Our last breakfast here in Granada. Richard has his usual breakfast sandwich of meat-this time only salmon with capers, tomato, anchovy. Scrambled eggs, cheese, red peppers, celery. How can he eat that for breakfast! I am much more cautious and have 2 eggs over medium, toast, fruit, and a small pastry. Richard also has a plate of fruit and a slice of apple cake. We both enjoy juice and coffee. We head back to our room to pack up for our drive to Costa del Sol/Torremolinos. Check out is fine. I thank the staff for making the dinner reservations for us. We have really liked this hotel-mainly because of its great location to Alhambra but also because of the welcoming, nice staff. The valet gets our car and we are on the road by 11:30 AM.
We make it out of the city of Granada and head on the E-15/A-7 towards Malaga. The scenery is quite nice. Rolling hills, small lakes, through tunnels. We catch a glimpse of the Mediterranean! There's a sign for McDonald's! Now the E-15/A-7 says Algeciras which is the way we want to go. By 1:00 PM we see a sign for Torremolinos. Getting closer. We enter the town around 1:30 PM.
Torremolinos. Costa del Sol. Southern Spain. Andalusia. Beach. Relax.
Now we need to find our hotel and we hope we have better luck than Granada. Wishful thinking. After driving around for what seems like forever Richard parks the car and I walk to a police station we've passed. I get directions-go up the street where my husband is parked, 2nd street left, then right towards the beach, Best Friends Restaurant, Hotel Phoenix. The officer has used his cell phone to give me the directions to our hotel. I hope this works. It does and we arrive at our hotel about 2:00 PM. However, we can't turn into the parking area in front of the hotel. The man tells us there's no parking available. Richard waits in the car on the street while I go to talk to someone at the reception desk. I tell them I thought we had free parking with our reservation. I find out there's a limited number of free parking spaces right in the area in front of the hotel-which are all taken. There is no guarantee of free parking with our reservation. We have the choice to try to find free parking away from the hotel-we can drop our luggage off now-or pay to park in the hotel garage. I'm really pissed. I certainly don't want to drive around hoping to find a parking spot so we will park in the hotel garage. I have to give them €10 refundable deposit. Richard parks the car.
Apartamentos Bajondillo. Booked on 5/7/18 through booking.com for 4 nights 7/29-8/2/18. Breakfast included and is from 7:30-11:30 AM. Cost $577.77. Cost for parking for the 4 days $55.99. We get to our room by 3:00 PM. We are in room #3012. We have a studio with a side view of the sea. The room has 2 single beds. A table and 2 chairs. 2 other chairs by the flat screen TV. Small wardrobe for clothes. Closet has plenty of hangers and a safe but there is a charge to use the safe! Kitchen area has a small sink, mini fridge, 2 burner stove. Bathroom has tub/shower combo. Grab bars in the tub which are good. Dispenser for shampoo. Hair dryer. Small deck with table and 2 chairs. Not bad but a bit dated. We unpack and decide to try to do some laundry. This property has self service laundry room. We check it out but all the machines in use right now. We'll return. The pool is quite large but mobbed with people. Loungers all over the grass area by the pool. Lots of kids in the pool. A short walk across the street leads to the beach where you can rent loungers with umbrellas. Plenty of restaurants and shops. This property has a great location. We finally get to do laundry but it's late-7:00 PM. The day has gone by so fast-driving from Granada, finding our hotel here, unpacking, checking out the pool and beach. This has eaten up most of the day. Laundry done and time to think about dinner. I ask reception how to get to a place I'm interested in for homemade pasta. The guy says there's a place walking distance from hotel with good pizza and pasta so we'll try that as we are tired and around the corner from the hotel-5 minutes away-sounds pretty good.
Dinner-Pizzeria Natura. Plenty of people here which is a good sign I think. Indoor and outdoor seating. We decide to take a table indoors but the inside is open to the outside. Extensive menu. Soups, salads, pastas, pizza, meats.... Drinks-San Miguel beer for Richard and a glass of sangria for me. Since it appears that pizza is the go to item here we decide to get a margherita pizza and a mixed salad to share. A dish of olives appears on our table. The pizza was good with nice balance of cheese and sauce. I do wish the crust was thinner and crispier. The mixed salad had tuna, hard boiled egg, tomato, onions, corn, and a few leaves of romaine lettuce. Not the best, but not the worse meal we've had. Prices reasonable. I had another glass of the sangria. Good friendly service. Cost without tip $27.65. There is a Burger King right next door to this restaurant! Walking back to our hotel we pass mini golf, a gelateria stand-Carte D'Or. Dessert! We get a small cone (Richard) and a small cup (me). Don't remember what we paid but I don't think it was much. Maybe €5.00. Lots of flavors to choose from but don't remember which we got! Think it was strawberry and tiramisu. We walk to the beach where we sit enjoying the scene and our ice cream. Sun is starting to set and the lights on the hotels and restaurants are on. Walking back to our hotel the pool is empty. We notice the balcony light is on in our room. Ready to call it a night at 10:00 PM! Tomorrow's plan is just to do nothing.
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| Richard's breakfast sandwich |
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| My fruit |
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| My eggs over medium |
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| Richard's fruit and apple cake |
We make it out of the city of Granada and head on the E-15/A-7 towards Malaga. The scenery is quite nice. Rolling hills, small lakes, through tunnels. We catch a glimpse of the Mediterranean! There's a sign for McDonald's! Now the E-15/A-7 says Algeciras which is the way we want to go. By 1:00 PM we see a sign for Torremolinos. Getting closer. We enter the town around 1:30 PM.
Torremolinos. Costa del Sol. Southern Spain. Andalusia. Beach. Relax.
Now we need to find our hotel and we hope we have better luck than Granada. Wishful thinking. After driving around for what seems like forever Richard parks the car and I walk to a police station we've passed. I get directions-go up the street where my husband is parked, 2nd street left, then right towards the beach, Best Friends Restaurant, Hotel Phoenix. The officer has used his cell phone to give me the directions to our hotel. I hope this works. It does and we arrive at our hotel about 2:00 PM. However, we can't turn into the parking area in front of the hotel. The man tells us there's no parking available. Richard waits in the car on the street while I go to talk to someone at the reception desk. I tell them I thought we had free parking with our reservation. I find out there's a limited number of free parking spaces right in the area in front of the hotel-which are all taken. There is no guarantee of free parking with our reservation. We have the choice to try to find free parking away from the hotel-we can drop our luggage off now-or pay to park in the hotel garage. I'm really pissed. I certainly don't want to drive around hoping to find a parking spot so we will park in the hotel garage. I have to give them €10 refundable deposit. Richard parks the car.
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| Leaving the hotel |
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| Should have walked down here to see these shops, etc. |
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| Need to head towards Sierra Nevada |
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| First of many tunnels |
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| Another tunnel |
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| Glimpse of the Mediterranean |
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Apartamentos Bajondillo. Booked on 5/7/18 through booking.com for 4 nights 7/29-8/2/18. Breakfast included and is from 7:30-11:30 AM. Cost $577.77. Cost for parking for the 4 days $55.99. We get to our room by 3:00 PM. We are in room #3012. We have a studio with a side view of the sea. The room has 2 single beds. A table and 2 chairs. 2 other chairs by the flat screen TV. Small wardrobe for clothes. Closet has plenty of hangers and a safe but there is a charge to use the safe! Kitchen area has a small sink, mini fridge, 2 burner stove. Bathroom has tub/shower combo. Grab bars in the tub which are good. Dispenser for shampoo. Hair dryer. Small deck with table and 2 chairs. Not bad but a bit dated. We unpack and decide to try to do some laundry. This property has self service laundry room. We check it out but all the machines in use right now. We'll return. The pool is quite large but mobbed with people. Loungers all over the grass area by the pool. Lots of kids in the pool. A short walk across the street leads to the beach where you can rent loungers with umbrellas. Plenty of restaurants and shops. This property has a great location. We finally get to do laundry but it's late-7:00 PM. The day has gone by so fast-driving from Granada, finding our hotel here, unpacking, checking out the pool and beach. This has eaten up most of the day. Laundry done and time to think about dinner. I ask reception how to get to a place I'm interested in for homemade pasta. The guy says there's a place walking distance from hotel with good pizza and pasta so we'll try that as we are tired and around the corner from the hotel-5 minutes away-sounds pretty good.
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| Apartamentos Bajondillo entrance |
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| Our room #3012 |
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| Kitchenette |
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| View from our room |
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| Hotel pool |
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| Self service laundry |
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| This is where breakfast will be set up |
Dinner-Pizzeria Natura. Plenty of people here which is a good sign I think. Indoor and outdoor seating. We decide to take a table indoors but the inside is open to the outside. Extensive menu. Soups, salads, pastas, pizza, meats.... Drinks-San Miguel beer for Richard and a glass of sangria for me. Since it appears that pizza is the go to item here we decide to get a margherita pizza and a mixed salad to share. A dish of olives appears on our table. The pizza was good with nice balance of cheese and sauce. I do wish the crust was thinner and crispier. The mixed salad had tuna, hard boiled egg, tomato, onions, corn, and a few leaves of romaine lettuce. Not the best, but not the worse meal we've had. Prices reasonable. I had another glass of the sangria. Good friendly service. Cost without tip $27.65. There is a Burger King right next door to this restaurant! Walking back to our hotel we pass mini golf, a gelateria stand-Carte D'Or. Dessert! We get a small cone (Richard) and a small cup (me). Don't remember what we paid but I don't think it was much. Maybe €5.00. Lots of flavors to choose from but don't remember which we got! Think it was strawberry and tiramisu. We walk to the beach where we sit enjoying the scene and our ice cream. Sun is starting to set and the lights on the hotels and restaurants are on. Walking back to our hotel the pool is empty. We notice the balcony light is on in our room. Ready to call it a night at 10:00 PM! Tomorrow's plan is just to do nothing.
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| Mixed salad |
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| Margherita pizza |
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| Burger King is next door to Pizzeria Natura |
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| Entrance from boardwalk to our hotel |
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| Empty pool |
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| Our room is where the balcony light is on |
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