El Palo

I was down on the beach at El Palo, east of Málaga, before dawn today. It's meant to be a great place to enjoy the sunrise... and that was absolutely the case.

It was very chilly - although temperatures were set to soar to 18C. And despite the tranquil scene in the photo, there was a lot going on.

Fishermen were out on the water - their silhouetted vessels each lit up by a single twinkling light - or coming and going in small boats presumably to check on lobster pots.

A large ship was sitting majestically at sea waiting to enter Malaga Harbour.

Little clusters of dog walkers seemed the happiest people around - although the barking of their dogs overpowered the beautiful sound of the waves lapping the shore.

Street cleaners were out in force, a trio of old-timers were trying to pump up some mysterious contraption and a friendly chap said a cheerful 'Hola, buenos dias' as I packed up my gear.

My wife and I are here for seven more weeks and we're looking forward to more mornings like this.