Sunday afternoon in the pueblo

Istan is a small mountain village, within spitting distance of Marbella. Like most small municipalities here, they used to run their own affairs with little interference from the Junta de Andalucia, and practically no contact from Central Government. In many ways this degree of local democracy was empowering, but of course ignorance and greed can lead to poor urban planning and potential corruption. This is an issue that Andalucia and the whole of Spain is having to deal with now. For example, on the approach to the tiny village of Istan, one passes huge developments of luxury villas, clinging to the hillside, below the majestic La Concha mountain that shelters Marbella. The homes are huge, their landscaped gardens and community areas tragically cutting into the base of the beautiful mountain. Although this construction is not the result of corruption,  it is certainly not good planning.
We’re wanted to have Sunday lunch in the village and take in a traditional Easter Sunday procession. In the small pueblos blancos, the processions are modest affairs with small floats, but for me they have more resonance that the showbiz style affairs of Málaga or Sevilla. The whole village is out in the streets, either participating or supporting.
Lunch was in Los Jarales Hotel, on the terrace that affords an amazing view across the lago de concepcion towards Marbella and the Mediterranean beyond and of course Gibraltar. Since the storms last week, the air is exceptionally clear, showing the full extent of the North African mountains that seem just steps away.