la primavera en Marbella, España

spring has sprung!  the mister and i went on a little getaway in Marbella, Spain to properly welcome warmer weather.  Marbella is sometimes known as the Miami of Spain and is only about an hour and a half away from Gib.

the beach is still empty but "chiringuitos" or snack bars by the beach are already prepping up for the feasts of grilled/fried fish al fresco

huts are coming up like 'shrooms!

this baby's trunk doubles as a shower when you tweak the knob behind its ear 

Puerto Banus is the playground of the rich and famous, where Rolls Royces and Ferraris meet yachts

Salvador Dali is featured most in the streets of Marbella with his bronze sculptures all over town

i am so surprised that Marbella has a bonsai museum :)  

and the species that they house are pretty impressive too :)

on the way to the Casco Antiguo (Old Quarters), we passed by beautiful colored tiles depicting stories of the Spanish culture

the Plaza de los Naranjos or Orange Square is the heart of the Old Town of Marbella

tiny side streets in the Old Town; guess what caught my eye ;)

in one of our after dinner walks, by the beach, in the Paseo Maritimo

the police are on horseback along the coast...

and even in the main square!

he was nowhere to be seen but he has a house here with his wife Melanie Griffith

lots of cafes and designer shops!

Marbella is a celebrity magnet and Mr. Iglesias (who is originally from Madrid) got married to his second wife here.  he was first married to Spanish-Filipina Isabel Preysler and has three kids with her, including the hottie Enrique Iglesias

the pool in the hotel we stayed in was so inviting... but it was still a bit nippy for me...

...so a glorious, relaxing bubble bath instead to end the day :)