pain’s Costa del S

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‘=

MALAGA — It was
like night and day.

London's Heathrow
Airport was having’a typical
cold and overcast winter
time of it.
=, Malaga’s
and half hours away, was
sunny and warm. The rental

car was waiting, and so was
Spain’s Costa del Sol.

It is well named, October
to April average tempera-

. tures are 16 to 23 degrees
With more than ‘six hours of
sunshine daily, ideal condi-
tions for golf. The sport is
booming herewith perhaps
60 courses in the best
weather zone between

Fuengirola and Estepona.

Many British and
" German péaple come here
for winter sunshine, but
there are Canadians-about as

“owell, including Chris Haney,
‘co-inventor of Trivial’
Pursuit. [met hint playing
« golf at Las Brisas i near
Marbella. 4

At Aloha Golf Club near-

; by I lanched with an escapee
from Thunder Bay. And
‘while these aré two of the
more upscale of the golf

lubs in Andalucia, the word
that Canadians are start:

a-reasonably i inexpen-__
sive vacation here.
- “At Atak

le, seven nights including
ktast and five
; ‘rounds of got
on two'sharing
icourse you still, have | to get
to Malaga, but.winter.air-.
res are often héayily.dis-"
counted ‘and other than i in’
he Christmas period; using
mileage, points should. not ‘
be a'problem.

The Atalaya Park has wo .

= good’ courses, an outstand

“ing location onthe beach ar

Estepona‘: nd genuine

airport, just ‘two

2

Sunday, January 31, 1999 - North Shore News ~ 33

David Wishart rt photo

“ONE can’t help being amazed at Ronda’'s spectacular location, reports travel writer David Wishart. The
Spanish village i is home to one of the country’s oldest bullrings.

warm and friendly service. It
also has a shuttle to the golt
‘courses meaning you don’t
“have to rent a car.

However I put my. car to

. good use, driving the-short:

distance to view the rock of.
Gibraltar and:dropping in at
St Roque, where the

: European PGA qualifying
school was being held. Later ..
I talked to a.young golfer in

do, I asked. It turned out to
be none other than the first-

; © place fi finisher, Hendrik

» Nystrom of Sweden. ’
“, Fifteeit minutes into the *

tat behind the hotel isthe."

village of Benahavis, which
‘has abour,50 restaurants
including La Sarten;.where
the atmosphere, food and
service were all first class.
Time and again.the »
Spaniards ‘impressed with
their frien dliness and cou

“(PUERTO VALLARTA kg aon 769rn

‘Worth Vancouver

986-5855.

All locations ‘are registered with the B Travel Regi
Sy, prices per person ex Vanco

ister.

oy opely

tesy.

1 took another short
drive down the coast and
turned off at Manilva, after
which Spain seenis almost as
empty as Australia.
This is the region of the
famous white villages such as

Casares, whose Moorish fort
still dominates the land-

scape, From its ramparts the

» asupermarket. dow did you

Moors could watch for
enemy ships in the
Mediterranean and have
plenty of time to bring the
oil to the boil.

Ronda, located astride a
spectacular gorge and home -
to one of Spain’s oldest
bullrings, was held, by rhe
Moors until 1485 and much

‘of their architecture remains.

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West Vancouver, BC

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It’s a stunning place, beauti-
tul and fascinating, yer in
November it was not a
problem to get a prime ter-
race table for lunch.

Every day was perfect for °

golf, including an outing at
Valderrama, scene of the
1997 Ryder Cup. It’s $275
a round, tough but quite an
experience. .

However, there are, many

courses in the S40 to S60
bracker. My favourite,
Aloha, is quite a bit more
but worth every penny for
its mix of interesting holes,
good condition and amiable
membership including club
director Patrick Ryan from
Ireland.

Ryan is also the long-
time proprietor of Patrick’s
19th Hale, the coziest bar

“inthe fashionable yachting

village of Puerto Banus.

Here Bing Crosby, Jack
Nicklaus and Sean Connery
have dropped in, and it’s
heartily recommended for
new arrivals seeking to get
the lowdown on Costa del
Sol golf.

If vou want to stay at
Puerto Banus the place to
be is the Hotel Pyr, certainly
easy to find which i is a con-
sideration when you're
bombing along the freeway,
while a group ‘should con-
sider the Marriott Vacation
Clab resort not too far
away. Here are roomy suites
with up to, three bedrooms,
an upscale style and modest
price. The tapas bar here is
also good value.

Finally, despite the boom

in tourism, and now golf,
‘the Spaniards have not lost

their smiles and courtesy,
When I dropped off my Lara
rental car at Malaga airport
the shutele driver who had
humped bags in afid out and
deposited us at the terminal
refused a tip.

“Nor necessary,” he said.
“Ir’s been a pleasure having
you in Spain. Come again,

Air Canada flies daily

" nonstop from Vancouver to

London, from where there
are numerous flights to sev-
eral Spanish cities including
Malaga. :

“ARE you. BETWEEN THE
AGES OF 18 TO SSF

x Book one of the, faliowing fours and Contiki will give you a

‘Check Out London’ package.
© European Escapade p30-31
* European Contrasts p32. -33

-* Ultimate European p35-36 ”

: All you have to ‘do is book and pay in full for your tour before March”
§ 21 1999, and then for all depertures until April 30 1999 you \ will if

a free 2 night/ 3 day ‘Check Out London’ package.

Accommodation is based on twin share at Contiki's London hotel ~ the