Monday & Tuesday, September 25 & 26, 2017 (diary)

Georg and Lydia from the Steingrubenhof

These are my last two days in the Black Forest. The past week or so the weather has markedly improved with much sun and blue skies, although the temperatures hovered within the 10-15° C range.
I think it was in 2010 that I stayed for the first time here at the Steingrubenhof and I have been coming back here every time.
The owners Georg and Lydia are great people I get along fine with. Georg has sold his milk cows since I was last here (in 2014) and I believe is leasing his grassland out to other farmers to let their cows on. But somehow he continues to be always busy, while Lydia is running their wonderful holiday apartments.

So I am near the end of my transition time in "no-man's land" and look forward to the new environment in Spain.
As always I have enjoyed Germany and I get on very well with its people, but to live I prefer a less organized, less perfect environment and that I am sure I will find at the Costa del Sol.

I have followed some interesting debates on the German election results from last Sunday.
The former coalition between the right of center CDU (Christian Democratic Union) and the left of center SPD (Socialist Party of Germany) has probably come to an end. In order to cooperate both parties had to move closer to the center and this has cost them many voters. So the SPD is going back into opposition, while Angela Merkel has to form a coalition with two smaller parties (including the Greens).

The protest vote went entirely to the extreme right AfD (Alternative for Germany) party. (Their platform is close the borders, no Muslims and no Euro.)
Interestingly they got their strongest support from the East German provinces, who, after 25 years of integration, still feel left behind on the social and economic front.
Having the enormous failure of socialism there# still fresh in their minds, they have decisively moved to the far right instead. (# A hard lesson, Australian voters may as yet have to learn.)

On the economic front a "bloodbath" (as one commentator described it) is going on in Europe's discount airlines industry. Air Berlin is the first (?) victim and has been sold in part to Lufthansa and part to Easyjet (with which I will fly to Malaga tomorrow.)

Wednesday & Thursday, September 27 & 28, 2017 (diary)

The red balloon shows Michael's hotel     8 = Oval bullring     Above 6 = the lovely Plaza de la Constitucion
13 = Small church with bell tower chiming every hour

In stark contrast to the airports in Frankfurt (cold, complex and uninviting) and Basel-Mülhouse (a maze, few chairs, most must stand for an hour at the Boarding Gate), Malaga Airport is a friendly, very welcoming environment, making you feel you have arrived at the right place !

Lars picks me up from the airport (on Wednesday) and within just 20 minutes I have arrived at La Posada de Mijas. As I will stay here for 28 days (while looking for permanent accommodation) they have allocated me a small 4-room apartment. Although no view of the sea, I look out onto one of Mijas ancient narrow streets with the balconies, covered in flowers, on the opposite side of the street only a few meters away.

After settling in I do some shopping at a store just 100 meters away. Amongst other things I find a tin of calamari en su tinto (squid in its ink) I have not had in 55 years. My day is made !

Thursday
Yesterday I was perhaps still somewhat ambivalent about coming to this place. My soul, so to speak, was still fully connected to Germany.
But after my morning stroll this has completely changed and I feel right at home here !
My hostal is near the heart of where I want to be. Ten years ago I remember sitting on the Plaza de la Constitucion with a sad heart, as I was about to leave.
Today after just a short 200 meters stroll through the Calle Coin I am right back at this lovely square, and I immediately feel that I have arrived.

There are still lots of day-tourist walking round, but perhaps this just adds to the wonderful feeling of this place. Although English is definitely the second language here, I hear phrases spoken in many different languages (Spanish, English, German, French, Dutch, Scandinavian, Japanese) all around me.

There are dozens of restaurants with a wide array of dishes to choose from. Prices are moderate (5 Tapas for €9.90. Three-course "Menu del Dia" €11. Full English breakfast with freshly squeezed orange juice €7.50).
By just walking from my hostal through the Calle Coin, then onto the Plaza de la Constitucion and back through Calle Carril I have endless choices of different restaurants to choose from, plus several shops to buy groceries etc.
There are also lots of tourist shops, but quite a number have tasteful, modern or Spanish inspired items for sale.   I just know that my bridge friends, when they arrive here in just over one year's time, will absolutely love this place. We will have a great time I am sure.

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Friday & Saturday, September 29 & 30, 2017 (diary)

In front of my unit at La Posada de Mijas

The budget airline Ryanair appears also to be in trouble. A unresolved work conditions dispute with their pilots have prompted many pilots to resign. Ryanair has cancelled many flights to some of their destinations, presumably because of this (although the company denies this).
Easyjet appears to be doing fine.

The wifi in all three places I stayed so far in Europe is pretty ordinary. Here I can send emails, but find it very hard to receive. Files uploading on the website can also be a lengthy process. I need to get my own access soon, but have not found a shop here to organise this yet.
Bar PlazaBajo on the Plaza de la Constitucion (6) does have good and free wifi however. What is more, they serve freshly squeezed orange juice. So that is the first port of call every morning for my breakfast.

The Plaza de la Constitucion (6) is also know as the PlazaBajo ("down square"). The Upper square presumably is the Plaza de Toros (7,8, 9) close to it but some 20 meters higher up.
This is a lovely spot with a nice Bar Virgin de la Peña which overlooks (besides the bullring and a small church) some beautiful trees and a small botanical park. A Menu del Dia here costs only €9, it consists of 3 courses plus bread and a drink. The best deal I have spotted so far here.

Over the years I have lived in many different places and whenever I change from one place to the next I go through an emotionally fluid, changeable phase before finding a firm foothold.
I am establishing that foothold here in terms of places, but as yet not with the Spanish people. This is very frustrating. I need to get my Spanish up to speed as quickly as I can.

Unfortunately my Spanish dictionary and phrase book are in my large suitcase I sent separately (and cheaply) by parcel service from Germany. This has been very comfortable as far as my own plane journey was concerned, but the suitcase has not arrived here yet. Hopefully this will happen soon next week.