Category Archives: holidays

malaga apartment revisited

09 Tuesday Aug 2011

Posted by in holidays, Malaga, spain, summer, travel, trips

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[click to enlarge]

This is the third summer I’ve been fortunate enough to be invited to stay at Manolo’s fabulous apartment with views of both the sea and the port. Though this is now my fifth visit as I was here twice last summer and also had that wonderful Málaga Christmas trip with Peter and Jessica. The biggest difference this visit is that Manolo has totally redone the place, and it looks even more fabulous.  If you compare the collage above to these old pics you’ll see what I mean. No more orange walls and heavy curtains. It’s all fresh white and cream tones, with much improved pictures on the walls and pretty lamps. Much more “minimalist”, which of course is totally my style.

I’m also really glad that I bought this little bodum french press for the trip as it makes the perfect amount of coffee for a perfect wee brekky. I’m just finishing my coffee now as I write this and wondering what I’m going to do today. It suddenly seems like I’ve gone on holiday by mistake as I found out yesterday evening that the vineyard tour has to be postponed until Friday morning. Also not sure about getting out to the bodega with Victoria before that to get some work done as she now has to go to out of town. So I may have to change my 5pm train on Friday to a later one.

But what to do now until Friday morning? Well, I’ve got work to do on the social media stuff that I can do while relaxing here in my “second home”. And of course there is plenty to see and do in Málaga. It’s just weird suddenly having all this extra time here on my own. I think I quite like the idea!

Going to call home now to check on Azar, then a shower and then out to see where the day takes me… hasta pronto!

made it!

08 Monday Aug 2011

Posted by in animals & pets, cats, holidays, Malaga, travel, trips

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But I almost didn’t! I mean, just look at this little guy…

That was Azar last night. He clearly knew this wasn’t just laundry being sorted and that I was getting ready to GO AWAY. And with his continuing health issues (this past weekend was a bit dodgy) I seriously considered postponing until at least Tuesday. But in the end I decided to go this morning because the real issue wasn’t that he’d be okay today and tomorrow, but for the rest of the week. I had to leave at 10.15 to catch my train and – bless that little sweetheart – at 10 o’clock Azar went to the box and had a very healthy looking BM, which made me almost weep with joy and relief. And so I was able to leave with a light heart and feeling very optimistic that Azar is going to be just fine this week, under the care of Nog and vet Yolanda.

As usual I was a nervous wreck about packing and leaving, and not just because of Azar. Personally, I think I need to travel more so I get over this “leaving anxiety” thing. And if I did travel more often I’d have a selection of small travel toiletries and whatnots always ready to go, so that I didn’t have to ransack the bathroom and then still end up having to buy stuff when I arrived.

The other thing about staying at Manolo’s is that I always bring my own sheets and towels, which really fills up a suitcase! So even though I’m only going to be gone for four nights, it looks like I’m going away for a month. Anyhow, Nog came to the train station with me this morning and saw me off. The plan was that Manolo had left a set of keys inside the apartment and I was to ask the doorman to let me in, but Manolo warned me that he might be gone for lunch when I arrived. Well, the train got in at 1.35 and I got to the apartment just before 2 o’clock, so thought I would surely catch the doorman before I left. No such luck. Turns out his break is from 1-5pm! So I went upstairs and luckily the neighbours were in and were happy to look after my luggage while I went out for lunch.

After that I had quite a long wait at this total dive of a place on the beach, as you can see…

La Moraga 

Afterwards I stopped at the supermarket for a few supplies, got the doorman to let me in, picked up my bags from next door…and got settled in! Made the bed, hung up my clothes, got my kitchen stuff organised, took a shower, set up my “office”, and I have been happily ensconced here ever since. Feet up, sea breeze blowing in through the balcony doors and windows, listening to music on my “travel iPod deck”. And dammit, I feel happy. I really really really needed to do this.

More mañana. Manolo’s place looks amazing! It’s been renovated since last time I was here and is so light and fresh looking. Not sure what I’ll do this evening, though I’m thinking I’ll just stay in and have an early night as I only got about 3 hours sleep last night worrying about Azar. Oh, and that massive mofo cockroach that Loki cornered at 3am also didn’t do any wonders for the ol’ sleep department. Really looking forward to falling asleep to the sound of the waves tonight, which is the next best sound to a cat purring…

it’s a conspiracy!

31 Tuesday May 2011

Posted by in cancer, cats, holidays, hospitals, Malaga, summer, travel, trips

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At first I thought it was a simple game of “where’s Loki?” that the two boys were enjoying when I took this photo. But recent events have led me to believe that the cats – who are gods, as we all know – are conspiring against me.

I’d thought that having Jessica here at the beginning of July to look after the boys – and especially Azar – was a sign that I should plan a few days away in Málaga before the next PET scan. And if Nog could get away for the weekend this would also provide Jessica & Thomas with a nice possibility for a romantic few days at casa az, enjoying the space and the terraza…

The first problemita occurred when Manolo said he wouldn’t know if his apartment would be available until about two weeks before that weekend. But I remained hopeful that it would work out. So I planned to leave just after my next oncology appointment, the day after Jessica got back (July 6th), which would have given me a few fab days in Málaga on my own before Nog came to join me. And all the while I would know that the cats were in very good hands.

Well THEN I got a booking request for a Sevilla Tapas Tour for July 7th – for five people! – and just couldn’t turn down that kind of money. But then I thought – hey – depending on Jessica’s schedule I could go for the weekend with Nog, then he could come back the following Monday (July 11th) to look after the cats, while I stayed on to enjoy my pre-scan holiday for a few more days.

Nope. Today I got a notice in the mail saying my appointment to go over all the heart tests that I had done after the scary four-hour tachycardia incident which ended up with me wearing a holter was booked for Monday, July 11th. Well Hell!

I just wonder how he does it. Is it the ears? In any case, it seems clear to me that Azar is moving heaven and earth to make sure I don’t go away this summer, and that Loki is in cahoots…

dreaming of olive trees…

23 Monday May 2011

Posted by in holidays, Malaga, spain, summer, travel, trips

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A little iPhone art here, drawn while I was on the train to Málaga last August, passing through olive groves. And I may be seeing them again soon!

With Azar’s new found trust in Jessica I started thinking that I might be able to get away this summer after all. Given how frail he’s been lately I would never have left him on his own with just a “sitter” coming in to check up on him. Which still meant I could go away and leave Nog in charge, but he kind of deserves a summer break as well.

And so I spoke to Manolo and it’s almost certain that we’ll be able to use his fabulous apartment the first week of July (well, five nights), which will also free up casa az so that Jessica can have a nice romantic break here with Thomas (if he can make it down). Win win!

I’m so excited about this even though it’s over a month away. I just love Málaga and Manolo’s apartment is in such a great location. It’s also been redecorated so should be looking fab, and it will really feel like “going home”. Every time I go to Málaga I fall in love with it a little bit more.

I won’t find out for sure if I can have the apartment until a couple of weeks before (fingers crossed!) which means it might be hard to get train tickets.  I had wanted to leave on the Monday but realised that is my next oncology appointment, so it will be Tuesday – Sunday instead. But at least I’ll get my holiday in before the next PET scan, just in case…

Have you got any summer travel plans?