Since it's my first winter in Marbella, I didn't have clue what to expect of the weather here. Like all the locals here have witnessed, there has been quite a lot of rain. And there will be more. So I will share with you some things you can do when it pours on the Coast and not be bored at home counting the drops.

When it first started to rain after the long dry summer, everybody were super happy. Marbella needs rain and especially after the catastrophic wildfire in Coin that destroyed over 5.000 hectares of land. If you have driven by the area now, you can see the situation is much better and the huge black land already has greenish spots on it. But when the rain did not want to stop, people started getting a bit frustrated. Since we are all here spoiled with the perfect weather, two weeks of rain seems extremely long. And I also have to say, at first the rain intimidated me and I was dreaming about all the things I want to do when it finally stops, but then I realized there actually are many fun things to do when it rains! So here we go:

Go to the cinema

My favorite place to go on a rainy day is the cinema. Unfortunately I don't speak Spanish fluently and to be honest I prefer to hear the actors' voices instead of hearing Jose's voice over Johnny Depp. So where can you go to watch movies in V.O.(version original)? One option is the cinema in Puerto Banus, but they only show movies in V.O very early, around 16 o'clock. One time it was written in their website that there is a movie 18.15, but when we got there, they said: "No movies in English now," denying their website gives out false information and kindly handed me the form to make a complaint. All in all, I don't recommend that movie theatre. My favorite one is in Fuengirola - Cinesur in Miramar centre. Their website is always updated, once a week there's a new film in V.O and the staff is much more friendly. I also got my rain boots from Miramar! Of course there are some other cinemas that have movies in English, but then you have to drive all the way to Malaga. 

The gym and sauna

I remember it was another day with endless rain and I told to a local person, that I'm heading to the gym. You should've seen the surprise in his eyes. "To the gym? With this rain?" Funny how some people's lives just pause when the weather changes. I assured him, the gym has a roof and it's the best one in Marbella, so there's nothing to worry about :) The NCT gym, where I go, is the best-equipped gym I've seen here and there is always space to do what ever you feel like doing - Kinesis, stretching, dance or aerobic classes, weights, treadmill, spinning - you name it. And what I love about the place is, you can go to the sauna to relax after your workout. So good..

Read an actual book 

During the long busy summer season I didn't find any time to read a book, but now I decided it's time take up reading again. I find it very relaxing. I know one can read books online now, but I was really longing to read an actual book. So I headed to the Bookworld and got myself a copy of the bestseller "Fifty Shades of Gray" by E.L. James. I haven't finished it yet, but I must admit the novel is rather intriguing and so far I'm very into it. So why not buy yourself some books and trust me, there's no better way to kill time when it pours outside.

Bake a cake

If the rain is so torrential you can't even move from the house the perfect thing for me besides working, is cooking! To be more exact, my speciality is baking. If I'm craving for something sweet, I usually bake a cheesecake or make pancakes. It is also very easy to make use of the veggies that are lying in the bottom of your fridge. Just make a quiche with them. The sky is the limit when you're cooking and trust me, everybody will start loving the rainy days if you invite them for a home-made quiche with a cup of tea.

Go out

Even if you don't want to drive with rain, you can get a taxi and go out. When it rains, trust me, the clubs and bars are still dry! Have a drink in Suite or in the port and you can get your taxi to drive up to the door of Aqwa Mist or Club District 13. The last venue I mentioned also pays your taxi in drinks, when you bring a receipt! 

Bowling!?!

There was one thing I really wanted to do during those weeks. It was to go bowling. But I couldn't find any bowling places in Marbella. Heard there was one in La Canada and one in San Pedro, but neither of them was open. So dear reader, if you know any place, please don't hesitate to comment and inform me. I think bowling is a great inside activity to engage in when it rains. 

Until next time,

Tene