Ramrod On Tour

[Mally]

On 16/12/2025 at 21:16, eddyramrod said:

Thanks Mally.  We have a rental car, so hilly doesn't matter too much, and I doubt we will be going out at night.  We've actually been to Benalmadena before, but that was 20 years ago.  I can imagine a lot's changed in that time.

One thing I am keen to find is local markets/boot sales, we do like those.  Oh and model shops, if I can stand the earache...

Sorry Eddy missed this. There's a flea market Saturday on Fuengirola Feria ground, and a normal market there on Tuesdays. It's a massive set up and parking may be difficult as the market area is normally the free parking.

Think Benalmadena flea market is Wednesday, so maybe missed it. It's near Paloma Park, which used to be swarming with animals, but they had a cull a few years ago and it's not the same. 

Do you stick the Blue Badge on and hope for the best? I'm not sure if it's totally legal over there these days, but they tend to accept it.

 

[eddyramrod]

Thanks Mally.  Yes, I'll be taking a Blue Badge.  We had no issues using it in France and Germany a couple of years ago but I have no intention of taking the piss with it so we'll probably be OK.  I hope.

Whether any of those markets is actually on over Crimbo, we will see, won't we!  I'll report back, of course.

[Mally]

Is legal now the badge. I googled it.

[eddyramrod]

OK I know my waistline is expanding, but really?  Just do not fly EasyJet.  There's so little space it was like being inside a 3/4 scale model of an airliner!

Our hire car is a brand new  (first customer out in it, 17 kilometres on the clock) Qashqai, there will be pics when I've uploaded them.  Spanish drivers were lethal when I was here last, 20 years ago.  They haven't changed!

[lesapandre]

Happy Holidays...🎉👍

[High Jetter]

Que? 😁

[lesapandre]

21 minutes ago, High Jetter said:

Que? 😁

Felices Fiestas 👍🎉

[eddyramrod]

Well you can't say you weren't warned...

What a miserable-looking POS.  But it's better than the car I was expecting, and is a direct equivalent of our 3008 so I'm not going to complain too much.  Here it is again...

...from our little balcony!  Lifting my aim a bit gives us the sea...

...and a 180 degree turn gives us the hills.

We found Paloma Park today, it's only a couple of streets away...

306 is a little bonus, just for you lot.  But look at this, in the traffic!

That shallot!

[lesapandre]

Looks very nice. 🤗

[eddyramrod]

We set out yesterday in search of the Wednesday flea market, which supposedly is held near our hotel.  We didn't find so much as a hint of it; probably suspended for Christmas.  We did, however, find the Christmas Market in town, in a series of wooden huts.

As you can see, all the usual tat but in Spanish.  We didn't buy anything.  So we went back to our hotel for a siesta...

And this is our hotel.  We went out again in the afternoon and scored a couple of spottings...

Yay!  Same colour as ours was, but automatic.  I would have happily taken it home.

I'd have been less inclined to take this; they're good enough as family cars go, but the sun damage is... spectacular.

And then we went to the beach...

Well, walked along the promenade next to it.  Ice creams at the Marina.

So that was Christmas Eve.

[danthecapriman]

Merry Christmas to you both.

Looks a really nice little place. Must be nice having the sun and a bit of warm this time of year.

[eddyramrod]

Nice little place?  Well I am only showing the best bits, lol, it isn't all so pretty!  But you know... enough is to make it worthwhile.  We've just been for a Christmas morning stroll in the park.  Bit draughty but it is nice to have the sun on our faces.

[eddyramrod]

I can't sleep, so here are some more pics, from our Christmas Day strolling.  So, in the morning we were back in the park, and came across these flower displays...

They'd last about two days in Barrow!  Very pretty though.  And there are wild parrots of some sort living in the park too...

They didn't seem very bothered as I approached to get this pic.

In the afternoon we went out again, strolling along the promenade where we could look out to sea or down at the beach.  Random people in the sea - on Christmas Day!

The promenade has civic-affirming sculptures here and there, which one can sit on, as demonstrated here by my beloved...

Not very far away at all I noticed this sand sculpture...

It would seem that one is supposed to stand on the Prom and throw coins at the blue bucket in the "heart."  So we did.  Then we carried on a bit and found a strip of restaurants...

...Many of them open!  They're built into the Prom, slightly above the beach; road level is where the white balustrade is up top.  

When we rejoined the road we passed this...

One thing the locals are good at here is decorating their roundabouts.

[hairnet]

dont  blame easyjet ya fat bassa

that nissan.........and you think the pug is fugly and you can prolly see the dash

least its not a volkswagen

[eddyramrod]

Boxing Day at the Butterfly Park...

If it looks like a Buddhist temple, there's a good reason for that: the temple is right across the road behind me!

Yes OK, you've seen that one in the selfie thread.  Now let's look at some of the wildlife...

Those are just some highlights.  Also in the wild, in fact right outside...

German-registered Lincoln Town Car!  That was unexpected.

R4 was less of a surprise, I've seen a handful around but this was easily the cleanest.  It's also the first one I've actually been able to pap this week.

[eddyramrod]

Oh and diecast shopping?  Total washout so far.  

[eddyramrod]

Been out in the car today, and made an early dash home because of the weather.  But I did manage to capture some spottings.

And as if a lovely red Capri wasn't enough, gettaloadathis!

At an active Hyundai dealership, of course.  And yards away:

And finally:

75 rather than ZT, but either way it would have been a jolly handsome survivor.

[eddyramrod]

Last night my phone screamed at me about 9pm.  The message that popped up was in Spanish, but I didn't need it translating: I'd already seen the lightning and heard the thunder.  When I looked outside the trees were breakdancing.  We have, understandably, had a lazy morning in our room, although the sky has very much calmed down.  I thought of the tourists who arrived yesterday: what a welcome!

Might go out in a couple of hours.  It's our last day, would be a shame not to.

[eddyramrod]

A bit slow, but here's the last couple of Spanish Spots.  R4 is more typical than the white one I posted earlier...

...and this R19 Chamade was in the next lane in traffic.

[FakeConcern]

Nice spot, the R4 with R5 Gordini Turbo three spoke alloys.