Allie in the South of Spain

This summer Jose and I will be staying here in the south of Spain. It's the first time in many years that I will not be back in pure Michigan to spend time with family and friends during my vacation. I am pretty bummed out but by sticking around here for the summer we are hoping to finally be able to grow our family (cryptic enough for you) so I am trying to keep that in mind so as to not get too depressed about having to brave the sweltering sun during the next few months.  In any case, we have to be pretty close to Seville during the month of July and somehow I managed to talk my younger sister (now Dr. Krieg) and mom into coming for a visit. They arrive toward the end of the month and though it will be hot, we plan on lots of time at our pool and visits to places early in the morning and later in the evening. I love hosting visitors and having at least some of my family here will make this summer much more tolerable. Besides seeing Seville and since they arrive to and leave f...

Last weekend I mentioned that Jose and I were headed to the state-mandated sales to try to find some work clothes that desperately needed replacing. We live pretty close to an outlet mall so we figured we would be able to take advantage of some great prices. Unfortunately this was not the case. We were quite disappointed in both the selection of clothing being offered as well as the discounts. Needless to say, we didn't end up leaving with much (I bought a pair of pants and a skirt for a whopping total of 12 euro). It was a bust. View of the outdoor market Since Jose still needed some new work wear we decided to try our luck at one of Seville's big outdoor markets that are set up on the weekends. I wrote about one trip we took there to do some Christmas shopping  here . These markets are not for the faint of heart. They are loud, crowded, sometimes smelly (mostly thanks to people smoking). This particular market is located on a big open parking lot. Vendors arrive early ...

This weekend Jose, Cooper and I headed to Portugal to spend one more relaxing weekend before the madness of the holidays descends upon us. We stayed at Jose's parents' apartment in the small town right across the border, Vila Real de Santo Antonio. It was especially festive this weekend with a Christmas market right in the town square. Holiday goodies We had to go to the beach for a long walk since Cooper loves it and we visited our normal haunts (see beer and Indian food) that we always frequent when we are in town. While walking at the beach we came across this gem of a truck driven by one of the many fishermen we encountered. I love hilariously small European vehicles. So silly. Tavira On Sunday we decided to visit another town nearby that we had never been to before, Tavira. It was less than a half hour away. We drove there, parked and wandered around a bit. They have a big, central plaza and lots cool, tiled buildings (one of my favorite aspects of older house...

Thank you again, Groupon Not too long ago I received a deal from Groupon for 2x1 tickets to Seville's local amusement park. As I had never been before (and Jose hadn't visited since he was a child), we decided to buy the coupon and ended up going yesterday. We brought a picnic lunch to save money and wore comfortable shoes to be able to walk around all afternoon. At the entrance Yaaaarrrggghhhhh The park itself is pirate themed and was created in conjunction with the World Expo Fair that Seville hosted in the early nineties. There are boats everywhere and lots of water rides which are nice during the hot summers here in the south of Spain. There is a big fort and live shows, the most popular being one in which there is a battle aboard a pirate ship.  Most people's favorite ride is a roller coaster although there are a lot of attractions for children as well. I did not go on the really big rides because I have a terrible time with motion sickness. Luck...

Cheap transportation needed Since I started my new job last week, Jose and I have been trying to figure out how we would be able to manage our different commutes with only one car. Before we were able to drive to work together since our schools were just down the road from one another and we had more or less the same schedules. Now things are different. Because Jose does not have very far to travel and doesn't go on any main roads, we decided to investigate buying a scooter. It didn't take us long to find one second-hand. We didn't waste any time in buying it since it was a good deal (at least we hope). Coops wants a ride That means that we got to spend the afternoon today driving around our apartment complex to practice. Even Cooper got into the spirit. The nice thing about this scooter is that it is pretty basic and easy to use. Really there are hand brakes and an accelerator. We both need to work on curves and turning but I think things went pretty well. We wil...

The tale of our T.V. The other morning as Jose was watching the news our T.V. shut off for no reason. I   was still in bed but heard his curse and it was enough to make me get up. Apparently our T.V. had died which is a real bitch because we had literally just bought a surround sound system (a great deal at a sale we found while grocery shopping of al things) the weekend before. We hadn't even set up the system yet, it still sits sadly in its box.  We bought our flatscreen television no more than 3 years ago when we were in our old apartment and it later made the move with us. It was the first big purchase that we made together which is not to say that it holds some kind of sentimental value. Rather I make that point to show that we spent a good deal of money on this T.V. not very long ago. And it died. Dammit! Not built to last Things are just not built to last anymore. I swear that my family enjoyed watching the same ancient Zenith T.V. from the time of my older sis...

My in-laws recently converted their old study into a big, beautiful walk-in closet. I have mentioned it before but built in closets aren´t incredibly common here in Spain; there is not one in our new apartment. Let´s just say that I am envious that they have this awesome space with enough room to hang things and actually not have them wrinkle right away. Sigh. Now they can really see the clothes that they own (which is a lot).  My mother-in-law is a good shopper in that she knows how to find a barg. She has tons of shoes, dresses, pants, tops, handbags etc and she always looks very put together. She has been accumulating her collection of clothes for years. As she was organizing things in her new closet she even showed me a pair of boots that she had bought when my husband was very young. Over the years she had forgotten about them but planned on wearing them now that they were out of storage. I am sure there were more of these re-discoveries as she pulled stuff out of cupboards...

For those of you who don´t know, Jose and I both gave up sweet things for Lent. It was hard but we actually stuck to it. As luck would have it, right when we were wrapping up our 40 days, the town next to where we were staying in Portugal was also having a sweets festival. We decided we had to go and try some. We hopped in the car and drove the 20 minutes north to Alcoutim which ended up being a really nice place to visit. Alcoutim is a small city on the river that divides Spain and Portugal. You can get a pontoon boat to take you over the border in fact. It was quaint and the two desserts we tried were very good. Here are the little stands they had set up selling cakes, cookies and other yummy things. Here is Spain, literally you could swim there. Alcoutim was definitely worth the visit and we plan on going back. Driving back to Vila Real we took a scenic route which was beautiful. After all the rain in the past month everything was green and flowering. We l...

Since we had almost an entire week to spend in Portugal, Jose and I decided to explore a little bit more than we had in the past. We decided to take one day and drive west along the coast to see a bit more of the Algarve (which is the southern most region in Portugal).  We left after breakfast and loaded into the car with Cooper. Our first stop was Lagos which is famous for its beaches. They´ve got these big, rocky, cliffs right in the middle of them. They were pretty cool but I am sure get very crowded when it is beach season. We only stayed long enough to take a few pictures. Since we couldn´t bring the dog down to the beach we decided to continue on to our next stop. We continued west until we got to Sagres. The actual city itself doesn´t have a lot to offer, a couple of surf shops, some restaurants and a hotel. What people really come here for is to visit the fort which stands right at the edge of some cliffs right next to the ocean. I couldn´t get close to the edge...

Jose and I spent the better part of our week off in Portugal, leaving on Tuesday and coming back today (Sunday). We stayed at his parents' apartment right over the Spanish/Portuguese border in a small town called Vila Real. We spent the first few days relaxing, avoiding the rain, reading and watching movies. Here is the city´s plaza to give you an idea of where we stay when we go. It is pretty small, you can walk everywhere (including the beach) and it is quiet. There are tourists but we don´t usually go during busy season so we mostly have the place to ourselves. We made sure to enjoy a beer in our favorite little bar in the next town over, Monte Gordo. We also stopped in and had lunch at the Indian restaurant that we always visit when we are in Portugal. Yum! Plus we went to the beach. Be sure to check back for part 2 of our springbreak adventure in Portugal!

Jose and I have a weekly ritual on Fridays which started when we decided we needed to try to save money and stop going out to eat as often: Movie Friday. We are huge nerds and totally look forward to this blissful night spent lounging around in our jammies. When Jose picks me up from work with the weekend about to begin the first thing out of his mouth is, "Movie Friday!" It is a mantra that gets us through the week. 4 days to Movie Friday, 3 days, 2 days... Movie Friday consists of crashing on our couch, cooking a pizza in our oven, popping popcorn, having a cocktail and watching a movie we have downloaded. It is a simple tradition but we love it. Sometimes we throw in a Wii game or two. Sometimes we don't even make it through an entire movie without falling asleep. What I love about this evening is that there are no expectations, just relaxation. It is a great way to unwind. As you can see, Movie Friday is sort of like a grown-up sleepover. We eat junk food...

31. Enjoy yourself: If you spend too much time worried about spending money on your trip you might end up forgetting to have a good time and to enjoy your vacation. If you have done enough planning pre-trip you should be all set as long as you stick with your budget and ideas. Sometimes you might spend a bit more than planned and that is okay (as long as you don't really over do it). Try to do better next time. There is no sense wasting your travels feeling overly guilty or bad about having spent money or being too crazy about strictly following your budget. Have a wonderful time and get the most for your money!

30. Be aware: One of the easiest ways to lose money while traveling is having it stolen. I would always recommend that you be aware of your surroundings. Know if where you are traveling to has a problem with pickpockets (especially in subways or around places where tourists tend to gather, museums, plazas, lines, airports). Keep your valuables safe. Don´t travel with a lot of cash or wear conspicious jewelry. Try to blend in and not become a target. Though for many these things are common sense, I see tourists every day where I live get taken advantage of. If someone approaches you, be assertive and/or walk away.  A lot of times there are professionals in tourist areas who make their money by taking yours. This might be people who literally steal from you, or it might be that they have a scheme to take advantage. Here in Seville there is a group of women who hang around our cathedral and offer to read tourist´s palms (in exchange for money of course). They approach people and a...

29. Bring just a carry-on: If you are flying try to only bring a carry-on. It will save you money if there is a charge for checking a bag (which is incredibly common on domestic flights). For the most part I have not had to pay for my first checked bag on international flights but I could see this changing any day (a second bag has cost me everything from 50 to 75 dollars and I only did this when I was moving overseas). You need to be aware of what the baggage policy is for the airline you are using. Make sure you check if there are weight/size limits for bags as well. Sometimes going over even by a few pounds can cost A LOT! My husband and I have invested in a hand scale to weigh our bags before we head to the airport. This 10 dollar purchase has saved us a ridiculous amount of money since we know that our bags are within the limits. I can´t tell you how many times I have seen people scrambling to re-pack or to throw away items just to avoid paying a baggage fee while checking in f...

28. Check your receipts and your change: When you are traveling make sure to check your receipts. This goes for eating out, hotel bills, small purchases and the like. When you go to a restaurant look to see how much you were charged at the end of the meal. A lot of places might tack on extra things you didn´t consume in the hopes that you won´t notice or argue. There might be mistakes on what you were charged at your hotel. You could have fraudulent charges on your credit card. Make sure you are on top of these things even as you enjoy your vacation. Also, if you are paying with cash you should check your change. Be vigilant especially if it is foreign money that you are not familiar with. When in Turkey we had a store clerk try to short change us thinking we wouldn´t notice. We did and saved ourselves some money by pointing out the mistake.

27. Read the small print and watch out for hidden fees:  Always read any small print there is since a lot of times there are hidden fees or other ways that companies can make money off you (that is their business after all). For example, you buy a ticket to visit a museum before your trip. Make sure you know when you can use it. There might be restrictions for the dates and times you can go. This idea also applies to baggage fees when you are booking flights. Know what the company´s policies are so you aren´t surprised when you go to check in for your flight. If you are using websites to book hotels, flights, etc. read to see if there will be any fees related with your purchase. It has happened to us more than once that what we thought was a great deal ended up being not so great when fees and taxes were added on at check-out. Know what your hotel includes (continental breakfast, complimentary toiletry items, an iron, etc.). ALWAYS look into the details.

26. Check the weather forecast: As I learned from years being a Girl Scout, you need to be prepared. Check to see what kind of weather you can expect at your destination and pack accordingly. For some reason my husband and I seem to ALWAYS forget to pack an umbrella, even when we know it might rain. We have had to buy overpriced and poorly made umbrellas all over the world. In fact, we have a collection of them. If we had just checked the weather forecast and planned ahead we would be a little bit richer. This idea also goes for other types of clothing that you might need for different kinds of weather (think a hat, gloves and a scarf if it will be cold). By knowing what weather awaits you, you might also re-think your vacation plan. For example, if you know it is going to be nice one day but not so the next, plan to do indoor activities while it is cold or rainy. Planning ahead is a great way to be frugal!

25. Try to buy ahead if discounts are offered: Sometimes it pays to buy entrance tickets or passes ahead of time. You can find out via the internet if there are discounts offered if you buy these before your trip. Take a minute to do some research into the places you would like to visit. You can also save valuable time by having your tickets in hand. You can often times bypass long lines and thus streamline your vacation. We did this for example when we visited the London Eye. The line was enormous and we would have wasted a whole afternoon of our trip had we not bought our tickets beforehand. Instead all we had to do was present ourselves at the set time and boom, off we went to see the city from up high. If you purchase previously, you can also plan your days better. You will know when you will be visiting what and can plan accordingly. Having a plan can save you money since you can take advantage of the time you have. Even having a vague idea is better than having none at all...

24. Walk: First if you walk you won´t be spending money on other modes of transportation (taxi, bus, car, subway, bicycle etc). This is a no-brainer, especially in big cities. Second, by walking you end up seeing things you might not see otherwise. I love to wander around places (always with a good map of course) because you never know what you might encounter. If you are always traveling by subway or bus, you miss things. I promise. Third, walking is good for your health. It is great exercise. Fourth, sometimes just walking through a city is satisfying enough that you don´t feel the need to pay entry fees to visit other places. For me Rome is a perfect example of this. If you just spend the day walking around and seeing the sites from outside you will have a great day. A lot of things are somewhat disappointing on the inside but maybe that is just me. My one recommendation is to bring comfortable shoes! Walking around in high heels all day is no fun. No fun at all. Blisters can rui...

23. Ask for recommendations from friends and family members : Use the knowledge of other people. We always try to connect with those that have visited places before us while planning our trips. Most people love to talk about their trips and can probably give you some tips or recommendations. I especially like to ask where people have gone to eat. If you know someone who is from the place you would like to vacation even better. They have the inside track. They can recommend cheap eats and where to stay on a budget. Some of our most successful (and least expensive) trips to restaurants while traveling have been recommendations from friends and family. In turn, if you make a discovery while traveling, share and share alike.