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I’m just testing this out and I’ve never written a blog before, and ideally it would be best to write every day, so I just briefly jotted down on a piece of paper what we did each day, and this attempt won’t be very inspiring because it’s about my latest visit to La Carihuela/ Torremolinos: Costa del Sol, and we intended to just take each day as it comes with no plans, routines or camcorder missions.!

Although I realised that the football World Cup was going to feature in Dave’s plans for most days,(how inconvenient having this going off during my usual June holiday and I had the same thing 2 years ago for the European cup), but despite this I was really looking forward to this holiday.
I can’t honestly say that I enjoyed Benidorm in April due to stag/hen groups in the hotel during the first week, and the Icelandic volcano erupting during the second week, which caused us to return home delayed, tired and stressed up to the eyeballs, and we ended up both snapping at each other for the smallest thing, and both felt it was a complete waste of money. 

So, off we went on Thursday the 10^th June at 3 am in a taxi over the Pennines to Manchester Airport, the journey is horrible at the best of times and the route is notorious for fog, and it was foggy that morning.

We arrived at Manchester Airport terminal 1 at approx 5 am and I was impressed with the efficient Monarch Airlines check-in procedure, so we toddled off upstairs for a cup of coffee and a couple of slices of toast/marmalade which I thought was quite reasonably priced, then we proceeded through the security procedures and I had my first body scan/back scatter x-ray.

I don’t know how Dave managed it, whether he got confused or what, but he wasn’t scanned by anyone and neither did he walk through anything, he just went through the glass door with the illuminated green arrows and walked by the side of the belt where the hand luggage goes through the scanner, and the truthful and worrying fact is, that he boarded that Monarch flight without being scanned....I watched him while I was doing a double salute for the Rapiscan imaging machine. 

We were sat on the plane for about 40 mins until we could take off because of having to avoid some French airspace and it was an uneventful flight to Malaga…..I kept nodding off, but why oh why are aircraft seats so uncomfortable for a little short torso person like me? My head only just reaches the headrests and they shove my head forward at the wrong angle, which makes my neck hurt like hell, and I usually end up with a headache through the tension on my neck…...this flight was no different and I’m usually armed with 2 Anadins.! 

After arriving at Malaga Airport, we traipsed for ages until we got to the baggage reclaim area, Malaga Airport with the new terminal is now a BIG place and I couldn’t wait to get outside into the fresh air, and the lovely warm sunshine.

At the last minute, we decided to take the train to Torremolinos and have something to eat/drink and then take a taxi for the short journey to the apartment....the fresh air and something decent to eat will ease the thumping headache.! 

I’d better be vague about what I write, but there is a certain bar which we always go to every morning for coffee, and over the years the owner has got to know us and he could even remember what we usually have to drink....dos café con leche en un vaso (two coffees with milk in a glass)

I find that amazing when you think of all the people who frequent his bar and the length of time between our visits, and we usually did the small talk.... How are you.? Where are you staying this time.? How long are you here for? Etc….
It’s the same in Benidorm, we always go to a bar called Café Vina del Mar and we get the same reaction every time, although Dave usually has a carajillo (coffee spiked with brandy) but for some strange reason, he never bothers in Andalucia.

La Carihuela

So, we are in a taxi going up the road and only yards from this bar when we got snarled up in a traffic jam with the police and ambulance in front.
Tragically, the owner had minutes before been shot dead in his bar by one of his customers.

I must stress that this is something (AFAIK) that has never happened in this area before and it’s related to a personal conflict between the two people involved, the gunman has been arrested and obviously there’s a murder charge pending.
I suppose using the word traumatised is being a bit OTT, but I (we) were extremely upset and I still can’t believe it has happened...
So, not a good start to the holiday.!
 
We got to the apartment which I had seen and booked last September, it’s a private apartment in a building called Duquesa de España which was originally going to be a huge hotel until the Germans pulled out, and then it was converted to apartments and they were sold off.

The complex has the best swimming pool in the area and because both the British and Spanish children were still in school, we seemed to have the place to ourselves, which suited us.!
We unpacked and took a walk out, calling at a few bars and the nearby Lidl supermarket for just the basics until tomorrow....we weren’t late in bed as we were both knackered and the events of the day were at the back of our minds.

Friday 11^th June.

I woke up to the smell of bacon being cooked, Dave had been up early, he closed the door to the bedroom and let me sleep, and when I staggered into the living room, I glanced at the balcony where he had set the table with the pretty blue/white checked tablecloth ready for breakfast….
I had a glass of orange juice, a bacon buttie followed by toast and marmalade…...the views were fabulous because the apartment is elevated and walking up the small hill was painful during the first week, but I was running up it by the second week, well, not quite running, but it didn’t hurt like it did, I was totally unfit, spending too much time sat on my bum in front of a computer and I must cut down on the ciggies.!

The apartment is huge for just the two of us, it can actually sleep 6 and it has two balconies, one leading off from the lounge with sea views and facing towards Benalmádena Marina, and a balcony from the main bedroom facing the mountains looking towards Mount Calamorro and the cable car route.
Ahhhh YES, this could be home.!

 
View.Torremolinos. June 2010

We had a choice of supermarkets nearby, Lidl, Maxi Dia or Super Sol. so we tried Super Sol and did a big shop, I bought a couple of ready cooked chickens and there wasn’t much room left in the fridge, but I was looking for minced beef for ages until I realised that they cut off the beef from a joint and mince the beef through the machine as required, and I must say this minced beef was far superior than the stuff in the polystyrene trays. We bought half a kilogram, which cost just a few centimos over 3 euros, but by halving it, it did us for both spag bol and chilli con carne, so very economical.

View Torremolinos June 2010

We called into a lovely Spanish bar en route which became our “local” for the rest of the holiday because the other bar where the tragic events had taken place understandably never opened again during our stay.

For the rest of the day, we just lounged around the area/pool, Dave cooked spag bol for dinner, and then we walked up to the little Spanish bar for a few drinks in the evening. 

Saturday 12^th June.

Breakfast as usual on the balcony, tidied the apartment up a bit and then walked down opposite the hotel Sol Aloha Puerto to catch the little urban bus to Torremolinos because this particular route goes through the old/residential part of Torre called El Calvario and I like to shop away from the tourist traps and get stuck in amongst the locals.

We came back on the train to El Pinillo station and the apartment is about 10 mins away (if that) if you know the short-cut and it’s all down hill.

We decided to alternate between spag bol, chicken salad and chilli con carne for the next few days....plus the cooked breakfast of orange juice/coffee, bacon, eggs tomatoes or beans, toast/marmalade and maybe a cheese and onion, or a cheese and ham sandwich in the afternoon.

We went to a bar in Montemar to watch England play in the world cup...Oh dear.!…Dave drowned his sorrow in too many G&T’s and needed help negotiating the way home, and then he kept me awake half the night snoring and making more noise than the vuvuzelas.

Promenade Torremolinos

Sunday 13^th June.

We had a lazy day walking on the promenade calling in for refreshments, we walked to the headland (Roca Chica) that separates the beaches of Torremolinos and La Carihuela, it was quite invigorating as there was a warm, but strong breeze blowing.

After dinner we dithered whether or not to go out, and in the end we decided to stay in tonight watching the TV (we had Sky with the freeview channels) and having a few drinks on the balcony....all these early mornings, late nights, all the walking and the fresh air had knackered us.  

Monday 14^th June.

Breakfast as usual and a trip to Maxi Dia for some fresh bread, orange juice, cans of Mahou beer for Dave and other bits and bobs….He drinks the beer and G&T’s and I drink cartons of orange juice.

We called into the Spanish bar, which is called “Mirador de Maria” for coffee before we went into the supermarket and back to the bar when we came out of the supermarket for either a beer or a G&T (for Dave) and boring old me has either a coffee or a Fanta Naranja.!!!

Pool .Torremolinos. June 2010

We spent the rest of the day around the pool, I bought another cooked chicken and salad stuff, so we had chicken salad with fresh crusty bread and some baby potatoes that I cooked whilst Dave was preparing the rest of the meal….. There’s just something different about eating a nice salad, sat in your bikini on the balcony as the sun is setting, and the temperature is still hot at nearly 9 pm.

Tuesday 15^th June.

Today we walked to Arroyo de la Miel and back, spending most of the day in the town having a mosey around/window shopping and having some refreshments/tapas.
Later in the evening we took a walk down into La Carihuela and looked in the shops.
Dave asks "How many times do I need to look in the same shops".? 
We sat in a bar just watching the people walk by on the promenade and looking at the calm Mediterranean sea and the sun go down about 9 pm......bliss.!


Church Torremolinos June 2010 

Wednesday 16^th June.

Breakfast as usual, then I went into La Carihuela and had my hair cut, and we had lunch out today amongst the Spanish as we wanted to watch Spain play in the world cup....again oh dear.!

So I’ve seen Spain lose a bullfight with the cuckoo clocks, Germany beat 10 kangaroos and Brazil dodge a few Korean missiles…..funny old game football. 

Thursday 17^th June.

Spent all day on the beach and finally dragged ourselves back to the apartment around 6 pm, Dave cooked chilli con carne and we took a stroll out calling in the local bars, one I particularly like is called “La Fragata de tito” on the promenade in the Montemar area, it’s a lovely little place with friendly staff and you can sit there and “people watch”.

Friday 18^th June.

Looking forward to the England match against Algeria, so we put on our England shirts today and had a stroll around the resort and to Benalmádena Puerto Marina, we had to show some support as the village was awash with orange for Holland.

I was stopping and starting taking photos of the wonderful flowers in bloom....the striking colours of bougainvillea and the various colours of hibiscus, and my favourite heady fragrance jasmine.

Germany lost (how sad!!) and what can I say about England’s performance? When we got back to the apartment, we both ripped the shirts off our backs and threw them on the floor with disgust.
I wouldn’t pay them peanuts after that performance and I bet the WAGS could do better.!  

Saturday 19^th June.

We had breakfast and there's a washing machine in the apartment so I threw in the beach towels and a few other bits…… we weren’t quite sure what to do today and somehow without any plans, we ended up walking to Torremolinos (again) and came back on the train.
 
Why do we always walk in the direction of Torremolinos.? Why didn't we walk into Benalmádena or catch the train to Fuengirola, or better still go to Malaga?
I dunno to be perfectly honest, Torremolinos has so many districts that are all different, San Miguel, Playamar, Los Alamos and El Calvario, and we both just wanted to be "chilled" about this holiday and we didn't want the hustle and bustle of places like Fuengirola or Malaga and the traffic....we just enjoyed walking on the paseo maritimo where you can walk for miles upon miles in your own space without a care in the world. 

Beach Torremolinos June 2010
 

Sunday 20^th June.

Today was a beach day and what a day to pick because it was the hottest day of the holiday, we’ve had a very unseasonal strong breeze blowing at times, but today it was clear blue skies, sunshine and not a whisper of breeze, so I was crashed out on the sun bed listening to my MP3 player and having to seek some shade under the parasol most of the time.

I can’t do the beach whale frying thing anymore....I can walk for miles in sunshine, but I can’t lay there frying because even wearing a hat,it inevitably gives me a headache and that all important intense tan is no longer important to me anymore....it only means a few more wrinkles.!!!

Tonight we went out for meal, I “played safe” and had a cheese omelette with chips and salad. Dave was getting withdrawal symptoms because he lives on Indian food at home, (he cooks his own Indian dishes and he’s very critical of other people’s attempts) so he had a chicken curry and no way could I have eaten it, and he said it was “eatable” and no more……
Not bad, not expensive, nothing to rave about and worth only the money we paid.

Pool View. Torremolinos

Monday 21^st June

Spent most of the day around the fabulous pool. Dave cooked the dinner and we have a good arrangement because he enjoys cooking, although IMO he's messy  because if he has 2 foot or 20 foot of kitchen space, he uses it all....he cooks the meal and I will wash all the pots and clear the kitchen/apartment.

Later we went amongst the locals to watch Spain play....the Spanish are just soooooooo passionate about football and we both wore our Spanish shirts, mine is the red one and Dave wears the blue version....both bought for us for birthday presents by the oldest lad, so they came in very useful.!

A much better performance, but IMO Torres is not match fit.


Casa de los Navajas Torremolinos

Tuesday 22^nd June.

A slow start today and we jumped on the bus to Torremolinos, we then decided to walk back, and only mad dogs and Englishmen would walk it that heat.!!

Decisions decisions? Our feet were aching, so do we go out again or just relax soaking up the evening sunshine and the wonderful views from our balcony with the cold drinks out of the fridge? Dave had some gin and some cans of tonic to drink up before tomorrow night, so the decision wasn’t really that hard to make, and there was always some football to watch. (sigh)

I didn’t take any books, but I had taken a small and very detailed tapestry on a wooden frame that I started years ago and I’d discarded it because I got bored with it, so all through the holiday I had been picking it up and doing a bit until my eyes started hurting.
(my eyesight is bad). 

I didn’t quite finish it before we came home, but a couple of hours more and it should be finished, I don’t know what exactly I’m going to do with it when it is finished and framed, but it did wind away the hours when we were in the apartment, and I couldn’t stand the annoying vuvuzelas from the football matches droning in my ears like a swarm of wasps any more, so I sat on the balcony soaking up the sun and doing my tapestry....which was very relaxing until I made a mistake or the thread got tangled up, then I felt like throwing it over the balcony.

Update: It is now finished.


Wednesday 23^rd June. 

After breakfast we went for a walk to Benalmádena Marina taking some photos (once again) and then on our way back we changed some travellers cheques and got rid of the money straight away at the tabacas across the road.