Right now, Lars and I are counting down the days for the start of our big spring trip. So far, we have spent a lot of time to the planning ;we will spend quite some time in Eastern Europe. We are really looking forward to the trip! It is very likely that we pay a visit to Italy again and Albania and Romania.
When we were in the Dolomites, we stayed on a farm in a small village.
So far we have mainly paid attention to Malaga and Granada. From now on, we will pay more attention to Jaén as well. This is one of the least touristic provinces of Spain. But that doesn’t mean that there isn’t anything to be seen there. Jaén is home to Nature Parks and historic cities and much more. JOIN us to a new destination!
Later this week, we will start with the first new episode.
So far we have had a very cold winter here in Spain. But fortunately, a couple of Sundays ago, temperatures started to rise again. We decided to celebrate this event and go to the Costa tropical. Our favorite place there is Calahonda, but it turned out that most restaurants were still closed. Instead, we went to the smaller town of Castillo de Baños. One of the biggest attractions is the restaurant El Paraiso. The restaurant specializes in fish and seafood and is located right next to the sea. It’s not the cheapest place at the Costa, but the food is excellent!
The restaurant was full when we arrived, so we had to wait inside and half an hour later we couldto our greatest joy sit outside. Having dinner and observe the waves at the same time turned out to be a lot of fun.
Lars chose the escalope and I had the gambas with pil-pil sauce (a very aromatic and spicy sauce!). The food was very delicious; we really felt in paradise!
Chocolate cake for dessert and a brandy; in the meantime the waves got bigger and bigger!
Our GPS had one surprise in store. Instead of going home via the motorway, she sent us through the mountains of the Alpujarras. The landscapes were a real treat!
No matter what you are celebrating, restaurant El Paraiso will always be an excellent choice!
I grew up with my grandparents and when I was six my grandmother introduced me to Lawrence of Arabia. Although I didn’t really understand the movie, thanks to the landscapes, the soundtrack and the enigmatic Peter O’Toole, this was the start of a lifelong affair with movies. Furthermore, When I saw the movie again in the fall of 2018, I discovered that part of the movie had been filmed in Spain! The next day we found ourselves in Tabernas for some exploring:
This small town is located not far from a desert, as you can see from the surrounding mountains:
Last Summer, we were back in Tabernas, for some further exploring.
On top of a hill, you can see the ruins of an 11th century castle. The local church is also worth a look:
There are picturesque villages nearby:
And there is of course the desert:
During our day in the Pyrenees, we decided to follow a touristic route in the area, we basically drove from one village to another. In Valle de Villaverde we decided to take a lunch break, we had become hungry!
So we parked our car near the Santa Maria Church and made our way to the Posada Calera. As soon as we entered the dining room, we were welcomed by delicious smells coming from the kitchen and a very friendly woman presenting the menu del dia to us.
Lars chose chickpea soup with extra cabbage for the starter, and I had macaroni. Both dishes were incredibly delicious. The Posada has an excellent cook!
For the second course we both had French fries, eggs, and the best smoked ham we had ever eaten:
Dessert was Natillas (Vanilla custard), containing about a miliion calories! One of the best meals we ever had, we were in foodie paradise.
When we were back in the car, the explorers in us woke up, and we decided to go to Bakio (am small coastal town):
Huge change of scenery, and what a scenery:
it was the end of the afternoon and lots of people were soaking up the last sun rays on the beach with their pooch.
And after all the fantastic events of that superb day, It was time to return to Santander.
About 10 years ago, on a cold and misty Saturday morning, Lara and I visited this cemetery.
This cemetery was built in the 19th century and is known as the resting place of Hergé, the man who gave us Tintin. He is actually one of the last people buried here. Another reason why the cemetery is wort a visit are the beautiful monuments and the rich fauna and flora. Have a look for yourself!
Address: Dieweg 95, Ukkel.
Fjord&Baelt is a research institute and a museum dedicated to local marine wildlife. There are demonstrations with porpoises and seals – Naja and Fiona are two of the seals. Porpoises are related to dolphins.Fjord&Baelt is located in the north of the island of Funen.
Part of the institute consists of aquariums, where you can touch and pet crabs and small sharks.
Through the windows in this tunnel, where you can see the seals and porpoises swimming around, but you have to be very quick if you want to photograph them. The demonstration takes place outside, and there you can easily take as many pictures as you want.
We found the demonstration to be very informative and fun!
There is a gift shop, and you can buy something to eat and drink. Half a day should suffice for a visit. If you want to spend more time in cozy Kerteminde, have a look at this website. And here you can more practical information about Fjord&Baelt.
There’s no denying it, winter is approaching. The weather is still sunny, but temperatures have gone down to 15-20 degrees Celsius, which is about half of what we enjoyed during summer. Lars and I both miss summer, but seeing the first snow in the magnificent Sierra Nevada is special. Since we both come from flat countries, a drive in the Sierra Nevada -or any other Sierra for that matter – is always a delight.
These are the pictures we took:
Budapest is without any doubt Hungary’s most popular destination, but checking out the Balaton Lake is really worth it. IT’s home to numerous beaches and a geological site, called Hegyestű (located between Monoszló and Zanka). The site features an exhibition about its history. The entrance fee is about 1200 HUF.
The trail to the top is easy to follow; do wear a decent pair of shoes though and a sunhat. The views are magnificent!
The address is:
Zánka Monoszló és Monoszló között külterület
About a month ago, my laptop broke down. That’s one of the reasons why we haven’t been very active on our site. Without a laptop it’s kind of hard to blog, and we have just returned from more adventures in the north of Spain. Anyway, without further ado, let’s finish our adventures in Murcia!
First up is Puerto de Mazzaron, a charming beach town. In the harbor, there are boats that organize trips during which you can observe dolphins.
Another beach town that won our hearts was Bolnuevo. Think Beach, Bars and Bays, and Rock formations. All the ingredients for a tranquil holiday!
Our next post is dedicated to some randonautica!
Travel Memories 