Got an early start to our Sunday morning ride,we wanted at least one mountain out of our way before the heat set in.  Though it was barely 70 degrees when we left, we had no idea what or how many climbs we had in store.

The Rock glowed in the sunrise and few people were on the boardwalk or roads. Our flat and vacant road lasted only a half hour as our course turned up and onto the highway.Our bikes need a rest after an hour, as did we since the sweat was pouring down our faces, but we felt better having accomplished six miles in our first hour versus yesterday’s five miles; though we could still see Gibraltar. Our height did offer beautiful vistas and a peak at some beautiful homes. It was as if six miles northeast of Gibraltar, the real estate increased in value dramatically. Understandable with the azur of the Meditteranian for a view.

We took a delicious breakfast stop around 10:30, as we’d left too early to eat this morning.  A half hour later the wind turned and came off the sea; the temps dropped ten degrees, we were refreshed.  Our course took us through expensive towns

beautiful streets flower lined boardwalks and a beach oasis.Entering Marbella, we came across this hospital we assume is for the rich and famous.

We dropped onto their hard packed sand boardwalk shortly after noon and continued to enjoy the condosand homes of the rich and famous.The beach is beautiful, though sparsely populatedand we could not seem to take enough pictures.

We’d been at this for over an hour and we really needed a shower; a room was necessary….room with a view, too.Refreshed and clean we went out to tour.

Though the beach was spectacular and the people watching the bestwe wanted to see what the old town had to offer.Homes with window boxes,incredible detail in the street stone work and The Church of Our Lady of the Incarnation from the 16^th century.But the beach was calling us back.After dinner we sat on the boardwalk and watched the continuous parade of people, adults out for a stroll and kids out to be seen.  But it had been a tough 43 miles in the hills, so we did not last long.