Best Paella in Spain

(Written in my Journal on Sun. Oct 2nd)

The hospitality of Southern Spain showed itself in full colors today.  Mari, a friend of a friend who I met at the Feria, had people over to her parent´s house in "el campo" for Sunday lunch. It was a very ecclectic group of people, mostly ERASMUS students. There were people from Germany, Italy, France, Etc... Driving over there was an experience in itself and I didn´t know where we were going either.  We drive out of the only part of Málaga that I know (Torre del Mar) and get on the highway. Next thing I know, we are on this windy road up a mountainside. You know, one of those roads where if you swerved away from the mountain it was a straight shot to your death.  Exaggeration, I know, but it was still a tiny windy road.

In no time at all, we turn onto this dirt road up another hill. Eventually we make it to this one small white stand alone house with a huge patio overlooking the valley and hill (more like mountains) on the other side, all dotted with small white houses of their own.  We arrive at the house and are greeted by her mom and dad and three family friends- greeting all of them with "dos besos".  Everyone in the group gathered around the patio because it was so hard believe the beautiful views from the house.

 Then Mari mentions something about "burros." Curiously I followed the group, and behold, they have two donkeys!  One is young and very spirited, the other older on, Magdalena, was very sweet.  Mari's dad brings Magdalena to the patio and is like "hop on" and we're all like "what?!" So anyone who wants to gets to ride a donkey. Of course I volunteered after a few people did it.  It was a little tough to get the donkey to cooperate completely but at least she stopped for me in the end.
Then we all sat down for lunch (around 2:30/3 like the Spaniards do). Olives and cheese spread were placed around this huge table on the porch.  Then the paella was brought over to the table in the huge pan (pan is an understatement) that it was cooked in.  I'm not normally a huge fan of paella, but this paella (rabbit paella) was absolutely delicious.

After filling myself to the brim with paella, Mari took us down the hill by this tiny rocky path to their chicken coup.  She explained that the orchards around the hills were made of over a million mango trees!  There weren't just chickens in this coup though. There were also a few sheep and one loud-mouthed turkey. I don't think it liked us invading it's space because it kept gobbling at us.

I can't believe I was so lucky to be a part of this experience. I hope I made a few friends in the process too (we're facebook friends at least). I also believe I found the best paella in Spain: In a small white house on a mountainside in Málaga.