Summer is coming to an end and the family is arriving..

On October 16th, the time finally came. My mother and her husband are coming to visit us. They are checking into Hotel Elba, which is just around the corner, for two weeks. We are a bit anxious about the weather report, as it predicts significantly cooler temperatures. But the weather holds up, and the joy of finally seeing them again is immense. We spend two wonderful weeks together and go on many excursions. The ham village Trevelez, Almeria, Nerja, Almunecar, Granada with Alhambra, and Malaga with a Flamenco night are on the agenda. In between, we relax, swim, celebrate birthdays, and spend time together. We enjoy the time to the fullest and have incredible luck with the weather. Two days after our visit to Almeria, the region faces severe weather. Streets are flooded, and hailstones the size of tennis balls wreak havoc. We are also lucky in beautiful Nerja and are there a few days before the big storm. We visit Malaga and only encounter light rain. Three days later, the airport closes due to bad weather. The Sierra Nevada is covered in snow, and temperatures drop to 17° (which is already quite cold for us). Kilian turns on the oven for the first time. Valencia suffers heavily. There are many casualties and huge material damages. Once again, we were lucky and avoided major damages. Meanwhile, our family has safely returned home, and it seems they brought the bad weather with them. The sky is bright blue again, and the thermometer reads 24°.

 Dear Mom, dear Fritz, it was so wonderful that you were here, and now you might understand our enthusiasm for the Costa Tropical. We thoroughly enjoyed the two weeks with you.