West to Granada

I could take the inland route to Granada that traverses Andalucía’s desert of hallucinatory lunar landscapes where limestone cliffs are pockmarked with cave dwellings, many still inhabited and accessorized with TV antennas and burglar alarms. Instead I follow the coast, swinging round the stark hills of shale in order to reach Roquetas de Mar where I am visiting one of the province’s two Michelin-starred restaurant, Alejandro.

After an avenue of palms scything through unglamorous light industry and polytunnels, I reach a pretty harbor overlooked by an over-restored Renaissance relic, the Castillo de Santa Ana While fishermen untangle their nets, skinny cats prowl the quay in search of scraps One man sings into his cell phone—a love song, a lullaby, or a lament?