Costa Women Blogs

Hopefully this blog post will inspire you to begin your Christmas shopping before the last minute rush. This week I focus on gifts for Him and for Her, it may even help you with your own letter to Santa.   Enjoy reading: http://bit.ly/vYYKR2   My previous post was about presents for the children and a few Secret Santa ideas. Find it at this link; http://bit.ly/s9aFWA   Regards from Snowy Granada   Molly

  I have to confess a secret, so secret I barely know it myself.   I love Alcalá.   Alcalá is like that dull, serious, stamp-collecting  boy you meet at university, the one that never gets drunk and seems indifferent to you, even though you have your share of admirers. You think he´s a bit of a weed and he irritates you in a way you can´t put your finger on.  He´s not bad-looking, but lacks sex-appeal.  You think you can´t stand him.   Then one day at the Refectory there´s no place to eat except opposite him.  You notice his good manners, his short, clean fingernails and how he makes formal, intelligent and completely impersonal conversation.   You choke on your spaghetti bolognese.   You´re in love with him.   Alcalá´s a little like that for me.  First up, dull and dowdy. When you study Spanish In Depth you can´t avoid hearing about the city.  Well, you could, but in my day they wouldn´t give you your degree without it.  You had to read the literary superstars, Cervantes, Quevedo, Lope de Vega and Tirso de Molina, the first of whom was born in Alcalá and the other three students at its university.     I never suspected for one moment that I´d end up living in Alcalá de Henares (perhaps more on that later). I wanted a Glasgow, a Madrid, a Los Angeles in my life.   But I got Alcalá.   And I realised that these writers did not shy away from the city´s raucous and informal motto of putas, curas y militares, (whores, clergy and soldiers).  My Spanish wasn´t up to grasping this notion as a student, but it is now. Alcalá, like any Spanish city, has its brothels, now inhabited by immigrant women. The city is also chock ablock with churches and convents and its barracks were the site of conflict during the Civil War.  But that´s not all there is to the town.   Because Alcalá is safe, quiet, cultural – with its own film festival – and modern, even though it has a very pretty historic centre with a small town pueblo feel. This is surprising, since it´s one of the largest towns along the River Henares Corridor towards Madrid, twenty-five minutes away by car. We´re always happy to get back from the exhausting Metropolis to peaceful Alkie.     The city is also multicultural with well-integrated, resident immigrant populations that are beginning to leave their mark on the city.  There are Romanian and Polish festivities every year and you can sample these kinds of cuisine in shops and restaurants.  Hundreds of American students attend the University every year – though these are short-stay foreigners. The expat community is pretty much inexistent, but I live in hope ….   Alcalá is great for shopping too with good transport networks to make getting around pretty easy. The people are welcoming and friendly and the availability of quality nightspots is growing.  There´s plenty of sporting facilities and well-kept park areas and an absolutely wonderful Archaeological Museum that runs hands-on events for children. The new Parador breaks with the historic Casco Viejo look and is chic, minimalist and contemporary.   Frankly, Alcalá is a very nice place to live.  There´s much, much more, too, but I´ve gushed enough about this World Heritage Site for one day.   My secret´s out.   I love Alcalá!   P.S. And then, of course, there´s the storks!  

Hi, As I´ve been living away from home since 1998, I am now used to being well prepared for Christmas so that when I begin to travel around 22-23rd Dec I can enjoy myself and not be worrying about last minute presents or overweight luggage   My normal Christmas circuit is Granada – Malaga – Nottingham – London – Malaga – Barcelona etc…   One of my best tips for a stressfree Christmas (or any type of celebration for that matter) is to start early. If you are living far away from your family then that is even more important.   I try to purchase the majority of gifts online from my home in Spain and have them delivered to a friends house in UK well ahead of time.   Continue reading for gifts ideas for Children and Secret Santa ideas: http://mollysp.wordpress.com/2011/11/20/my-secret-tips-for-great-gifts/   Enjoy the read!   Molly  

If you are thinking of updating your property to sell in 2012 or simply wish to change your surroundings to take advantage of new colours and furnishings…I can help,with an experience of 20 years in interiors and retailing furniture ..I know a good buy . With the minimum of fuss and bother and great attention to detail we can achieve the remarkable . Hope to hear from you soon Maureen

If there’s one thing I’ve learned, is that one size does not fit all, and I don’t mean clothes-wise, I mean, people-wise. We get into new relationships with certain expectations, only to be disappointed (some times.) – Why? Because ONE size doesn’t fit all. Not one person fulfills all your needs, not one child, will be the “be all” for you, and at times, not all parents will be there when you need them. Life happens. And yet, as individuals, we have powers beyond our own comprehension, which is why sometimes we don’t use them, simply because….we don’t even know, nor see that those powers are there for us to use as we see fit, only if we could see them and have the know-how to use them. That’s why it is so important to have a new attitude in life and use it….! And while at it…..LOVE it! This is one of the most fundamental ways of moving ahead towards achievement and success. Is it easy? Hell, no. Is it attainable? You bet it is. It is all about what you want, when you want it, and how you want to accomplish it. And most importantly, WHY you want to attain it. Without the WHY, not much will happen, which brings me back to: One size DOES NOT fit all!   CONSIDER: Are you different? If so, how? Is it bravery or is it convenience? Can you be loud enough about what you want? Are you open to changes?   OPTIONS: You can choose to stay the same. (Really???!!!) You can choose the middle of the road. You can decide to add life to your years. You can decide to add years to your life! You can decide that one size does NOT fit all!   POINTS TO PONDER: A life well-lived, is the icing on the cake. An attitude adjustment is a welcome relief. When no one is looking, you share your broadest smile. An alternative size fits you like a glove. Happiness is….whatever you want to make it.   ACTION PLAN: Do something outrageous. Document it. Have it clear this is for now, and not just for posterity. Consider what one thing you would do now that you would NEVER leave for later? Then, DO IT! Enjoy every second of it, and know in your heart, that one size does not fit all. This is your time to enjoy your new attitude adjustment.   With Much Love, Ali   Blog:  http://alirodriguez.com/blog/Facebook:   http://www.facebook.com/AliRodriguezFansTwitter:   http://twitter.com/#%21/Ali4Coach  

Autumn is a wonderful season in Spain for fruit. We have our old favourites, beautiful Decano Pears, juicy yellow and deep purple plums, but in Andalusia in Autumn some new local fruits come onto the scene.   Do you know what to do with them?   Here´s my latest blog post, maybe you´ll try something new this week at the local market http://wp.me/p1po1N-5I   Enjoy reading!   Molly