Bike Riding and Churros

Eric biking...the kids are in the trailer.

Eric and I are lucky enough to live close enough to some restaurants and shops that we can get to easily by walking.  When we are feeling a little more adventurous we can take out the bikes and hop on the bike trail that is a few minutes away.  The bike trail is 5 minutes from our house and right on the beach.  A few weekends ago we took the kids out for a ride with the hopes of getting something to eat for breakfast along the way.  The Spanish don't actually eat breakfast like Americans.  A common spanish breakfast is toast with jam or ham and cheese.  Some kind of taste like grilled cheese, it's good but not what you would expect to eat for breakfast.  Another common spanish breakfast is churros...yummy...but not very good for you.

Rebecca and Lily eating churros

Our bike ride took us along the beach and then into downtown Puerto.  On the way to downtown we found a restaurant called La Ponderosa.  They have indoor or outdoor seating.  We sat outside near the bikes since we couldn't find a spot to lock then up.  It was very busy and the down side of sitting outside is that they were many people smoking (smoking isn't allowed in the restaurant). We even had to move seats once; don't sit near the main entrance to the restaurant because the people come out to smoke and then go back in.  We didn't have to order churros, the waiter brought them right to our table.  They were light, fluffy and crispy and were delicious on their own, even though I would have liked some chocolate to dip them in :).  We did order toast with cheese and tomato.  It wasn't as good as some that we have had.  The cheese wasn't melted and although the bread was good, it was kind of chewy and hard for the kids to eat.  Luckily they had churros to fill up on.

All in all I would that it was a great morning out.  We were able to enjoy a nice bike ride along the beach and get some breakfast too.  I'm not sure that we would go back to La Ponderosa for breakfast but will probably check it out for lunch, dinner or tapas.  

Dona Blanca and Casa Texas Mejico

A month after I arrived in Rota I was lucky enough to have one of my best friend's come visit.  Not only was she a huge help unpacking and making our new house feel like a home but she made it easy to explore the area without freaking out about driving in Spain or getting lost because I had someone to help me navigate.  

One of the first places we visited was Dona Blanca...it's only a 15 minute drive from Rota and it's free!  If you like history, especially ancient archaeological sites then this is a must place to visit.  It can easily be done in only an hour and with kids.  My oldest daughter came along and with a stroller it was easy to get around with her.  Dona Blanca is only open from 11:00 - 2:00. I would recommend going as early as you can.  We didn't get there until 1:00 and it was extremely hot.  You could even save this as an activity to do in the winter.  Before going make sure you check to see if they are open, I don't think they are open 7 days a week...we went on a Wednesday.

Rebecca at Donà Blanca

Me at Casa Texas Mejico

Because I have an amazing husband who is also a great dad Melissa and I were able to have a few dinners out on our own while he stayed home with the kids.  Since I am new to the area I haven't been to many places to eat and it's even harder to go out to eat with two toddlers.  We were in the mood for Mexican one night so after doing a quick search to see what was around we decided on Casa Texas Mejico in Rota.  We didn't have the kids with us, but it is definitely kid friendly.  I wouldn't say the food was awesome...it was okay.  It was a little blander than I think Mexican food should be.  I ordered the Enchiladas de queso con pollo and Melissa had Tacos crujientas, the tacos were definitely better, I would recommend asking for a side of salsa to add more flavor.  We also ordered strawberry margaritas, which you could skip...they didn't taste great and weren't worth the calories or price.  All in all I think that I would go back and give this restaurant another try if I were looking for a place to go with the kids.  I don't think I would pick this place for "date night".

Until next time.  Adios!