Holidaying in Andalucia.

Looking for information on a place in Andalucia or simply asking for advice on somewhere to visit? Post here and someone out there may know the answer.
markwilding
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Holidaying in Andalucia.

Postby markwilding » Tue Aug 22, 2017 10:26 am

I've just come back from a pleasant week on the Costa Del Sol. I stayed in Mijas close to El Faro and Fuengirola.
My wife and I were chatting on the long journey back to Bilbao about what represents "the real Spain"

We visited Mijas Pueblo, a lovely little typical village but in our opinion is a parody of an Andalucian village. In the evenings we visited Benalmadena and Marbella and Fuengirola which in our opinion, were more representative of the real Spain. All of them full of Spanish people spending their holidays and weekends in their second homes.

There are some very beautiful towns and villages all along the coast here in the North with locals doing exactly the same. Apart from the weather, it's the reason I don't like holidaying around here because in August I'm very likely to meet people I see the rest of the year.

gavilan
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Re: Holidaying in Andalucia.

Postby gavilan » Tue Aug 22, 2017 11:14 am

'The real Spain' ... I wonder what you are looking for or hoping to find? ... we are 2017 now and huge changes have happened in this country since Franco died in 1975 ... there is a fascinating book by Ronald Fraser, published 1974 ... he lived in Mijas (he called it Tajos) and talked to the local people there about their lives ... and before we get nostalgic about 'the old times' ... one of the people RF talked to said 'tourism saved us' ...

gavilan
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Re: Holidaying in Andalucia.

Postby gavilan » Tue Aug 22, 2017 11:16 am

sorry ... forgot to give the title of the RF book ... 'The Pueblo' (a mountain village on the Costa del Sol)

Paulinmalaga
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Re: Holidaying in Andalucia.

Postby Paulinmalaga » Tue Aug 22, 2017 11:22 am

If you'd said Malaga and its wonderful and its historic centre and stunning beach suburbs such as Playa la Malagueta, La Torrecilla, El Palo etc then I'd agree with you but Marbella!!! About as polar opposite to "real Spain" as you could possibly find, teaming with Chavvy Essex types, Dodgy Russians, Hookers, Drug dealers etc not my idea of real Spain.
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markwilding
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Re: Holidaying in Andalucia.

Postby markwilding » Tue Aug 22, 2017 11:34 am

We only spent a few hours in Marbella old town but even the Spanish there looked different from the other towns we visited. My wife made the point it's where people from Madrid tend to go when they travel to the Costa del Sol.

Not sure I saw too many "Chav types" but Marbella is a big place. Maybe they can be found somewhere else.

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Re: Holidaying in Andalucia.

Postby Paulinmalaga » Tue Aug 22, 2017 12:00 pm

Its known locally as the "Essex Riviera".....says it all. Saying people from Madrid tend to holiday there is a rather broad generalisation....I'm sure some do----much the same as saying people from London holiday in Southend on Sea....again I'm sure some do.
The Spanish in the old town who you say looked different from other towns is because they are probably Columbian Drug Dealers :lol:
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markwilding
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Re: Holidaying in Andalucia.

Postby markwilding » Tue Aug 22, 2017 12:05 pm

You should pop down for an evening. The old part is very nice and as I said not as you describe it. I went to a great bar called David's Place, very unusually decorated. Even my wife liked the place. Nobody from Columbia there though.

Puerto Banus is more like what you are describing.

Paulinmalaga
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Re: Holidaying in Andalucia.

Postby Paulinmalaga » Tue Aug 22, 2017 12:29 pm

Don't need to as I lived and worked there for many years and witnessed its decline to what it is today. My comments were regarding Marbella in general as per your initial post and not one particular small area of it. Puerto Banus is equally as bad but with more obvious laundered money in the Port Area.

Intrigued as how you'd know there were no Columbians there....did you do a survey lol. Strangely I know the bar very well and love the log fire in winter and is and has been a favourite of expats with very few actual Spanish going there...mainly Brits.....oh and I know the current owner who's had the bar for the last five or six years very well... David Ruiz Chavaro....BTW he was born in yep you've guessed it Columbia :lol:
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markwilding
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Re: Holidaying in Andalucia.

Postby markwilding » Tue Aug 22, 2017 12:51 pm

Paulinmalaga wrote: The Spanish in the old town who you say looked different from other towns is because they are probably Columbian Drug Dealers :lol:
Being Columbian is different from Columbian Drug Dealers. Not sure what the problem is with bars where ex-pats go either. As it happens I was the only foreigner in the bar when I went and I would still recommend it.

In the end it doesn't matter. I like Marbella old town, Malaga city is nice too as are many towns and villages along the coast especially as from the point of view as a tourist.

We also spent a nice evening in Cala de Mijas watching a David Bowie tribute band in the little town square.

olive
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Re: Holidaying in Andalucia.

Postby olive » Tue Aug 22, 2017 2:25 pm

gavilan wrote:'The real Spain' ... I wonder what you are looking for or hoping to find? ... we are 2017 now and huge changes have happened in this country since Franco died in 1975 ... there is a fascinating book by Ronald Fraser, published 1974 ... he lived in Mijas (he called it Tajos) and talked to the local people there about their lives ... and before we get nostalgic about 'the old times' ... one of the people RF talked to said 'tourism saved us' ...
Nostalgia isn't what it used to be... For those that didn't get the old Mijas video first time around 3 or so years ago on this forum here is the link to a remarkable 1947 video of Mijas with English naration. http://www.typicallyspanish.com/news-sp ... 1957.shtml

Also a 1970's video about 18 mins long on rural life in Andalucia. Hopefully here is the link. https://archive.org/details/pepesfamily

We met a Madrid family on holiday here in central Andalucia . They come back each year as they had roots here before they left for the big city to escape poverty

markwilding
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Re: Holidaying in Andalucia.

Postby markwilding » Tue Aug 22, 2017 3:00 pm

Many people from here head back to the village of their roots as well.
My son is the first generation who hasn't spent the summer in his grandparents' villages in Spain although he has visited them usually on the way back from Madrid or Andalucia.
Times are a changing all round, even my wife's parents go to the Costa Blanca for their holidays. I'm always offering to take him down to the village where his mother was from but he does't want to go.

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Re: Holidaying in Andalucia.

Postby Paulinmalaga » Tue Aug 22, 2017 3:36 pm

markwilding wrote: Not sure what the problem is with bars where ex-pats go either. As it happens I was the only foreigner in the bar when I went and I would still recommend it.
Absolutely no problem with ex-pats bars whatsoever but you wrote it in context of your thread & initial post as finding the "real Spain" which Davids is most certainly not! And as for you being the only foreigner in there I find quite remarkable (again did you do a survey?) Over the years since David has had it I must have frequented the bar in excess of 200 times and in all those times the vast majority of patrons have been Brits-Scandi's-German in other words all Foreigners, very very rarely a Local or holidaying Spaniard as they really aren't into this kind of bar. But yes I'd recommend it, the Mojito's are the best around.....but Real Spain......No chance.
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markwilding
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Re: Holidaying in Andalucia.

Postby markwilding » Tue Aug 22, 2017 4:06 pm

What the hell are you going on about?
Arguments for arguements sake.
It's like saying an English pub in the centre of London isn't English because plenty of tourist buy beer from there.

Essex riveria.?Never heard so much rubbish in my life. More the sort of name given to expats by other expats.
Last edited by markwilding on Tue Aug 22, 2017 4:11 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Paulinmalaga
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Re: Holidaying in Andalucia.

Postby Paulinmalaga » Tue Aug 22, 2017 4:10 pm

I know you just have to always have the last word on here but seriously
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markwilding
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Re: Holidaying in Andalucia.

Postby markwilding » Tue Aug 22, 2017 4:15 pm

You have already shown me that one. I still think you're talking rubbish

Paulinmalaga
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Re: Holidaying in Andalucia.

Postby Paulinmalaga » Tue Aug 22, 2017 4:23 pm

Of course you are right after your one evening in an ex-pat bar in Marbella you have found the wonders of "Real Spain" and my years living and working there are blinkered.....you are as always right...the font of all knowledge......the Master of "I must must must have the last word" affliction. I bow to your superior wisdom.
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El Cid
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Re: Holidaying in Andalucia.

Postby El Cid » Tue Aug 22, 2017 4:32 pm

OK you two, please stop this as it is going nowhere. For what it's worth, I agree with Paul. Marbella is a den of druggies and posers in flash cars - it is the last place I would call "Real Spain". Mark, perhaps you need to give some credence to those of us who actually live here and perhaps know the area better than you do.

If anyone is going to have the last word on this it is me.

Thread closed.

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