In Spain, school registration happens in March. We couldn’t register the boys for school until we had our Spanish Foreigner Identity numbers (NIE: número de identidad de extranjero) which we didn’t receive until July and our Empadronamiento (a census registration that everyone has to apply for any time you move in Spain), which we couldn’t apply for until we arrived in Spain in August. So when we went to register the boys for school September 2nd (the first day the school offices were open), we were told at both boys’ schools that there were no spaces for them.

As residents, we are guaranteed a spot in one of the local schools, just not necessarily the school we live next to. So we filled out an application at each of the boy’s schools and waited nearly a week to find out which school they would be accepted into.

In Spain, Leo is in the 4th year of colegio (4th grade), based on his birth year. This means that he is put a grade higher than he would have been at home. Leo is ecstatic (he’s been asking to skip a year since he started kindergarten). We think he’ll do just fine since he is ahead academically, and he is still the tallest kid in class.

Luckily, Leo got in to our neighborhood school. It is literally next door. I can look out our front window and kitchen window and see the play ground and watch him exit school and walk home by himself. After driving the kids 15 minutes each way to their magnet Spanish Immersion school, which is not our neighborhood school, for 7 years, this is a real treat.

Oliver is going into 1st year of ESO (seventh grade), the first year of what is basically Junior High, including grades 7-10. Oliver was not placed in the neighborhood school, which would have been a 4 block commute. Instead he is at a school on the other side of town. Initially we were disappointed. But in this town, across town means 0.6 miles, or a 10 minute bike ride. Additionally, from appearances only, this school seems much nicer.

Just like any new year of school, families are given a list of school supplies to get, including books.

There are a couple of differences in how the supplies and books are attained however. To get the supplies, you go to any neighborhood book/paper store (Librería/Papelería). You wait in a very slow moving line for your turn to get up to the counter. Once at the counter, you read the items on your list, one by one, and the person behind the counter gets the things on your list. “One pencil.” The woman reaches back to the shelf and grabs one pencil. “One pencil sharpener.” “Would you like red, blue or green?” “Blue please.” She reaches back and gets the pencil sharpener. And on and on and on. That is why the line is so slow moving.

Then, there are the books. All of the books are provided by the government, but you have to bring your stamped and signed document listing your child’s name, NIE number, school, level and the list of books to the Librería/Papelería pick them up.

Leo loved getting his supplies and didn’t mind the long wait.

Leo’s school started 4 days before Oliver’s and runs 9-2. They have a recess and snack at 11:30, but have lunch at home after 2. Oliver’s school runs 8:15-2:45 (also with a recess and snack around 11:30) but no lunch until he gets home around 3. This schedule will be tough for him, since he has get up so early and wait so long for lunch.

The safest route to school delightfully includes riding along the beach boardwalk and a pedestrian only street.

Oliver’s schedule includes PE, música, art, and French (more electives than he gets at home)! Leo’s schedule also includes PE, música and French.

Both of their schools are bilingual centers so they have some English during the day. Leo’s science class is taught in English and he has an additional English as a second language class twice a week. Leo says his teacher’s English isn’t so great. He had to slow down so she could understand him. Today they were supposed to write their favorite English word. He chose supercalifragilisticexialidocious. Just like Leo, Oliver says his English his English teacher’s English isn’t very good.

They also are required to take a religion class. They were offered Catholic or Ethics and Social Values. The boys chose Ethics and Social Values.

Oliver’s first day of school didn’t work out great. A teacher mistakenly directed him with the wrong group, so he spent the entire day going to the wrong classes, with the wrong kids. He was pretty discouraged. The second day, we went early, got everything figured out and he had a great day. Turns out, he wasn’t the only kid to go with the wrong group. Additionally, we were told when we registered that his teachers would tell him what supplies he would need on the first day of school. Everyone else showed up with supplies however. So, again, he felt discouraged.

He’s made friends with one of the other kids who went to the wrong class. He also played soccer at recess with one of the kids from his soccer team. Now that he is making friends, he’ll be a lot happier.

I’m proud of the boys. Starting at a new school in a new country is hard, and they really are being troopers.

This road trip took us through Málaga twice. It seemed a shame not to stop. On the way out of town, we stopped at the Jardín Botántico Histórico La Concepción. It was a treat to walk through the shady gardens.

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Researching things to do around Ronda, I noticed a little town on the way home called Júzcar, also know as “El Pueblo del Pitufo (Smurf Village).

We live in the Andalusian region of Spain, which is known for little white towns that dot the hills. Well, as part of the promotion for the Smurf movie that came out a few years ago, the movie people offered to paint all of the buildings in one of these towns blue. Júzcar said yes.

Now, why travel to Europe to go to a Smurf village? Well, over the summer, both of my boys were really into reading Smurf graphic novels. When I came upon it in my research, they both got excited. So, as a rest stop on the way home from Ronda and La Cueva del la Pileta, we stopped for lunch and a stroll around town.

While planning for my dad’s visit, I sent him a list of possible things to do that I thought he would like. I mentioned the Nerja caves nearby, but he said only if there were cave paintings. Nerja caves do not have cave art, but after doing a little research I found a cave outside of Ronda with cave art that dates back 40,000 years! That sounded interesting.

La Cueva de la Pileta is located about 30 minutes outside of Ronda, high up in the hills.

To access the cave you have to walk up a steep and uneven stairway.

To a small opening in the side of the hill.

The small opening opens up to a large room where we are given lanterns and led into the he cave with a guide.

The tour took us about a half of a kilometer into the mountain, up and down countless hand carved slippery rock stairways and narrow passageways. The cave formations were amazing and seemed to have been less damaged by visitors than other caves we have visited.

The real focus of the tour was the cave art. There was art from 3 eras: 4000 years old, 22,000 years old and 40,000 years old!

Unfortunately, we weren’t able to take pictures beyond the entry to the cave, so these pictures are from the brochure.

After exiting cave, my dad told me that seeing ancient cave art was on his bucket list (and he never has to go in a cave again!).

Next stop… Júzcar (el pueblo del Pintufo)

My dad’s visit gave us a perfect excuse to take a little road trip. Given the hot temperatures inland, we decided to head into the hills (higher elevation and less humidity) and chose Ronda.

Ronda is a beautiful town perched on the cliffs of the deep Tajo canyon. The canyon divides the town into two areas, Old Town (built in the time of the Moors) and New Town (which is also quite old).

The Old and New parts of town are separated by bridges: Old Bridge and New Bridge.

The best thing about Ronda are the views.

Many of the views are lovingly called “¡Qué coño!” views, which is a bad word, but fits the view perfectly.

It is also just a beautiful town full of old historic buildings that was fun to walk around.

And maybe my second favorite thing were the doors.

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We all loved Ronda and left with happy memories.

Next stop: La Cueva de la Pileta!

The beach for most of Torre del Mar is pretty flat and uninterrupted. A couple of blocks from our house, however is a small rock outcropping.

The sea was relatively calm today, allowing us to enjoy the active underwater life that lives around the rocks.

One of our hopes for living in Spain was to to be able to live without a car. We hoped to walk, bike and use public transportation as much as possible.

Torre Del Mar is not a big city. We can get around just about anywhere walking. But it does take a while, so we were eager to get bicycles. We were hoping to buy something second hand, but weren’t having much luck. Additionally, our current apartment does not have a garage or outside space for bicycles (so that means we need to store them in our small apartment). Further, a regular size bicycle will not fit in the elevator and we’re not going to carry them up 10 stories. So what to do?

Foldable bikes!

We found some really affordable foldable bikes on Spanish Amazon that are made in Barcelona. They came in 2 days and were delivered right to our door (the Amazon guy actually brought them into the apartment). We don’t get that kind of service back home!

They just needed a couple of bolts tightened and a little air in the tires and we were off!

Now we can get everywhere a little bit quicker!

This is the first of many posts we’ll be writing about food! I’ll start with a simple breakfast Michele and I have come accustomed to. For the last few years I have made scrambled eggs for the two of us nearly every morning. Michele and I still enjoy our morning eggs. In Spain, the tomatoes are red, delicious and cheap, the onions are sweet and flavorful, and even avocados are local and buttery! We found we could get fresh cilantro at the market on Thursday. Put it all together and it’s a daily delight I don’t think we’ll get tired of any time soon!

One of the criteria in selecting where to live in Spain was to be on a coast, near water. Torre Del Mar definitely fits that criteria. And, oh, is it wonderful!