Spain!

There are many wonderful things about living here in England. The weather is not one of them. After growing tired of the freezing temperatures and endless rain, Wayne proposed a last minute trip to Spain for a long weekend. Since the girls were still on break and we found a great last minute deal, we decided to go for it! We booked our trip on Tuesday night and flew out Thursday morning for four nights in Costa del Sol. Best. Decision. Ever.

We stayed in a resort in Benalmadena, which turned out to be just what we needed. It wasn't super fancy or amazing but food was included and it was incredibly nice to go away and not have to think or plan at all! We spent alot of time hanging out at the hotel pool and playground and took a family siesta every afternoon and still managed to see some nearby sights as well!

Even Wayne enjoyed the sunshine!

Swinging in the sun!

The outside pools were still cold but we dipped our feet in!

Everyone had fun in the indoor pool!

Being silly on our balcony

Ready for dinner!

On our first day we took a nice walk around Benalmadena and found a great bar on the beach that served ice cream and sangria...heaven! The girls were even able to play in the sand while Mommy and Daddy relaxed with their drinks! 

Lyla enjoyed the walk and didn't mind posing for pictures!

Representing the Orioles in Spain!

We bought buckets and shovels (or spades as Riley now calls them) so the girls could build.

Ice cream, beer and sangria...everyone's happy!

The girls played until they dropped while Mommy and Daddy relaxed with their drinks.

The next day we took a taxi to the Benalmadena Puerto Marina, which has won the Best Marina in the World award several times. We enjoyed walking around the marina and found another restaurant with ice cream and sangria before boarding a boat for a short ride. 

Check out the fish swimming in the marina!

Yum!

The girls were excited to go on a boat ride!

Riley was looking very closely for dolphins but we didn't spot any!

The girls!

Benalmadena has a huge marina with shops and restaurants.

Super excited!

The mountains in the background were gorgeous.

On our last day we took our biggest outing to one of Spain's famous white villages, called Mijas Pueblo, which was located on a beautiful mountain side almost 1500 feet above sea level. We skipped the donkey taxi ride and opted for a horse and carriage ride through the beautiful town, enjoying the gorgeous views, cute shops and friendly locals. There was a beautiful cave chapel, Ermita de la Virgen de la Pena, which was like nothing we'd ever seen before! The girls each bought a fan that has quickly become their most prized possession, which you will see throughout the photos since they haven't put them down!

The view from Mijas

The cave chapel was amazing.

It was tiny but gorgeous inside!

Amazing!

We should have carved our names into this tree...next time we'll be prepared!

The girls checked out the donkey taxis...

but chose a horse and carriage instead. Divas!

At least we still got to ride a donkey...sort of!

Riley is becoming quite the photographer!

Happy girls!

The trip was exactly what we needed! It was great to have a relaxed, easy vacation that we returned from feeling rested, cheery and ready for work/school. I think a return trip is in order before we leave Europe!