by Helen | Jan 22, 2025 | Lifestyle
Since we bought our air fryer in the New Year, we’ve noticed that we are definitely using the conventional oven much less. It’s been used maybe three or four times, if that, and if we were in our home, I’m sure we’d noticed a reduction in energy consumption. However, we’re not, so it’s difficult to assess if cooking mostly with the air fryer, is more economical – but we are absolutely sure, it’s been a whole lot more fun. Certain things don’t necessarily cook more quickly, but they seem to cook a whole lot better. Eggs have been a revelation – boiled eggs are things of magic. You can time your preferred style of egg to perfection – in our air fryer, it’s about 7 minutes for a golden, runny egg or about 12 minutes for a beautifully hard boiled egg. For some reason, the shells seem to peel off a whole lot easier, too. We’ve done fried eggs too – gain, depending on how you like them, just adjust the time. Bacon is delicious – it holds the shape and size of the rasher, rather than them shrivelling, like they do when grilled. And the absence of fat is a massive plus. The last batch of smoked bacon was probably the best I’ve had. (And yes, I do like my fried eggs to have quite well done yolks, as I can’t be doing with runny yellows).
Padron peppers have also been a revelation. I’ve always just assumed that magic was employed to produce these charred beauties – I have to admit I hadn’t really given that much thought to how they might be cooked conventionally, but I’m not guessing a skillet, with hot olive oil, on the hob, might produce similar results? However, in the air fryer, they came out just perfecto. Washed and thoroughly dried, drizzled with olive oil, chilli flakes, ea salt and ground black pepper, with a sprinkle of lemon rind – don’t forget this as it makes ALL the difference – after about 12 minutes (turned halfway through) they were charred beautifully. And, oh my word, the taste. The salty, lemony flavour against the sharp flavour of the peppers was delicious.
But, it’s been fish which has been our biggest success so far. Frozen fillets of white fish have worked an absolute treat whenever we’ve done them, but I think our stand out meal was homemade chips (in the air fryer) and fillets, straight from the freezer, marinated in lemon butter with garlic and capers. The air fryer was heated to 200°C and the fish cooked for 20 minutes (turning half way through). The most perfectly cooked fillet – crispy around the edges and plump and juicy throughout. Way better than any filleted fish we’ve done in the oven or on the hob.
We’ve done crispy puffed butter beans, halloumi cheese, frozen oven chips, veggie meatballs, roasted potatoes – and we will continue to experiment. So far, nothing has been a disaster and I’m finding that whatever we fancy for dinner, a quick google search will usually reveal many air fryer recipe options.
Ours is quite a small machine – 3.5litre capacity and so we are actually considering buying another one, with a larger cooking basket, or with dual baskets. We think the initial expenditure will be worth it as we can then cook thing simultaneously – at the moment, sometimes we do need to keep things warm in the oven, as other things cook, therefore kind of defeating the object. It’ll also save on washing up, as rather than multiple baking trays, casserole dishes etc, the baskets can just be used. I can honestly say I’d never seriously considered an air fryer before, as I just assumed they were the latest fad. And they may well be, but it’s a fad that has ramped up our cooking in the kitchen and reduced the amount of time spent actually “cooking”. A really good purchase and one I would heartily recommend – if only for the frozen fillets of fish…
by Helen | Jan 21, 2025 | Spain, Travel
The shifting dunes of the south western coast of Andalucia, really are a sight to behold, perhaps the most dramatic being those located at Punta Paloma, the headland just to the north of Tarifa, separating the expansive beaches of Tarifa from those of Bolonia. The dramatically high sand dunes rise up by more than 100m from the beach just to the north of Playa Valdevaqueros, as a result of the fine, golden sand being blown from the beach up the headland, burying all the vegetation and even the trees.
Behind the sand dunes, is a small road (the A-2325), which runs off the main road. We love this road, as it quite an exhilarating drive. Much like driving through the mountains, when snow is falling, this Andalucian road, is frequently covered in sand, which can become very deep, very quickly. Caution – and very slow driving – is really required, as you could find yourself sinking into the sand. The road would appear to be frequently cleared, as there are a few “snowplough” style vehicles often parked up, but I wouldn’t fancy experiencing being stuck in a sand-drift. We tend to follow other cars – or are at least glad if another vehicle is behind us – as we feel a bit safer in numbers!
If you are feeling very, very energetic, it is possible to climb the dunes, both from the road side and the beach side, and standing on the top, you will be rewarded with the most fantastic views of the beaches all the way down to Tarifa town, and then across the straits to Morocco.
We have visited Punta Paloma a few times and every time, the landscape is different because of the shifting sands. In the summer, the winds are hot and intense and there is no respite from the heat, as there is little vegetation cover. However, in the winter, the winds are biting and strong and the sand whips up into your face like shards of glass. But, we can’t resist this wild, wild part of the coast, because it is so dramatic.
by Helen | Jan 20, 2025 | Renovation
Finally, work has started in the house. We visited last week and arrived to the sound of chiselling and hammering as years of plaster was starting to be removed from the walls of the rooms on the first floor. The downstairs rooms were filling up with scaffolding and tools. Guys, who we don’t currently know, were in and out of the house, up and down the stairs, carrying equipment. Wires trailed across the floors. The house was filled with the sound of demolition. And all of this made us so happy as it meant one thing – the renovation has started.
As I’ve explained previously, we are working with a family team of builders, and this includes the architect. First recommended to us by the estate agent we bought the house from, because we had to act quickly in getting in a builder before we put in our offer, to assess the house. We knew this could be risky – could the builder and estate agent be in cahoots? Could the builder be a cowboy? But, we had no choice – we were keen to progress if the house was viable, but we were in a new country and knew no-one, so had to take a leap of faith. We definitely would not recommend this approach if you have never renovated before (at home, and especially abroad) or are risk averse. However, we have a little bit of reno experience, and experience in working with builders in another country and we do take calculated risks from time to time, so we went with our gut reactions. Jose agreed to come and see the house and give us his opinion – he asked if we wanted a written report or if we were happy with him visiting the house with us, and talking us through it, as we walked around. We went for the second option as we didn’t want to fork out for a written report when we might have decided that the house wasn’t for us. And actually, walking around with Jose (€80 for his time and expertise), gave us a lot more information than I think we would have been able to garner from a written report. He actually spent over an hour with us, advising us and explaining things which were very particular to this style of house. He specialises in the renovation of traditional Andalucian townhouses – he has completed one across the road, and is about to begin working (or his team is) on the one next door, directly opposite what is now our house. He grew up and lives in the town, so is heavily invested in the restoration of these beautiful buildings. And, without any formal agreement or contract being signed, Jose became a real support to us as we went through the purchasing process, and is now our project manager. (We will be signing an agreement with him, detailing costings and the schedule of works and payments, but we feel in good hands and have been happy for him to begin the initial preparation works in the house).
So, if you are thinking about a renovation abroad, and not sure where to begin, we would suggest that first of all, you try find someone who will be on your side. That could a local builder, it could be the estate agent who will have lots of contacts in the area you are hoping to buy, and may be able to put you in touch with other people who have bought and started out on a similar journey. Choose wisely, and it could be the solicitor you appoint to deal with the purchase – I say “choose wisely” because this is where you do really need to do some due diligence. We searched online for solicitors in the area, who dealt with property purchases, specifically post Brexit. One firm, and the name of the solicitor, kept coming up in searches and reviews were fabulous. We made contact with some initial questions well before we came out to Spain, and these were answered fully and in a timely way, which impressed us. Without knowing we had made contact with the solicitor, the estate agent recommended him to us, and after our first meeting, we decided that he was the legal representation we needed. Through Power of Attorney – a very wise to do, especially if you don’t know the language sufficiently to discuss legalities – Sergio and his team have assisted us with the following, and these are things you would need to consider, if buying abroad :
- Securing our Spanish NIEs – these are like the UK National Insurance numbers and these are required for any kind of financial / legal situation. They are obtained from the police, but we didn’t have to attend, as we just provided copies of our passports to our solicitor, who sorted them on our behalf.
- The purchase of the house and the registration of the deeds in our name at the Land Registry. He also advised us on the tax implications, and steered us through the whole process in a very painless way – so much so, that we were very surprised to be handed the keys as everything had been conducted so seamlessly and quickly and almost without us knowing it had been concluded. The lovely round of applause from all present told us we now owned the house.
- Our residency applications are now in the hands of our solicitor – again, with POA, we only had to present ourselves to the Town Hall to register our digital signatures, and collate all of the documentation required. We now just wait for the system to do its thing, and hopefully we’ll end up with two shiny, new residency cards in the near future,
- Our solicitor recommended a bank and has assisted with the initial setting up of meetings etc to open new accounts and take out house and medical insurance (the latter definitely needed for residency status).
- Again, through POA, our solicitor dealt with the transfer of the energy and water accounts into our names, and set up the direct debits.
We feel very comfortable – and confident – with the relationship we have established with our solicitor. It is a small firm, and we deal directly with the owner and his assistant. We are not put through a switchboard, we don’t deal with different people each time. We deal every time with Sergio or Nieves, and already we have very friendly relations with them. Quick questions are answered efficiently and at no extra charge – for instance, we know exactly where to go and how to change the plates on our car from Istrian to Spanish, without having to spend hours searching online, hoping to find the right answer.
With Jose and Sergio having our backs, we feel that we have moved much more quickly in terms of getting to grips with Andalucian bureaucracy and life style. We know that if we need Sergio, he is there for us – and as much as we like him, we hope that we won’t need too many of his services. It’s different with Jose – we now communicate most days. Everything we discuss in person, is followed up by an email, so that any confusions or misunderstandings can be ironed out quickly and smoothly. Most important when sometimes language can present a difficulty. We both keep detailed records and all important information – especially relating to costings, is translated and double checked. We established at a very early stage that we both need to be clear and concise and that good and accurate records of meetings/discussions/decisions be kept. He is also our middle man for dealings with the authorities. In Istria, things were a little looser and our builder would generally just do things. But here, we’re doing it by the book. So, with his help, we have submitted, and paid for, our building licence to the Town Hall and paid for the licence to have a skip on the road outside the house. We’d eventually have worked this out, through research, but it’s so much quicker when you have a native speaker, who knows the rules and regulations, on your side.
So, moving abroad and mad enough to embark on the renovation of a listed townhouse? Get a great builder and a super solicitor and you’re off to a head-start. And, if you do want to pick my brains – within reason – submit a comment below, or drop me an email to helen@wearelife.co.uk…
by Helen | Jan 11, 2025 | Renovation
Although we have renovated houses before, this seems a very different renovation. In our very first house, we did change it a lot, but we did nothing structural. Mostly, it seemed to be constant decorating and moving things around, which we did ourselves. When we sold this house, we moved into a massive flat on Burton Road in West Didsbury, above one of the shops. It was the perfect rental at the perfect time, in the most perfect location. Opposite what would become Folk Cafe Bar, we moved in as the area started to develop and so we benefited from all of the fabulous bars and restaurants and shops being on our doorstep. It also meant that we could keep an eye on properties for sale in the area, as this was definitely where we wanted to buy. We eventually spent two years in the flat. The letting agency were awful – didn’t care at all about their properties, but this did work to our advantage, as we had freedom to decorate it. We probably shouldn’t have done anywhere near as much as we did, because we were only renting, but we wanted to live somewhere lovely, and by the time we left, it was pretty smart. Again, only decorating, but we did do the whole flat – stripping all rooms of wallpaper, painting, sanding and varnishing floors and generally turning a dilapidated flat into a bright, cheery, clean and well decorated home.
We then bought our house on Arley Avenue, just around the corner from the flat and we were here for sixteen years – and this was our first serious renovation, the first phase done between us and various builders, electricians and plumbers. We put in French doors, a new kitchen and a new bathroom and did most of the decorating and floor sanding ourselves, as well as turning a dump at the rear of the house onto a really lovely enclosed garden. Then in 2014, we embarked on the biggest renovation yet – and this time, we turned to the professionals, as we wanted to create a completely open plan living space, in our three bedroom terraced house. And this involved weeks and weeks of horrendous demolition work, as we watched our home literally being smashed apart…
The project grew and grew as walls came down, and this is when we started to learn a very, very valuable renovation lesson. It seems blatantly obvious, but find people you can TRUST and who understand your vision. We did strike largely lucky with this project, as it started off with a trusted friend working with us, and as it grew, he brought in his trusted circle of workers. I say we were “largely” lucky, because one of the guys, who started off well, seemed to go off the boil and things deteriorated with him. He was a very key part of the renovation – the electrician – and unfortunately when started things started to unravel with him, we ran into quite big issues. He would go AWOL, not turning up when he said he would. He always had an excuse for no-shows, but when he did turn up, we felt he was there under sufferance and work seemed to be not done to the standard it had been. So trust became a big issue – and eventually, the inevitable happened. He just disappeared, leaving work unfinished. And, we had stupidly made payments to him to try and ensure that he would complete jobs. He was very difficult to get hold of – only contacting us when we levelled with him about our disappointment and listed the jobs which had not been completed. He refuted this aggressively and was clearly not happy with being held to account – and in the end, we decided to draw a line under everything and got in another electrician to finish off the job. An expensive lesson to learn.
In hindsight, as soon as problems became apparent we should have taken action immediately and addressed the situation. Looking back, we let it go on for too long, hoping that things would just right themselves – but these things don’t. We’d demonstrated that we weren’t forceful enough and we believe that the electrician took advantage of this, especially when he admitted he’d been busy doing other jobs, having also pocketed our money. We knew what we should have done – listened to our inner, nagging thoughts – and taken action earlier. Ultimately though, the trust had gone and we weren’t going to get it back, so we had to move on if we were to get the project finished.
But it did teach us a valuable lesson, and our eyes were a whole lot more open, when we took on our next renovation. In a different country. But that’s for a new blog…
by Helen | Jan 10, 2025 | Renovation
Although it still feels as if we are on a very extended holiday here in Andalucia, and will be returning to Istria and our stone house, we’re going to soon realise that this is not the case. We actually completed on the Spanish house in October, but have only visited it three or four times since. So much work needs doing to it, to make it habitable, that we’ve been renting a lovely apartment in a coastal town called Sanlucar de Barrameda, some 130kms to the west. We’ve become very fond of this apartment and with the introduction of some of our furnishings and accessories from storage, it has really started to feel like home. So much so, that our “real” home, seems like something that really belongs to someone else, and we just imagine what it could be like if it was ours.
Well, we need to get our heads around the fact that it is ours. No-one elses. Ours. And, we need to do that pretty quickly, as the plans have been drawn up and we have a meeting with the builders next week to sign everything off and get the work started! It seems like no time since we were packing up in Istria, but here we are, ready to throw ourselves back into another renovation. This one will be very different to the last one. We did use builders in Istria, but due to the nature of the way things work out there, we relied largely on locals who were able to work with us when they were available and so up until the last guy we worked with, who was super reliable, things tended to drift and most jobs took ages to complete. This time, we are working with a family firm, who live very near to our house and who are a professional outfit, not talented odd-jobbers. Their work is renovation, from the drawing up of plans to the final fittings and finishes. We’ve spent the last couple of months meeting up, emailing, sending ideas and suggestions backwards and forwards and finally having plans drawn up and an very comprehensive quote and detailed schedule of works delivered. It really, really does feel very real now!
A lot of the initial work will involve the removal of internal plaster on walls, demolishing a number of walls, leveling floors, applying damp proof membranes, re-plastering, installing a whole new electrical system, plumbing etc etc. The only work which will be outsourced will be the doors and windows, and the removal of the roof terrace cover which has traces of asbestos. So, we are delighted that we have been able to extend our stay in Sanlucar, in the apartment, to the beginning of April, with the possibility of extending further if needed. This gives us real peace of mind, as we’ll have somewhere comfortable to live and work in, whilst the dirty demolition work is progressing.
the plans
Currently, the house has a very traditional Spanish townhouse layout. It is double-fronted – although currently, looking very tired and worn, and not at all elegant – with what will eventually be a very majestic double, wooden front doors, with elaborate panels and carvings. Once through these doors, there is a small porch, then through another set of double doors, two living rooms, one to the right and one to the left. Beyond this, through a beautiful arch, is what was once a dining room, then through to a kitchen, and off the dining room, the stairs to one side and to the other, two further rooms. It’s all quite disjointed and the current layout would just not suit how we want to live, as rooms would be underused. So, the decision has been made to take out key internal walls, to create a big open plan space – but keeping one of the living rooms to the front of the intact, so that we will still have the option of a cosy, closed off room, when we want it. For posterity, as it will be interesting to see how these plans work in reality, these are our initial ideas for the ground and first floor…
Already, things have changed, since we submitted our initial ideas to the builder, but we guess that’s how this renovation will go. We’ll have an overview of how we see things, but will be flexible and be prepared to reconsider decisions. We’ll ultimately do whatever it takes, to realise our dream Andalucian town house. And with the initial plans in place, we are step closer…
by Helen | Jan 8, 2025 | Lifestyle
We’ve considered an air fryer for a while, but haven’t done anything about acquiring one, as we thought they might be a bit gimmicky. Used a couple of times and then put back in the box and pushed to the far recesses of the cupboard. Only to be got out again when we did a big clear out and either binned it or donated it to charity. Yes, we have form here.
But at Christmas we received a voucher and after thinking about what we might use it for, we decided to investigate air fryers a little bit more, and started to like what we were reading. We quickly started to realise that an air fryer could be an investment, both financially and in terms of cooking more healthily. We liked the idea that they can reduce fat intake by up to 80% compared to traditional frying and cooking methods, and the fact that food is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, was another tick. Because there aren’t many components to an air fryer, even the largest capacity ones, they are clearly much easier to clean than a traditional oven or microwave, and less cooking/baking dishes are used because most cooking occurs in the basket. Everything is also contained within the tray, so no splashing or dripping or spillages. This was all sounding good.
However, we did also consider the disadvantages – and to us, these seemed largely to be price, dimensions and potential cooking times of certain foods. We discounted price pretty quickly as we didn’t want to pay silly money for something we ultimately may not have got a lot of use out of, so had a budget in mind, and stuck to it. Again, the issue of size was dealt with pretty quickly, as with only two of us most of the time, we could opt for a smaller capacity fryer. And, although it’s clear that certain cooking times, in an air fryer, may be longer than in a conventional oven, the other benefits were definitely starting to outweigh this. We spent quite a lot of time looking at different models, and to be honest, the final decision came down to the best design. Most in the price range we had set, seemed to offer more or less the same things, so we focused on what we had space for currently, as well as looking for a model that was pretty unobtrusive, with as few flashing lights and controls as possible – and we kept coming back to the Mi Smart Air Fryer with a capacity of 3.5 litres.
This model, with it’s circular OLED screen – and no other buttons or controls – looked sleek and super stylish, in white. The handle for the tray was even an attractive design. But the real pull of this air fryer, was its smart capabilities. Once connected to wi-fi and the app downloaded, it seemed to offer a whole load of new possibilities, including smart scheduling up to 24 hours in advance, meaning the timer can be pre-set. Very handy if you are out and about but want your meal ready, when you return home. Over 100 smart recipes are available, making it easy for beginners straight away – although, to be fair, this wasn’t the clincher as we’d already sourced so many recipes just by googling. However, the Mi Smart Air Fryer also supports custom cooking modes, so that you can adjust the settings as you please, and this feature did appeal. Without much more further ado, we placed an order for it, and three days later it arrived. Thanks to the very efficient Spanish postal service.
It is very much as beautiful as we had hoped. Not knowing how our new kitchen will eventually turn out, the decision to opt for white was a good one. As was selecting one that was as minimal as possible. Because it’s only 3.5 litres – which by the way, is perfect for two people – it sits easily on our counter top, and doesn’t take up too much space. It also doesn’t overpower, as some kitchen accessories do. It was simple to set up – once it found the network, it connected automatically to the wi-fi and when the app was downloaded, it was all pretty straightforward, too. We’ve only had it a few days, but already have discovered the benefits – less washing up, less using of trays and dishes, clean and compact, easy to use. But best of all – the quality of the cooking.
We started off with frozen chips – Harry Ramsden’s, which we think are the best – and wow! They were so different to oven cooked frozen chips. These were the best frozen chips we have ever cooked. Crispy on the outside, and soft and fluffy on the inside. Next up, we tried frozen white fish fillets, which were marinaded with olive oil, paprika, basil and oregano – again, cooked from frozen and what a result. The perfect texture and cooked to perfection, with slightly crisped edges but juicy, thoroughly cooked flesh. Amazing. We’ve also tried bacon and eggs – and this one really, really surprised us. Bacon will NEVER, EVER be cooked under the grill, ever again. Cooked in the air fryer, the smoked slices were succulent and full of flavour, and with very little fat. The eggs – fried eggs! – were almost perfect. I like my fried eggs to have quite hard centres, as I’m not a fan of a runny yolk and he likes them a bit more runny. I think we just need to work on timings as bother were almost perfect in their own way, but just not quite. The main oven and hob is still being used – last night we made a kedgeree, so everything was done on the hob. Apart from the hard boiled eggs, which were done in the air fryer. And this for me, was a bit like magic. Eight minutes – perfect eggs. And not a single crack in any of the shells.
We’re now actually asking ourselves, how did we survive before the arrival of the air fryer? And, over the next few weeks, I’ll start to share some of the recipes we’ve found and the results…
by Helen | Dec 29, 2024 | Lifestyle
Well, Christmas 2024 is certainly going to go down in our record books as a pretty memorable one. Although we couldn’t spend it with family – our rented apartment, although lovely, isn’t really big enough to accommodate guests and whilst I wait for my Spanish residency to be approved, I’m wary of leaving the EU, as, although I still have Croatian residency, there is the risk that the 90 day rule might kick in – we did spend a lot of time online, face-timing and chatting, so we didn’t feel as if we didn’t see anyone. However, what made this one memorable, was that up to Christmas and definitely over the festive period, we had the most amazing weather. Sunny, warm days – often hitting the low twenties – meaning that we could escape to the beach. And that is exactly what we did, when we shut down the computers and switched off for Christmas…
chipiona beach
The weekend before Christmas, we found ourselves in Chipiona, less than a ten minute drive from where we are living. When we first arrived here, we drove through what we thought was Chipiona, and thought it was pretty awful so hadn’t headed back – lots of derelict,shack type buildings, unkempt areas and a pretty grotty beach. However, we’ve since realised that this wasn’t Chipiona, it was somewhere on the outskirts and the town itself is really pretty, with a fabulous sandy beach and shallow waters. As we were only really passing through, before Christmas, we didn’t stay too long – just long enough to grab a table in a restaurant overlooking the beach, and have a lovely selection of tapas, in the very warm sunshine.
christmas day
Because we knew that the weather was going to lovely on Christmas Day, we decided we’d come back to Chipiona, bring a couple of beach chairs, glasses and a bottle of wine. After speaking to family and opening presents, and a lovely brunch of salmon and scrambled eggs and fizz, we packed a cool bag and headed off. Quite a few other people had obviously had the same idea, as we weren’t alone on the beach, although it’s such an expansive beach, that once we’d chosen a spot, we weren’t aware of other people being around. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky, and the sun was so warm. A perfect way to spend a couple of hours on Christmas Day – and such a different experience to any December 25ths previously!
We also took a leisurely stroll back to the car, through a beautiful little square – Plaza de Juan Carlos I. The small square is perfectly formed with a terrace of the most elegant town houses and a church – Parroquia De Nuestra Senora De La O. But Christmas dinner was calling and as pretty as this square was, we decided that we’d come back to investigate further, later in the week.
Christmas dinner was also a real treat this year. We’ve discovered a shop called The Food Co in Sotogrande which stocks lots of British supermarket brands, including a fabulous range of goods from Waitrose. We shop locally most of the time, and use Spanish supermarkets regularly, but this little gem of a supermarket is great for when you need something you can’t get in local shops or when you want a proper treat. Like pigs in blankets, at Christmas. Or proper stuffing. Or double cream – something we have always struggled with, but no longer! We also went super lazy this year – our kitchen in the rental is great, but small and we didn’t want to spend lots of time in it, so we bought cheat food. Roasted potatoes, sprouts and bacon, honey glazed parsnips, stuffed turkey crown, Yorkshire puddings – all ready to just put in the oven in their trays. Totally lazy but totally worth it, especially when we didn’t end up with piles of washing up.
We did manage to feel very festive, as we also bought a few Christmas decorations, which will now supplement the boxes of decorations currently in storage, and obviously lots of good food, chocolate, cheese, Baileys and pink fizz does help. So, yes a very different Christmas – but one in the sun is one I would definitely recommend!
by Helen | Dec 14, 2024 | Spain, Travel
For a short stay in Malaga, we recently discovered a really good company, offering fully renovated apartments in the center of the city, located on Calle Santa Lucia, in one of the city’s most vibrant areas. The accommodation, in a recently renovated townhouse, comprises studios and one- and two-bedroom apartments, all designed with a contemporary style and equipped with all the necessary amenities you’d expect. We booked a two bedroom apartment as we were staying with friends, and we were all pretty delighted with both the location and the standard of the apartment.
Communication from the company prior to arrival was excellent, and we were provided with access codes, as there is no reception. Some people may find this off putting, and would rather be greeted by someone – and sometimes, we do – but sometimes we quite like just being able to get into a property and not to have to do the meet & greet at reception. Obviously, online check in is essential for a stay like this, so worth knowing these points if you really prefer the personal touch. If you arrive by car, there is a public car park about 300 metres away – not the cheapest, but it is in central Malaga and it’s definitely somewhere to leave your vehicle.
Our duplex apartment was on the top floor, so we had a great view across the city rooftops and down into the streets below, from the little Juliet balconies, which opened out from big French doors. There is a lift so none of that struggling up flights stairs with luggage. The apartment itself was really large, and more than roomy for four adults. The layout was great for us, but again it’s worth knowing that you need to go through one of the double bedrooms to access the kitchen/living room upstairs. It’s easy to get around this though – both bedrooms are on the lower level, with one being private with its own door. The larger bathroom, with the shower, is located opposite, so whoever has this room can use the bathroom opposite, and whoever has the other double room, can use the smaller bathroom upstairs, meaning that in the night, no-one has to really go through anyone else’s room. A small drawback is that there is only the one shower, but for such a short stay this wasn’t an issue, and the shower is in the private bathroom.
Anyway, the layout is a tiny issue, because the whole of the two floor apartment is just lovely. Furnishings are simple but very stylish, so there is no clutter and the rooms feel roomy. As were only there for one night, and our friends arrived quite late from the airport, we didn’t take huge advantage of everything on offer, but we did use the upstairs living room to have wine and snacks. Both bedrooms benefited from large windows, the more open bedroom, with the stairs, having windows on two sides as this room is on the corner, therefore making it even lighter and airier. Both beds were extremely comfortable and bedding was excellent. Through out the apartment, there are tasteful accessories and the overall feeling is one of comfort. It has been renovated well and to a high spec, and with its location, we found this apartment to be just what we needed for a short stay.
For more information, see website here.
by Helen | Dec 6, 2024 | Spain, Travel
Well, this was definitely a new one for us. The Hard Rock Hotel. In Puerto Banus. Not really our usual less-is-more. More, more-is-more-and-the-brasher-the-better…
So, it begs the question – why? Why on earth did we chose to stay somewhere, so at odds with what we normally like? Well, we only needed a one night stay and it had to be somewhere near Malaga as we were meeting friends. And then staying in Malaga, so we felt we had the opportunity to do a night somewhere different, and up popped the Hard Rock Hotel. Maybe I’d been buoyed up by the purchase of my cowboy boots, but I just thought it was a great opportunity to stay somewhere a bit on the daft side. I honestly thought it would be tacky-and-amusing-in-an-ironic-kind-of-way, but it wasn’t at all. It was actually really quite nice! Maybe it was the time of year – beginning of December – that meant that there was very little pouting, Instagram posing or flexing of muscles around the pool. The pool was open, but only a few hardy guests lounged around the side of it, reading or scrolling through phones. It was quite busy, but nowhere near the levels of madness I’d expect to see in the summer.
To be fair, the communal areas were kind of what I was expecting. Lots of memorabilia, including glass display cases with the costumes of famous rock stars and music legends. I’m guessing they were the real deal, but I couldn’t swear to this. In the middle of reception, a circular seating area provided a bit of stage, and sure enough, we did experience a singer giving a live performance. He wasn’t bad at all, given that he was signing to a queue of people at 11am in the morning, checking out, but it did make for a pretty bizarre exit. We checked in and out at the “normal” reception, where cool, groovy young staff, headphoned and microphoned up – maybe even wearing roller boots behind the desk (I wouldn’t have been surprised) – tried to persuade us to download the app, wear the wristbands and generally just get into the Hard Rock spirit of things. This was all sadly a bit lost on us, as we can’t stand being forced to be jolly and join in – we’ll do it in our time, at our own pace, IF we want to, thank you very much. Across the way was the VIP reception area, with a few people sitting behind the glass partitions. Unfortunately, upon closer inspection, they were not celebs. Maybe just people who’d taken advantage of the whole shebang being a lot less expensive in the winter. I did wonder if they also got the wristband treatment, too…
So, the room. The most important part of the stay. We booked a superior double room, as the price was so good. Even a suite was affordable but it seemed a bit excessive to book a massive suite for just one night, so superior double it was. The hotel is huge, and we found this out to our cost, when we finally located our room, which was at the furthest end of a very, very, very long corridor with lots of twists and turns. Great for keeping up the steps, but not so great when you’re breaking in a new pair of boots.
The room was actually really stylish, with good furnishings, cool accessorising, great lighting (once you’d worked out the workings) and funky artwork. There was plenty of storage, with built in wardrobes, with additional bedding and pillows, and internal lighting – always a good feature, I think. Big, fluffy robes were provided, which were really comfy. The bathroom was a good size, with an excellent shower and again, big, fluffy bath sheets. Bath sheets – big tick. However, the star of the show was the bed, which was huge, with a super, super comfortable mattress and the most wonderful white bedding. I’d have booked another night just to get another sleep in that bed!
The exterior of the hotel, I should imagine in the summer, would be lovely, with lots of lounging and pool areas and bars. However, on a grey day in December, it didn’t tempt us – although one or two hardy souls were on the loungers. But because of the time of year, the hotel did have an “out of season” feel, which was great in one respect as we got a much better room than we would probably normally have gone for, at an excellent price, and it definitely wasn’t party central. Unfortunately, fewer guests obviously also meant that not all restaurants were open and so we were limited to what seemed to be a Mexican themed restaurant, as all others appeared to be closed. Or, very empty. We couldn’t complain about the staff, who were exceptionally lovely, but the food was just a bit disappointing. Perhaps we don’t know enough about Mexican cuisine to appreciate what was on offer, but the meal we had definitely wouldn’t be included on the dining highlights of Andalucia list…
All in all, we had a thoroughly enjoyable time at the Marbella (although located in Puerto Banus) Hard Rock Hotel – and it seemed a fitting venue to crack out the new white leather cowboy boots…
by Helen | Nov 20, 2024 | Renovation
When we decided to sell our house in Istria and move to Spain, we initially didn’t look at future renovation projects. We thought that we wanted somewhere we would move in, and tinker around the edges, putting our stamp on the property. But, the more that we looked online, the more we were being drawn to projects. We saw lots of ready-to-go houses, but most were pretty soulless and most were recently built – the kind of houses you see a lot of when A Place in the Sun films in southern Spain. Many were discounted immediately, as well as the areas. We’re not averse to living somewhere that has lots of nationalities living there too, but we definitely didn’t want an enclave of British ex-pats. As a result, we started to find ourselves drawn to Andalucia, and especially the south west. Here, we started to find old houses, town houses, which really piqued our interest and we earmarked a number to view, when we travelled out over the summer.
The first house we viewed was in the beautiful pueblo blanco of Medina Sidonia. It was actually a fairly new house, but constructed in the style of a townhouse, and so ticked many of our boxes. Over three floors, with quirky features, we did like it a lot, but ultimately the outdoor space wasn’t enough, and to either side, there was land, which definitely looked ripe for additional houses to be built on.
So, our next viewing was in the pueblo blanco of Jimena de la Frontera, not too far from the coast, but far enough away to feel like an authentic Spanish town. We had about five houses to view but the first was a rather grand looking townhouse, for an amazing price. Originally, we had discounted this house, because the estate agent’s website stated it was “Sold”. However, I contacted the agent, and said if anything similar became available to let me know – and in a moment of serendipity, he told me that it was about to go back up for sale. Almost as if it was meant to be…
As soon as I walked through the door, I knew this was our home. Perhaps because we had viewed it online so many times, it felt so familiar. Walking through it, only made the belonging grow, and by the time we had seen everything, I knew this was the one. I didn’t want to see any of the other properties before we had had a chance to discuss this house and so we postponed them. A relatively quick chat confirmed what we were both thinking – call off the search. This had to be our house. And, two days later our offer was accepted!
Fast forward three months, and she is ours. Documents all signed, deeds transferred into our names and paid for. That dream of buying a house in Spain that we could more or less move straight into, hasn’t quite materialised, but I do think we now have our dream home. Initial plans are now being drawn up for the internal renovation and we expect that over the winter – when we will be living elsewhere – work will begin on the really dirty demolition work. The house is in a bit of a state at the moment, because it has been unloved and neglected, but not for long.
This is our starting point, and as daunting as it feels currently, we think we have found ourselves a gem of builder, who will work with us on this new, and super exciting, renovation project.
