Visit from home

This last week I had the pleasure of having my mom visit.  Although we had a rocky start (flying standby has it's risks, including being delayed by a day), once she got her, we did everything to make up for lost time.

Las Cuevas de Nerja

I met her in Madrid so that we wouldn't lose any more time and we could catch up on the train ride back to Malaga.  After arriving, we indulged in Lebanese food, a long walk around town, and tea and baklava at my new favorite place.  Tuesday we made a day trip to Nerja, a seaside resort town east of Malaga.  The trip proved even more fulfilling than anticipated: the caves were absolutely incredible, the ice cream delicious, the town quaint, and the beach beautiful.  Must go back with everyone I know.

Looking out at the beach in Nerja

On Wednesday and Thursday Mom took the map and spare cell and explored Malaga while I was teaching, and then had equally full afternoons and long walks.  Trying to squeeze in everything remaining, Friday we made it to the main market to pick up a few snacks before heading out to the botanical garden.  The garden was also better than anticipated, full of tropical plants, flowers, waterfalls, palms, and incredible views of the city from afar.  We found a fig tree that we maneuvered a path to and picked ripe fruit that we ate right there (and stored a few for later).  I could have stayed around the tree for hours trying to hunt down all the sweet pieces on that plant - it seemed too good to be true.  To finish everything off, that night I took mom to the 15th floor of the AC Hotel to catch a glimpse of one of the best views of Malaga (and there are a lot of good ones!) and one that's practically magical at night.


This morning, we woke up early to get her off to the airport.  Sad to see her go, but it's always nice to get back to a routine (and a diet - salad please!).  Today, I took a long run by the port and the boardwalk and at one point couldn't help but grin as I counted my blessings and how lucky I am to have this opportunity, again.

It's hard to get pictures together when you travel as a pair!
- Our self portrait from the hotel, with the Cathedral in the back.