Spain and Mexico 2021-22

Our First Stop - Pedregalejo (Malaga, Spain)

After flying from LA to Amsterdam, we disembarked and found our way to the gate of our next flight - to Malaga. The plan was to meet Meredith and Freya at the gate and fly to Malaga together. They were running late due to very long lines at the KLM counters.

But in the nick of time, we spotted Freya zooming around the corner.

We spent the first several nights in a smaller condo in a suburb of Malaga called Pedregalejo. We saw some very beautiful sunsets.

This was a dramatic start to the day with this beautiful sunrise.  

Meredith did a lot of cooking (vegan) - it all tasted wonderfully.

On one of the days, Meredith suggested we go for a morning hike up the hillside. Hard work but very good views.

After our stay in Pedregalejo, we got a taxi ride to Nerja, where we had stayed in 2019. We had booked the same Airbnb condo. Elliot and Isla were on their way from Amsterdam and would join us here for the rest of stay in Spain. 

We played lots of games with Isla and Freya, read stories, did crafts and went to the beach.

Lunch at a local fish restaurant.

Isla tried out a boogie board. At first a little leery of it, she quickly realized how much fun it was. Then it was hard to get her to go home!

 

Then it came time for New Year's. Meredith and Elliot went out and bought new year's trinkets and came up with several appropriate activities for the festive night. We all had a great time but none of us made it to the bewitching hour of seeing the Times Square ball drop. 

Freya and Isla buried in sand. 

After two weeks it was time for Diane and George to go home - well, sort of...Cancun.

We first flew to LAX, spent the night at an airport hotel, and in morning flew to Cancun to spend a little time in the warm Yucatan weather.  By the afternoon, we were sitting on our balcony, looking out at the ocean.

We met up with our Alabama friends, Cherie and Terry, and had several breakfasts and dinners with them. They are part of that rare Alabama breed of southern Democrats. We had lots of fun and enlightening conversations. Hopefully, we'll see them at the resort again next year should the stars align properly.

Diane and George celebrating their 45th anniversary at Da Vinci's restaurant.

After a week at the Omni, we were planning on flying home Saturday evening. But fate had different plans for us - Diane tested positive for COVID. We had to divert to Plan B. Since we couldn't fly home, we rented a car and drove to Puerto Morelos, a small fishing village just south of Cancun.

In Puerto Morelos we found a quiet and verdant guesthouse (Layla's) across from the beach in a quiet area of town. After a week in Cancun, it was a lovely change of pace and setting. Layla's is an eco-friendly place and has a very good vegan/vegetarian restaurant where we ate both evenings.

On one of the nights we had dinner with Claudia, a very nice staff member from the Omni who we've gotten to know over the years. She and her partner, Nino, live in P.M. 

We woke up early on the third morning and decided to get tested again. Diane felt fine and so did George. We walked over to a testing site and paid our $50 (for two tests). After ten minutes the results came back. NEGATIVO! Yeah! 

We hurried back to our room to see if we could change our flight reservations to fly that evening - we got lucky; there were a few seats left. We changed our car rental and by midnight of that same day we were back in Shell Beach. 

Spain’s Costa del Sol 2019-2020

The Costa del Sol area in the south of Spain was a beautiful area to spend the holiday season with Meredith, Elliot, Isla and Freya. 

We stayed near Malaga (Torremolinos and Nerja). It’s a long way from California, but only a 2 1/2 hour flight from Amsterdam (with no time change). 

The weather was reasonably good (mid-60’s) with lots of good beach time for the kids. Definitely a good way to end 2019 and to start off the new year.

Diane and I arrived in Malaga a few days earlier. One evening, we took the opportunity to visit Calle Molino Lario (downtown Malaga) and the festival of lights. It was quite a scene with hundreds of people - lots of families with young kids dazzled by the light show.

Our Airbnb flat in Torremolinos was a few feet from the sand. The weather was warm - just what Amsterdammers are longing for at the Costa del Sol.

Freya enjoyed the sand more than the water but was always ready for some beach time.

Torremolinos has many quaint, narrow, tiled passages lined with cafes, restaurants, bars and shops. This scene was just outside the door of our flat.

Isla, who's been taking swimming lessons, was comfortable playing in the waves and running around the edges of the water.

After nearly a week in Torremolinos, we moved to Nerja, a hilly, beachfront town an hour east of Malaga. Below is a vista from our Airbnb overlooking the town. Looking left, we had a decent ocean view. The beach was about a five minute walk.

Only about a ten minute drive, the Cueva de Nerja (Nerja Cave) was a fascinating place to visit. The limestone cave's most striking feature is a nearly one hundred foot long stalactite. Also of interest is that they hold concerts in the cave (which undoubtedly would be an incredible experience).

We visited Playa de Maro, a quaint little beach near Nerja. Nearby, apparently there are waterfalls. We didn't see them.

Nerja's beach was very picturesque - and best, it was just a few minute walk from our place.

Oma, Freya and Isla on the walk from our flat to the beach in Nerja. Isla effortlessly floats along the tiled walkway.

We visited the hill town of Frigiliana, a beautiful little white village with a Moorish influence. Lots of orange trees everywhere.

Steep and narrow passages must keep these people pretty healthy.

Our last day, Diane and I moved closer to Malaga Airport to catch an early morning flight. I took the opportunity to walk up to the Castillo de Gibralfaro, a Moorish castle, dating back to the 17th century. It has panoramic views of the Malaga harbor and the city.
  

In Nerja, I coerced another tourist to take a family photo at the Balcon de Europa. However, Freya obviously felt that she needed a nap more than to pose for a silly family photo.

We flew back to California (to weather much like Malaga's). Later in the afternoon, Meredith, Elliot and kids flew back to Amsterdam, a bit colder and damper than we had enjoyed in Malaga. And so ended another adventure.