Wednesday, Day 18: Well, regrettably these last 5 days have been mostly uneventful. As you may remember, in my last post (Day 17) I was starting to feel sick… I did indeed get sick, darn it! I came down with what I think was a simple cold: a little cough, runny nose and congestion. Ever the prepared one (as I tend to be), on my quick stop in Dallas prior to leaving for Spain, I picked up a pack of DayQuil. It isn´t sold in México or Spain (at least as far as I can tell). And it has always been the ¨miracle cure¨ for me when it comes to a cold. So I started taking it on Wednesday as well as the cough drops I had picked up at a pharmacy a couple days ago.

The day was spent at home, not really leaving my room. I slept, read and watched silly videos on my phone. I still had a bit of food in the refrigerator, so I was fine: hot tea, water, yogurt, a salad bowl and some Maria-type cookies. All good. Nothing else to report. Onward!

Day 18: 1,150 steps (pitiful)

Thursday, Day 19: I woke up late still feeling sick so I made some hot tea and crawled back into bed with my Kindle (e-reader). Another quiet day at home. I took a hot shower in the afternoon and felt a little better, so I wrapped up and walked the two blocks to the supermarket. I needed to pick up a couple of things. Really, nothing else to report.

Day 19: 3,700 steps (still, a sad little number)

Friday, Day 20: Woke up feeling much better, so it was time to get outside. The weather continues to be cool. It is sunny and sometimes a little windy and the temperatures are anywhere from 49-50 degrees fahrenheit (9.5 – 10*C) in the mornings to mid-60´s (17 – 18*C) during the day. That can feel quite warm in the sun, but when you are walking in the shade it feels cool. I walked the 20-25 minutes to downtown.

It was early and nice out. I decided to take the bus to one of two shopping centers (this one I had not visited yet), so off I went. Once there, I saw that it was a bit smaller than the mall I visited last week, but still very nice! This one also has a movie theatre. But you know what was interesting? They don’t play matinee movies here. Huh? Yeah, movies seem to play at 4-4:30pm (earliest) until 9:00pm or so. I was at the mall rather early, so no movie for me. I was hoping to maybe catch the new musical “Wicked”, but it was not to be. In addition, I learned that movies rarely play in English with Spanish sub-titles. Most movies are dubbed in Spanish. This, I think, is an Almería thing, as there aren´t that many English speaking residents here. Sure there are some, but the city doesn´t seem to see the need to cater to that. I get it. Onward!

When I’ve seen movies in México (although few), they have always been in English with Spanish sub-titles, which I prefer. I like to hear the actor’s original voice, you know? I wonder if a musical has the original actor singing or if that is dubbed, as well? Guess we’ll never find out. HA! 😉 Oh and if you are wondering, when I do watch a movie in English with Spanish sub-titles, I do find myself listening and reading the subtitles. It’s always interesting to see how well the translation was done. 🤔

At the shopping center, I stopped at a cellular company store to inquire about an e-SIM card. I’ve done some research on this, and I do feel I will need a phone number from Spain while I work on moving. I was able to acquire one, as my USA cell phone doesn’t have a physical slot for 2 SIM cards. I purchased the lowest pre-pay plan which will cost me 10€ for 28 days. Such a deal. So now I have a cell number from Spain on my USA phone. Yay!

Also, at this shopping center I visited a super store that I had not seen before. It’s called Alcampo, it´s a chain store I found out AND, AND it is just like a Walmart (only nicer) and a Target. It has everything from groceries, home appliances, clothes, shoes, personal care items and more. This is good to know, as the supermarket close to where I am staying is small. So I walked this store just to get a good idea of what they carry.

I took the bus back downtown and found a cafe to have some lunch, walked the Christmas Market again then found a pastry shop and had a Chai Latte and carrot cake. Yum! The Chai Latte was served as a powder in a small packet which I added to the steamed cup of milk they served me. It was good, but I prefer mine with hot water, to be honest. Then I walked home.

Day 20: 15,476 steps (that´s more like it!)

Saturday,Day 21: Slow start this morning, so I didn’t hurry out. Once I got moving in the early afteroon, I made the 20 minute walk downtown. There were a lot of people out today shopping and eating at restaurants and cafes. I enjoyed the leisurely walk and decided to join the Tourist Train of Almeria. There is one pick up spot along the main avenue and it´s about a 45 minute ride through downtown. The first “train” departs at 5:00pm. Now, I say “train” because it looks like one, but it is actually a bus (see pictures below). It was one of the best decisions I have made so far. It was great fun. It seems that it is quite the experience for families with young children. I was there 10 minutes early and there was only one family and I on board. But by the time we took off a little after 5:00pm, it was full!!

Although the information about this train ride said it included a narration of the sights around town, there was no narration. Instead due to the season, Christmas music was played over the speakers. And it was loud. It could be heard by those on the street and people eating and drinking in the sidewalk cafes. It turned into a sing-a-long with the parents and children on the train. They were Spanish Christmas songs and I can tell you I didn´t know any of them. But once ¨Feliz Navidad¨ came on, I joined in! The driver was great. Before we departed, he took pictures of each family, that was nice. He also tooted the horn when he would see children on the street and we would wave at them. Sometimes when we were stopped at a red light, the people nearby would join in the singing. I´m telling you it was great fun! When we got back to the starting point, there was a line of people waiting to board, and once they did, they filled it again! For 4€ it was well worth the bit of cold we suffered while on the train! Did I mention that it was great fun??!!

After the train ride, I headed back to the Christmas Market and was hoping to get some dinner, but it was only 6:30pm. I walked to the end of the market booths to an open plaza and noticed a stage set up with lights. There was a group of people gathered and although a bit cold, I decided to stay. I’m glad I did, in about 10 minutes a group of 9 men came out and sat down, picking up their instruments (some, not all). And after some sound checks, they started singing and playing Flamenco music. It was terrific. It wasn’t too crowded at all, no pushing nor shoving.

Unfortunately, the sound system was having trouble and there was terrible feedback that really ruined the experience. They had to start over a couple of times. But at the end, it kept happening. I was cold, hungry and tired, and since it wasn’t 8:00pm yet, I decided to walk home and have dinner there. I did stop at the supermarket for water and dessert, then headed home for an early night.

Day 21: 11,428 steps

Sunday, Day 22: Also a late start today. I had a great conversation last evening with David (AirBnB Host) and he suggested two apartment buidings that are true rental buildings managed by a company. Much like in the USA. What I have found on the local realty website (much like Mexico) are condominiums leased out by private owners. But in this case, he sent me a link for a newer looking building not too far from where I´m staying. I found 3 of them pretty easily and they look beautiful; fully furnished and they accept pets. Woohoo! So today, I decided to check it out. Maps tells me it’s about a 30 minute walk, so off I went.

Well, once I made it over to that area, I immediately realized it was exactly what I had been looking for. So many newer high-rise apartment buildings, many with cafes and businesses on the street level. There were even a couple under construction (one with a sign: opens in June 2025!). Well, now we are talking. All rental offices are closed on the weekend, so all I could do was walk around, and it was nice. There were some green walking and biking areas. There was an international school and a couple of gyms. Now, the only thing I could not determine is transportation. I didn´t see any bus stops near by and Maps tells me it is a 10 minute walk to the nearest bus stop. I´ll have to research that further. Getting downtown won´t be easy.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I’d love to be closer to the Boardwalk and the beach, or perhaps in one of those older lovely buildings downtown but I’ve had real trouble finding available apartments on the realty website. 😔 I’ve got time. There’s lots to consider, for sure.

Back to these newer buildings, they are a little isolated. I did walk to the nearest supermarket, and it was about 10-12 mintues; the beach and boardwalk were about a 20 minute walk. Well, maybe not too bad. Also, within that 20 minute walking distance, there were restaurants, shops and cafes across the street from the beach. I will be trying to contact management offices next week. Wish me luck, as it´s Christmas week.

I was cold and tired, so I stopped at a cafe. It was about 4:00pm, so all I could get was a cup of hot tea and a ¨tostada¨. It was good: soft, crunchy bread with tomato paste, olive oil, serrano ham and cheese. I then decided to cross the street and walk back home on the boadwalk. It was windy and cold, I tell you, and a 40 minute walk.

I got home cold and tired and decided to stay in tonight and write this Blog. So, it was mostly a quiet week. The Host family has invited me to Christmas Eve dinner. I asked yesterday, and no decision has been made as to whether they are hosting here or going to his dad´s house. I guess we´ll know soon enough. I´ve asked them to please let me know what I can bring (wine, dessert, both) so stay tuned for that.

I´m not sure if Christmas Day is like Mexico, more of a quiet stay at home family day, since the BIG dinner is done on the 24th. I am making plans for one last trip (I think) for next weekend (27th-29th). This will (finally) be a train ride. More on that later. No plans as yet for New Year’s Eve. Still thinking that one through. Do I travel or find some place to spend it locally in Almería? Not sure yet what the Host family is doing, but I’m thinking I’ve overextended my welcome there.😉

Day 22: 12,760 steps