It's not all just sun and sangria, you know!

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It's not all just sun and sangria, you know!

Chris • Jun 12, 2019

Chris goes back to his French while Steve does a magic trick with his food!

wide sandy naturist beach with palm trees to the left and a naked couple walking hand in hand to the right

Back in January I mentioned that we would have some French guests staying later in the year and that it would be the perfect opportunity for me to practise my French. Well, they came, they enjoyed, they went, they enjoyed so much that they are coming back! Steve was highly amused at my “schoolboy” French. The cheek of it…I was in the top set for French at school I’ll have you know, and my grandmother’s first language was French…in fact, did I tell you that she worked as an interpreter in an American hospit... oh, I can see your eyes rolling from here – I’m even boring myself. Anyway, a while back we had purchased some rather stylish coasters for our 'Almodóvar' apartment. They consisted of arty imagery with French writing. Yes, I know we’re in Spain reader, but they just looked so stylish and had the ‘joie de vivre’ of the French – ahh, the French. So we bought them. Turns out – our lovely French guests informed us – the coasters’ artwork is a play on (rude) words…like, double entendre (think Carry-on films or Benny Hill if you know British culture). And there Steve and I were thinking were we were being so sophisticated! Thankfully, the French guests loved them and thought them hilarious. You live ‘n’ learn, eh.

Talking of sophisticated, meanwhile over in our 'Mediterráneo' apartment, we had a very charming couple who enjoy the finer things in life. The lady of the household wanted to get a few bits in from the supermarket to tide them over. She is an unashamed food and wine connoisseur and as we were walking around the supermarket aisles (except she wasn’t walking, she was wafting in her elegant manner) she mentioned in passing that

“Am I right to assume there is a proper connoisseur’s cork screw in the apartment?”

In a moment of panic, I doubted everything about my good breeding and upbringing, but this short-lived meltdown quickly passed as I gave myself a proverbial slap with the realisation OF COURSE we have a connoisseur’s cork screw in the apartment. Hellooo!! This is Steve and Chris’s establishment we’re talking about if you please!

Steve and I were treated (yes, treated) to a fabulous night out for dinner at the new-for-2019 ‘La Golondrina’ chiringuito in the naturist zone. We had a delicious meal rounded off with homemade desserts. Our dinner hosts looked at Steve’s plate and asked jokingly “What’s happened to your food, Steve?” It was empty and knowing him as I do, had we not been in polite company he would’ve licked the plate clean. So, yes – we are recommending ‘La Golondrina’ for the food and also for the service, which is both very friendly and efficient.

In Spain, it is custom when you order an alcoholic drink, to also be served a tapa. We’ve noticed a certain chiringuito had gotten a bit lazy and just served a little bowl of plain crisps or peanuts which to me doesn’t count as a proper tapa. It would seem that the likes of new kid on the block ‘La Golondrina’ helps existing establishments up their game because we have heard on the grapevine that they are back doing proper tapa again. It’s good to have new blood as it keeps everyone else on their toes and the quality as it should be.

For my birthday, we took ourselves to the lovely Armony Beach club which although the owner is a fellow naturist, this establishment is ‘textile’ and only a few minutes walk further along the beach. I wanted to spend my birthday drinking fine wine and eating fine tapas – and Armony beach club has a reputation for both. We sat there enjoying the food and drink, watching the waves and hearing the chill-out music mix gently with the sound of the waves. It’s a great vibe there. If you want a real taste of style and extravagance, then walk a little further to Maraú Beach club and you’ll get that in spades. Another day perhaps, but for my b’day I fancied the gentler vibe of Armony, and I wasn’t disappointed.

If you’re planning a trip to VP for the first time, similar to how I was feeling on my birthday, you won’t be disappointed either. There is so much to enjoy here. If you want activity, gastronomy, or just to chill on the beach and do nothing but soak up the sun – it all comes in buckets (and spades) here. We try to represent everything about the area on our website so people have plenty of ideas on what to do or see. We had a guest last month who it turns out is a bit of a twitcher. He sent us some wonderful photos of bird life (the feathered ones before I get any jokes, please) around the playa and surrounding area. They were so good that we just had to curate them into a new collection of photos on our ‘Galleries’ page entitled ‘Birds and places for nature.’ Take a look. You see, it’s not just sun and sangria here, you know. Not that I’m against a glass or two of course. Speaking of which, it must be five o’clock by now somewhere in the world, surely.

Until the next time. ¡Salud!

Steve and Chris offer two beautiful apartments to rent for the discerning naturist traveller. One is directly on the Vera Playa naturist beach, the other just a few footsteps away. See more here