For breakfast we headed to a nearby bar which had cured hams hanging from the ceiling.  We feasted on freshly baked croissants and frothy coffee before taking the 10.00 am bus along the coast to Marbella.  Travelling by bus was the only option as there are no train lines on this section of coastline.   The bus journey followed the sea, stopping off in all the smaller resorts along its route.  Marbella’s bus station was about a ten minute walk from the old town which was very attractive with its narrow cobbled lanes,  cottages with window boxes overflowing with brightly coloured flowers, inviting bars and cafes.

Many visitors head straight for the beach but the old town is a hidden gem and really shouldn’t be missed.  After a refreshing cool beer we continued to the seafront, some of which had been spoilt with concrete monstrosities from the 1960’s boom in mass tourism, English bars, etc.

But it wasn’t all like that,  further along it was totally different with a large yacht harbour and tasteful, upscale developments.

We returned to the delightful old town for lunch, where we sat at an outdoor table of a restaurant in the spring sunshine.  For lunch I chose gazpacho, a zingy lemon grilled fish and creme caramel washed down with a bottle of local red wine.    The return bus journey to Malaga passed quickly as we both fell asleep for most of the time.

Later in the evening we headed out again, this time along the seafront in Malaga, wandering past the many yachts at the marina and stopping for drinks in one of the stylish bars on the seafront.  We watched the sunset then returned to our apartment having enjoyed our first full day.

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