Category: Uncategorized

Who’s right?

Well; there have been bad weather and supplier problems and, of course, Brexit has added to the problem with the extra paperwork and border controls. The government has also a case to answer, or, as some would suggest, for not supporting local growers.

So, it’s a bit of everything. But please, don’t tell them that on Twitter and Facebook, you’ll only start them off again.

Here in Malaga province, we have plentiful supplies, thank you very much. So, if you are coming to Nerja for a self-catering holiday, may I suggest a nice tomato salad?

I decided I needed an Air Fryer in my life – Stand by for loads of recipe posts

I have bought gadgets for the kitchen, just like anyone else. I have also resisted buying gadgets for the kitchen due to the ones I bought ending up stored away. I’ve had coffee machines, sausage makers, mincing gadgets, pasta machines and all sorts of “kitchen aides”.

The new kid on the block is a machine called an Air Fryer. It would seem that I’m the only person I know that isn’t using one. My sister has one, and my sister-in-law has one and they both swear that an Air Fryer is both quick, easy and cost-effective.

Looking at Air Fryer Machines

We decided that we would investigate these new-fangled food machines. Thanks to Youtube, there were endless videos of all types and makes of this frying machine. I must admit; on the face of it, I was impressed. They all had bells and whistles on them (figuratively speaking) and they all cooked food quickly and with little mess. They also used a lot less electricity, definitely a bonus in this day and age.

After much humming and ahhing, we decided on a Cosori 5.5 litre air fryer.

Cooking with an Air Frying machine

After taking delivery of our new toy, we set about reading the documentation that came with it. One is a great recipe book and the other user guide and cooking instructions. You know; do not put plastic objects in the fryer, type of thing. For this machine to work, you need to plug it into the electric supply, and so on.

On the first day, we had a little play with it and found it was quite easy to use. There are little pictures of fish, chickens, chops and so on, so you know which setting to use for your chips etc.

Finally, we decided to have a go at cooking something. Frozen fish in breadcrumbs was the food of choice. Cook from frozen, for 8 minutes (5 minutes to warm the machine up). Rub a little oil on the fish, place it into the basket of the machine then just press the snowflake icon. That was it!

Halfway through the cooking process, the machine (I must give it a name) gave a series of alarms, to let me know I should turn the fish over.

Job done! Fish cooked and ready to eat.

Stand by for a load of cooking posts

I must admit, it takes some of the excitement out of the cooking process ( Yes; I get excited about cooking) and the preset timings mean you don’t really have to think much about how long you should cook things. It is also quite clean to use as it uses very little cooking oil.

I think I will be adventurous and start cooking the Spanish dishes that I like. I wonder what Rabbo de Torro will come out like. I will post any of the dishes that might be interesting to readers of this blog. I will also post any disasters and how to avoid repeating them. Watch this space.

Cosori facebook page.

Calima is dust from the Sahara but mix it with rain…

Calima: A right old pain

Many towns and villages were turned from Pueblos Blancos (white villages) to Pueblos Maronnes (brown villages) the last time this dust nuisance paid us a visit. Usually, the Calima blows in, covers your car, dog etc with a fine layer of red dust and then it blows away or gets brushed off. Mix this Calima with rain and, you have reddish-brown paint!

The last visit decimated towns, villages and even cities in Spain. To say the landscape looked “biblical” is not an exaggeration.

What is Calima?

‘Calima’ is set to return to Malaga and the Costa del Sol this Wednesday, 15 February, the director of the Aemet weather centre, Jesús Riesco, has confirmed. Calima, or haze, is the Spanish word used when there is Saharan sand or dust suspended in the atmosphere, resulting in orange martian-like skies and red dust colouring pavements and balconies.

“It will be a moderate to weak episode, very typical in southern Spain; in principle, it will not be like last year,” the meteorologist said. He was referring to the calima of March 2022, which saw the highest concentration of dust since historical records began. Then the orange skies lasted for days with many streets and façades dyed red by the mud-like rain.

This week the skies should clear by the weekend. “The low altitude depression over the Canary Islands eases by the weekend so that Saturday would be the last day,” said Riesco.

Sur in English

As usual; the good news of this latest “blessing” is brought to you by our friends at the Sur in English. From here you can read the rest of this report. Undoubtedly, those of us who spent days behind a power washer, cleaning our houses, will be holding our breath.

Storms Gerard and Fien are set to bring widespread rain, snow and strong winds to Spain this week

Weather Warnings for Forty Provinces

Where to Eat in Nerja? What’s the Best Beach…

Since Judith Chalmers first introduced the watching world to Nerja way back in the nineties, people have been visiting in even greater numbers. This is still true today. Nerja back then looked a bit different to what it does in 2022. Not too much but time and modernisation move on.

Along came social media and things changed even more. Now, people who visit Nerja and the wider Costa del Sol don’t need brochures to tell them what to do or where to stay. Facebook, for example, is awash with information: some good, some utter codswallop.

This prompted people to set up their own Facebook pages for Nerja. Some are fantastic and offer real information; one such Facebook page is Nerja Lovers

Nerja Lovers Facebook Page

 

Hello, friends from around the world. Welcome to our group which is dedicated to all of you who love Nerja and want to share your pictures, videos and experience from this amazing city!

Nerja Lovers is a new community on Facebook. We are united by their love for Nerja, the passion to buy in the small shop in Nerja, and preserve the beautiful beaches and all the charms of Nerja.

Sorry if we make mistakes. We are human and this is why we make mistakes.
The group rules: (Yes! there are rules so make sure you abide by them)

This page is great and very popular, with 58k plus members. So, if you need an opinion or some local information, this page is very useful. There are thousands of photographs of Nerja and the surroundings.

Beware though! there are some very strange people on that Facebook Page.

As with other blogs and Social Media sites, you do get a few ‘strange’ people posting answers to mainly genuine questions. You also get some stupid questions asked by some genuine people.

One person asked the group “What is the weather like at the end of May?”

Some answers were ”

If you are a regular visitor to the Nerja Lovers Facebook page, you will soon get to know the characters. My favourite is a lady who you would swear is the Mayoress of Nerja. I know she is a resident because she uses the royal “We” in all of her posts.

I you are looking for photographs of Nerja, the hotels, restaurants, beaches and so forth, this is a great group for you to visit.

Check out the Nerja Beach Holidays website for the best villas, apartments and townhouses in Nerja.

Butifarra con Garbanzos – A great hearty meal from the Costa del Sol

Butifarra; what is it?

Butiffara or Botifarra is a type of sausage and one of the most important dishes in Catalan cuisine. Botifarra is based on ancient recipes, either the Roman sausage botulu or the lucanica, made of raw pork and spices, with variants today in Italy and in the Portuguese and Brazilian linguiça. Wikipedia

That’s one way to describe it: another is simply ‘homemade sausage’. Butifarra comes in all shapes and sizes, all flavours, and is presented with anything you like. Usually, in the Andalucia region, you will find it simply served with Garbanzos (Chickpeas) or Lentejas (Lentils) or some other type of pulses.

The more adventurous will jazz it up, but, for now, I’ll show you how I make this delicious Spanish dish after seeing it in Nerja.

Como Hacer Butifarra con Garbanzos – How to make homemade sausage with Chickpeas

Unless you have a food processor with a sausage-making fitting, go out and buy your sausage. Mercadonna (Spanish Supermarket, a bit like ASDA) do a fantastic version, a lot like Cumberland sausage. The recipe is simple and quick.

Method

In a pan add a little olive oil (or other another type of oil. Add the butiffara. Cook on high for 3 or 4 minutes and then turn the meat over. You are looking to get some colour for on the meat. Once browned to your liking, transfer to a plate and cover.

Add diced onions ( I like two) and 3-4 cloves of minced garlic, along with finely diced carrots and a stick of celery finely chopped. Saute until the carrots go translucent.

Add the sausage to the pan and reduce the heat to medium.

Add sufficient stock ( Mercadona and other stores have ‘Caldo’ which is pre-made stock) to cover the sausage and turn the heat to a simmer. Cover for 30 minutes.

You are looking to reduce the stock by half.

Add a bottle of Garbanzos (chickpeas) or lentils. Add some fresh or dried parsley. Mix and replace the lid. Cook for ten minutes. If you want thicker a sauce, mix a teaspoon of cornflower with some cold water and stirr the entire pan.

Job done!

Serve with some fresh sliced bread for a simple, hearty meal for 4 people.

There are many variations on this theme. Whats your favourite? You will find this dish all over Andalucia. If you don’t see it on the menu; ask for it,

Make sure to keep updated with the latest villas and apartments from Nerja Beach Holidays. Autumn and Wintersun holidays are a great time to be on the Costa del Sol.

Drought in 2022 is causing problems for everyone

Long dry summer and so far the drought continues

The summer has been long and hot in Andalucia. Normally, you can expect rain to start falling about the second week in September; usually for somebody’s Fiesta! So far, this September, we have had a few hours of thunderstorms and showers; nothing more!

I live to the north of Nerja, about an hour away. The village of Villanueva del Trabuco is 4KM from my rural house.

Drought is more than a problem for my friends and neighbours as they are mostly farmers, farm workers and businesses associated with food production. No rain means the olives will be small this year.

“Olive trees are very resistant to water scarcity,” said Juan Carlos Hervas, an expert with the COAG farmers’ union.

But when droughts become extreme, the trees “activate mechanisms to protect themselves. They don’t die but no longer produce anything,” Article of interest link

Even when it does rain, it has to be the right type of rain; does this sound silly? I will explain: If the rain comes down in torrents, it washes soil away and runs off into the low areas. It does not sink into the hard ground. This causes flooding in some areas and erosion in others. A slow, long spell of rain is better as it sinks into the earth slowly.

If it doesn’t rain in September or October, this plays havoc with the olive harvesting. You cannot pick olives in the rain or when the ground is waterlogged. It is dangerous, extra-hard work as the nets get soaking wet and covered in mud. I have worked on the olives for my nieghbourneighbour; believe me, it is hard work, even under perfect conditions.

There is an excellent article in the Sur in English. The Andalucia regional government are asking the EU for financial support due to the effects of the drought. Check out this article.

Andalucia seeks European Union’s help with the water shortage

On the second day of his two-day visit to Brussels, the president of the Junta de Andalucía, Juanma Moreno, said on Tuesday that the present drought in the region is a serious threat to the economy and major investment is needed to provide adequate infrastructure.

He explained that works costing one billion euros are already underway and another four billion euros of investment will be needed, so he called for specific plans to be drawn up by the government in Madrid to finance these projects in southern Spain and for the EU’s Next Generation funds to be reprogrammed to cover not only environmental and energy efficiency projects but also to solve the water problem. See more

So far, my weather forecasting app has warned of rain several times this week but, none came. There was some thunder and a rather pathetic rainbow.

Dry weather is wonderful for tourists but, everybody needs water.

Self-Catering Holiday Rental in Nerja – Townhouse Pueblo Los Arcos 4

Nerja Self-Catering Holiday Rentals 2023? Yes! We will be at the beginning of December before you know it, the New Year will be upon us. Now is the time to be thinking about your vacations for 2023.

I sound like a one-trick pony but it is really never too early to book your townhouse, villa or apartment in Nerja.

European holidays are very popular, with countries such as France attracting vast numbers. The Costa del Sol is and has always been, a great attraction to tourists looking for Spanish sunshine. Nerja is the jewel of the Costa del Sol and is also very popular all year round.

Nerja Beach Holidays has a fantastic catalogue of Nerja villas, townhouses and apartments for self-catering holidays 2023. Check out the main website and see what is available to you.

One property we would like to highlight is this lovely townhouse in Nerja, Pueblo Los Arcos 4

From 435€ per week

Sleeps 4

Free WiFi

Use of facilities and pool

Amazing views

Terrace furniture

Air conditioning

Self-catering

VFT/MA/03289

Pueblo Los Arcos 4 Nerja is a pretty townhouse with a private garden and a communal pool with a relaxing atmosphere.

The townhouse is located in small gated urbanization that is perfectly safe for both families and couples. It is a ten-minute walk down to the Burriana beach, and a fifteen-minute walk down to the centre of Nerja.

You can take advantage of what the two nearby hotels have to offer: A gourmet tapas restaurant, an Andalucian-style café bar, a garden bar, and entertainment some nights of the week.

The townhouse is accessed through the communal security gate. There is a fully fitted kitchen on the ground floor.

Also on the ground floor, you will find a living/dining room with air-conditioning and direct access to the private garden and a toilet. You can do outdoor dining on the garden terrace while watching the sun go down behind the mountains. The TV in the living room has a lot of UK channels through IPTV.

​On the first floor, you will find the master bedroom and a second bedroom, both with air-condition and Juliette balconies, as well as the bathroom with a bath, shower head over the bath, toilet, bidet and sink.

If you have a car, there is a private car parking area at the entrance of the urbanization. There are two supermarkets nearby for convenient shopping.

You can see a lot more photographs and details from the main Nerja Beach Holidays website.

If you need any help or have questions, please contact us and we will be delighted to help.

Not Spain Again!: Channel 4 A Place in the Sun – Things You Need to Know

A Place in the Sun

If you mention A Place in the Sun, people will usually think of that wonderful Stevie Wonder song of the same name. Or, you might think of the film?

Based upon the true story of Chester Gillette, who murdered his pregnant girlfriend in 1906. He was tried, convicted, and executed in 1908. The ghost of the victim, Grace Brown, is said to haunt Big Moose Lake where she drowned, in the Adirondacks in upstate New York. (Nice!)

These days, especially if you are a watcher of Channel 4, you will find yourself watching house-hunting Brits.

Property experts help British couples who are looking to move from their home in dreary Britain for the sun, sea and sand abroad.

The Channel 4 show is filmed for Most a staggering 48 weeks out of the year, with around 120 episodes filmed in any twelve months. Regular destinations include Spain, Italy and France. Mostley it is filmed in Spain (much to the chagrin of many of their viewers, if the APITS Facebook page is anything to go by!)

If you want to spend a pleasant hour or so, check out A Place in the Sun’s Facebook page. The comments range from the ill-informed to the seasoned travel experts, from pleasant banter to downright techno-rage! (Grrr!)

Why is it always Spain?

One of the most whined about topics: why is it always Spain? You will get this every time the program features the Costa del Sol or the Canary Islands etc. There is always somebody complaining. The fact that there are more UK ex-pats in Spain than anywhere else in Europe doesn’t seem to matter to them.

The Presenters – What are they wearing?

Another topic guaranteed to raise the hackles in the APITS Facebook pit is fashion: yes, fashion! OK, some of the presenters do look like they have either dressed in the dark or, have been shoplifting in War on Want.

Some of the comments do get close to the knuckle. It’s a dress or a shirt, nothing more! If the presenters want to dress like mad parrots, let them!

Why are they always holding hands?

My pet hate is when the guests if they are male and female (dare I say that?) then you can guarantee, they look like these Climate Activists who glue themselves to Botticelli paintings. There is nothing more irritating than people holding hands whilst debating the merits of a one-bedroom apartment in Benidorm! Let go!

Showing a million-pound house: Why?

I don’t get this one. There can be a couple, with reasonable expectations (5 bedroom detached villa with pool and jacuzzi, stables, 4 car garage and, with a budget of €95,000) and we get shown a property worth millions? I suspect this might be for advertising purposes.

Time-wasters and Misers

Often, the show will go the whole hog and the house-hunters find a property that matches their unrealistic expectations. They are asked by the presenter if they want to make an offer (I love this bit; guaranteed to get the  FB page wound up). “You do? how wonderful!” twitters the presenter.

On the blower, they get to the seller of the property. “I’ve got wonderful news for you, they want to make you an offer!” The poor seller is then told that Mr and Mrs Scrooge want to offer 20K below the asking price, and, they want it fully furnished.

It could be worse though. If the buyers decide they have not seen anything that makes them want to part with their money, then Mr and Mrs Facebook declare them to be ‘pathetic time-wasters!’ who should not be on the show.

A Place in the Sun-Too Many Questions

Many questions get asked by viewers and I found an article that might help.

I found an article in the Liverpool Echo (Yes, we can read in Liverpool) which is well worth a few minutes of your time if you like the program. Liverpool Echo

I once saw the show being filmed in my own village, it was the third or fourth time. I cannot understand why they get a table and chairs, some soft drinks and sit in the middle of a town square or the beach?. Answers below please.