Uncovering Nerja's Secrets and Storm Leonardo & Marta Hit Andalucía

Hello Everyone and welcome back to another Spanish Weekly Newsletter. This week I will go behind the scenes on my latest video from Nerja and discuss the major storm that hit Andalucia this week and the impact it has had on the region. Thanks to everyone who is watching my videos and leaving comments, it means a lot and inspires me to continue making videos.

Uncovering the Side of Nerja not Everyone Sees

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This video was easily the most fun I have had filming a video. When I started planning for this video I knew that the Nerja had the balcony of Europe and was a known tourist spot, but what I didn't know was the many hidden layers that this town has to offer. The wealth and depth of history truly astounded me to say the least.
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To start, this video was almost ruined by the weather, the day I was originally planning to go ended up being hit hard by the rain, but last minute I was able to change my trip to a day earlier and ended up getting a beautiful sunny day. I'm grateful that I checked the weather again before leaving and was able to make the last minute switch.
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For anyone going to Nerja, I strongly recommend going to the museum. There is a ton of incredible history and it really sets the tone for a trip to Nerja and gives you ideas for so many places to visit. Seriously, there were several spots I didn't get to, as I didn't have enough time in the day. The museum not only covers the history of Nerja, but also touched on the culture, and festivals that makes this town so special.
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Funny enough, I originally did the museum second, after visiting the balcony of Europe. I ended up going BACK to the balcony after learning more about it at the museum to add further commentary. You don't see that in the video, but sometimes we don't always get the filming order right!
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The best part of this shoot was when I visited the Eagle Aqueduct where I met a local woman who was very friendly and showed me down to the aqueduct to get a photo. Many of the local Spanish citizens have treated me well and I continue to try and learn from them on friendliness, hospitality and lifestyle.

A few people have given me more ideas for smaller towns and villages in that area and I plan to go back to learn more about the special places hidden along the coast.

Storm Leonardo and Marta Hits Andalucía

This past week, two major storms hit the Andalucía region, Broader Spain and Portugal, Storm Leonard and Marta. Ever Since the storm of 2024 that devastated Valencia the Regional Governments have taken extra precaution in the event of major rainstorms. Here in Malaga, it was no different, there were warnings and information posted online and may businesses and government run services ceased the day of the storm. Even with the warnings there was still flooding and damage caused to the local infrastructure, you can see some photos below.

Later in the week Andalucía was also hit by Storm Marta which brought an equal measure of rain to the region, again my businesses shut their doors and people were evacuated from high risk flood zones. As of right now there are a few reported missing, but no confirmed casualties. As of Thursday there were over 69 municipalities that were in a state of calamity due to flooding and roads being unusable. The Government has sent aid and support services to try to repair damages as quickly as possible. Volunteer and charity groups are now raising money for those that lost their homes on the flooding to further aid.

Even with proper warning and evacuation the damages caused is emotional to behold and many communities are rallying together to aid those impacted to try to restore some normalcy in the region.

Sabor de España

This week I had a chance to try many delicious foods in Spain, so I thought I would share a few, both local and some more international. And this first food is certainly not Spanish.

This week I tried a local ramen shop called Yatai Ramen, this is cute little shop just outside Centro and I wasn't disappointed. I got the Red Spicy Ramen Depicted below and I have to say it hit the spot, especially on a night where it was raining outside. Of course I also treated myself to a Sapporo beer, which is from the northern region of Japan. Fun fact I will be visiting Japan for teh first time later this year, maybe I'll shoot some videos on it!

Later in the week I had a chance to go to a cute little café called No Piqui, which is located just in Centro. There I had a lovely coffee and tried their Benedict which was a delight. I really appreciated the large slices of bread as they helped soak of the yolk beautifully. This upcoming week I will be trying some local Spanish cuisine, including a class Paella dish, so get ready as next week we dive into some local flavor.

And that is going to do it for this week. I have been busy brainstorming my next ideas for videos and I have one for this week that is coming later in the week about a topic some of you have asked me about. Stay tuned and as always, thanks so much for watching and reading and I'll see you, on the trail.