Since I have not planned this trip in minute detail (unlike I usually do) we have some flexibility. Of course, we know where we will end up for the night but we look on the internet the night before departure and pick out some things that might look interesting. It makes me wonder how we used to travel with no internet and no GPS. I guess we were lugging a ton of books and maps along.
John selects the town of Nerja as a stopping point. It has the Balcony of Europe and some caves. The Balcony of Europe is popularly believed to have been coined by King Alfonso XII, who visited the area in 1885 following a disastrous earthquake and was captivated by the scene. We walk around the plaza and look at the view. It is quite spectacular.
We pose ourselves in various ways for pictures but a view is just a view and pretty soon we head back to the car.
Our next stop is the Caves of Nerja. The caves, found by some boys in 1959, consist of several galleries. The areas that have evidence of prehistoric man are closed to the public. The ones that we see are full stalactites and stalagmites. There are a lot of stairs and some treacherous footing. At home all tourist sites are so well-maintained and safe for visitors. In Europe you are more responsible for your own safety. There is no flash photography so all my pictures are pretty dark.
From Nerja we make our way toward Granada where we will see the Alhambra tomorrow. We have great hopes for our B & B. It looks pretty enough. But the bed has a plastic mattress cover on it which I abhor. We remove that and remake the bed. We try the dining room for dinner. It is the worst food we have had on the trip and that is saying something. I think I ready to go home.
