Vacation 1: Nerja

Inaki and I got to have a fantastic spring break this year! We went south by bus, which was a long trip, but worth it to get to spend time in Granada and Nerja. I think this post will mostly be pics and explanations, so enjoy!

Let's start with Nerja. It's a beach town on the southern coast of Spain that's so touristy the bar owners were Irish and initially greeted us in English. It's still very charming with it's windy, narrow streets and white stucco buildings. It's also home to the Balcony of Europe, which is a 3 story balcony built on the Mediterranean. We could practically see Africa. Check it out.

We were thrilled to have good weather and cruised around town all day just getting the lay of the land and enjoying wearing sandals! The beaches here weren't as long as the ones in Oregon, so long strolls on the sand were hard, but we scooted over to the longest beach first, Burriana.

We got a little thirsty and hit up one of the many English pubs just off the beach for a beer and a bit of futbol. The spot we chose was called "Olas" which means waves. The gal walked right up to us and said, "wha'll ya ave then love?" Wow.

That night, we stopped at the supermarket and got some big prawns and cooked 'em up in our kitchenette. For this part of the trip, we rented an apartment, which is just a hotel with a kitchen. It was nice not to have to eat out every night! Here is the view from outside and inside the apartment.

Delish!

The next day was a little rainy, but it was Easter Sunday, so we got to see a procession march through town. I cannot get over the KKK uniforms they wear! Crazy. This particular procession reminded me so much of the scene in Godfather 2 when Robert De Niro is going to kill Don Fanucci and he's bounding from roof to roof following him as he walks through a procession below on the street.

We weren't sure what all these herbs were in the final picture, but they smelled amazing! All the folks who lived in town were tearing them apart and scattering them for the procession to walk on on their final leg.

With the clouds in the sky, we decided to grab a coffee and watch the waves for a while.

Then we walked as far as we could down the beach and circled back to see a famous boat that's displayed in Nerja. It was a part of a cheesy show that was filmed here in the 80's called Blue Summer. Apparently, when it was released, there was an uproar because the mother was left alone in Nerja for a month to care for the kids while the father worked. People thought it was very inappropriate. I'm sure you can see why people were so pissed based on the opening credits.

Anyhow, this boat is where an old fisherman named Chanquete lived. There's a famous episode where the kids band together and protest the government wanting to move Chanquete's boat. I think that was right after Bea gets her first period.

After that, we got a red martini and a tapa. In the south, they still hold true to the culture of tapas in Spain and you get a free one with each drink you buy. This one was paelle and deilicious, but Inaki was not happy with the service or price!

That night we got a clear evening walk on the beach, beautiful!

The next day was all this all the time...

That night, we went to a little restaurant for a dinner out. We had some delicious salads and a really nice waiter. A couple at the table next to us said he was the best waiter in Nerja, imagine that! Anyhow, I ordered a Jameson shot for dessert and he asked if I was Irish. I said no, I'm American and he goes, "American from America!?" He was so shocked I'd ordered a Jameson instead of a Jack Daniels that he gave me a second one and gave Inaki a honey rum to try and didn't charge us for any of them. Thanks Sergio!

Our final full day in Nerja, we took a touristy trip to the caves of Nerja. Cool to see, but a little spendy.

You just kinda walk down some stairs and into a huge cavern. Pretty neat stuff! We headed back to Granada in the morning the next day and there will be a few blogs on that amazing city to come! Bye for now Nerja!