Sidebar: Road Trip to Frigiliana

During my week in Nerja, I managed to pry myself away long enough to make a few side trips. My first venture was to the charming town of Frigiliana. The winding MA1505 road out of Nerja climbs quickly to 1,400 feet as you approach the mountaintop community. Known as "the town of three cultures," Frigiliana was once peacefully inhabited by Arabic, Jewish, and Christian citizens.

Its location is perfect for gazing at the local vineyards and olive farms on the hillside. Far below, Nerja's enchanting landscape appears to melt into the ocean. While there, I had the good fortune to lunch at Balcon de Frigiliana, a casual restaurant with a stunning view of Nerja and the Mediterranean in the distance.

As you can see from the photo at the upper right, my car for my three weeks in Spain is the Ford Fiesta. With Ford's renewed emphasis on sharing platforms between regions, the Fiesta I am driving is virtually the same as the Fiesta that appears in your local Ford showroom.

It had been suggested that I not miss the Cuevas de Nerja a short distance east of the city. Thought to be over 25,000 years old, the Caves of Nerja are a breathtaking natural exhibit comprising a series of huge caverns that stretch nearly three miles in length. Discovered in 1959