And on to Antequera…

It’s February 1st and we are almost halfway through our Andalusia trip and what a trip it has been so far. We are going to ‘rest’ for a bit by staying in one spot and do day trips for 2 weeks. Should be fun!

Only a 1 hour drive away from Granada, through miles and miles of olive groves, and we are now out of the tourist milieu of Spain and into the old city of Antequera (5,000 years old!) where we will recharge our batteries (maybe) during a 2 week stay.

Our first sighting of Antequera in the distance was that of a typical medieval town, with the spires and bell towers of several Gothic churches and the walls and towers of the great Moorish fortress high on a hill. Spread out in the valley below lie rich farmlands irrigated by the Guadalhorce River. For centuries this has been one of Andalucía's most fertile areas, and is currently a leading producer of asparagus, cereals and olives. In summer, we have read, its fields turn brilliant yellow with sunflowers.

The town also is one of the richest archaeological areas in Andalucia, with Bronze Age and Roman ruins ranking among the most important in Spain. Then there is also El Torcal park, the flamingo-filled Pink Lagoon and three megalithic Dolmans. making it the perfect spot for us - both history and nature.

We rented a good-sized, two bedroom apartment ($73/day) in the city, called the Vera Apartment. It is very typically Andalucian, in a white-washed building. It is set up for Spanish tourists more than it is for foreigners. The owners have provided us with everything and more - a bottle of red wine, chocolates, bread, oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, coffee, tea, sugar, soap and shampoo. Amazing. The configuration of the apartment is odd by the way we set things up at home but after being here for a day or two, we understand the reasoning behind its shape.

The living room, dining area, 2 bedrooms and bathroom are on the sunny side of the building. A long corridor with a door joins this area to the back where the front entrance, kitchen and an indoor porch with a washing machine live. Summers are hot here (32C +) and many places don’t have air conditioning. Makes sense to have the kitchen and laundry away from the main living areas.

Surprisingly, our TV has several English channels with some great shows. We watched Oceans Thirteen last night.

We have pink bathroom fixtures and a bidet. The floors are cold tile floors so we are happy that we brought our slippers. The bedrooms have very cozy duvets as it gets cold once the sun sets. Every room at the front has a heater that we can and will use.

From our balcony we can see and hear daily life as it happens, as well as a view of the fortress. Across the street is a school and a church that rings its bells hourly.

The grocery store and market are a 5 minute walk away with a little park in between. The grocery store has been built to fit the space. It is on two levels with flat ramp-like escalator (for shopping carts) that goes to the second floor. The first floor has meats, fruits, vegetables and wine. The second floor has mainly packaged foods and a bakery.

A real bonus is having free parking for the two weeks and a very short walk away, past a bakery with amazingly good-looking pastries.

Today’s dinner will be a lovely-smelling, crispy and juicy roast chicken that Chris bought in a take out chicken place. Can hardly wait.

We think we are going to have fun exploring this interesting town!Read more