Well, Christmas 2024 is certainly going to go down in our record books as a pretty memorable one. Although we couldn’t spend it with family – our rented apartment, although lovely, isn’t really big enough to accommodate guests and whilst I wait for my Spanish residency to be approved, I’m wary of leaving the EU, as, although I still have Croatian residency, there is the risk that the 90 day rule might kick in – we did spend a lot of time online, face-timing and chatting, so we didn’t feel as if we didn’t see anyone. However, what made this one memorable, was that up to Christmas and definitely over the festive period, we had the most amazing weather. Sunny, warm days – often hitting the low twenties – meaning that we could escape to the beach. And that is exactly what we did, when we shut down the computers and switched off for Christmas…
chipiona beach
The weekend before Christmas, we found ourselves in Chipiona, less than a ten minute drive from where we are living. When we first arrived here, we drove through what we thought was Chipiona, and thought it was pretty awful so hadn’t headed back – lots of derelict,shack type buildings, unkempt areas and a pretty grotty beach. However, we’ve since realised that this wasn’t Chipiona, it was somewhere on the outskirts and the town itself is really pretty, with a fabulous sandy beach and shallow waters. As we were only really passing through, before Christmas, we didn’t stay too long – just long enough to grab a table in a restaurant overlooking the beach, and have a lovely selection of tapas, in the very warm sunshine.
christmas day
Because we knew that the weather was going to lovely on Christmas Day, we decided we’d come back to Chipiona, bring a couple of beach chairs, glasses and a bottle of wine. After speaking to family and opening presents, and a lovely brunch of salmon and scrambled eggs and fizz, we packed a cool bag and headed off. Quite a few other people had obviously had the same idea, as we weren’t alone on the beach, although it’s such an expansive beach, that once we’d chosen a spot, we weren’t aware of other people being around. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky, and the sun was so warm. A perfect way to spend a couple of hours on Christmas Day – and such a different experience to any December 25ths previously!
We also took a leisurely stroll back to the car, through a beautiful little square – Plaza de Juan Carlos I. The small square is perfectly formed with a terrace of the most elegant town houses and a church – Parroquia De Nuestra Senora De La O. But Christmas dinner was calling and as pretty as this square was, we decided that we’d come back to investigate further, later in the week.
Christmas dinner was also a real treat this year. We’ve discovered a shop called The Food Co in Sotogrande which stocks lots of British supermarket brands, including a fabulous range of goods from Waitrose. We shop locally most of the time, and use Spanish supermarkets regularly, but this little gem of a supermarket is great for when you need something you can’t get in local shops or when you want a proper treat. Like pigs in blankets, at Christmas. Or proper stuffing. Or double cream – something we have always struggled with, but no longer! We also went super lazy this year – our kitchen in the rental is great, but small and we didn’t want to spend lots of time in it, so we bought cheat food. Roasted potatoes, sprouts and bacon, honey glazed parsnips, stuffed turkey crown, Yorkshire puddings – all ready to just put in the oven in their trays. Totally lazy but totally worth it, especially when we didn’t end up with piles of washing up.
We did manage to feel very festive, as we also bought a few Christmas decorations, which will now supplement the boxes of decorations currently in storage, and obviously lots of good food, chocolate, cheese, Baileys and pink fizz does help. So, yes a very different Christmas – but one in the sun is one I would definitely recommend!
