Timeless, Old, and White

Once upon a time, in a land far away... Actually, just last weekend and less than an hour from Marbella, in the south of Spain...

When searching for pueblos blancos, the white towns, in the south of Spain, we found that all of their names are followed by “de la Frontera.” Then, with a close look at the map, we found one within about an hour of our stay in Mijas Costa, Malaga. Our GPS took us to the new town of Castellar de la Frontera, from where the signs led us up a narrow, winding mountain road to Castillo de Castelllar de la Frontera, the castle.

Now a hotel, a plaque in the town reads, “After the Islamization of the Iberian Peninsula they built a citadel and the old village was founded. The castle of Castellar was built in the 13th century. It is a medieval fortress which remains as a testimony of its frontier past.”

On that August afternoon, we were almost alone to wander through the white streets within the castle’s walls.

The views beyond the walls were as spectacular as within, with the reservoir, Embalse de Guadarranque, on one side and Gibraltar on the other.

Our options for lunch were limited, and thankfully so, because we would not have wanted to miss such a delightful meal. The gamey meat was a delicious reprieve from the bountiful seafood on the coast.

I played it safe with the pork tenderloins, above. Below, Angel enjoyed with wild boar and Sandra and Raul feasted on the deer. We passed our plates around, to share. Every bite just melted in our mouths. Even the kiddos enjoyed it all, exclaiming, Que rico! Delicious!

We strolled around town, walking off the meal, and stopping for photos...

...and to smell the flowers.

We played peek-a-boo.

And we met (and Angel made friends with) a red-tailed eagle.

The art gallery was one of my favorite spots, getting to peak into the studio of Capitán Luis.

Too bad we were only in town for the afternoon. The next day, there would be a flamenco show.

Finally, the circular town took us back to where we started.

We peaked around inside La Posada, before settling on its tiny bar, outside.

Do you see what I see in the kitchen window? And how about that American culture above the stove and oven?

We lost all track of time, enjoying a day with no agenda, in the good company of family. Though it was time for copas,cocktails, at the tiny little bar that was just our size.

And telling jokes, like:
”What did the chicken say to the librarian?”
”Book book bobook” (Imagine hearing this for the first time from an 8 year-old with a charming British accent in front of a room of 50 other girls and their parents).

Next time you are lounging around Costa del Sol, in the south of Spain, we highly recommend a trip into the hills to visit Castillo de Castellar de la Frontera. But don’t take our word for it. The wisdom in the town is as old as its walls, as we found this quote handwritten within the studio of Capitán Luis:

“Es necio juzgar por la opinión de otros cuando tienes la oportunidad de juzgar por tÍ mismo.”
“It is foolish to judge by the opinion of others when you have the opportunity to judge for yourself.”
​-El Conde Lucanor, 14th Century

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