Around The World 2011 Day 49: Marbella, Spain

The boat has not moved from the spot where we went to Puerto Banús yesterday, but since today we plan to go right through Puerto Banús to Marbella, I figured I should title this post based on where we spent our time.  After all, Puerto Banús was built in the 70's next to Marbella, while Marbella's history goes back to the Phoenicians, Carthaginians, and Romans.

To be fair, I should not make too big a deal about the Phoenicia-Carthage-Rome thing, because all three societies took turns dominating the Mediterranean.  Of course every mildly important port on this sea has archeological evidence from all three.

Marbella gets its name from the Moorish occupation era, when the Moors built a castle here.  It was until 1485 that Christian forces took the city.

Breakfast on the ship.  I have become so aware of the redundancy of the history of the ports that we are visiting, which leads to the following description of breakfast, "Today's breakfast was founded by the Phoenicians when coffee was served, seized by Carthage when fruit plates were set down, and taken by Rome as the omelets and bacon arrived.  Then the Moors came and cleared the plates just before Christian Crusaders claimed the table in time to clean up the silverware and napkins."

We hopped onto the tender with Ira and Robin, headed to the dock of Puerto Banús.  Their plan was to walk around and shop at Puerto Banús, while we were headed to Marbella.  (Barbie just noted that this picture is really about everyone's sunglasses.)

Puerto Banús from the tender.

As you know from Amazing Race, it is all about the taxi drivers.  The taxi we got into in Puerto Banús took us the ten minutes to Marbella.

Marbella is a much bigger city, and reminded me of Laguna.  Or La Jolla.  I am not sure which it is more like.

Marbella's ancient history is quite interesting, but its recent history is much like Puerto Banús.  It was a small village until two German aristocrats came through town in the 1940's and their Rolls-Royce broke down.  They loved the town and its natural beauty, and soon bought land and developed it, turning it into a tourist destinaton.

These Medieval walls, built by the Moors, were once part of a large citadel built in the 900's.

Not too much remains of the walls.  Amusingly, a satellite image I just looked at on google maps shows a school and basketball court on the other side of these walls.  Of course, I had no idea at the time I took this photo.

Plaza de la Iglesia.  I do not think you even need High School Spanish to understand that one.

As you can see, the lovely people running this church want to include everyone who had prayed in Marbella before the Christian era.

The standard shot that I owe you.  But this church has a little more to offer.

The spanish seem to love these more lifelike representations of their Lord and Savior.

But the Virgin Mary dolls were, well, a bit too much like those creepy dolls that get collected in the USA.

Saint Barnabus, the Patron Saint of Marbella.  This made me wonder, who exactly is the Patron Saint of Los Angeles?  Give up?  Saint Vibiana, is a third century virgin martyr whose remains were found in the 1800's along Rome's Appian Way.  Ironic that my visit to the Appian Way in Rome last month was my least favorite thing that I have ever done in Rome?

Her remains have been in the  Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels since 2002.  Barbie and I keep thinking that we need to visit Los Angeles' modern Catholic cathedral, considering we visit the cathedral in every other city.  Who wants to go on a trip downtown after we get home?

I never really got a shot of Marbella that truly captures its high-end tourist spirit.  But I think you get why  it makes me think La Jolla/Laguna.

On the way back to Puerto Banús, I had to take this shot of this Mini dealership.

Barbie and I are willing to be immature when the time is right.

Barbie suggested I bend over.  I have no reservations in mocking José Banús.  Remember that his main accomplishment was being a dictator's buddy.

I am aware that the occasional bikini-clad female shot makes it way subtly onto the Waste.  This is meant as payback for those who prefer the opposite.  To many he would be, I would think, a Filf.

A last look at the yachts of Puerto Banús.

Our temporary home is THERE.

We returned in time for lunch, of course.

Pea soup.

Cheeseburger for him.

Monte Christo for her.

We sat with Keith and Petrena from New Zealand, whom we met at the Captain's Table the night before.  I showed them how the iPhone's forward facing camera works, and, of course, they dug it.

Then I took a proper photo of Barbie with Petrena and Keith.  See!  I am being better about taking pictures of people.

I left the iPhone in my room while we hung out by the pool.  I decided you do not need to see pool shots every day.  That said, we need to cool off in the pool every day.

Time for dinner!

I started with Cream of Forest Mushroom soup.

Barbie started with Tuna carpaccio with Wakame salad and Wasabi Mayonnaise.

Barbie's main; Osso Bucco, Braised Veal Shank with Polenta Gnocchi alla Romana and Gremolata.

My main; Zhinga Msala, Coconut Prawns Curry, Raita, Cumin Rice, Mango Chutney, Poppadum and Naan.

Barbie's dessert; Shahi Tukra, Imperial Style Bread and Butter Pudding with Vanilla-Cinnamon Sauce.

My dessert; Chocolate Soufflé with Godiva Sauce.

As promised, I took more than just pictures of buildings and food.

I snuck this panorama without telling anyone what I was doing.  They likely thought I was mad, slowly turning my iPhone at the table.  Left to right; Nancy, Keith, Patrena, Jeff, Holly, Marty, and Barbie.

I handed my iPhone to the waiter to take this one.  And get this!  After he took the picture of us, he stopped me and asked, "What camera was that?"  I explained it was the app ProCamera and he was excited to download it later that night.

After dinner, most everyone we knew ended up at the Top of the Yacht bar.

Marty delighted us all when he jumped in and sang back-up.

It was contagious, and made the ladies dance.

Very contagious.

Very, very contagious.  Talk about a fun way to end the evening.

Oh!  Postscript.  For the last day and a half we have been in Andalusia.  This is semi-culturally-significant, because Un Chien Andalou (An Andalusian Dog) is Luis Buñuel's surrealist masterpiece.  It is a short film that everyone who has ever studied film has watched and admired.  Buñuel directed it and he co-wrote it with Salvador Dalí.  And the film is the subject of an equally brilliant Pixies song.  Therefore, being in Andalusia was how-you-say cool.

Until tomorrow...