Category Archives: Malaga

impromptu trip to málaga

25 Tuesday Oct 2011

Posted by in Malaga, tapas, trips, wine, work

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The last time I went to Málaga was in August for the Botani vendimia tour. Since then I think I’ve only seen Victoria twice, not really often enough as we still have to finish off a few projects as well as keep the blog and website updated properly. So, as Victoria had no plans to come to Sevilla again soon, and I didn’t have any Sevilla Tapas Tours booked until Thursday evening, this week seemed a good time to make some time to get together.

And so, after a quick phone call yesterday to confirm our Wednesday meeting I went out to buy my tickets and will be leaving for Málaga bright and early this morning on the 7.30 am train! Aargh. I prefer taking the 11 am train, which gets me into town at 2.30, but that means having to wait around, with luggage, until the porter at Manolo’s building gets back from his lunch break – at 5 o’clock – so he can let me in to the apartment.  This way I’ll get there around 10.30 and will have a whole day in Málaga on my own, which will be nice. The plan is to come back on Thursday afternoon, arriving just in time for a Gourmet Tapas Tour.

Quite like this mixing business with pleasure thing!

botani vendimia tour

14 Sunday Aug 2011

Posted by in Malaga, photos, wine, work

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The main reason for going to Málaga last week was to be able to get some face-to-face work done with Victoria, as we have a few projects on the go and I thought it would be easier for me to meet her on her home turf. And well, okay… I also love going to Málaga! Then I thought that, as one of the projects was to take photos of the vendimia (grape harvest) and make a few videos, it would be a lot more natural if I could catch Victoria “in action” talking to people, rather than just speaking into the camera. And so I organised the Botani vendimia tour.

I invited a few journalists and one amazing photographer. It was great to see Michelle and Chris Chaplow again, and to finally meet Ben Cooper and his wife Philippa. And although it was a shame that Annie Bennett and Eduardo Blanco couldn’t make it, we still ended up making a nice group of five, including me.

Then *almost disaster* struck when Victoria was suddenly called away to a very important meeting out of town, which meant my “face time” with her just wasn’t going to happen. But luckily she only postponed the vendimia tour to the next day, something I know was very generous on her part as this is the busiest time of year for her and losing time going out of town meant she was going to be backed up when she returned. But she still spent all of last Friday with us, taking us to a a couple of the vineyards, then to see some sites in Almáchar and, after a quick trip to the bodega to talk to the winemaker there and see the grapes being pressed for Botani 2011, she invited us all to an amazing lunch at a beachside seafood restaurant in Málaga.

It was a fabulous day – hope you enjoy the pics.

happy toes 2011

10 Wednesday Aug 2011

Posted by in animals & pets, cats, food & drink, holidays, Malaga, spain, summer, tapas, travel, trips, work

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This morning I took my first beach walk, leaving my sandals with a group of elderly women who were hanging out under a massive colourful umbrella, and it felt great. Though at the water’s edge it’s quite slopey, which makes walking in the waves extra difficult. Will have to go out again tomorrow morning as I won’t have time on Friday.

I still don’t know what’s going on in terms of meeting with Victoria and getting some work done, but as we’d only have this afternoon/evening it’s not looking very promising. Ah well, I’m getting lots of other stuff done.

Meanwhile, I got some great news this morning when Nog called to tell me that Azar had had a BM, which meant he didn’t have to be taken to the vet’s for an enema. And as I’ll be back on Friday, I can “do the honours” then if need be. As for the blood test, it’ll be easier for everyone concerned if I’m there too, so that can also wait until I’m back. I was really starting to feel badly because of leaving Azar all week when it turned out I could’ve come out today and saved a lot of worry, but now that it’s turned out okay I can go back to enjoying myself.

Had a nice day yesterday. Went to a new place for lunch called La Cosmopolitana, which had been recommended by Agustín, and it was great! Then I came home to do a bit of work, thinking I’d go to the cinema in the evening. Well, an extra long siesta took care of that plan, so I decided to just keep on sleeping.

The friends I invited to the vineyard tour are coming in to Málaga tomorrow. Still might nip over to Mijas in the morning as I’ve been invited by cookbook author and personal hero Janet Mendel to have a few tapas with her, so may be able to do lunch there and then have dinner out with the gang. Busy, busy, busy…

What have you guys been up to this week?

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!