Bom Dia! Back to Peaceful Portugal

Portugal has a special place in my heart!  I spent our first ever two month winter 'long stay' in that beautiful country almost eight years ago. It was the first time we'd drained the pipes at the cafe, found a house and cat sitter for Spooky and Stacia, counted up our hard earned dollars,rented an apartment in Albufeira for a month and another one in Lisboa, booked a flight via Heathrow (no longer necessary to use that roundabout route) packed our suitcases not knowing what to bring, and set off on a snowy day in January for Pearson airport. 

Well!!! What can I say?  The experience changed my life. Waking up to birdsong, flowers, sunshine and blue skies in January!  Eating grilled sardinas and piri piri chicken and that delicious Portuguese bread and pastries and olives in beach front cafes or in the elegant old restaurants of Lisbon. Walking through green avenues to the market. The architecture. The friendliness of the people. The incredible wines costing less than 3 Euros a bottle.We spent the next six winters away from snowy Ontario; in Portugal, in Spain, in France and in Mexico. And we loved them all!

But the time has come to return to Portugal. This time we are exploring rural central Portugal: land of green hills and blue rivers. Its very much a place where time stands still.. Days are quiet and there is time to read, to walk, to eat, to cook, to explore the villages and small towns. But progress is here also, which means that our rental villas have high speed internet, satellite tv, good bus and train connections to nearby cities.Join me in this new adventure. I'll be posting information about the women's small group journey planned for mid February and information for those who might be thinking of a long stay holiday in this lovely part of unspoiled Portugal.  Stay tuned!

Merida, Yucatan winter holiday 2010

Into our second week of our month long vacation here in beautiful colonial Merida, Yucatan. Weather first week was chillier than normal and the locals were bundled up in coats and sweaters. Our casa has no roof over the living room so we had to resort once or twice to (gasp) turning on the heat in the bedroom for ten minutes or so to remove the damp.

Much warmer and brilliant sunshine today as we strode purposefully uptown to solve the problem of our missing tourist visitor card. However, when we arrived at the designated address, no Immigration office!

Yesterday we went out and about for Merida en Domingo which was pleasant with all the local gentry out and about on the streets and in the Plaza.

Progreso, Yucatan,

We took the bus (5.oo return for both of us) to the seaport town of Progreso which is about a forty minute bus ride from Merida. Progreso has the longest pier in the world which enables it to dock mega cruise ships which are fast contributing to the growth and economy of this once sleepy village. Mind you, its still pretty sleepy, although we were here early in the day on a somewhat chilly January day. We walked the malecon and explored some of the streets and looked at the houses for sale before wandering into a thatched roofed restaurant called Buddies which seems to be the equivelent of the Wilno Tavern for the expats of Progreso. Food was good, beer was cold, people were friendly...what more can one ask!!

good food and a visit to progreso

Tom has been cooking at home, as is his wont, and we have had several delicious meals including fresh fish and a Mexican version of beef bourguignon as well as our mid afternoon tapas snack of cheese and chorizo and onion and olives washed down with Sol beer.

more casa in Merida

our casa in Merida

sightseeing, a trip to Walmart,

All of the Yucatan is lamenting the cold "norte" which has settled on this customarily hot and humid area of Mexico. Even we Canadians, newly arrived and possessed of warm sweaters and socks which we wore onto the plane in chilly Ottawa, are sitting under a blanket in our 'open to the stars" living room. Daytime is pleasant for walking or riding on the double decker turisto bus as we did today. First we walked all the way up Paseo de Montejo, past the wedding-cake architecture of the mansions lining Merida's version of the grand boulevards of Paris. (I am putting it this way as I can't recall how to spell Champs d......). Its a couple of miles from our home here in the Barrio of Santiago and we had walked it already yesterday. Our destination: Walmart.
Now, we are generally in favour of shopping in the local groceterias and in fact, did stock up at one of the local Meridian supermarkets but we have been on the hunt for the product "contra fumer" for Tom. I inquired at countless neighbourhood farmacias for the Nicorettes, or something equating that term and each pleasant white clad farmacia clerk shook his/or her head negatively.
Now the Cuban cigar sellers are out in full force and I felt it imperative to replenish the 'contra fumer" supply of gum so off we went to Walmart and sure enough, there it was...and cheaper than in Canada also!!!

While at Walmart which has a sizeable grocery department also, we were able to get Don Simon boxed wine from Spain which is much cheaper and probably more drinkable than the wines in the other supermercados. Cervesa is of course, cheap everywhere and it seems more pleasant to drink beer here than in Canada. And Walmart also has a very good Mexican bakery which has freshly baked bread, buns, pastries and even pizza.

We had planned to have some lunch out today but ended up buying three fresh buns already made up with cheese, ham, lettuce, tomato and mayo, two fresh pastries with chocolate and custard and a bottle of apple juice and one of pepsi. Total cost for this lunch which we ate at a cafeteria style area near the store entrance was 4.00 Canadian.

The turisto bus tour was 100 mx pesos each (about 10.00 each) and wound its way through the streets of the centro historico and then northward along the newer boulevards until we reached the turnaround point just past Sam's Club and Home Depot. There's also a Boston Pizza and numerous fancy car dealerships and high end home furnishing stores. Back downtown, amidst the colourful pastel fronts of the renovated colonial homes, are the traditional cantinas and little convenenience stores and shops of the old neighbourhoods.

We'll go out for lunch or desayuno (breakfast) one of these days but thus far have been cooking and eating at home. Last night, fish with cilantro and garlic, rice and beans and avocado. Tonight it will be beef and potatoes and perhaps the fresh corn I bought yesterday. Trying to remember not to eat unpeeled fruits and vegetables which is difficult as they all look so tasty in the shops.

Forgot my camera today but have taken some photos of our casa on calle 57.

Daily expenses Merida holiday

Day one:

Sandwich, doughnuts and two soft drinks at Cancun bus terminus. 4.50
Two first class tickets to Merida...........................................................................64.00
Two tickets airport to bus terminal................................................................... 6.40

Day Two: (Mix of sun and cloud, breezy, chilly when not in the sun.)
Grocery shopping for bread, cookies, oatmeal, beans, rice, olives, vegetables ....... 21.00
Grocery shopping for beer, wine, cider, fish, avocados, cheese, etc etc.....................36.00.

Merida, Yucatan winter holiday 2010

Hola from the lovely colonial city of Merida, capital of the province of Yucatan. We arrived yesterday via Westjet from Ottawa to Cancun (airmiles paid for the flight which was pleasant and fast). Cancun airport was surprisingly efficient for a place that channels so many gringos into the country. We found the bus to the downtown bus station and bought a first class ticket to Merida which gave us entrance to the Platino lounge where we waited for an hour and then boarded our super swanky coach, all blue velour and pleated grey window curtains which make the inside look a bit like a plush coffin. Mexicans like to watch tv on the bus and of course since it is so hot most of the time, shutting out the sunlight is necessary. But, coming out of -22 temperatures in Ontario...we want light and sun and it wasn't particulary warm when we arrived with a reading of 0nly 16 for the day and a bit breezy. The driver, a tall handsome Latin gentleman in an impeccable starched blue suit, introduced himself and welcomed us and then shut himself into his curtained plexiglassed drivers cubicle and off we went. The seats fold out to make a very comfortable reclining bed and they provide pillows and blankets like you get (used to get and now pay for) on an aircraft. Each seat has a small screen tv with a choice of films and music. Free. Bottled water or softdrinks. Free. Price for a first class ticket on the ADO Platino is 438 pesos which is approx $32.oo per person. We glided along the straight highway and in what seemed like no time at all (but was indeed four hours and right on time) arrived at our stop at the Hotel Fiesta Americana. We could have travelled much more cheaply but the first class bus is the only one which stops at the Fiesta Americana which is near our rental casa.

Because our flight was half an hour late, and we had already arranged to meet Ruben at the casa, we wanted to get to Merida as fast as possible. We hailed a cab, or rather several cabbies hailed us, and off we went richocheting down the narrow streets while I prayed fervently to the Virgincita that we weren't being taken off to be robbed or murdered. We had been warned about getting into a cab on the street as it seems they can be fronts for criminals who have stolen or borrowed the cab from its presumably honest owner. Seemed a bit bizarre to me, but nevertheless, this driver didn't seem familiar with the streets which I had written on my sheet with the address and he hustled us into the car with unseeming haste and slammed our door shut, threw the luggage including my computer bag into the trunk, and off we went into the dim Merida night.

Just as I was contemplating our options in terms of escaping, he swerved into yet another narrow street and ground to a stop...just yards away from our casa where Rubin was waiting by the door.

Out on Playazo beach, which is the least busy beach to the west of Nerja, there are a number of big open-air restaurants called chiringuitos. By day they are full of sun-tanned tourists and Spaniards alike, drinking beer and sangria and enjoying delicious tapas. By night or on chillier days, they lower the plastic curtains and light the wood fire and the place fills up with people once again. There's often live music and its a very friendly and authentically Spanish ambiance as there are lots of Spanish families who enjoy these places...and I think almost all of them are family-run by local Spanish people. Our favorite is the Chiringuito Mauri which has the speediest young waiters you can imagine...and Mama is in the kitchen and Papa is grilling the sardinas in the boat by the entrance and the dog lies basking in the sun.

Shopping in Nerja is becoming increasingly sophisticated and varied. There are a number of good jewellery shops, some new and exciting clothing emporiums and of course, tons of places that sell touristy things including flamenco dresses and pottery and t shirts.

Leather is always a good buy here and there are tons of gorgeous jackets, coats, shoes and boots in all price ranges. The market vendors have some quality stuff too...not just cheap junk. Tom bought leather shoes for about $15 Canadian and he's still wearing them and they still look great.

The narrow streets of the old town are pleasant for exploring and wandering about in search of bargains or a meal or a drink. We spend hours walking around...it's good exercise and there's always some new nook or cranny to explore.

It is our pleasure to take the bus to Frigiliana for a leisurely lunch in one of the many small restaurants tucked into the whitewashed village streets.
The bus, which is a big airconditioned Euro-coach makes a number of round trips from the Nerja downtown to Frigiliana and is usually quite full of locals and visitors traipsing between the two villages. It's particularly busy on the day of the mercado in Frigiliana and if you can't get a seat on the bus, buy a ticket from the driver and wait for the second coach to arrive. Oddly enough you can't buy tickets from the second bus driver. I think the bus is generally only really full on the mid-morning (11 am) run to Frigiliana on market day.




Here we are looking over the mountains and the National Park at the east side of Frigiliana village. These mountains are all protected and are criss-crossed with hiking and walking trails. This truly is a glorious part of Andalucia...moments from the Mediterranean and the unspoiled countryside.
This is a view of various sea-front apartments perched over Carabeo beach. There are a lot of marvellous accommodations in Nerja and this year, I had a lovely time looking for a potential home in Nerja. Haven't found quite the right one yet, but I'm sure it will happen.

Nerja 2008

Our winter holiday this year was only a month long but what a month!
We found a wonderful airfare deal through Air Transat from Montreal directly to Malaga for just over 500.00 return with taxes included. I couldn't believe my good fortune. We took the Greyhound from Ottawa bus terminal to Pierre Elliot Trudeau airport, flew directly to Malaga (just over six hour flight) and landed at 6:30 a.m. Customs and baggage was a breeze and by ten a.m we were having breakfast at our favorite outdoor cafe in Nerja. The return trip a month later was just as simple...left Malaga at 8 am, landed in Paris where we picked up some other passengers and then continued on to Montreal. Our best and easiest flights to Europe ever.
Our apartment was a two bedroom on Calle Merida which is the first street back from Torrecilla beach. The terrace faced south and we could see the sparkling Med. Best location yet, very quiet and only a moment's walk to the promenade and equally convenient for the old town.

Weather this year was incredible. We arrived on Jan 16 and had an endless month of blue skies and sunshine. Never touched our umbrellas. There were a couple of breezy days at the end of the stay...some cloud once in awhile...it never even rained. (not good for Spain which needs some moisture in the winter.)

Our recommendations in Nerja

According to one of the area's newspapers, Nerja continually receives the highest marks for overall tourism satisfaction on the Costa del Sol. And no wonder, given the clean, safe, more or less authentically Spanish (as much as you can get on the coast) absence of those horrid high-rise barracks housing Eastern European discount tourists, low crime rate, excellent prices and as we have discovered, a great selection of places to eat of all descriptions. Being restauranteurs and cooks ourselves, we do know good food when we encounter it, and equally important, recognize value for money and all those factors that go into making a decent restaurant experience. And so here are our recommendations thus far....(and we are far from finished doing our research!).

Breakfast: Many restaurants advertise the "Big British Breakfast" which is essentially a classic bacon/sausage/ham and two eggs/toast combination. What makes it British is the addition of fried tomato and (canned) baked beans. Prices range from 3 Euros to about 8 Euros. The cheaper ones don't include the juice and coffee so you'll still end up paying about 7 Euros once they tack that on. Best deal AND best breakfast for our money is the Jamaica Cafe on calle Manuel Marin down by the Hotel Monica near Torrecilla Playa. Total cost for two breakfasts with juice and coffees was 8 Euros. And they throw in all the extras such as jam and butter which a lot of the other places skip. We've also had supper at the Jamaica and although it was nothing noteworthy, it was good value for the money and the food (thin crust pizza in this case) was tasty enough. It's a tremendously popular place with Spanish families and it's always busy and lively, both indoors and on the enclosed terrace.

On the subject of pizza, the Bella Roma, down near the Plaza Cavana does nice thin-crust and they are also very popular and very busy. We were disappointed with the fish we had there one evening as it was non-descript and served with some really boring french fries and nothing else. They have a pleasant atmosphere and a nice terrace and are generally packed in the evenings.

We've eaten paella at Ayo's much touted place on Burriana and found it a greasy disappointment despite the rave reviews some other people give it. I think they turn out such vast quantities of it that any finesse goes right down the drain. You can however, eat as much as you want of it for about 8 Euros...sooo...

There's a little corner place open for lunch almost beside the Bella Roma called The Mandarina and we like going there for lunch. It's a little place with some well-placed tables in the sunny square (almost too sunny on hot days as it has no canopy or umbrellas) and they make a lovely tapas plate for 3 Euros. They also have nice fresh baguettes with ham and cheese and other goodies for 3 Euros. Good budget food, freshly made.

Last winter we had a great dinner at El Encanto, which is tucked into a narrow street downtown. I had rabbit and Tom, again, had lamb. Good food, freshly and creatively cooked and a pleasant atmosphere. Well recommended.

We may not have time to try these others on this trip but if anyone has eaten there, please let us know what you think of Sollun (new and impressed by their menu and by the fresh herbs growing in the window boxes), Casa Luque??? Sloans and Langhams. Happy eating!!!

A lovely evening in late February

We look forward to our special dinners out and this week we are going to a place we discovered last week called The White Truffle. We had their Sunday lunch last Sunday...chicken for Tom and roast pork for me and were entirely pleased with their take on those old standards. Fresh herbs, delicious sauces, everything piping hot and freshly prepared and creatively presented. I've been hearing good things about them also from other people in the area and it seems they are going to be a big hit. We strolled over there taking the long way around via the Balcon de Europa since we are determined to get at least an hours walking in every day. The weather today was gorgeous...hot and sunny and a light breeze.

It's Carneval in Espagne. Here's some photos of the parade in Nerja earlier today. It has a real community feeling...earlier we watched out our window as some of the neighbours got dressed up for the parade. We had a great spot to watch in a little cafe on Pintada....and everyone was in a festive mood....at one point Julius Caesar's chariot lost power and his henchmen had to push him out of the way....that float was followed by a bunch of dubious Alpine maidens with five-o'clock shadows and large bottles of San Miguel lager beer.

What is the cost of a two month winter vacation in Nerja ??? Using our experience as a guideline, here's a breakdown of a sixty day vacation on Spain's Costa del Sol during February and March.
We have never paid more than 1000.00 Canadian per person for airfare including transfers from the airport to our accommodations. We've flown with Air Canada, KLM, Alitalia, British Airways and Spanair via Heathrow, Amsterdam, Milan and Madrid on various trips. The rule of thumb is an overnight flight from Toronto, Ottawa or Montreal to a major hub such as Heathrow or Paris or Frankfurt with an early morning arrival, time to have a coffee and a break in the airport and then a short hop of less than two hours directly to Malaga where you will arrive in the bright Spanish sunshine, depending on your airline, from 1pm to 5 pm. Forty minute airport transfer on a good motorway brings you to your doorstep in Nerja in time for tapas and a drink in the late day sunshine.

Our accommodation per month on the costa averages about 900.00 Euros (1450.00 Canadian per month) depending on the rate of exchange and the particular place we choose. We have stayed in one and two bedroom apartments in and out of town and in small villas in the countryside. These prices are all inclusive...that is...for two people with hydro, water, heating, satellite television, hi-speed internet, parking, clean linens weekly and end of stay cleaning all included in this one flat fee. Should you be travelling with more than two people, the additional cost is usually minimally more...for example for four people instead of two, a two bedroom apartment might be 1100.00 Euros per month. Four sharing is of course, extremely cost effective and there are countless spacious apartments with ensuite bathrooms and lots of space ideal for two couples or a group of friends. We can recomend an excellent selection.

Then there's food and drink and entertainment and transportation. A car rental for one month for a small car (such as a Peugot or Opel or Kia....much like a Chevrolet Astro in Canada....is less than 500 Euros FOR A MONTH. Shorter periods such as three days for 60 Euros are also available from excellent reliable agencies here on the Costa. Cars are brand new, small or midsize, with excellent fuel efficiency and easy to maneuvre on the narrower village streets. Standard stick shift is the norm so if you need an automatic, that will add some price and you need to reserve well in advance.

One of our reasons for choosing Nerja as a destination is that we don't need a car here unless we wish to go out exploring on the back country roads. Nerja is walkable in its entirety and has an excellent reliable town bus which runs every hour from one end to the other. Nerja is also served by the larger Andalucian bus system which means you can hop on the bus in the morning to nearby villages and towns and return in the afternoon. You can take the bus to Malaga for less than four Euros and spend the day shopping in the big city and be home by mid-afternoon for a siesta. In Malaga you can also catch buses and trains and planes for all the rest of Spain and Europe.

Daily cost of living: We have a budget that we adhere to pretty strictly in order to afford our winter life on the Costa (we still have hydro bills to pay in Ontario while we are over here lolling in the sun) and that budget is 30 Euros per day to cover food, drink, eating out, buses, entertainment, books, etc. This makes about 50.00 per day for two people and allows us to eat and drink well at home and to have a couple of meals out a week, as well as little excursions round and about the area and lots of books to read and wine to drink. If you wish to forego restaurant meals you can do it easily on 15-20 Euros a day for two people...if money is no object...well, the sky can be the limit.

So in total: 2000.00 for airfare and ground transportation. 2000.00 for accomodation. 2000.00 for food, drink, fun and games. 500.00 for travel and health insurance depending on your age and good health...comes to 6500.00 for two people for two months. Compare that with any long stay package or even shorter resort holiday and you will see that the Costa is a bargain for a long stay. If you're only looking for a month you can halve the accommodation and daily costs...airfare of course remains the same. And speaking of health...the Costa has excellent English speaking dentists, doctors, health clinics and services so it's also an excellent choice in terms of access to medical services if that should ever be required.

Typical February day in Nerja. The cloudless sky is bright blue and the trees in the square are filled with oranges ripening in the sunshine. We've been eating fresh avocados each day, provided by our landlord who seems to have a garden somewhere on the premises. Although the streetside face of Spanish village houses is almost forbidding with heavy wooden door and small windows with wrought iron bars and closed shutters, a glance in through those doors reveals elaborately tiled inner courtyards ablaze with sun and flowers. Rooftop terraces are filled with plants and balconies spill geraniums and other blooms out into the street.

The many restaurants, bars and cafes of the Nerja area, provide endless variety for eating out at any time of the day. The famous "British breakfast" consisting of eggs, sausages, bacon, baked beans, fried tomatoes, toast, coffee and orange juice can be had for less than 5 Euros in countless beachfront and downtown cafes. Lunch can be as simple as a warm roll filled with meat and cheese or a salad or as hearty as grilled chicken or Argentinian ribs or fresh fish for under 8 Euros. Dinner likewise, starts at about 6 Euros and averages about 9 Euros for a main course. The wine is usually 1.50-1.80 a glass and a good bottle of wine in restaurant can be had for 8 or 9 Euros. Portions as you can see are generous and in addition to Spanish food, there's Italian, Thai, Dutch, German, Argentinian and of course, the British pubs with fish and chips. And when you tire of International cuisine, don't forget the very popular and excellently priced Sunday dinners in those same British pubs where 9 Euros will get you a very tasty and extremely filling meal of roast beef, roast lamb or roast pork complete with Yorkshire pudding and gravy, vegetables, mashed and roasted potatoes and the works. Our favorite is a little place called The Smugglers Inn where there's usually a bunch of locals at the bar watching the soccer on the big screen and the Sunday roast includes both mashed and roast potatoes and three different vegetables as well as freshly made Yorkshire puddings. After all, the cook at home does need a day off.

Vivid displays of flowers and climbing vines are everywhere during the cooler and slightly wetter times of the year on the Costa del Sol. In February, the almond blossoms blanket the countryside with pinkish blooms and plants and flowers open up with astonishing displays of tropical colour. The ocassional days of rain fill the reservoirs for the arid days ahead and what will be brown mountainsides by summer are now freshly green. In our three winters on the coast, we've never had more than five or six days of cloud and rain during the entire two month period of February and March. Sunshine and blue skies are the norm!!!