Marbella

We’re going through a bit of a transition here, with windy, overcast days giving way to nothing but sunshine later in the week. It is not a great pool day (as tempting as sitting around in the mid-sixties drinking overpriced piña coladas sounds) so we opt instead for the short drive into town to check out the remnants of the old city.

It is a tiny area, just a few square blocks, but has all of the charm that comes to mind when you think “Mediterranean beach town”. Narrow, winding streets, sidewalk cafes, quirky shops, are all there, just a stones throw from the blocky, concrete towers that now surround it.

Outside of the old city, Marbella is pretty much any overbuilt tourist destination in the world. If cheap food, souvenirs made in China, and banana boat rides are your thing, this is as good of a place as any. It is a nicer beach than at our hotel, and not feeling locked into just one or two restaurants is another mark in the plus column, but the deficit is much too large for these things to make a tangible difference.

That said, you simply will not find potential additions to Sam’s collection like this exceptional piece anywhere that foot traffic can’t support a high-end gallery. They have a strict “no photos” policy so I had to sneak one through the window.

As our room has a full kitchen, we stop at the market on our way back to stock up on provisions including some heart-healthy bacon and a selection from the ham wall. There is such a wide variety of choices that I simply can’t decide which hoof to grab or whether proper protocol is to carry it over your shoulder like a club or have the leg sticking out of my cart as I wheel around the rest of the store. I need to read up so maybe next time.