Lone Traveller: Option No. 2

Plan your Winter wisely.

Marbella in Andalusia is a most excellent venue for the Lone Traveller and to spend the Winter there is a delightful experience and one not to be missed.

Take my advice and you will not be lonely. Without a doubt the best place to stay for a Lone Traveller is the Skoll. This is a large apartment block beautifully situated on the prom (or as you will now call it the Paseo). The apartments are not state-of-the¬art modern but are very comfortable and well fitted-out. The plus point being is that they are mostly occupied by English and it is extremely friendly. The foyer is the meeting place and on leaving your apartment for your morning stroll you will soon start talking to fellow-occupiers and more than likely end up having morning coffee together. From that beginning the day takes off, lunch in a small restaurant, an afternoon siesta and by 4 o'clock ready for more action. Bridge clubs abound from the relatively easy to the extremely fierce. The latter being the Marbella International (Tel: 952 774 821) where Desmond or Masako will find partners for you.

The small restaurants are family-run and the Andalusians being delightful and warm= hearted people will always give a welcome and good service to a lady on her own.

Spend a day in San Pedro and lunch at El Ranchero where the sole a la plancha, chips and green pepper salad are to die for. If you are a reader go to Shakespears, a second¬

hand bookshop which runs a form of lending library giving a percentage of the purchase price on books returned. Stroll over to El Corte Ingles, the big department store and browse at your leisure and on to Puerto Buenos to admire the beautiful people and even more beautiful boats.

There is no need for a car. Taxis are relatively cheap and the local bus services are excellent. However,t here are organised excursions to Gibraltar, Ronda the White Villages and even as far as Cordoba or Seville. It is also perfectly possible to take the buses to these places and

certainly far cheaper.

The University of the Third Age hold weekly meetings on many subjects including bird-watching and trips to the Atlantic coast to the roman settlement of Baelo Claudio. You would be made welcome and certainly make new acquaintances. NADFAS holds monthly meetings at nearby Fuengarola. Residents of the Skoll get together to share taxis to the excellent race course. For a small fee you can use the swimming pool and gym facilities at the Fuerte hotel.

Dorothy Kravitz, a delightful American who has lived in Marbella for many years is a fount of information is very happy to give advice on the local restaurants and amusements. Telephone: 952 774 092. NB: Do not ring in siesta time!

After a winter in Marbella I guarantee you will return home much refreshed and resolved to return.

The last point is that unlikely as it is to be needed the hospital facilities are excellent!

The agent for the Skoll is Jeannie Franklin: 0034 952 824 013.