My trip report from Spain, part 4, the final
Posted: Mon Aug 11, 2008 4:04 am
In the first part of my story about our cottage in Spain, I told, how we got the cottage,
part two was about the problems and the good experiences, we have had
in part three I showed a lot of pictures and told about Frente a la Vista and Torrox
Now it's time for part four, the final which is:
A trip report from this year's vacation
as usual with the supplement of some stories.
But first a repetition of the information in the first part:
1 Euro = about 1,59 US dollars
1 liter = 0,263 gallon
1 square m = 3,28 square feet
1 kg = 35,27 ounce
Visit number 39 in Spain
Since we bought our lot in 1980, we have visited Spain 39 times. I can count the visits in our combined guest and diary book, because I write about every visits there, it's both funny and practical to be able to read, what we have done the different years. And it's never the same! Ok, some experiences are. There is always work to be done!!
Our flight was from Hamburg with Air Berlin. We have an airport closer to us, but the tickets were as usual cheaper from Hamburg, found some to 212 Euro each for a round-trip. We know that the service is reasonable with A.B., we have sandwich, tea, coffee, soft drinks, newspapers and some magazines for free, and what's important for us, it's not a late arrival. These aspects all mean that we can accept the about two and a half-hour extra, it takes to drive to Hamburg.
So we left Hamburg at 11.55 a Wednesday morning with all our traps: We always have a lot of stuff with us, not much cloth, but food and various things for the house - the people, who do the X-ray sometimes have their eyes wide open - and arrived to Malaga about 3 AM as planned. Next step was waiting for the luggage, ours are very easy to recognise. We always use 2 very big sport bags in harsh colours, which during the years, I have to say, have been a little shabby. We are only allowed to bring 20 kg luggage with us together with 5 kg carry-on luggage, so we need to save weight not using heavier suitcases, and the sport bags also can hold a lot. So even during our journey to Virgin Islands, where we didn't have problems with the weight, we used them.
Urrgh, we had to wait and wait before the luggage arrived
, and urrgh there was a long row at the car rental office
. Don't you know we are in a hurry? We are so much looking forward to see our little cottage again! Finally it was our turn. We had ordered a diesel car, but got a gasoline car, a Mercedes 150. The car was fine but very mucky. Should we complain? No, on the other hand, we have to accept that, it could be the reason, why it only costs 396 euro including insurance and free kilometres to rent it for 20 days!!
Arrival
Next step, buying groceries. I have a permanent shopping list, it's nearly the same we need to buy every time. We know where to shop, so it doesn't take a lot of time. So off we go for Frente a la Vista, exited to see how everything looks. But before we have unlocked, the neighbour came to welcome us, and hubby starts a longer conversation, I'm very impatient, want to come into our house. Have to tell it after some time. So at last they stop talking, and we can inspect everything. At first sight it doesn't look so bad, but looking further we can see, that we as usual have to paint some walls, also some of the mosquito nets in the windows need to be replaced, and a couple of the windows and doors could use some painting too. Neither the tiles are looking good. But we have seen it worse. No time to think of that now. We have to clean and unpack. Nearly all the things we have, including towels and some cloth, are packed in big plastic boxes, so after the cleaning, it's just to put them in the right place. After 3-4 hours hard work we are tired. It's time to have a reward: Dinner at the terrace - marinated herrings and cold meat together with snaps and our favourite beer San Miguel in a one-litre bottle. I like the beer in the big bottle best. Hubby teases me, says, that it's the same beer as in the smaller bottles, and the only reason, why I prefer the big one, is because I want to say that I only have had one beer
. Later we have found out that the alcohol percent in the one litres bottle is lower, so he isn't right. But I have to admit that I don't really know, if I can taste the difference, if it came to a test, I'm normally not a beer drinker, we mostly drink wine. Only in Spain in the heat we love to have a cold beer once in a while. Ok, but after a few snaps and some beer- I didn't empty the one litre bottle myself this time, I have to train first -, we went to bed very pleased with the situation.
Work to be done
The next days we worked again. Putting the last things in place, more cleaning including cleaning the garage, painting, varnishing, cutting the high grass and some of the plants down, removing the overturned agaves etc., etc..
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.dk/benthe44/Spa ... 2850"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/benthe44/SInAfEMNS ... 2.JPG"></a>
hubby painting
In the last week hubby also removed our gas hot-water tank in the kitchen, and instead he placed a bigger electrical one in our shower cabinet. It gives much more pressure on the water, a better shower, and don't make a not a lot of noise, when we switch it on, which we were used to with the old one. We also are glad that we have minimized the danger with gas. A nice improvement!
Beach visits
But of course we didn't work all the time. In Spain we very often sleep until about 9, sometimes later
!! After breakfast we perhaps make some work, and it's normally that if we go to the beach, it's not before 2 or 3 AM. We think the sun can be too sharp about midday. At the beach we have lunch, we relax, swim, read, take a walk etc. and perhaps about 7 am, we leave. Often we have to do some shopping for the night's dinner or something else. There are lot of big supermarkets near the beach with late opening time, no problem. Once in a while we also go to the beach very late just because we need a swim.
We nearly always use the beach, where we have our favourite restaurant "Jimenez". And this year we decided to have our lunch there the second day after our arrival. What to start with? Both of us were looking forward to have "Gambas Pil Pil" and their mixed salad. Uhm, very delicious.
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.dk/benthe44/080 ... 5122"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/benthe44/SHpjQYC9m ... 0.JPG"></a>
And of course we ordered, what we now have named "the Spanish painkiller", because the drink helps on everything. If you are tired, take a "painkiller", very thirsty, take a "painkiller", need a break, take a "painkiller" ... you can continue. The real name is "Vino de Verano" - summer wine, and it's just red wine, mixed with la Cacera, a special soda water with some salts and minerals in, which we have only seen it in Spain. The drink is served with a piece of lemon and ice cubes. Uhm! In the cottage we always have La Cacera and of course red wine, so we can mix it ourselves. Can always find a reason to have a glass! The red wine we use to mix with is cheap, about 1,25 Euro for a litre. Of course it's not the same as the real painkiller, but I have to say that it helps that the price is much lower, and it's so easy to make.
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.dk/benthe44/080 ... 9618"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/benthe44/SHpi_zPuT ... 6.JPG"></a>
at Jimenez they know what to serve for us, 1 bottle la Cacera and one bottle red wine, ready to mix
After eating and drinking we were a little "tired", the bottle of red wine perhaps have some influence!
Glad that our sun beds are ready for us, let's go down and listen to the sound from the waves.
Oh, isn't it just lovely to be in Spain!
On Saturday we were on the beach again, and this time it was filled with tents, and there were more young people than usual. The restaurant were busy and Pepe, the man, who always grill the sardines, always wear a hat and normally always have a cigarette in his mouth, had a helper.
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.dk/benthe44/Spa ... 7826"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/benthe44/SJinWSFAP ... 8.JPG"></a>
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.dk/benthe44/080 ... 9282"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/benthe44/SIZBZx-TP ... 5.JPG"></a>
Hubby had sardines, and I had "calamaritos ", squids. We shared a mixed salad and " berenjenas fritas", deep-fried aubergines. So good!
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.dk/benthe44/080 ... 9490"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/benthe44/SHpk2lj9h ... 0.JPG"></a>
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.dk/benthe44/080 ... 2434"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/benthe44/SHpklf0R3 ... 7.JPG"></a>
After the meal and the necessary bottles we as usual enjoyed taking possession of our sun beds!
Oh no, we cannot hear the waves! The young people around us have brought big loudspeakers to the beach and play "dadumdadum" music, the same and the same again and again.
We couldn't cope to listen to this "music", so after the swim we packed our things and went home, very disappointed. Will the beach be like this in the future? Luckily we were later told that this Saturday was a special one "The Sardines Day", and this day you celebrate with music, eating sardines, and a overnight stay on the beach. Oh, what a relief!
Coming home we enjoyed some snacks and olives together with another of our favourite drink, a GTI, gin and tonic with ice. We had it on our roof terrace, where the view is the best. Sitting there I was thinking of one of the options in Picasa: "I'm feeling lucky"!
Another day on the beach I had "lenguado" , sole, also very good
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.dk/benthe44/080 ... 0914"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/benthe44/SHpqPNMQG ... 2.JPG"></a>
neat sheet
For many years we have used to bring our sun beds to the beach. In New York we bought 8 neat sheets, and one of them we took with us to Spain. One day I thought that I would try it instead of the sun bed. I liked it, like the more space it gave me, and now I use the neat sheet. Hubby still prefers the sun bed. But I cannot understand that the neat sheet isn't common in Europe. I'm so happy for ours and so are our friends and our son and family, who we had given one as a present. So thank you to the forum, where I have read about the neat sheet.
Speedos and topless women
In the forum there have been some funny discussions about men wearing Speedos like my husband does. So this year I was looking more after other men at the beach, than I use to do. What do they wear? I noticed that more and more men now are similar the Americans, they wear bathing shorts in different length. The men in Speedos were very often middle-aged men. Why? I cannot understand it! The young men will of course, like my hubby
, look nice in Speedos, and I cannot help thinking of, if it isn't funny to see a man with white tights and suntanned under legs!
The great majority of the people on the beach, we visit, are Spanish people. For some years ago there were only a few of the women, who were sunbathing topless. But it seems as if the Spanish women have been more liberated. Now you see more and more topless women both young and elderly. They are sunbathing topless and take their top on, when they go out for a swim
. Strange perhaps, but sometimes I do it in the same way.
"Paperwork"
We always have some "paperwork", when we are in Spain. We have to control the bank account, see if there is enough money for the next years expenses, fill out some tax papers, pay the tax etc..
I can tell, that it's very few money it cost us to have the cottage. Insurance, private tax, real estate tax, electricity and charges to the bank are totally less than 500 euro a year. Compared to DK it's very cheap!
Sometimes they are busy in the bank, and you have to wait. Then you can need a "painkiller" afterwards.
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.dk/benthe44/080 ... 3618"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/benthe44/SHpnAAti5 ... 7.JPG"></a>
This year we had some extra paperwork. I don't know how the rules are in USA, but in DK you can buy a lot, built a house, and you only need a deed of the lot. If you shall sell your property in Spain or have a loan, you both need a deed of the lot and a deed of the house. As I have told, we don't have a written building license on the cottage, so we haven't been able to get a deed, although the cottage is registered, and we pay tax. Thinking of which problem it could be for our son later, we have decided to try if we, after all this years, now can be "legal". So we had a meeting with a women working for a lawyer, who knows how to do it. Of course it needs a lot of documents and stamps. Also we had to pay an architect for an official measuring of the cottage. He visited us in the first week, it wasn't cheap to have him, and he mostly was looking at hubby's drawings. But now we hope, we will succeed having a deed, we have to be patient, such things take time in Spain.
After the meeting with the women we need a "painkiller" and some Tapas. Especially the boquerones, anchovies, were SO delicious - and cheap too.
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.dk/benthe44/080 ... 2818"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/benthe44/SHpp_1g6l ... 1.JPG"></a>
The woman also advised us to make a Spanish will. We have done that and were later in an office to have it signed and registered. Even though we have to wait for a longer time, we postponed the painkiller. I was more interested in going to the big market, I have seen nearby. Hubby doesn't like markets, think it's the same goods everywhere. In a way he's right, but I like to go around seeing every little stall, and I insist to do it at least one time per vacation. This year I bought a blouse and a pair of knee pants for both my daughter in law and myself. I also bought some cloth and toys for our lovely grandchildren.
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.dk/benthe44/080 ... 8354"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/benthe44/SHpn5lDpe ... 5.JPG"></a>
part two was about the problems and the good experiences, we have had
in part three I showed a lot of pictures and told about Frente a la Vista and Torrox
Now it's time for part four, the final which is:
A trip report from this year's vacation
as usual with the supplement of some stories.
But first a repetition of the information in the first part:
1 Euro = about 1,59 US dollars
1 liter = 0,263 gallon
1 square m = 3,28 square feet
1 kg = 35,27 ounce
Visit number 39 in Spain
Since we bought our lot in 1980, we have visited Spain 39 times. I can count the visits in our combined guest and diary book, because I write about every visits there, it's both funny and practical to be able to read, what we have done the different years. And it's never the same! Ok, some experiences are. There is always work to be done!!
Our flight was from Hamburg with Air Berlin. We have an airport closer to us, but the tickets were as usual cheaper from Hamburg, found some to 212 Euro each for a round-trip. We know that the service is reasonable with A.B., we have sandwich, tea, coffee, soft drinks, newspapers and some magazines for free, and what's important for us, it's not a late arrival. These aspects all mean that we can accept the about two and a half-hour extra, it takes to drive to Hamburg.
So we left Hamburg at 11.55 a Wednesday morning with all our traps: We always have a lot of stuff with us, not much cloth, but food and various things for the house - the people, who do the X-ray sometimes have their eyes wide open - and arrived to Malaga about 3 AM as planned. Next step was waiting for the luggage, ours are very easy to recognise. We always use 2 very big sport bags in harsh colours, which during the years, I have to say, have been a little shabby. We are only allowed to bring 20 kg luggage with us together with 5 kg carry-on luggage, so we need to save weight not using heavier suitcases, and the sport bags also can hold a lot. So even during our journey to Virgin Islands, where we didn't have problems with the weight, we used them.
Urrgh, we had to wait and wait before the luggage arrived


Arrival
Next step, buying groceries. I have a permanent shopping list, it's nearly the same we need to buy every time. We know where to shop, so it doesn't take a lot of time. So off we go for Frente a la Vista, exited to see how everything looks. But before we have unlocked, the neighbour came to welcome us, and hubby starts a longer conversation, I'm very impatient, want to come into our house. Have to tell it after some time. So at last they stop talking, and we can inspect everything. At first sight it doesn't look so bad, but looking further we can see, that we as usual have to paint some walls, also some of the mosquito nets in the windows need to be replaced, and a couple of the windows and doors could use some painting too. Neither the tiles are looking good. But we have seen it worse. No time to think of that now. We have to clean and unpack. Nearly all the things we have, including towels and some cloth, are packed in big plastic boxes, so after the cleaning, it's just to put them in the right place. After 3-4 hours hard work we are tired. It's time to have a reward: Dinner at the terrace - marinated herrings and cold meat together with snaps and our favourite beer San Miguel in a one-litre bottle. I like the beer in the big bottle best. Hubby teases me, says, that it's the same beer as in the smaller bottles, and the only reason, why I prefer the big one, is because I want to say that I only have had one beer

Work to be done
The next days we worked again. Putting the last things in place, more cleaning including cleaning the garage, painting, varnishing, cutting the high grass and some of the plants down, removing the overturned agaves etc., etc..
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.dk/benthe44/Spa ... 2850"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/benthe44/SInAfEMNS ... 2.JPG"></a>
hubby painting
In the last week hubby also removed our gas hot-water tank in the kitchen, and instead he placed a bigger electrical one in our shower cabinet. It gives much more pressure on the water, a better shower, and don't make a not a lot of noise, when we switch it on, which we were used to with the old one. We also are glad that we have minimized the danger with gas. A nice improvement!
Beach visits
But of course we didn't work all the time. In Spain we very often sleep until about 9, sometimes later

We nearly always use the beach, where we have our favourite restaurant "Jimenez". And this year we decided to have our lunch there the second day after our arrival. What to start with? Both of us were looking forward to have "Gambas Pil Pil" and their mixed salad. Uhm, very delicious.
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.dk/benthe44/080 ... 5122"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/benthe44/SHpjQYC9m ... 0.JPG"></a>
And of course we ordered, what we now have named "the Spanish painkiller", because the drink helps on everything. If you are tired, take a "painkiller", very thirsty, take a "painkiller", need a break, take a "painkiller" ... you can continue. The real name is "Vino de Verano" - summer wine, and it's just red wine, mixed with la Cacera, a special soda water with some salts and minerals in, which we have only seen it in Spain. The drink is served with a piece of lemon and ice cubes. Uhm! In the cottage we always have La Cacera and of course red wine, so we can mix it ourselves. Can always find a reason to have a glass! The red wine we use to mix with is cheap, about 1,25 Euro for a litre. Of course it's not the same as the real painkiller, but I have to say that it helps that the price is much lower, and it's so easy to make.
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.dk/benthe44/080 ... 9618"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/benthe44/SHpi_zPuT ... 6.JPG"></a>
at Jimenez they know what to serve for us, 1 bottle la Cacera and one bottle red wine, ready to mix
After eating and drinking we were a little "tired", the bottle of red wine perhaps have some influence!
Glad that our sun beds are ready for us, let's go down and listen to the sound from the waves.
Oh, isn't it just lovely to be in Spain!


On Saturday we were on the beach again, and this time it was filled with tents, and there were more young people than usual. The restaurant were busy and Pepe, the man, who always grill the sardines, always wear a hat and normally always have a cigarette in his mouth, had a helper.
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.dk/benthe44/Spa ... 7826"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/benthe44/SJinWSFAP ... 8.JPG"></a>
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.dk/benthe44/080 ... 9282"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/benthe44/SIZBZx-TP ... 5.JPG"></a>
Hubby had sardines, and I had "calamaritos ", squids. We shared a mixed salad and " berenjenas fritas", deep-fried aubergines. So good!
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.dk/benthe44/080 ... 9490"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/benthe44/SHpk2lj9h ... 0.JPG"></a>
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.dk/benthe44/080 ... 2434"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/benthe44/SHpklf0R3 ... 7.JPG"></a>
After the meal and the necessary bottles we as usual enjoyed taking possession of our sun beds!
Oh no, we cannot hear the waves! The young people around us have brought big loudspeakers to the beach and play "dadumdadum" music, the same and the same again and again.


Coming home we enjoyed some snacks and olives together with another of our favourite drink, a GTI, gin and tonic with ice. We had it on our roof terrace, where the view is the best. Sitting there I was thinking of one of the options in Picasa: "I'm feeling lucky"!


Another day on the beach I had "lenguado" , sole, also very good
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.dk/benthe44/080 ... 0914"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/benthe44/SHpqPNMQG ... 2.JPG"></a>
neat sheet
For many years we have used to bring our sun beds to the beach. In New York we bought 8 neat sheets, and one of them we took with us to Spain. One day I thought that I would try it instead of the sun bed. I liked it, like the more space it gave me, and now I use the neat sheet. Hubby still prefers the sun bed. But I cannot understand that the neat sheet isn't common in Europe. I'm so happy for ours and so are our friends and our son and family, who we had given one as a present. So thank you to the forum, where I have read about the neat sheet.
Speedos and topless women
In the forum there have been some funny discussions about men wearing Speedos like my husband does. So this year I was looking more after other men at the beach, than I use to do. What do they wear? I noticed that more and more men now are similar the Americans, they wear bathing shorts in different length. The men in Speedos were very often middle-aged men. Why? I cannot understand it! The young men will of course, like my hubby



The great majority of the people on the beach, we visit, are Spanish people. For some years ago there were only a few of the women, who were sunbathing topless. But it seems as if the Spanish women have been more liberated. Now you see more and more topless women both young and elderly. They are sunbathing topless and take their top on, when they go out for a swim


"Paperwork"
We always have some "paperwork", when we are in Spain. We have to control the bank account, see if there is enough money for the next years expenses, fill out some tax papers, pay the tax etc..
I can tell, that it's very few money it cost us to have the cottage. Insurance, private tax, real estate tax, electricity and charges to the bank are totally less than 500 euro a year. Compared to DK it's very cheap!
Sometimes they are busy in the bank, and you have to wait. Then you can need a "painkiller" afterwards.
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.dk/benthe44/080 ... 3618"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/benthe44/SHpnAAti5 ... 7.JPG"></a>
This year we had some extra paperwork. I don't know how the rules are in USA, but in DK you can buy a lot, built a house, and you only need a deed of the lot. If you shall sell your property in Spain or have a loan, you both need a deed of the lot and a deed of the house. As I have told, we don't have a written building license on the cottage, so we haven't been able to get a deed, although the cottage is registered, and we pay tax. Thinking of which problem it could be for our son later, we have decided to try if we, after all this years, now can be "legal". So we had a meeting with a women working for a lawyer, who knows how to do it. Of course it needs a lot of documents and stamps. Also we had to pay an architect for an official measuring of the cottage. He visited us in the first week, it wasn't cheap to have him, and he mostly was looking at hubby's drawings. But now we hope, we will succeed having a deed, we have to be patient, such things take time in Spain.
After the meeting with the women we need a "painkiller" and some Tapas. Especially the boquerones, anchovies, were SO delicious - and cheap too.
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.dk/benthe44/080 ... 2818"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/benthe44/SHpp_1g6l ... 1.JPG"></a>
The woman also advised us to make a Spanish will. We have done that and were later in an office to have it signed and registered. Even though we have to wait for a longer time, we postponed the painkiller. I was more interested in going to the big market, I have seen nearby. Hubby doesn't like markets, think it's the same goods everywhere. In a way he's right, but I like to go around seeing every little stall, and I insist to do it at least one time per vacation. This year I bought a blouse and a pair of knee pants for both my daughter in law and myself. I also bought some cloth and toys for our lovely grandchildren.
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.dk/benthe44/080 ... 8354"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/benthe44/SHpn5lDpe ... 5.JPG"></a>