We had to go to the coast early on Thursday for medical appointments. Coincidentally our English friends Ian and Christine were staying in Nerja, where they have been holidaying regularly for some 30 years. As always since I have lived in Spain (17 years and counting) they invited us to come and stay.
[Photo courtesy of La Verdad]
Marbella
After our "blood-letting" at hospital Quirón in Marbella, we headed to Fuengirola to our favourite breakfast cafe, Granier, on the seafront.
There we hungrily scoffed a classy, if somewhat expensive, breakfast. But, hey, we were at the seaside!
[Photo courtesy of Wecake]
From Fuengirola we took the A7 motorway around Malaga City, then exited at Rincon de la Victoria in order to pick up the coast road heading east to Nerja.
After a coffee and loo stop in delightful Torre del Mar, we got to Nerja just after 1.00 pm.
Nerja
I parked opposite Ian and Christine's rental apartment by the parador de turismo in a loading bay. According to the sign private cars could park there from 2.00 pm until 5.00 pm. It was 1.15 pm. The other car parked there had already received a ticket.
I put my hazard warning lights on and laid my Press pass on the dashboard, hoping for the best.
[Paradores]
After lugging our stuff up to the 2nd floor apartment (no lift!) we had drinks on the enormous roof terrace before going out for a couple more libations in local bars.
I paid the bill. It was by now gone 5.00 pm and I was interested to find out whether my Press pass had worked .....
It had!
Then it was back up to the roof terrace for a late barbecue lunch, courtesy of Ian.
Dorada con ensalada. Marvellous!
On the next-door terrace was a whole bunch of Irish people. I had a good natter with them about a range of topics dear to their hearts and mine.
Siesta time! I went for a lie-down. I was tired and I'd drunk a fair bit!
[Photo courtesy of the New York Times]
After around half an hour it was time to go out again! We walked to the "West End" of Nerja, where there are fewer tourists.
We went to three bars - La Rienda, La Casa de Ana and another place, the name of which I can't remember - each different but very good. The "free" tapas went down extremely well and were more than sufficient for our evening meal.
On the walk back to the apartment the other three wanted a dessert, so they went to an ice-cream parlour. I was "stuffed" so opted out.
Back at the flat we retired straightaway.
Friday
I was up early as usual and went for an early morning coffee.
My car was still "unticketed" but I thought it wise not to push my luck, so by car I went to my cafe bar of choice, El Camionero, up on the main road.
I found a free parking spot nearby and spent a very pleasant hour during which I caught up with the latest news on the TV, had two coffees, a chupito, and a breakfast of ham and cheese on a pitufo.
[Cafe Bar Camionero by Trip Advisor]
Then I headed back to the apartment and managed to park legally and free nearby. I needed to go to the bank to check whether my pension had arrived, so I walked down to the Balcón de Europa, where the banks are all located.
Yes, my money was in my account.
I headed back to the cafe - Treból - where we had agreed to meet for breakfast, arriving before the others.
We breakfasted well (I had my customary second breakfast, recommended by my doctor for my diabetes) before we got ready for the day ahead.
[Facebook]
Almáchar
This was where I had been a week earlier on a Press Trip. The other three had never been there before so that was our plan for a couple of hours.
Almáchar was hot and shut. Apparently, weekends in the Axarquia are no big deal.
So, after some refreshment in a cool bar we discussed where to have lunch. I suggested the seafront in Torre del Mar. Ian and Chris had never been there, so that's what we did.
We parked and chose the Chiringuito El Boquerón. We snaffled a table overlooking the splendid beach and each ordered what we wanted. We all had fresh fish of some kind.
[Photos: Trip Advisor]
I indulged in some great beers - El Alcázar (Jaén) and El Águila (Madrid) and Rita, who stuck to her cerveza 'sin' tostada, agreed to drive our hosts back to Nerja.
***
We dropped Ian and Christine off, said our farewells, and hit the road for home. Rita drove all the way and we got home around 7.20 pm, where we learned that our terminally ill next-door-neighbour, Manolo, had passed away and been "buried" while we were on our break. He was just 66 years old.
What a shame!
At home the cats were there to welcome us, so we fed them and then I went to my local, the Ronda Valley Hotel, to meet up with our cat-sitter Ollie and pay him.
Then I started to write this up .....
And, finally .....
A great couple of days were over. I have known Ian and Christine since before kids and our oldest children, theirs and mine with Jeryl, are now in their 40s, so that's a long relationship.
They have known Rita since 2008 when she and I had just met and were courting.
Thank goodness everybody gets on fine!
Links:
Early morning coffee in Spain - Secret Serrania de Ronda
Nerja - a little gem - Eye on Spain
The best and worst of the Western Costa del Sol - Eye on Spain
© The Spanish Fly (Paul Whitelock)
With thanks to:
Facebook, La Verdad, Paradores, The New York Times, Trip Adviser, Wecake, Wikipedia
Tags:
A7 motorway, Almáchar, Balcón de Europa, CaixaBank, Christine, chupito, El Camionero, Facebook, Fuengirola, Granier, Ian, Jaén, La Verdad, Marbella, Nerja, Parador de Turismo, Paradores, Paul Whitelock, pitufo, Quirón, Rincón de la Victoria, The New York Times, The Spanish Fly, Torre del Mar, Trip Adviser, Vélez-Málaga, Wecake, Wikipedia