We have been in Spain just over two weeks, and we’ve been enjoying ourselves a lot. The house is perfect (the girls are swimming every day!) and we’ve explored the area a bit. As far as coronavirus restrictions go, things are pretty open here. Restaurants need to close at 6pm but are open (for indoor dining) during the day, all stores are open and various activities. It is a nice change from lockdown and tempting to go out all the time, but we are still trying to stay as safe as possible.

The first week was cloudy and rainy, so that Saturday we went to an indoor trampoline park (limited capacity and masks required but we were glad we arrived early because it was pretty crowded by the time we left). We all had so much fun! Then we went into town, Steffen got a much needed haircut, the girls played at a huge playground on the beach and then we had a fabulous lunch/dinner at a random restaurant we found while walking through the rain, that ended up being a “Michelin Bib Gourmand” restaurant. What good luck!

One day, once the sun was shining again, the girls and I found a series of very fun playgrounds in a nearby town. They had so much fun playing and moving along to the different play areas. After a couple of hours, we grabbed an ice cream and were going to walk down to the beach. Unfortunately, Luisa ran into a sign and hurt her face right near her eye. Workers at a nearby restaurant rushed to get her ice and were so kind and helpful, and then we decided it was time to head home.

We have been spending a lot of time at the house, doing schoolwork, swimming and enjoying the lovely yard. This house is definitely our favorite so far!

Hannah and I have been enjoying exploring some different shopping centres in the area and found one with a Dunkin’ Donuts (the girls’ favorite). Hannah convinced me 12 donuts are better than 6….

We’ve found a few yummy restaurants nearby where we’ve picked up takeout, but one evening Steffen and I realized the hotel down the street has a bar that serves tapas that is open in the evenings so we set the girls up (pizza, movie, popcorn) and headed out on a date! We were the only ones in the bar, the waiter was so nice and the food was delicious. And the girls were happy to have some independence! We are so proud that we can trust them on their own and happy that they enjoy it.

A found a riding school nearby and signed all four girls up for a 45 minute lesson last Friday afternoon that turned into two hours. After getting the horses ready, they rode in the arena for about an hour, and then rode down to the beach which was so gorgeous (but I forgot my phone). They loved it! So much so that we signed them up for a three-day camp over the upcoming spring break and extended our stay here one more week.

On Saturday, Steffen and Olivia went golfing while the rest of us laid by the pool, soaked in the hot tub and just enjoyed laziness. A great day for all!

A glimpse at the beach that is one block away. We haven’t spent much time down there (yet?) because it’s impossible to get the girls away from the pool. 🙂 But it really is beautiful. And you can see Gibraltar and Africa on a clear day!

And lastly, a few shots of an adorable area in Estepona that Hannah and I came across yesterday. I love the narrow streets and all the hanging flowers!