Two Seasons in Just a Few Days
/The Winter Solstice has passed, marking both the start of the Winter season, and the point at which days start to become longer in the northern hemisphere. It’s the yin and yang - expectations of cold weather, but the optimism that with longer days, the path to Spring and Summer remains underway. How to focus on the latter while trying to forget the former?
Our escape is to Mijas. The days here in the last week of January have been spectacular. The morning sun warms the day and invites you to be outside. By midday, temperatures are approaching 20 degrees (that’s about 68 degrees Fahrenheit to us Americans). The lower angle of the Winter sun creates pockets of almost summer-like warmth. We took a trip down to the beach and found some of the beach concessions open with people enjoying the sun in lounge chairs wearing bathing suits. To be sure, locals recognize those people as visitors from the Nordics or Canada - native Mijeños and Malagueños can be recognized by their heavy coats and warm sweaters.
Is the weather always perfect? Well, quite honestly, no. This is what passes for the rainy season in southern Spain. We did have four consecutive days of rain, sometimes just a light mist, other times quite heavy - even featuring some impressive thunder and lightning one memorable night. But as soon as that passed, we were back to what we had hoped for, and we weren’t disappointed.
If you’re able to make it here, we have a recommendation for our favorite lunch. At Plaza Virgen de la Peña, look for a sunny table at Restaurante La Piedra. La Piedra features a menu with options for everyone, but we recommend the Lenguado Plancha. Delicious!