heard almost everyone who has come in say the same thing and listened to the front desk field at least 3 calls while we were checking in, requesting directions.

Forest Hill (Los Altos) (Seasons) our home for the next two weeks. We have a one bedroom unit on two levels. We have two balconies, one off the living room facing north and east and another off the bedroom facing east, great to watch the sunrise. We have a panoramic view of the Mediterranean and the surrounding hills. On a clear day we can see Gibraltar off in the distance, but so far there has not been a clear day, it is very humid and there always seems to be a haze in the air. We have since learned that if the winds are blowing off the Mediterranean, it will be hazy (pollution), if the winds are coming from the Atlantic, it will be clear.