My parents had been to Spain several years ago and mom told me to definitely check out Marbella, which we hit just in time for paella mariscos on the beach. It was a perfect day in a posh and very modern beach city. At twilight we reached Malaga, a large coastal city with beautiful architecture and interesting ruins. Joe and I only had about an hour there but it was worth it. Our next goal was to find a hotel on the beach for our last night of our adventure. We simply headed up the coast and landed at Salobrena just in time. There was a hotel on a high cliff overlooking the sea on three sides. It was surreal. Joe and I rang in the new year with some unforgettable time on our balcony: the moon above lighting the sea, lights from a small beach city in the distance, the sound of gentle waves below and a million stars over head. A perfect moment in time.
The next day our focus was on getting home, as our rental car was due back. It was fun to continue our coast drive and arrive in Cartagena just in time for lunch. Cartagena is a larger port city, built around the late 1800s. We had our small meal in a restaurant called La Patacha, which was an old boat docked in the sea. Dalton was thrilled. We reached Kathy's apartment just in time for the kids to drop dead asleep. It had been eventful, but worth every second. My eyes had seen radiant beauty at every turn and I am blown away not only by the landscape but by the people and the culture. The Spanish ENJOY life. They are happy and content and will rush to your side if you are in trouble or in need. They are generous in spirit. They take time to rest each day. The cities literally shut down from 2-4 pm each day. Families are close. It took me a few days to "mellow out" and just ENJOY. It was a little embarassing to see my own stress and impatience in light of their gentleness and joy.
On our last day in Valencia, we took some time to walk the city, pick up some keepsakes and have our last meal at an outdoor cafe. I ordered some "Valencian Paella" which was saffron rice with delicious seasonings and olive oil, veggies, chicken, rabbit and snails. It sounds terrible, but wow I loved it. Kathy took us and the boys to the circus in town, a real exciting treat for them and a grandmother's dream. We again had a perfect day.
I am grateful for our time in Spain. We had no choice but to fall in love with it. We had unforgettable family time. It was simply surreal and my mother in law is amazing for giving is such a gift, to see this breathtaking place. I do hope to see it again someday.
Happy New Year!!
The next day our focus was on getting home, as our rental car was due back. It was fun to continue our coast drive and arrive in Cartagena just in time for lunch. Cartagena is a larger port city, built around the late 1800s. We had our small meal in a restaurant called La Patacha, which was an old boat docked in the sea. Dalton was thrilled. We reached Kathy's apartment just in time for the kids to drop dead asleep. It had been eventful, but worth every second. My eyes had seen radiant beauty at every turn and I am blown away not only by the landscape but by the people and the culture. The Spanish ENJOY life. They are happy and content and will rush to your side if you are in trouble or in need. They are generous in spirit. They take time to rest each day. The cities literally shut down from 2-4 pm each day. Families are close. It took me a few days to "mellow out" and just ENJOY. It was a little embarassing to see my own stress and impatience in light of their gentleness and joy.
On our last day in Valencia, we took some time to walk the city, pick up some keepsakes and have our last meal at an outdoor cafe. I ordered some "Valencian Paella" which was saffron rice with delicious seasonings and olive oil, veggies, chicken, rabbit and snails. It sounds terrible, but wow I loved it. Kathy took us and the boys to the circus in town, a real exciting treat for them and a grandmother's dream. We again had a perfect day.
I am grateful for our time in Spain. We had no choice but to fall in love with it. We had unforgettable family time. It was simply surreal and my mother in law is amazing for giving is such a gift, to see this breathtaking place. I do hope to see it again someday.
Happy New Year!!
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