Marbella’s Party People

I’ve always wondered what they’re like. You know, the posh parties at Marbella beach clubs where you have to wear white or silver or gold or red? Where the glamorous people line up to have their photos taken, beautifully made up with smoky eyes and coiffed locks; where the men wear freshly ironed linen suits and the women float in on layers of delicate fabric and four inch heels; and where the champagne flows until the €2,500 bottles of vodka take over…

Marbella beach clubs

And then last night I was finally invited to one such night of thrills and decadence. My gorgeous friend and her equally handsome husband were teaming up with friends to party the night away among the rest of the beautiful people. “Come with us! There will be champagne and canapés. It will be fun! I have the perfect dress for you to wear!”

But it’s just not me.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m posh enough and I’m definitely sociable. But so not glamorous, although my friend would have done her best to fix that with a stroke of her make up brush (or trowel in my case) and a flick of the hair straighteners. I think it’s more of a confidence thing.

You see the people in the pictures always look perfect. Not a hair out of place, no crooked smiles, wonky eyes, creased dresses or ruffled feathers. Just perfect. Perhaps it’s the champagne, relaxing the guests until that exact moment when they can ooze the look that says “carefree with party attitude”. Cue photographer quickly, before the moment passes. Or may be it’s because the photographers give the non conformists a wide berth, or click the shutter and then subtly press delete.

I enjoy my lifestyle on the Costa del Sol. We have great friends and family around us and love to go out “our way”. In the summer, @RobDJ tends to be busy making other people’s dreams come true, DJing at their beautiful weddings in stunning locations. Often I roadie, driving him to events which require an overnight stay, exploring new areas and spending precious time together in the car, finally a chance to catch up on each other’s news.

During downtime, we spend evenings on the beach, watching the sun set. “How romantic” I hear you gasp. Not really, but our faithful four-legged friend loves nothing more than splashing in the waves and making us partake in lots of energetic ball throwing. But we enjoy the time together.

Getting together with friends for tapas or fresh fish dinners in a beach chiringuito suits us just fine. When finances allow, we hoof it across to the Costa de la Luz or up to the Sierra Nevada (depending on the season). The Sierra Nevada speaks for itself: amazing days of warm weather skiing on slopes that are pretty quiet if you time it right; easy, relaxed dinners, reading books in front of the fire, early nights…

We’re less active when it comes to weekends on the Costa de la Luz. Our choice of accommodation depends on whether or not we are travelling with dog, and on what special offers I can find. Hipotel Flamenco Conil  was amazing when we picked up a room at a very special end of season price one year. But my favourite is El Palomar de la Breña; not luxurious in the traditional sense of the word, but relaxing, tranquil, calm and charming – plus they welcome the dog too! We’ve stayed in a few other dog friendly places nearer to the beach. The cheap and cheerful La Gallega just 500m from the amazing beach at El Palmar deserves a special mention. It’s basic accommodation but ideally located, especially if you want to surf.

So I digress. Once again I’ve been lured away from the land of the beautiful people, and drawn back into my comfort zone. But on a positive note, I’ve just seen my friends outside. I had to ask them if the morning after, was worth the night before.

Apparently it is, but to me it looks like hell.