This year our week at Doña Lola is one week before the UK half term week.
We knew this when we bought it almost 30 years ago but for around 7 out of 10 years week 21 is half term week which was very important for us as we couldn't visit it then unless it was.
When it was not our holiday week we used to exchange it and go somewhere else often during February half term week in search of some winter sun.
At other times we have exchanged and visited countries during our summer holiday.
One year we exchanged our week and got 2 weeks in South Africa so we stayed one week near Durban and the other near Cape Town...
...
finishing off with another 2 weeks on Mauritius. Certainly a holiday to remember.
Timeshare has gained a very bad reputation but for us having this week at Doña Lola has been most enjoyable for as long as we have owned it...
...and we certainly look forward to visiting it now and meeting up with friends each year.
Who would have thought 30 years ago when we bought this week that we would be living in Spain permanently?
We certainly look forward to seeing the view from our apartment window!
There are 2 features that we really enjoy at Doña Lola.
One of these has to be to see how the gardens are developing each year.
The display of plants, shrubs and trees is a credit to the gardening team.
Over the last couple of years various statues and figures have been introduced to the site and these have added further interest.
When we first visited Doña Lola many years ago we were amazed to find so many English restaurants nearby.
What we wanted when we came to Spain was to eat Spanish food.
We ate English food all year round so why would we want to eat it when we were abroad?
This was a great opportunity to sample something different...
...so in the past, we tended to give the English restaurants a miss...
...and instead, find Spanish restaurants which were further afield.
However, Doña Lola is in the Sitio de Calahonda which lies between Fuengirola and Marbella...
...which is an area where most of the inhabitants are British...
...so it is no wonder that English restaurants are popular!
Times have changed and now we only eat "home" food one week of the year and this is it! So this is the second main feature of our holiday - British food!
On Sunday, it has to be roast beef and Yorkshire pudding followed by apple crumble.
Another day, lunch is a full English breakfast.
The Spanish people have not discovered Scottish kippers - they are really missing out!
For the last 2 years frozen kippers have been available in the local supermarket but this year they had either sold out or stopped stocking them,...
...fortunately they were on the menu in one of the local restaurants. Wonderful!
Another speciality we miss out on in Spain is traditional fish 'n' chips..,
...but these take pride of place at another local restaurant.
Although Indian restaurants do exist in Spain we have none within striking distance of where we live so this is a further opportunity to enjoy different food and excellent cuisine.
One of the activities we do every year is to take part in the beach walk from Doña Lola eastwards to the coastal village of La Cala de Mijas about 3 km.
This usually takes around an hour and can be quite difficult at times having to navigate the sea / wet sand / soft sand.
However, this year the coastal footpath has opened and it is excellent.
No longer do we have to negotiate the difficult terrain of the beach,...
...instead, all we have to do is walk along a most wonderful wooden plank pathway...
...and enjoy the views.
Along the coastal path you can see lots of different plants and flowers,...
...even the weeds are a delight.
Last year we walked along the new coastal path to the west of Doña Lola as far as Cabopino around 4 km away.
All along the pathway the plants are so colourful.
Eventually this coastal path will extend to every beach in the province of Malaga...
...and already promises to be very popular with tourists and residents alike...
... whether they are walkers or cyclists.
More photos of the gardens at Doña Lola...
One of our favourite restaurants has to be La Plaza Beach restaurant which we can see by the swimming pool from our apartment.
We have been going there every year and have seen the management change several times...
...although the food has always been good but currently it can be described as excellent.
There is entertainment each night, on the Tuesday night we ate there a singer who also played the saxophone really suited the ambiance.
When we were there on the Thursday evening it was packed due to this guy...
...with his backing group with everyone singing along to his well known repertoire!
Once again, the food was excellent.
Finally, the annual picture of "Margaret in the window" which I have taken every year we have been. We are already looking forward to being there next year!
