DIFFERENT CUSTOMS HERE - "TOPLESS" ON BEACH

By Bob Van Leer

  (MALAGA, COSTA DEL SOL, SPAIN - Saturday, June 27, 1992) - We arrived at Malaga this morning after a complicated, but uneventful, journey from Gold Beach which started Thursday afternoon.

  The "we" on this trip is myself, wife Betty, and daughter, Molly Walker, her husband, Jim Walker, and her sons, Rob and Chris Johnson.

  This trip is the first long trip for all of us together. Normally, Molly runs the Curry County Reporter while Betty and I go traveling or vice versa.

   For all of us to leave together, extra help was needed. We were fortunate to get the services of Melody Gillard-Juarez, former publisher of the Bandon Western World to manage for one week and John Gervais for the second week. Gervais helped out last year while Betty and I were on a trip to China.

  Gervais is a successful Salem lobbyist but, in his heart of hearts, still considers himself a newspaperman and likes to refresh himself at the trade.

  The trip was difficult because it involved two night flights. Molly and Katherine Keusink of Pelican Bay Travel worked out the arrangements for this trip which will take us from Spain to Morocco, back to Spain, then to Gibraltar and finally Portugal. 

Long Air Flights

  We left home Thursday afternoon and drove to Medford to board a United Airlines flight to San Francisco. From there we took a non-stop United flight to JFK airport in New York leaving San Francisco at 10 p.m. and arriving at JFK at 6:18 a.m. New York time. Flying time was 4 hours, 47 minutes.

  There we rented two rooms at an airport motel for a half day and rested up for another night flight on Iberia Airlines.

  We left JFK at 6:30 p.m. and arrived in Madrid, Spain, at 7:25 a.m. Spanish time after a flight of 6 hours 15 minutes. From there it was a short hour's flight on Iberia to Malaga on Spain's sun coast, "Costa del Sol", which will be our base of operations for this trip.

  We were met at the airport and taken to our hotel, Aloha Puerto, which is on the Mediterranean beach. The trip to here has gone without a glitch. Planes and people have been on time.

  Iberia Airlines was somewhat of a disappointment. Cabin maintenance was poor on the 747 we flew across the Atlantic and service was also poor. Betty described the cabin attendants as "surly".

  Passport and customs checks were perfunctory. After checking in to our beach hotel we headed to the hotel pool for a swim (cold) and the Mediterranean Sea for another swim (colder). But the air temperature was about 80 with a cloudless sky and it was pleasant.

  There was about six inches of surf. There are no noticeable tides in the Mediterranean.

Beaches "Topless"

  This is a different country with different customs. One of which is that swim suit tops for women on the beach are optional. Most wear them but a significant number do not.

  After lunch it was siesta time. Everything goes on slow bell in the heat of the afternoon. About 6 p.m. we came out of the hotel and strolled around town.

  By local standards, this was early. Restaurants were setting up for dinner but there were no diners. After looking over the town we chose an outdoor café for dinner at about 9 p.m. and most places were still empty. By the time we finished our meal things were just beginning to liven up.

  Again, another difference in local customs, we ordered a house special of chicken which included a glass of wine. Rob and Chris, who are 15 and 13 respectively, were each served a glass of wine with their chicken. But they had to pass their glasses to the adults.

  This is the low tourist season here, the big play is in the winter. Many nationalities come here, but there appear to be more British than others on this section of the coast.

British Section

  All over the tourist strip there are shops catering to the British. Near our hotel is the "Rose and Crown" which features Foster beer, Guinness ale and Tetley Bitter.

  The menu features "Full Eng-lish Breakfast" and "Traditional Family Sunday Roast".

  Tomorrow we will be picked up at the hotel for a week-long "Grand Tour of Morocco". We'll start with a ferry ride across the Mediterranean Sea to Africa.