Friday 9th February 2018
Guessing that the weekend would be busier at the ski station we opted to head up into the Sierra Nevada mountains and hopefully enjoy a spot of lunch ‘Al fresco’, watching the skiers and snowboarders on the slopes.
The temperature at the ski station was a chilly -7ºC with no snow forecasted, so we made sure we had plenty of warm gear to take with us.
We wondered how many places there might be in the world, where one moment you could be soaking up the ‘rays’ in a balmy 16 º and within an hours’ drive be facing minus temperatures and snow!!
Our route was one we were now very familiar with; A-7, A-44, A-395. Ray particularly enjoys the tight twists and turns of mountain roads and the A-395 up the mountain is no exception.
We made our way initially to the village of Monachil and then headed higher towards an outdoor car park, Parking Los Peñones but we considered it was too far away from the main part of the town where all the action was. Plus it was very cold and we really didn’t have the complete ski attire required 😉
So as we didn’t have the top box on the car today we opted for the underground car park, Parking cubierto Plaza Andalucia. Remember to check the tariffs, as it can be expensive for lengthy visits.
After some time locating a spot, we managed to squeeze into one of the tight parking areas. During our travels we have noticed that the Spanish are not particularly fussy how they park their cars and often seem to abandon it at the first attempt 😉
We made our way up to ground level via the lift. The resort was lively and bustling and there was no shortage of bars, restaurants, shops, apartments and hotels surrounding a large pedestrianised area.
Both of us enjoyed watching the skiers and snowboarders as they reached the base of the slopes, some more elegant than others, but all looking like they were having great fun.
Choosing a restaurant with views of the slopes and the chairlifts ascending the mountain we found a brilliant spot in the sun for lunch with music piped outdoors.
Food and drink was not over pricey and we sat for some considerable time, with no pressure to vacate our table, until the weather changed and the wind chill became rather unbearable. Time to beat a retreat, but pleased we had made the trip. Perhaps if we get the chance to come again we might even venture on the snow 😉
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