It was a cool 69 degrees this morning when we left just before 8 am.  Not sure what we missed for the first hour or two as the sun was directly in our eyes and all concentration was on the narrow shoulder we had been afforded along the highway.  Did find a small pull off to glance back and get a photo of the water and our narrow highway.

When we found a chance to get off the highway and ride on a boardwalk, we took it.  We followed what seemed like miles and miles of condos and hotelswith very few cars and people.Though we lost our seaside boardwalk we could still see the water below;  the climbing had begun again.Homes were stacked on rocks, 

giving further evidence to the steepness of the roads.  As if the climbing was not bad enough, about 11 am a strong wind blew hot and dry off the ragged rock mountains into our face.  Luckily, in the towns, we were shielded from the wind, but the heat remained.

Way before noon we arrived at the edge of Malaga, too early to stop for the day, so we found one of the few shady spots along with many others

and had lunch.  On our way through town we passed one of the many “fish cookers”we had been noticing on the beach for the last couple of days.  We passed through a newly renovated harborwith a beautiful view of a huge church on the hilland the lighthouse.We still cannot understand why all the beaches are so deserted,

guess the season has not officially started yet, even though the water is perfectly cool in this desert heat.  Heading out of town, we continued to enjoy the sparkling Mediterranean.

The wind was now swirling, pushing sand everywhere and though sometimes it tossed us around on our bikes, it made for beautiful views as we rode.The climbing remained a challenge which we took on slowly.  We checked our map and decided to get over the huge hill we saw before us, instead of tackling it first thing in the morning.  We were rewarded with a tunnel that appearedhalfway up our climb.   Two miles later, we found a hotel right on the beach and enjoyed the place we had just come from

in a relaxing chair on our deck.  The dry 100 temps, hills and wind had took their toll today, but with no one on the beach or walking the boardwalk, we were perfectly content where we were.  That was until dinner!  Found a cool little beatnik kinda place and had a goblet full of incredible Gazpacho for appetizer and Rellenos for dinner…Fabulous!  We waited for the sun to set and then retired.