CanadiAnneinSweden: Costa del Sol

Buenas dias from Malaga – Costa del Sol (sunshine coast).

I left Umea in a snowstorm yesterday – as you can see in the pictures here, but as the sign says “No Big Deal” – well more or less ;)

Light packing (for me!)

No Big Deal!

Our plane makes it late from Stockholm

The bus was on time and I got to the airport early – and then I waited and waited and despite being pleased that I would only have carry on – they informed me my carry on was 2 kilos too heavy so away it went – although it was nice to pack my winter coat and think I wouldn’t be needing it J Despite Umea being amazing at keeping up with the snowfall – the roads were all plowed! - the flight was delayed almost an hour – but luckily I had enough wiggle room in Stockholm to just make my connection J Stockholm was also snowy so maybe Vickie and I will have a snowy Christmas when we are in Stockholm! Next flight was to Barcelona. It was a pleasant change to be on an airline (Spain Air) where I could understand the other language too – mas o menos. My Spanish is not great, but it is coming back to me – although it’s a different story coming from living in a country that is yet a 3^rd language and so I find myself saying “Tack” er I mean “thanks” no no uh “GRACIAS”… muy complicado!

I was quite pleased with my ability to find The Hotel California – figured out catching the bus (which left early so was grateful for the efficiency with which the airport got my checked bag out or would have had to wait an hour until midnight). Arriving in the evening it was hard to grasp what it all looked like – but what I did see once I got into the city center was lovely. My bus stop was along Parque del Paseo – General Torrijo square – and up on the hill is something related to Picasso I think (he was born here). Quite a lovely sight for the evening. Then a 5 minute walk and I arrived at The Hotel California.

My room (well our room once Vickie arrives – after missing her flight yesterday she had a 3+ hour delay in Dublin today b/c of the snow storm – apparently snow is all across Europe (but not here thank goodness!) is super cute and definitely has a Spanish feel to it, as does much of the architecture in the neighborhood.

The Room - which we can see the water from :) and Desayuno for one = a lot of food!

The hotel is just 30 m from the beach so after checking in I decided I would stretch my legs a little more and went down to the water – it feels pretty warm J And I was delighted to see palm trees – you know you are in the right climate when there are palm trees growing – it was +11C at midnight last night J Oh and I was amused to see a work-out station at the beach – now I know what to do if I am missing IKSU J

Beach-side sports center!

Boardwalk by the beach - just down from the hotel

Proof that I am here in Malaga :)

Today I slept in until 10 am – good thing I set my alarm or I think I would have slept right through desayuno (breakfast)! Today is WET and WINDY – mucho mucho lluvia – they call it the Costa Del Sol – The Sunshine Coast – but today no se where the sun is! But I wasn’t going to let that stop me so I ventured down to the city center and went shopping. There are tons of cute little shops here along all sorts of little interwinding streets. And the Christmas Spirit is all around – look fwd to seeing when all the decorations are lit up at night J And happy that I will have to wait until later in the day for the sun to go down – rather than around 2 pm back in Umea!

A view of the city scape from downtown (15 minute walk from Hotel California)

?A nativity scene - I recognize the camels - in the middle of a roundabout in the historic center

It is a treat to see that, as Aida told me, shops here are open LATE – well with a siesta in the middle of the day when they all close up shop. I am back at my hotel having a rest b/c most shops close from mid afternoon until later in the afternoon and then they stay open until 9 pm here in Malaga. What a refreshing change from Umea where shops close at 2:30 pm on Saturdays and are closed on Sundays!