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Turre

3 Apr



I have the family with me for a couple of weeks so today we planned a morning at the market at Turre, a lovely little town about twenty minutes away from here.  It is the most fantastic day – and could be summer time already.  Turre is bustling today – full of atmosphere and everyone is out enjoying the sunshine.  The market itself is set around a pretty town square and there is something of a French rather than Spanish feeling about it – I don’t really know why.  I like the market here – it is less frantic than the one at the larger town of Vera on a Saturday and also there is a brilliant second-hand book stall – if you return your book in good condition you only have to pay 1 euro 50 cents or something like that.  They have a great selection too of the kind of books I like to read (i.e. not all holiday books!).

 

We wander through the market at our leisure, stopping to make a few purchases and just soaking up the morning.  We pop into my friend, Beth, the hairdresser and make appointments for all the girls on Tuesday – we will go for lunch at Adelina’s at the top of the main street afterwards.

 

When we have had enough of a mooch,  we pop into one of the many bar’s on the main street for coffee and tostadas and orange juice as we set off from home this morning without any breakfast.  It is magic and reminds me again why I love living here – it has been quite a long winter for us too and now we can look forward to endless sunny days.

 

It is well worth visiting Turre for a relaxed and enjoyable morning if you are staying here – it is 10 minutes from the beach at Mojacar and so you can combine doing both without having to drive for too long or even make the 10 minute drive up from Turre to Sierra Cabrera to one of the fantastic restaurants up there for lunch.

 

Horse Riding in Almeria

23 Mar

When I was young I used to go horse riding quite often over a period of a few years, summer and winter.  I loved it and my sister and I would go together – she was always much better than me but it was something we loved doing.  The summer evening rides were the best ones – when the sun was setting over the lush, green fields and then towards September, still warm enough to ride in the evenings, seeing all the bales of hay in the fields.

Second best to that (and only because of lovely memories of my sister)is to go down to Mojacar beach and have a lesson at the riding school, Cueva del Lobo,  which is bang on the beach – there is something about being on a horse and being able to hear the waves rolling in, and feeling a warm, salty breeze on your face.

Last time I went out for a ride, we went up into the hills behind Mojacar and just trekked for an hour in the peace and quiet, in and out of the narrow little streets and then onto the rough tracks and paths through the hills themselves.  It is a great thing to do and you don’t have to be a particularly confident rider to enjoy it as on this particular ride, there was no galloping, just a bit of trotting and the odd canter.  I have not ridden for years and years and I really enjoyed it and if you are holidaying here, it is something different to do one day.

Also close by is Rancho Luz del Sol who have a selection of beautiful horses available to ride in a rural setting.

There are several other places to go riding, a little further afield, where you can go for a trek and have lunch before coming back, but that is for the more serious riders among you.

Cueva del Lob Riding Center (Mojacar) 950 478 991

Rancho Luz del Sol (Partaloa) 678 838 547

Osteria Restuarant, Mojacar

2 Mar

Today is Mick’s birthday – and his mum, Sadie’s.  What a birthday present!  Although Sadie always says she couldn’t have wished for a nicer one.  Anyhow, Sadie is with us for a couple of weeks which we planned so that they could spend their birthday’s together which they do every couple of years.  It is lovely, they are very close and it is wonderful to watch them enjoying each other’s company.  So today Mick took a very rare midweek afternoon off so that we could go out for lunch – our friends Mike and Gill came along too.  We have known about Osteria for ages – it is an Italian restaurant on the way up to Mojacar Pueblo and we have heard nothing but good things about it but somehow, we always seem to end up going somewhere else.

 

So we arrived at 1.30 ish and had drinks at the bar.  Immediately, we liked the place – airy, tables not too close to each other and a very bright interior on a sunny day such as today.

Happy Birthday Mum!

The menu was very varied and large but not scarily so.  It does need a bit of concentration though so you need to stop the chit chat and give it a bit of time.  All restaurants here have a menu del dia for around 10 euros for three courses excluding drinks and Osteria is no exception.  There is plenty to choose from and really one could come here a couple of times a week on that basis.  The a la carte is extensive – no pizzas on this menu though, but plenty of fantastic pasta dishes, a huge variety of starters, salads, carpaccio, gnocchi, deep fried goats cheese to name a few.  Then a couple of dozen main courses, mainly veal, steak, chicken or lamb, pasta of course, and today’s fish was a beautifully presented swordfish.  By the time dessert came I was completely full but again, there were plenty of delicious things to choose – profiteroles, tarts, fruit salad – the usual kind of Italian fayre.

 

Today, although a mild high 60’s we ate inside, but in a month or so we will definitely come again and eat on the pretty terrace outside.

 

If you dine a la carte, expect to pay 30 euros per head with wine for two courses, but as said, you could easily get away with 20 per head for the menu del dia three course lunch with drinks and coffee.

 

Absolutely worth a visit.

Osteria telephone number: 950 615 151

 

 

Bedar

23 Feb

Sometimes, wherever you live, you can always find work to do around your home that stops you from enjoying your surroundings.  In London, I was always planning to go to this exhibition or that museum, and somehow, because you know it is on your doorstep you never get around to it.  It is no different here and at the cortijo there is always something to be done, fixed, painted etc. etc.

 

Anyhow, on Sunday we downed tools and went up to a lovely little village about 20 minutes from here called Bedar.  It is set high up and to get there you take a lovely scenic drive.  It is a very sleepy little village and whilst there is quite a large British community, (why wouldn’t there be, it is gorgeous!), it essentially is an unspoilt little Spanish village.  We have a friend who lives here and the view from his house is magnificent.   There is also a fantastic restaurant here called El Miramar – (Sea view being the literal translation) – you are high up and in the distance, you can, indeed, see the sea!  Take a trip up here just for the lamb alone – very delicious and extremely good value.  There are lots of little villages around Bedar, all worth an afternoon exploring with stops for Café con leche, and then on to the Miramar for a sun-downer and dinner.  Roll on summer.

 

Nijar

11 Feb

On Saturday, we took a drive to the Cabo de Gata to have lunch at our favouite beach, Agua Amarga.  It is under an hour’s drive and a little further afield than one would normally go perhaps, but we love it here so much it is always worth it.  Somehow, it doesn’t seem very Spanish at all – it is a small curved bay, rather than the usual beaches in Spain that stretch for miles and miles – it is a little jewel in this region and one of  Spain’s blue flag beaches.   It was once a tiny fishing village, but it seems now that people from all over europe have holiday homes here to get away from it all.  Remote and sleepy it is and the only month when it is packed is August, but then it is full of life and all the beach restaurants are busy with people in the holiday mood. The film Sexy Beast was filmed here – you can spot the villa on the left hand side as you drive into the village.  I am always tempted to knock on the door and ask if I can have a look around!

If you do plan a day out at Agua Amarga, it is a good idea to get up and go early, as on the way is the beautiful pottery town of Nijar and so it makes sense to do the two trips in one.  Go shopping for fabulous (and cheap) pots, cups, bowls, jugs galore.  Wander the length of  the main street for an hour or so and shop, have a coffee and then pile back into the car for the short drive from there to Agua Amarga.  Head up the motorway on the way there, but make sure you come back via the scenic route for some spectacular scenery.

Vera Water Park

10 Feb

I had to go down to Garrucha yesterday and it prompted me to mention the Water Park which you pass on the way. It made me smile because my last blog was about ski-ing so you couldn’t get two more different activities – but it is worth including as it is another fantastic thing to do with the kids here during the summer holidays.

It opens late in May until September and is also really good value for money.  The park itself is just immaculate, with staff cleaning up all the time – there are plenty of sunbeds with shades, or if you prefer you can just lie on the grass under the trees.  There is a pretty good restaurant and bar that serves salads and pasta as well as all the usual stuff for lunch or you may prefer to take a picnic as there are loads of nice places to sit and relax.

The other thing I like about it is that it is not so huge that you risk spending half the day looking for each other, whilst still having enough slides and swimming pools, plus a wave machine, that you will easily be able to spend a whole day here with no problem.  It is suitable for little ones as well as teenagers so great for mixed age groups.  But having said that, I had a brilliant day with my brother and his girlfriend and my gorgeous nephew, Oliver, and I don’t fall into either of those age groups!  So I will say suitable for parents too!

Vera Water Park Telephone number: 950 467 337

Aguilas

18 Jan

One of our favourite places nearby is the seaside town of Aguilas (Eagles) – it is a pleasant  25 minute drive from here, ten minutes on from San Juan,  and is set on a pretty harbour, has rather a nice beach area and lots of pretty decent shops.  My favourite bit, though, is the town square which is just beautiful.   It is quite small but if you stand in the middle of it and look on all four sides, you can appreciate the rather grand architecture of the buildings which surround it.

Aguilas architechture

It was obviously quite a rich little port at one stage – the buildings are simply beautiful, and the square has cafe upon cafe on all four sides, and several have large areas outside in the square amidst the lovely garden in the centre of the square.  On one of the streets, you will see what was the old Casino in days gone by – you can imagine how glamorous it once was, with its sweeping marble staircase, but clearly it is a long time since there was any action at the tables.

 

Aguilas is a real mooching about place, slow in pace and you can easily spend an hour or two walking around from the shopping part down to the port and then back up to the nearby Plaza Mayor to sit and enjoy a drink and a snack.  There are a couple of fantastic restaurants on the way to Aguilas which I will cover in future blogs but for now, if you come here at whatever time of year, this really is a lazy way to spend a morning or late afternoon for a bit of shopping and a pre-dinner drink.   In the heat of the summer if you want a few hours away from the pool or the beach, this makes a nice easy excursion and will only take the kids away for a couple of hours!

 

 

Huercal Overa

9 Jan

On one of the days before Christmas, we all went off to Huercal Overa, a town about 20 minutes from here.  It is an attractive little town, with a population of around 16,000 and is where we go if we are unfortunate enough to need the hospital – a huge, fantastically modern one!

 

One day when my family were here, we decided we needed and drive out, some fresh air and a walk and then would find somewhere to have lunch.  Huercal Overa has several lovely little squares and a very large one – it is an interesting place to have a wander – there is a theatre and a cinema as well as lots of great places to eat and drink.  It is cold when we go, so we have a good mooch around the shops and then pop into the theatre café for some coffee and hot chocolate before finding somewhere for lunch.

A crisp but cold day in Huercal Overa

We decide to walk to the main square where we know a good Spanish restaurant – all restaurants offer a 3 course menu del dia for 10 or 12 euros, sometimes less, but all we want is something casual today.  We order a variety of pizza, chicken and pork dishes with glass of vino – all very good and great value.  I am just thinking it is another meal I don’t have to make – as you know, I love to cook, but not for 9 twice a day!

 

There is a great Christmas market here during the week between Christmas and New Year (they  celebrate Christmas on the 6th January!) so good to visit then for something different to see even if you are not in the market for shopping yourself!

 

As you enter Huercal Overa from the motorway you will notice vast amounts of pine trees which were planted some years ago – it is the first forest in the area for 500 years and takes on a kind of alpine look but really is beautiful and stands out from the dessert like landscape of the region.

 

Huercal Overa is lovely to visit any time of year so look it up next time you are here.

 

 

 

 

 

Christmas in Almeria

7 Jan

It has been some time since I have written anything –shame on me!  I know you will understand as there were a crowd of us for 12 days and I literally did not manage to find the extra time.

At one point, I thought Mick and I were going to have to eat a 12 kg Turkey, a gammon and a whole leg of Jamon to ourselves with flights that my family were supposed to be on being cancelled, but luckily as they were leaving the airport after being turned away, I got on the trusty old internet and re-booked all their flights before anyone else could!  This, however, meant one lot coming to Malaga, and another to Alicante – at the same time!   The other was arriving just after Christmas and so I didn’t have to worry that day.

The worst moment was when my sister and her husband were airborne and my parents were on the runway – in a blizzard!  I just couldn’t bear to think about them not getting away after all that and two lots of getting up at 3 in the morning, but the travel gods were with us and they managed to get off a few hours later – Mick had already set off to Malaga (four hours away from here by car) and so had pulled of at Almeria city so I got a few more unexpected Christmas presents!

Anyhow, that evening (and three days and three hours late), they arrived and in retrospect it made it very exciting and very special – the house looked very Christmassy with all the logs fires and wood burners going, and the Cava on ice – I was so happy to see them all after really believing it was not going to happen.  Then a few days later, my brother arrived with his partner and Oliver, my nephew, who lives in Devon.  It was a miracle that they all made it here after day after day of hideous snow reports.  It was the best Christmas present I could have had.

Los Pastores Restaurant and bar, Sierra Cabrera

30 Nov

On Sundays, quite often we will arrange a lunch here or meet up with friends and go off for a lovely relaxing afternoon.  This Sunday was a beautiful day – that wonderful blue sky and lots of sunshine that you get here and also in the UK (except that here if the sun is out it is usually T shirt weather, sorry).  Anyhow, we met our friends at the bottom of our track and went off together to Sierra Cabrera, around 25 minutes away.  There are several lovely restaurants there, but the one I like in the winter is the one at the top – Los Pastores, or The Shepherds.  The restaurant occupies part of a Mosque/ church building and there is an adjoining Torreon (tower) which is believed to one of only two examples in Spain (the other tower is in Malaga) and dates back to the11th century.

Los Pastores entrance

The view is exceptional and in winter time you get that kind of alpine air feeling (it is several degrees cooler up here than at our house!).  Today we are wearing jumpers and so can enjoy a drink on the terrace with the spectacular view.  I have booked a table inside, but there are lots of visitors (you can tell as they are all sleeveless!!) who are happily lunching outside in the sunshine.

Beautiful views

The menu here is pretty extensive, delicious and good value.  My friend Gill and I share a starter of tempura aubergine and courgette with a chilli jam dipping sauce.  Mick has his favourite of salt cod fritters (they are fantastic – I make them at home) and Mike has smoked salmon.  Then two of us have roasted shoulder of lamb which falls off the bone, Gill has chicken in white wine, and Mick has a wood oven pizza which looks fantastic!  I am trying to diet so have a bite of Gill’s apple pie which is delicious.  The boys have coffee and cognac and I have an espresso as I am driving us down the mountain!

The bill comes to a reasonable 32 euros including a tip with a bottle of wine, pre lunch drinks beforehand and a glass of white wine for me.

Los Pastores restaurant interior

We are coming here for our Christmas day lunch – just for a change and I must say it will be lovely to have breakfast on Christmas morning, presents and then have Mick drive my parents, Kim and Stuart (my sis and her husband to lunch in our friend Cannon Bennett’s people carrier (he has gone to New Zealand!)  – and then just leave!!!  I will still be cooking a turkey on Christmas Eve of course to have over the rest of the holidays – it wouldn’t be Christmas would it?

Los Pastores Resaurant and bar telephone no : 950 982 585

 

 

 


 

 

 

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