Working on my veranda
I feel really happy to be back in Torremolinos. It was a great decision to spend my final month of my EU tourist visa in southern Spain. The simple, coastal village life was agreeing with me. I was relaxing. I was letting go of all the craziness in my life of the last six months. There was so much to process before I could even begin to work on myself.
I love starting my day with a light breakfast at a cafe before my morning gym cardio. Inevitably, I would see someone I knew at the cafe or at the gym. I would get some nice human connection at several points throughout the day by living in this small town. Seeing friendly familiar faces throughout the day is an amazing way to live life. Seeking and building community is a natural human need. Very few of us walk into the forest and live on our own for our entire lives.
For dinner that night, Jack and I decided to try It’s Vietnam restaurant that he had heard about in La Carihuela, the western coastal area of Torremolinos. We actually really enjoyed the food. Obviously the chef was knew Vietnamese food well. Everything was tasty and authentic. But the service wasn’t great. At one point my glass of wine flew off the table almost magically as I wasn’t touching it! The servers cleaned up the mess but it wasn’t until later that I realized that one of the planks of the table was entirely loose. So my elbow had catapulted my wine glass through the air. I showed the waitstaff once I discovered it. But they didn’t seem to care nor did they offer to replace my glass of wine. Now, I should have asked that they give me a new glass of wine since their table was faulty. But I hate saying anything negative in a restaurant. It’s a flaw of mine. It steams from my childhood like so many of our issues.
My mom used to make scenes at restaurants. Also in line at the grocery store. And anywhere else where service is provided. She had a strong sense of fairness. But her delivery was loud and demanding much to the dismay of my brother and me. I literally would crawl under the table at a restaurant once she would get started. While she was never really wrong, it was the scene that was made in order to rectify the situation that bothered me. I have deep scars that still make it very difficult to mention anything wrong to a waiter. This used to drive my husband crazy because he would say that I was a fully functioning adult until I was served the wrong main course and would just sit there paralyzed incapable of finding any solution. Type A, alpha male is brought to his knees by a misplaced sea bass dish.
So at this moment, I found out that Jack also has a similar personality defect. He also admitted that he would also remain silent instead of fixing the wrong. Ironically, I would also label Jack as a type A, alpha male. We are both similarity flawed! It sort brought us even closer together.
I had been chatting online with a couple, Roberto and Gorka, from Madrid. They wanted to meet for an after dinner drink but Jack said he was due home to enjoy his newfound solace.
It was early Spanish time, still before midnight, so I had no reason not to go out and be social. It turned out to be a great evening getting to know these guys. Together for 13 years, they had lived in Spain, Norway, and Germany. One was a science editor and the other a lab tech. We all had geeky backgrounds! They mentioned that they had a car and would be going to one of the nearby nude beaches the next day. They invited me to join them since I hadn’t been to that one.
Like a good boy, I spent my next morning going to the gym and the back to the apartment to write. I even decided to have a simple lunch at home since the writing was going well. I didn’t want to interrupt the flow.
Soon my new friends were texting about picking me up so I finished my writing and packed my things. We arrived at the Playa Nudista Guadamar and were greeted by the sign that the local government had posted declaring that this was STRICTLY a nudist beach, not a naturist beach. Swimsuits were strictly forbidden by the Malaga government. I love that! Of course all the tourists including me had to take a naked picture in front of the sign showing that we were following the rules.
Daddy's 57 year old body following the local rules!
The best part of this nude beach is that it is directly under the landing, flight path of the Malaga airport. It’s an AVgeek’s dream! I could be naked and watch airplanes! I quickly taught my friends the game where we had to guess where the plane was coming from. They played along but I am not sure they were totally into it.
It was a fun time and I enjoyed getting to know them further. It was another hot day and the water was so refreshing. About a third of the people were breaking the law and wearing some sort of swimsuit but no one seemed to care. It was super relaxing and soon the sun was beginning to set so we were on our way back home.
I awoke the next morning with a disappointing email from the British Airways Avios folks, Japan Airlines had canceled my award flight from Haneda to San Francisco. I could only imagine this was because Japan’s borders are still mostly shut except for some weird “you have to travel with a tour agency” rule. I love Japan Airlines First Class and this was one of the flights that I was really looking forward to.
As a result of the cancellation, they rebooked me from Narita and in business class! What kind of solution was this? So I called BA after after a short 70 minutes in the queue, I found someone to help me. I ended up with HND-LAX with a six hour layover in Los Angeles before continuing on with an AA tiny plane first class flight to SFO. The only benefit of this would mean I could rent a car and possibly visit my friend dying of brain cancer. I am not sure she will still be around then, but an LA visit would work either way. The other benefit is that I get an extra hour of flight time in JL First since LA is a bit further south than SF. The HND-SFO flight can sometimes be under 8 hours depending on the tail winds that direction which seems like far too little time.
I next headed into Malaga to hit more of their museums. My first was the Centre Pompidou, Malaga, the local cousin to its Parisien big brother. The misleading exterior to the museum is a colorful cube which is interesting to view both from the outside and also from below. The permanent collection was small but enjoyable. In general I really like modern art.
Centre Pompidou Malaga
The view of the cube form underneath
Modern art
More modern art
For lunch I headed back to the Museo Carmen Thyssen because their cafe had a great menu of the day with a squash soup, moussaka, and a chocolate cake. With bread and a glass of wine this was a museum bargain at €10.
Museum 10 euro lunch
In the late afternoon, I met up with Samuel, a friend from one of the gay social networking apps. We met for a beer and then just hung out. In his mid-twenties, he finished university and got a job. But he still lives at home like so many younger Spaniards. Leaving the nest is hard.
On Saturday, my Irish lad, Brian came over to spend the day doing gay Torremolinos. We started off with some Asian fusion down on the beach boardwalk at El Gato. Brian raved about the tataki tuna. He had never had anything like it. I found his excitement for new experiences very charming. We follow up lunch with some drinks at the thriving gay beach club Eden across the path. He was still getting used to being surrounded by so many gay guys! At some point we started chatting with a friendly May/December couple from Madrid. As we were talking to them, it dawned on me that Brian and I were also a May/December “couple” that day! We all had a good laugh about this. Soon we all were getting hungry so we all walked up to the Nogalera area to have tapas at my favorite La Pepa. It was their first time there and they loved all of it. It was a nice Saturday night buzzing atmosphere and we had lots of laughs. After dinner we did a fun pub crawl and then ended up at Men’s Club until far too late. At Men’s, we ran into lots of friends and it was an official party. Brian was now officially indoctrinated into the gay life of Torremolinos.
We stumbled back home including a stop for a slice of pizza which is obligatory at 3 am. Bed felt great and I didn’t wake up until 12:30 pm. I haven’t slept this late in years. Brian started to stir an hour later and our fuzzy heads welcomed some nice, strong coffee from my Moka pot. I finally made us some “breakfast” but we were not moving quickly. We just hung out and watched a movie. There wasn’t energy for anything else. Finally around 6 pm, Brian said goodbye and I had a quiet rest of evening.
I really enjoyed getting to know Brian. He was taking small steps in coming out as bi. But he was wanting more. He talked about wanting to tell members of his family and also his friends. He currently lived with three other Irish guys but he felt like he needed to come out to them at some point in spite of their occasional hom*obobic comments. He said that they needed to know their roommate liked guys too and that those comments are not appropriate. He liked them well enough and actually thinks that they will react well to his news. But because they live together, if it doesn't go well, it could be awkward. Everyone’s coming out pathway is different. And the timing also varies from person to person.
I was really excited to have my brother and sister-in-law visit me in Torremolinos. I wanted them to see and experience this new possible home for me. I decided to rent a car for their first two days so we could visit Granada one day and then Frigiliana and Nerja the next. I also was changing Airbnb apartments and upgrading to a stunning flat with a western view of the beach and Mediterranean sea. So I packed all my bags and headed off to the airport to pick up the car and my family.
I arrived early and enjoyed seeing people greet their loved ones as they exited customs. It is such a joyous moment to witness as everyone kisses and embraces. Sometimes there are even tears of joy. Such emotion is a wonderful reason to travel. Soon enough, my eyes got teary as I saw Paul and Susan walking toward me. My mom and I share the ability to easily cry when feeling emotional. An airport pickup is one thing, but I instantly cry at a parade. It’s even worse if you play a moving Disney soundtrack behind it. I am a sap and proud of it.
Picking up the rental car from Record-A-Go rental car proved to be really challenging. We followed signs to the parking structure but it took a while to find the rental car office. I had booked a mini-SUV through Expedia at a price of a third of what my friends at Hertz wanted. As much as I love selecting a car in the President’s Circle, it wasn’t worth an extra $150.
Our car was lovely and the only odd thing was having to leave a huge deposit. I had read reviews about this ahead of time so I wasn’t surprised. The staff was super friendly and renting through them turned out to be a good decision.
Our first stop was to drop off their small bags at the old Airbnb flat. We couldn’t get into the new place until 4 pm. Luckily I could leave things in the old flat as the next guest wasn’t arriving until later in the week. They loved the view from the old place and I told them our new flat is even better.
They needed some breakfast so we walked into the center and we ate at Bar Jerez on the walking street. Already they said that Torremolinos had a nice relaxing feeling. Then I walked them through the center to the gay area and then near our new flat. I wasn’t sure how tired they would be but since we had a car, I suggested that we have lunch in Marbella, 30 minutes down the freeway.
Paul and I visited Marbella with my mom in 1984. I don’t have much memory of the trip except that one evening he and I went to the casino. Back then, you had to wear a jacket and tie to enter. And you also paid a 1500 pesetas entrance fee. We felt like such grownups as we lost our money at the blackjack table.
On the way, we drove through the mountain village of Mijas. It is a charming enclave but was heaving with tourist. We tried to find a place to park but finally gave up because the traffic was crazy. We saw lots of the village from the car.
Beautiful Marbella
We moved on to Marbella and parked in a garage near the beach. As soon as we exited the garage, we were really impressed by this city. It’s sophisticated and classy. It was definitely wealthier than Torremolinos. I knew that the housing prices far exceeded anything in the surrounding coastal cities. We walked toward the old town area where the streets narrowed and restaurants multiplied. Just past the center of the old town, we chose a cute tapas restaurant and had an amazing lunch. This was a great introductory lunch of jamón ibérico, meatballs, cheese, pork loin,… So many delicious bites. We walked back to the car with full bellies and big smiles on our faces.
The views from the new Airbnb flat were amazing. We could see all the way down the coast to Benalmádena. It was the perfect direction to watch the sunset as we sipped wine and ate tapas each night. I offered them the master bedroom with a similar view of the coast. I chose the interior windowless room which turned out to be more suitable for small children rather than the discerning, old queen that I am. The worst part is that the room didn’t have an A/C unit, not even a fan. In the end I decided to sleep on the sofa bed in the living room instead. The small bedroom ended up serving as my closet. There were a number of odd issues with the place. It looked like the owner hadn’t visited in a while and the management company wasn’t really doing their job.
Adapting quickly to local ways, we all took a siesta. They had gotten up in Braga at 3:30 am to take their early flight. So a nap felt good for everyone. Such a lovely tradition.
Our flat was located in a building called Castillo de Santa Clara. It easily offers the best vistas of any apartment in Torremolinos. On top of that, it is very centrally located with the train station in the center of the village just steps away. We took a series of three elevators to get down to the boardwalk and walked around to the Eden chiringuito. It was buzzing with afternoon beachcombers and Paul and Susan got a good sense of gay beach life.
Next we turned around and headed west so that they could see a bit of the La Carihuela side of Torremolinos. This is the more traditional side with families and plane loads of British cherry-red tourists. Soon the sun was preparing to set and I ushered us back up to our balcony for cava champers and lots of local nibbly bits. The sunset didn’t fail to impress and we toasted to our new lives that benefited from the best of Europe. It was special moment together.
Welcome champers!
For dinner that night I came out with my big guns and we ate at La Caléndula in the picturesque Pueblo Blanco area of Torremolinos. They were blow away by the quality of the tapas we were served. Paul even ordered an extra round of fois gras because it melted in his mouth too quickly! Our server was super friendly and the whole evening couldn’t have gone better. After only one day, they both said they were beginning to see why I liked this scruffy little tourist village.
Yummy tacos
Lamb toasts
Fois gras
Short rib spring rolls
We got up early and were on our way for the 90 minute journey to Granada. The highlight of any trip to southern Spain has to be a visit to the Alhambra, the great Islamic palace and fortress that is beautifully preserved on a hill in Granada. As soon as Paul and Susan booked their Ryanair tickets, I purchased our tickets to the Alhambra. It is such a popular attraction that it sells out frequently.
The Alhambra
We arrived before our visit time to the Alhambra so we walked through the Generalife summer palace and stunning gardens. We could have enjoyed it all longer but soon we had to walk the twenty minutes to the main event. We waited about 15 minutes in the hot sun before we finally began our visit. I had last been 13 years ago and it still was very impressive. It was one of those places where it’s almost impossible to capture in pictures. We enjoyed all its beauty and we’re thankful that the Spanish didn’t tear it all down once they took over. The Egyptians weren’t the same kind of preservationists to the previous regimes artifacts.
Having walked several kilometers, we were tired and in need of food. I suggested that we drive a bit and to get away from the touristy restaurants. This really paid off. We ended up at a great Spanish restaurant where we were the only tourists. We had a beautiful tomato salad, croquetas, and eggplant with local honey.
Tomato and ham salad
Croquetas
Eggplant with local cane honey
We originally thought we would walk around downtown Granada but none of us were in the mood for a bustling city. So instead, we drove up to a mirador atop a neighboring hill with great views of the Alhambra. What I didn’t remember well were the TINY streets to get up there. These were the kind of streets where you have to move in your side mirrors so that they don’t get crunched. And in our bigger than average mini-SUV it was like a Japanese game show. We should have left our car at the bottom and taken the bus like ALL the other tourists. But let’s say it was adventurous. We had a nice coffee while enjoying the views. It’s such a beautiful place.
Granada
The small streets made all of us feel like we needed to get out of the city and back on the big roads. But since the day still had hours left, I suggested that we stop off in Antequera on the way home. By the time we made it to the lookout vista point there, the city was illuminated by late afternoon sun and it was magical. We stopped for a beer at one of the central squares. It was a lovely afternoon. Paul and Susan said that they liked Antequera better than Granada!! I must have done something wrong.
Antequera
An afternoon drink
After a long day away, Paul and Susan offered to make a simple dinner of pasta and salad at home. I was all for that! We got home to see a lingering sky after sunset. What an amazing day exploring Spain.
We made it home in time to see this sunset
I suggested that we have a slower start the next day. We got breakfast at a nearby cafe and finally hit the road at 11 am. Two months earlier, my good friend David had taken me to one of Spain’s most beautiful white building villages, Frigiliana. I knew instantly that I had to bring Paul and Susan. The temperature was hot but we started up at a mirador high above the village. Then we parked near the center and started exploring all its quaint streets. For lunch I booked a nice restaurant with a stunning view out to the sea. It was pricey but I am glad I had booked since I hate having to find a place to eat at the last minute.
The beautiful streets of Frigiliana
Our next stop was the Balcony of Europe in the center of Nerja. It’s a dramatic vista point with stunning views of the sea. Paul and Susan did some shopping in Nerja and we stopped for a delicious gelato.
Nerja
The Balcony of Europe in Nerja
Once again we headed home in the late afternoon because Jack was coming for sunset drinks and tapas. The sunset was a good one even though the sky was clear. I was so happy to have my family meet Jack as he is now an important part of my Torremolinos family. They all got along great and I was happy.
A sunset with Jack
Dinner that night was at the Mercado Gourmet, another place that Jorge and I enjoyed the previous summer. When we arrived we were met by my Cuban friend Jorge that I had gotten coffee with just a few days before! This was the restaurant where he worked. He also knew Jack so there were lots of kisses to go around. Once again, Torremolinos is a small village!
All my families together at the Mercado Gourmet
We got a beautiful table in the center of the Plaza and just as we got seated, Jorge from Madrid arrived to join us! He had come down to also meet my brother and sister-in-law. We ordered paella, monkfish, and salads. It turned out to be a magical evening with all my families together. Our waiter Jorge was disappointed that we weren’t staying for dessert but Jack had picked up a nice fruit tart from his favorite bakery. So our waiter sent us home with a complimentary dessert wine to go with our dessert! This is a special kind of hospitality here.
The first paella of their visit
Paul and Susan loved seeing Jack’s place. He had many beautiful art pieces and he has a beautiful view of the mountains behind Torremolinos. We could barely finish dessert but we all made valiant attempts. It was a 15 minute stroll home from Jack’s flat and our stomachs appreciated the efforts.
The next day was all about Malaga. I put Paul and Susan on a train to town so they could do a walking tour. I left a bit later and dropped off the rental car back at the airport. We all met up around 2:30 pm at one of my favorite restaurants, Blossom. The staff is always amazing and they had a great high table for us. And the feast began. Jorge had his COVID bubble buddy Luis from Madrid joined so we were five for lunch. Luis and I clicked immediately especially because he was an architect specializing in airports! He has worked all over the world. I didn’t want to be too much of an AVGeek but he loved to talk about his work. He had worked on many airports including Colombia and Egypt!
A stunning lunch at Blossom in Malaga
Lunch turned out to be a Spanish omakase and they just brought out food until we were full. We enjoyed a ceviche de lubina, a pork loin, and a fois gras. Is it bad to eat fois gras daily? The meal ended with an amazing chocolate dessert and we all were super happy. It was a lovely moment all together with amazing food.
Cerviche
Amazing pork
Delicious beef filet
The fruit dessert
And a chocolate dessert too!
Jorge had Paul and Susan explain what sights they saw on their walking tour. They didn't love their guide or the tour in general. Jorge exclamined, “We’re going to fix this! You’re getting a Jorge tour!” And off we went. We saw Picasso’s birth home from the street. Malagueños are very proud of the fact that Picasso was born here. Then Jorge announced that the second stop was for gin & tonics at a nearby gay cafe. I am not sure any of us were thinking about co*cktails after such a big meal. But he convinced us that it was medicinal. Surprisingly the drinks were perfect. What we didn’t know was that there was more in store for us.
With the grand master himself
We love the Jorge tour!
Our third stop was Jorge’s favorite church in Malaga. He likes churches. I still have problems with the Catholic Church because they have a long history of raping children. But it, yes, was a very nice church. The fourth stop on the Jorge walking tour was more gin & tonics! I do have to admit, gin & tonics make a walking tour really fun. We were in high spirits as we enjoyed our drinks. We figured out that it was Friday afternoon which seemed to energize us even further! TGIF!
Finally around 5 pm our daily siesta was calling so we Uber’ed home. Our building had an amazing pool so Jorge, Luis, and I decided to take a swim and rest by the pool. It felt good to have a quieter moment enjoying the Andalusian sun.
Around 8 pm as the sun neared the horizon, I prepared some tapas to go with our vermouth out on the veranda. It just doesn’t get better than this.
Love having the Madrid boys visiting
For dinner we took Paul and Susan to La Pepa. Yes, I go there a lot! But we enjoyed the fried merluza, tuna tacos, pulled pork tacos, and patatas bravas. It seemed like we had been eating all day but what a day of eating it had been. Finally after dinner, Paul and Susan bid us adieu and we went out for a couple of drinks in Nogalera. It was Friday night and the bars were hopping. Our favorite Iranian waiter was working at Vida and kept us very entertained. When I ordered my vodka soda, he corrected me by saying, “Please call that by its proper name, ask for a ‘skinny .....’.” Daddy has to watch his waistline.
Out in Nogalera
I had intentionally programmed their visit so that we did the big tourist activities during the week and the weekend was much more relaxing. Our morning started with some typical churros.
On our way to lunch
We all met up at the beach with Jack, Jorge, and Luis for lunch at Yale de Córdova. We had all our fried favorites including two orders of tortillitas de camarones. More laughs and delicious food.
Some local friends of ours were throwing a big costume party that evening. I had told Paul and Susan that this was going to be their date night on their own. They took our suggestion to go to the Brazilian crepe place. They ended up loving it! So many good meals.
During the summer of 2021 when I visited Torremolinos, we received an invitation to the summer’s biggest private event, Laurent and Alexis’s White Party at their home. This couple from France and Venezuela are known for their amazing parties. Jorge and I didn’t have any totally white clothes, so we went to the Chinese shop and bought white sheets to make togas. We even found some fake flowers to make head wreaths. They were a hit and some people still think of us as the Toga boys! The party had an open bar and amazing catering. These boys know how to entertain.
Laurent and Alexis's Costume Party at the Aqua Club
Unfortunately, Jorge, Jack, and I were in the Algarve during this summer’s White Party. Luckily I was back in town for their big September costume party and I couldn’t miss it even if Paul and Susan were visiting. Jorge was in charge of the costumes. I always love a topical costume. Queen Elizabeth had just died and I found some big ears on Amazon.es and t-shirts saying “God save the king!” We would all go as King Charles III. Unfortunately our order was delayed and we had to go a different direction at the last minute. Jorge ended up getting me a Flintstones costume. It was silly and cute. Jorge was something from the 80s and Luis was a sailor.
Being an older couple (well, Laurent at least), it was a late afternoon event starting at 8 pm. They bought out the AQUA disco club which was perfect because it normally doesn’t open until 11 pm or midnight. Once again, there was an open bar and catered food. Alexis had gotten amazing Aladdin-esque Arab outfits on their last trip to Turkey. They were beautiful but both complained that they were super hot! Fashion has its price. Jack showed up as a gay gladiator (that might be redundant) and our artist friend Javier was the leather queen from The Village People. Being a Catholic country there were many religious costumes. Even lots of therapy hadn’t cured all these ex-Catholics. It offered lots of inappropriate photo opportunities. Forgive me Father, for I have sinned.
Thiago and me enjoying the fun
For give me Father for I have sinned.
Afterward, we changed back into our civilian clothes and headed to Vida bar. Lots of guys from the party were there too. Finally we ended up at Men’s Bar. I met a very sweet guy from Syria. I love that people from around the world end up at Torremolinos.
Our Sunday was another low key day. We went to the beach in the morning and then needed to take Paul and Susan to meet Andrés and Alexandra at Cafe Ávila for lunch. Although neither of the owners speak much English, Paul and Susan quickly saw why we loved this place. We enjoyed lots of delicious food including seafood soup, and her famous meatballs. At €10 a piece, it was such a bargain. And Luis ended up picking up the check for everyone. So sweet.
Jorge had arranged a date that afternoon. He’s a busy boy. So Luis and I went back down to Eden for some relaxing beach time. I enjoyed getting to know him over this weekend. I am so glad that our paths crossed! I have figured out that Jorge has amazing friends. Unfortunately it soon was time to say goodbye to Jorge and Luis as they needed to fly back to Madrid. Luckily I would see them in a few days on my way to Egypt.
A last beer at Eden before the boys fly home
Back at the apartment, we FaceTimed with our favorite relative, 87 year old Aunt Nancy. Luckily she knows how to use her iPad and we had a wonderful chat. It sure makes being far away feel closer to home. She is an amazing example for all of us how to live life. Her brain works perfectly. She still drives. She just fights with cancer every once in a while. But so far she’s winning. We all felt energized after we said goodbye with her.
Chatting with Aunt Nancy on FaceTime
As part of my “Best of Torremolinos” series, we dined at another one of my favorite places, Zabor Fetén. We started with their hanging anchovy dish and then had a squid brioche, octopus toasts, and a pluma ibérico. The Colombian couple that owns the place were as warm and friendly as always. Paul and Susan repeated that they were amazed at the quality of restaurants that my little seaside village had. It’s deceiving.
Hanging anchovies are the house specialty
Octopus toasts with potato strips
Pluma Ibérico
We began our day with pan con aceite y tomate at the Cafe Savoy next to our building. I was giving Paul and Susan the royal Spanish treatment. They had settled into life here easily.
Jack offered to take us to lunch at a nice little spot near Marbella for their last full day. We headed over early so we could walk along the beach. It happened to be one of the many nude beaches in the area. It was Susan’s first time at a nude beach. She said she kept her eyes on the pathway directly in front of her. Like me, Paul is super comfortable with being naked. But neither of our spouses had embraced the nude lifestyle.
Beautiful company and delicious food at Sinbad's
Marinated sardines
Goat cheese salad
Beautifully tender octopus
Serving up our paella table side
Lunch at Sinbad’s was amazing. We ordered sardines, goat cheese salad, grilled octopus, and paella. Everything was excellent. Paired with sitting right on the seashore, and it was idyllic.
The only thing left with their visit was to meet my dear friend David. So he came over for sunset drinks as we enjoyed their last night with me in southern Spain. David works at a hotel and speaks lovely English. We decided to have a simpler dinner of Torremolinos’s best pizza at Simó.
Great to have David also meet my family
The best pizza in Torremolinos at Simó's
After David left and we were back at the apartment, Paul shared that he was amazed how I had built a wonderful community of friends in the short time I was here. I told them that I was so happy they could visit and experience some of why I love it here. They agreed that it’s a good life. Fulfilling yet simple. If I end up here, I don’t think it will be hard to get them to visit. Susan said that she has NO PROBLEM if we buy a flat here.
In the morning, we said our goodbyes and they Uber’ed to the airport. It had been a fun summer together in Europe: Portugal, France, and Spain. We had shared some wonderful moments during the past couple of months. I know that there are many more to come.
This day was my last day in Torremolinos for the summer. My EU tourist visa was quickly coming to an end. And it was time to hitch up the wagon team and hit the road.
Before I left, Jack decided we needed to get mani-pedis so he booked us treatents. I hadn’t gotten one all summer and I was in desperate need of a professional. It is such a good feeling after it’s done.
After work, my Irish bi mentee Brian came over. We enjoyed one of the best sunsets together. He was especially excited to tell me that he had come out to one of his roommates. He was so happy. And the guy was totally cool about it. He had no idea but it was all good. Brian wanted to take me out to dinner as a thank you for all the support I had given him. It was a really nice evening.
My last night in Torremolinos with Brian
After Brian left, I poured myself the last of the vermouth that David had given me and sat on the veranda to enjoy the view and the sounds of the sea. It had been a great decision to spend my third month back in Torremolinos. The place felt like home. I made great connections here. My community had begun to form. I could easily see myself living here.
I had yet to experience Torremolinos during the cooler low season. This was still a big unknown. But from what I heard from Jack, he enjoys all the seasons here. And it is so easy to hop on an airplane and visit some European treasure. In fact that was exactly what I was going to be doing the next day!
My current Airbnb was only available until Wednesday morning. So I had three nights to kill before heading up to Madrid on Saturday. David had recently booked a Ryanair Malaga-Fez-Malaga roundtrip for €12! So he suggested that I see where I could cheaply pop off to for these three days. It turned out that I could go to Marrakech from Malaga for only €60 return! So Morocco here I come! This is exactly why I want to live in Europe. It’s so easy to fly around!
So the experiment of Torremolinos had worked for me. The question now was would it work for Terry? I know that he is scared to be the only one in the room that doesn’t speak Spanish. Is it fair to ask him to live in a country where I speak the language and he doesn’t? Also there is the issue that there are no non stop flights from Malaga to San Francisco. This is where Lisbon wins. TAP has a great flight year round to SFO. As long as Terry’s parents are alive, he will have to travel back fairly frequently. So Lisbon might be better.
But I actually think Terry will like the life in Torremolinos. He loves working at cafes. That’s where this place shines. It is very much a “live in the street” place. And with all the international citizens that have also retired here, I think he will build his own community. I really think it could work for him. And work for us.
Luckily we don’t even have to think about it until we reconnect next July and August. This sabbatical is about having experiences. And that is exactly what I am doing. In fact, I am having so many experiences that I barely have time to write about them. This is a good problem to have.
So tomorrow I am off to northern Africa. I don’t have very good memories of my trip to Morocco when I was 18. So I look forward to seeing how this 57 year old experiences it. I have a good feeling that there is lots for me to enjoy.
So Torremolinos, I raise my glass and say a big “muchas gracias”. You welcomed me with all your heart. And I embraced you back. Hasta luego, see you later.
