Torremolinos, Spain, May 12, 2026

Another sunny day in Torremolinos. We made our way to the large Mercadona grocery store as it opened. I took a picture of the huge selection of ham on offer, not inexpensive but delicious. We bought buns and mortadella for our planned picnic lunch. We also bought a bottle of rosado Cava and a white wine for our dinner tonight. I took a picture of the receipt to show how we travel frugally. We carried back two heavy bags full of what we needed for the next few days. The most expensive item was the pack of pork knuckles that we loved so much for €3.55. Total cost  €30.23. To put that in perspective, our escalope lunch yesterday cost us €28. 

We headed to Parque de la Bateria, high up the cliffs in Torremolinos. To get up, we took a multi story elevator which cost €1, but free for seniors. The elevator ride was fast and smooth. Although the park didn’t live up to the hype, the water sculpture fountain was outstanding. We could see our apartment, La Roca. It is in the middle of  the picture I took from the park. It was built in 1967 and is the most recognizable buildings in the area. It was built on the headland between the two major beaches. The complex is renowned for its panoramic views, private beach access via lift, and central location. We took the elevator back down and made our way to La Carihuela Beach and then walked the boardwalk back to our apartment. We had our picnic at home, then out for a few games of pool and a pint. 

There are orange trees planted everywhere on the streets and boulevards in Torremolinos and I think all over Spain. The early inhabitants had problems with mosquitoes and they realized mosquitoes didn’t like citrus so they planted orange trees wherever they could.

For dinner, we made garlic lemon chicken piccata with capers, boiled potatoes and fried zucchini. Our small kitchen has only two electric burners, which is challenging. It’s still better than camping, although when we camped we had a propane stove. Despite the challenges, dinner turned out as good as I could cook at home. Chicken piccata is one of our favourite recipes.

We lucked out with the TV because the previous guest had not signed out of her Prime account so are were able to watch movies. 

Granada to Torremolinos, Spain, May 11, 2026

Today was a big travel day. After taking a taxi to the bus station, we travelled to Málaga where we took the train to Torremolinos. Four and a half hours later we checked into to our apartment in the same building we were in over a week ago. We are on the same floor, tenth, but closer to the water as we are second unit from the end. The apartment is not as renovated but with a great view of the water and beach. We are close enough that we can hear the waves lapping at the shore, a lovely calming sound. 

Our place in Granada was not at all comfortable. There was no dining table and chairs, just a high ugly chipped and stained wooden bar which looked like a first time home project with uncomfortable stools. We made the best of it by bringing in the metal table from the Juliette balcony and slat wood and metal chairs that needed cushions, which were as old as the hills. Jill covered the table with a pashmina. Like we say, it’s better than camping, but in this case it was a toss up. It was depressing and to top it off, it wasn’t cheap as it was a last minute change in itinerary. It’s behind us now and we are very happy to be back by the sea.

After unpacking all of our food stuff, we had lunch just a few minutes from our apartment. It was doors down from an express grocery store where we picked up essentials. We ordered escalope which looked like schnitzel. We assumed it was pork, since it is the main meat in Spain, but it turned out to be chicken breast flattened. Next time we ask.

When we got back, I counted how many train trips we have taken. We loaded up a card with €15 which offers discounted travel on trains and buses. All you have to do is tap at the beginning and at the end of each trip. The card however, is only good for travel between Fuengirola and Málaga. We have taken a total of fourteen trips, seven each. We still have enough on the card to get to Málaga for a day trip, there and back, and then to the airport on Friday. And we will still have money left on the card. A bargain!

The weather is getting warmers and will be sunny for our last days. Tomorrow will be a chill day.

Granada, Spain, May 10, 2026

We headed out early to find the Alhambra, which is on the other side of the Cathedral. The path in was spectacular, but very steep. I couldn’t help doing a Michael Jackson Smooth Criminal move on the hill. It was a good time to be there before all the guided tours got started. We opted to visit just part of Alhambra and the museum. It gets crazy with people and that takes away from the experience in our opinion. We don’t like crowds. 

After a few hours we headed back to our apartment for lunch. Our route home was blocked off for some reason, so we ended up walking through Albaicin, one of the oldest neighbourhoods in Granada dating back to medieval times. 

A short snooze and we were off to a bar for some pool. It was a classy bar, just ten minutes away, with a regular set of pool balls. The music was rock and roll and the beer was cold. We very much enjoyed playing pool again. 

For dinner tonight, we had paella rice with two pork knuckles and a mixed salad with the addition of arugula and tomato. We bought the pack of two knuckles on our last shop and thought we should give them a try. We used a litre of Paella de Marisco Fideuá, a seafood paella broth for the rice. We added red bell pepper, tomato and zucchini to the rice. Jill was not a fan of the seafood forward taste. I liked it. After  tasting the pork, there was a lot of moaning. It was so delicious. Jill said she has never had pork taste so good. There were no leftovers.

Tomorrow we will take an Uber to the bus station, then a bus to Malaga and then a train to Torremolinos. Long travel day, but we are excited to be heading back to the sea.