Warning....this posting is not intended for general consumption...read at your own risk or feel free to ignore!

I hadn't planned on writing about our trip until we started the Portugal segment. This being our third visit to Nerja, I didn't want to bore those who I know enjoy keeping up with our travels with a rehash of impressions and activities much the same as previous years.  Portugal is the "new adventure", and warrants the first journal entry of this trip.

But as I sit on our deck, having an R&R day in Nerja, feeling content and thinking of how wonderful life is in Spain, I try to recall what we did in the last week, or even in the last few days, to make me so happy. It strikes me how difficult it is to remember. Suddenly it seemed imperative to record my memories, thoughts and feelings before they fade from consciousness. So to those that are reading this, you are forgiven for skimming through and forgetting most of what is written. In fact, I fully expect most of you to ignore these ramblings.This entry is essentially for ME to remember what we did, how I felt about it and why this third long-stay on the Costa del Sol ahas affected me that way it has (okay, maybe also to practice my writing).

Happy in the kitchen

I noticed soon after we arrived in Nerja that there has not been much physical change in the town. A few businesses have disappeared or been replaced. Most of the street work that  started last year has been completed. There are a few tear-downs in progress  -- drilling machines chip through solid rock and piles of stacked bricks mark a new construction project. But Nerja is generally as I remember...a laid-back coastal Spanish town with a few major attractions and "white village" feel. There is enough culture to draw day-tripping tourists to the pedestrian shopping alleys and "Balcon".. But not enough glitz to attract huge  beach or party crowds. The town seems to verge on boring...but wasn't that exactly what drew us here in the first place?

I couldn't put my finger on it, but something was missing in my relationship with Nerja.  Would we run out of things to do and see? Would that familiar feeling of wanting something "more" make me restless and seeking a new experience? There does seems to be more tourists than last year wandering through the narrow streets of the old town. Is the town becoming less authentically "Spanish" and more resort-like? After the first few days here, I had a sinking feeling that Nerja had lost the charm I felt on our first visit and that this would be our last visit to this Spanish "pueblo" that supposedly had escaped the over-developed chaos of the Costa del Sol towns to the west.

Yet despite my worry, this third long-stay in Nerja has evolved into something wonderful. Yes, we are doing most of the same things...walking, hiking, tapas and wine, the San Isidro festival, swimming in the condo pool, drying off or reading our novels on the sunny deck, etc. And it has been easy to settle back into the routines we established last year. We buy our supplies at the same stores, Mercadona for the large generic items, vegetables/fruits from the tiny vendors who sell direct from growers , bread from the panaderia and fish from the pescadoria. We walk for helado (ice cream) after lunch or dinner almost daily and have indulged in tapas y canas or vino at our favourite neighbourhood bars on numerous occasions (yes, I confess my skirts are a bit tighter). There is no sense of urgency to our day--each day flows slowly and  effortlessly into the next.

meal with a view...every night

So perhaps life is perfect in Nerja simply because I feel very comfortable here and everyday chores have become so easy. 

Caroline trying the traditional Churros and Chocolate

Looking  back on our month however, I give most of the credit for my change of attitude towards this town to the people who shared our time here. Having my friend Caroline stay with us, for example. She certainly made an impact, bringing a refreshing and new perspective to our Nerja experience. As capable and fearless as she is (striking out on her own to explore the big cities of Granada and Seville), she motivated us to be Nerjian "experts", to help plan and fill many of her days. We eagerly "showed" off the highlights of Nerja, the beautiful nearby towns of Frigiliana and Almunecar, introduced her to the best tapas y vino locations, made sure she was caught up in the excitement of the San Isidro festival, took her to a non-touristy flamenco show, and on a simple hike to Maro Tower with its spectacular coastal views. Naturally we felt proud to be able to do this. More importantly, we began discovering new things about this town while exploring the old.

 Perhaps this forced us to look at this town with fresh eyes from which resulted a greater appreciation for all Nerja has to offer. 

Equally significant was our reunion and time spent with people we met in our previous visits: Frank and Karin from the Netherlands and Flemming from Denmark. We ran into Frank and Karin on our first day here, exactly like we did last year. Walking by a restaurant after getting groceries, Len happen to glance inside and...que sorpresa... there they were! It was as if no time had passed. In addition to inviting me to join a special and rather crazy Spanish conversation group this year (more on this to come), we have had a number of get-togethers with this gentle couple. Because they own an apartment and spend more time there than we do, they are on a different path with different priorities. But we have found common ground with them, and enjoy their company immensely. Knowing such kind and thoughtful people do exist on the other side of the world gives me faith in the goodness of humanity despite a world full of conflict. 

Frank and Karin from the Netherlands

Perhaps Nerja feels perfect because it seems easy to meet and enjoy the company of others despite cultural and life-style differences.

We also renewed our acquaintance with Flemming from Denmark, a free-spirited photographer/videographer who once worked as a news broadcaster and became somewhat a celebrity. We randomly met him last year on a bus coming from Frigiliana and instantly hit it off, spending an evening together on a tapas run.  This year he spent an entire weekend with us, sleeping on a mattress on our living room floor and joining us for the flamenco performance, a tapas crawl, the Maro hike and the San Isidro festivities. We had some marvellous conversations and many laughs.

Parade watchers waiting for the fun to begin

Although he is the same age as us and on his own, he has a restlessness about him that I recognize. Right now he is seeking a new output for his creativity through the establishment of photography workshops in Southern Spain. 

Then there are the new friends we've met. On our first hike with John Keo, an Irishman who has developed an amazing walking/hiking tour company in Nerja, we met Pippa (and later her husband Richard) from Australia.

Right away we had much to talk about, both being teachers and lovers of hiking. Len took part in a second hike with Pippa and the connection was solidified. We spent two wonderful days with them. One of the days we enjoyed a wonderful lunch on their deck overlooking the beautiful valley below Torrox, then walked 5 hours back to Nerja with them, and ended a perfect day with some tapas and wine.They have since left Nerja to do some serious hiking on the "Peace Trail" in Eastern Europe as part of a six month full-salaried sabbatical that government employees in Australia enjoy. They are travelling the world, covering many continents and planning as they go, something most of us would consider in our 20s, not in the 60s. 

Hiking with John Keo and Pippa in the hills above Nerja

I have a lot of admiration for those who, at this age (my age!), are not afraid to begin new ventures and take risks....it makes me look inwards, see how complacent I've become with my life and contemplate on what my future could look like. 

Perhaps having the time for introspection, hearing about the aspirations of others and thinking of possibilities for the future makes my Nerja stay more meaningful.

Also significant this year is the confidence Len and I are feeling about speaking Spanish. Being immersed in a language is without a doubt the best way to learn. This year I joined a rather unique spanish conversation class. It runs twice per week and is made up of about 8 expats and a local Spanish language teacher. There is ABSOLUTELY no English spoken.  Even worse, it is a bit of a yelling match between teacher and students trying to be heard and it often gets out of hand... hilarious to watch but frustrating....! My teacher instinct wants to step in to calm everyone down and teach them how to take turns (but I sit silently, listening and observing). As a result, I am not participating as much as I would like. However I find I understand the rather complex topics of discussion, and have increased my vocabulary significantly. After many years of private lessons, a couple years of informal conversation groups, and this year's participation in this rather crazy class, I believe I can easily communicate with locals as needed. I even enjoyed a 5 minute spontaneous conversation, about life and family, totally in Spanish, with a young man working in a shop. 

Perhaps the challenge and increasing success we've had in communicating while living in the non-English community of Nerja, gives us a sense of accomplishment and has increased our desire to be here.

 I know in my heart it is all of these things--an appreciation for a small town trying to stay true to Spanish tradition and culture as possible, meeting caring and motivating people as well as facing personal new challenges--they are all a part of the reason why this year's visit to Nerja will end on a positive note. I truly am happy here, and can honestly say I would like to come back...maybe next year...maybe in a few years...whatever feels right! Right now though I am living in the moment and life in Nerja is fantastic!

We have a few more days here in Nerja. Yesterday we spent a day in Granada, taking an early bus to this marvellous city  and leaving on the last bus back to Nerja. We wandered the streets, revisiting places we saw six years back. And although we enjoyed our day of exploration, we were very glad to return "home" to Nerja. Tomorrow we also have a special social event in the nearby town of Maro that supports a charity, provides us with dinner, wine and live music and the opportunity to meet new people. On Tuesday I will go to my crazy Spanish class with Frank and Karin and will later check out another conversation group that meets weekly in a fabulous restaurant. 

The Smiles say it all...

New activities, new people, new opportunities...After two month-long visits, we are still exploring and finding something new about this town. And that is a wonderful thing!

Now..on to Portugal...