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This trip came about as a result of a visit to Colorado last September to visit an old friend. I have known John since Kindergarten where we both attended Lincoln Elementary. I didn’t like him much, so it was just as well that we attended different grade schools. But years later, when we were in high school, we became close friends. After I finished college, I moved to Colorado for about a year and a half and John and I lived together in Denver for a brief time. Some time after that, we lost touch (my fault – sorry, John).
After my divorce, I set out to reconnect with old friends and John was at the top of the list. During my visit to see John and his wife, Cathy, they told me of a trip they were planning to Europe in April, 2026. And so I invited myself to join them.
Day 1 – Friday, April 10
I figured out this morning that I needed a visa to travel through London, thanks to Brexit. 20 minutes and 40 Euros later, I’m good to go. At the airport, I find out the flight to London is oversold but somehow I got my boarding pass while other passengers around me are fuming. Some days, it’s good to be me. My good fortune to that point ended abruptly. I sat on the plane for two solid hours before we finally took off.
I sat next to a Brit named Justin – fascinating and worldly gentlemen who could talk intelligently on just about any topic. We had a wonderful conversation for almost the entire flight, so it flew by. When he found out I was American, guess what he wanted to talk about?
The flight to Seville was less pleasant. I got to listen to this for the entire flight:
I landed at midnight, then had to stand in a long queue for a taxi. Got to bed about 1:00 a.m.
Day 2 – Saturday, April 11
My stay in Seville lasted about 7 hours. John and Cathy had arrived a couple of days earlier and were staying at a different hotel. They picked me up in their rental car about 7:30 a.m. and off we went to Gibraltar.
After getting John and Cathy checked in to their hotel (I was staying in a nearby airbnb), we had breakfast. For those of you not familiar, this is a “full English breakfast”. And yes, those are baked beans and mushrooms.
With enough calories ingested to last us for a couple of days, off we went sightseeing
Rather than climb the Rock, we opted for a tour van. That turned out to be a wise decision – it is a long and steep hike to the top. Among the highlights were the Pillars of Hercules ,the Barbary macaques, St. Michael’s Cave, the Great Siege Tunnels, and the WWII Tunnels Experience.
We decided to walk back down instead of ride in the van. Not the best decision of the day.
Back in the city center, we had a drink at the Lord Nelson, a cool British pub where John befriended the owner who told us the only place in Tanger (tomorrow’s destination) where we might get a drink. Later we enjoyed a nice dinner at an Indian restaurant.
Day 3 – Sunday, April 12
Another early wake up call. I met John and Cathy at their hotel – a five minute walk and we headed to the ferry to go to Tanger. Unfortunately, we drove to the wrong ferry terminal at Algeciras, so had to ride a bus to Terifa for 30 minutes to get to the correct one. Luckily, we were able to still catch the ferry. It was an interesting process to go through airport-style security to get on the ferry and then stand in line for 45 minutes to get through the passport control – while the ship was moving. Do they throw you overboard if you don’t have the right passport or visa? It was a very bumpy ride of about 45 minutes on the ferry – you definitely needed to hold on to something if you were up and about.
Despite the mid-afternoon start, we saw a lot of sights while being driven around by a taxi driver who waited for as much as 30 minutes at each stop. Cathy got her wish for a camel ride; John reluctantly joined her and I was the photographer. I had my camel ride in Dubai several weeks ago and didn’t feel the need for another.
We returned to the hotel, where we had a private tour guide lead us on a walk for the better part of three hours.
Exhausted, we returned to the hotel and ate a late dinner in their restaurant. We tried several Moroccan specialties including Tagine.
Day 4 – Monday, April 13
Despite the exhaustion, I had another lousy night of sleep. I could hear voices outside the hotel in the nearby narrow alleys until all hours and then the call to prayer at 5:05 a.m. I did not answer it.
We took a short taxi ride back to the ferry terminal. You should have seen the look on the driver’s face when John gave the taxi driver a 100% tip for the $5 ride. You would have thought he won the lottery. $5 goes a long way in Morocco.
Now we are headed back to Spain. Security getting on the ferry boat for the ride back was laughable. Everyone is setting off the metal detector but the “security guards” don’t even look up. I could have brought an IED on board if I was so inclined. I didn’t.
We got back to the rental car at Algeciras about 1:00pm . We stopped for lunch in stopped for lunch Manilva. We continued on to Ronda while enjoying a wonderfully picturesque view along the way.
When John and I get together, he occasionally reverts to the mischievous (and somewhat obnoxious) little boy who I came to know, avoid, and eventually love so many years ago. This is a perfect example: that’s my suitcase that John just chucked across the parking deck. Why? Because John thinks it’s funny.
Despite very breezy and chilly conditions, we set out for a walk and saw some of the most amazing scenery I have ever seen. This part of Spain is absolutely breathtaking.
Later we had a fabulous meal at Restaurante Pedro Romero . Both John and I were in rare form, enjoying belly laughs throughout the evening as poor, embarrassed Cathy tried to quiet us down, to no avail. She didn’t stand a chance.
Day 5 – Tuesday, April 14
After one night in Ronda, we were off again. First stop – Setenil de las Bodegas. We walked a bit and found a little place to stop for a cappuccino.
The next stop was Caminito del Rey This was the most amazing hike I have ever done and I can’t imagine another one better! It is not for the faint of heart – two solid hours with fairly steep ascents and descents at times and, due to my fear of heights, had my heart racing at times. Thankfully, the weather was perfect. This would be brutal on a hot day.
This was a full day. Now we’re headed to Malaga where we will stay at the Hotel Benalma.
Day 6 – Wednesday, April 15
At the outset of this trip, my return plans were up in the air. I woke up this morning and decided I had officially hit the wall. I booked a flight back to Malta for Thursday.
I had the morning to myself so I enjoyed the breakfast buffet, grabbed a workout and took a walk on the beach.
I met up with John and Cathy early in the afternoon and we headed to the city center for some sightseeing and a late lunch. The Cathedral of Malaga was particularly impressive.
Day 7 – Thursday, April 16
I was up early for my flight and left the hotel about 6:30. I flew a couple of discount airlines for the first time: easyJet and jet2.com. Not very comfortable, but you get what you pay for and the price was reasonable considering I had booked the flights only a day earlier.
I have this amazing superpower. I attract screaming kids on almost every flight I am on. I got to enjoy this all way from London to Malta:
I landed about 7 p.m. in Malta. Thanks once again to Brexit, I have to stand in line for close to an hour to clear passport control because I’m returning from a non-EU country. And guess who was just a few feet behind me the entire time…
After finally getting through passport control, I opted for the longer ride to the ferry at Cirkewwa on the north of the island. This way I am sure to get a seat as those “damn tourists” are starting to fill the ferries. I arrived at the terminal at 8:30 and back to the apartment about 10 p.m. Another long day of travel and I have just a few days back in Gozo until my next trip. Stay tuned.
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