November 1, 2021 Mexico travel planning
Over the last month I’ve barely written on the blog. It’s actually the quietest I’ve ever been on the blog since starting it in 2013. I’ll admit I just haven’t been motivated. And it’s funny how hard it is getting back in the saddle after falling out of a routine…
But that’s going to change.
Firstly, it’s been a year since we moved into this apartment in Spain. After 6 years of full-time travel it’s kind of disconcerting that we’ve been a year doing basically nothing. That’s not really true because we’ve done so much administration-wise getting our Visa, getting our Visas renewed (we’re good for another 2 years), setting up our apartment, working on our garden…But honestly after 6 years of full-time travel all that is boring shit and I’ll admit that it’s not what I enjoy writing about (I get tons of emails from people asking about the Non-Lucrative Visas and I’m glad to help. But it’s boring). Not having anything of interest to write about is one of the reasons for my recent inactivity on the blog.
The latest on Spain…and the month of October
In early October the Covid level in most of Andalucia fell to zero. In fact numbers all over Spain are very low and things are getting back to pre-pandemic normality. Capacity restrictions for bars and restaurants are now at 75%. People are still required to wear masks indoors and to practice social distancing.
Here in Nerja you can pretty much tell who’s a local and who’s a foreigner by mask wearing. Generally the Spanish are still wearing masks. Foreigners (mostly Brits and Scandinavians) don’t. Last week we heard about a British couple who, when walking into Mercadona (the large supermarket), were told to wear masks. They reportedly told the person “fuck off”. They were last seen being escorted out of the supermarket by security guards.
By the way, October is a great month to visit Spain. It is still dry and sunny with highs in the low 20’s. Nights are cool with temps in the mid-teens. Mosquitos (which I’ve complained about. Nobody tells you how bad the mosquitos in coastal Spain are) are still around right now but have fallen dramatically in numbers. I expect we won’t see any more by mid-November.
Octoberfest in Torrox
With the Covid situation better in Spain, we’ve been a bit more active recently. Last month we went to an Octoberfest festival in the nearby town of Torrox. Torrox is 10 minutes from Nerja and has (based on my reading) the highest German population of any town on the Iberian peninsula. We always love all things German so we went there on the last weekend in September (Octoberfest in September? I don’t get it either) and drank beer from Liter-sized glasses and had Bratwurst. Doesn’t matter that about 70% of the people there were Spanish and that they had a Tina Turner impersonator on stage (even before and after she came on the stage we never heard any German music). But it was fun and we felt we were experiencing a bit of culture.
Mexico and it’s “Pueblos Magicos”
Next week I’ll be flying to Mexico where I’ll be visiting my mom. Because of Covid, I haven’t seen her since our trip through Germany in 2019. I’ve been to Mexico many times now and it’s one of my favorite countries. This time around we’ll do a lot of travelling, the theme of this trip being to explore some of the country’s “Pueblos Magicos”. We have at least 5 of them planned on this trip. I’m not going to ruin the surprise. But if they’re anything like previous Pueblos Magicos we’ve visited it will be special.
Previous Pueblos Magicos visited: Patzcuaro, San Cristobal de las Casas, Creel, Cholula. San Miguel de Allende was a Pueblo Magico but was taken off the list when it became a UNESCO site. The city of Guanajuato would also be a Pueblo Magico if it wasn’t also a UNESCO site.
I always enjoy travelling with my mom and I’m looking forward to my 3 weeks in Mexico.
By the way: I paid 543 Euros Malaga – Madrid – Mexico City return with Iberia. That included 120 Euros extra that I paid for an extra space seat. So base price was 423 Euros (that’s $500 US or $615 CAD). That is an incredible price.
My first Spanish hike
10 days ago I had my first Spanish hike going up “El Cielo” just outside of Nerja (click on that link to read about it on Mapping Spain).
I also did a video on the hike
It was a punishing hike which I maybe wasn’t ready for and which I now regret doing. The hike triggered some sort of asthma (which I haven’t had since my university years) that I’ve been fighting. I’m still recovering but it’s getting better.
But the hike also introduced me to some of the spectacular beauty in the region (some of it literally in our back yard) and I look forward to doing many more when I come back from Mexico. Top of the list is El Torcal (just outside Antequera) and the famous Caminito del Rey. I’ll be covering a lot of hikes on Mapping Spain.
An interview on “The Offbeat Life”
Last month I was interviewed by journalist Debbie Arcangeles on “The Offbeat Life”. It’s a website featuring interviews and resources on people living unconventional lives overseas.
You’ll find the 30 minute interview here.
Travel over the next 6 months
As I say, things are going to change over the next little while.
When I come back from Mexico we’re determined to start travelling again. Initially the idea was to do a Spanish road trip. Well, forget about that because we’ve had a bunch of bureaucratic issues and I haven’t even gotten started on working towards my Spanish driver’s licence.
Instead, I’ve started thinking of a train journey through Western Europe. As many readers know, most of our European travels have been focused in Central and Eastern Europe and the Balkans. So we’re looking forward to seeing some cities in Western Europe. I’ll have much more on that in the near future.
That’s it for now. But you can look forward to LOTS more content coming up in the next little while.
Safe travels, Frank. I’m glad you get to visit your mom, I know you’ve been wanting to do so. Looking forward to reading about your mom/son adventures. Hello to Lissette, hope all is well.
Thank you very much Patti! You you and Abi are well, we’ve been out of touch but I think everyone’s been feeling disconnected from both the world and from travel in the last year and a bit.
All the best to both of you.
Just came across your blog and am so interested and intrigued. We, too, are 60 year old Canadians with a passion for travelling. While we have spoken about using our retirement years for some slow-paced travelling, not sure we are willing to sell our house and pick up and move to various locations. We are contemplating renting out various ‘home bases”…perhaps for six months at a time…and then returning to our home north of Toronto (and to hubby’s Traeger smoker—that alone keeps us tied to Canada…lol!). I am concerned, as well, about medical insurance if we are away too long. But I am going to follow your blog…just came across it as we plan a trip with a tour group to Morocco for 2022. So far, tours are the only way we’ve travelled but I hope to get some inspiration and guidance from you!
Hey, we’re not 60 yet. We’re 55 🙂
Medical Insurance shouldn’t be too much of a problem for you guys. I wrote about Travel Insurance for Canadians. It was a while ago but my understanding was that Ontarians get a 2 year exception.
Travelling as we have has actually been easy, the hardest things to administer are the things back home. If I could stress one thing it’s that you should always have a permamnent address, whether that be yours, your kid’s, a friend’s…it’s something we learned the hard way.
Good luck and feel free to write me personally if you have any questions!
Hey Frank…. good to hear you’re getting back in the saddle again. The hike up El Cielo looks awesome! I’m planning on being in las Canarias for Dec./Jan. just for the hiking (NO beaches damn it!) on 3 of the islands. Friends have been going there for several years and rave about the hiking and landscapes. Have you been…. yet?
On a sadder note that i just recently found out about was the sudden death (actually happened last March) of travel blogger Jonathan Lock (of Life Part2) in Malta at 59yrs old! I followed his blog over several years, mostly for his perspectives, philosophy on life, retirement, traveling, etc. I enjoyed a lot of his ramblings. Have you heard of him or his blog?
Bueno hombre….. disfrute los Pueblos Magicos!
Hi Don. Haven’t been to Canary islands but I’ve heard there’s some great hiking. Our friends at Westwards recently went there for some hiking. See here.
Have never heard of Jonathan but it’s always disconcerting hearing about someone dying suddenly at our age. We think we’re young (I just turned 55) but have heard a few similar stories lately…
I looked up his blog (I’m linking it here because I had a hard time finding it). I’ll have a look at it, always like a thoughtful blog.
Hope all well with you and that you’re enjoying your new life in France.
hey Frank. I’m in isolation at home right now, covid case at work. we’re slowly opening up though. Safe trip to Mexico! I’ll watch your video in a minute!
Have you considered going to Scandinavia sometime? Preferably in the summer, when the weather is perfect and you can escape the punishing heat of southern Europe. I’m sure you would love the Norwegian coastal landscape and Stockholm, Sweden’s capital, including its archipelago. From there you could take a boat to St Petersburg or Helsinki and continue exploring the Baltic states.
Thanks TJ. What you’ve described definitely in our plans. Norway has been on my list for a long time and really want to see the Fjords. What’s summer like in terms of tourism? Maybe September a better time?
And Russia (St. Petersburg and Moscow) has been on our list for a while. Have you been?
Do include Denmark in your Scandinavian itinerary, Frank. We lived there for a short while and loved it! The whole region is nowhere near as crowded as the rest of western Europe in summer (maybe because of high prices).
Glad to know that you’ll have a busy 6 months coming up. Train travel through western Europe sounds divine. International travel still seems like a fantasy for us!
Safe travels and a wonderful time with your mother!
Thanks so much Claudine!
I see that you’re coming to México, though I’m not sure of your dates. I’m writing on November 2nd early in the morning, before going to el centro Ajijic to celebrate Día de Los Muertos. We’ve lived here 3 years now & are still figuring things out.
I’m a blogger also & sure understand times of not being motivated to write.
Bienvenidos a México & enjoy visiting your mom!
How do you like Ajijic Chris?
Yes, my life has lived in SMA and she’s gone back and forth with the pros and cons. I guess no place is perfect.
I’ll be there in a week for 3 weeks. Thank you for the kind words!
Pros & cons as you say. If I was younger & fluent in Spanish I’d live in Pátzcuaro or Guanajuato. Much more to my liking but my partner needed the stability of lots of gringos & speaking English so here we are. The climate, however, is delightful.
Are you staying in SMA?
Enjoy your blog!
Hi Chris,
I’ll be staying a few days in SMA but on this trip we’ll mostly be travelling around Mexico City and south.
Bravo! You’re back to vlogging! That is quite a hike. Are sure you didn’t catch Covid from someone? I imagine you are vaccinated, but even then it is possible. Usually Covid in a vaccinated person seems like having a cold. Anyways, I like the video.
Thanks John. I’m pretty sure it’s not Covid – it hit me on the way down, about 30 min from the end. Just had a coughing fit because it felt like something got in my lungs. Like a tickle. Hit me in the lungs for about a week and now everything coming out my nose. Feel a lot better though 🙂