September is the new Summer.

Playa Fuengirola, Malaga, Spain

Majas Pueblo

Tarifa, Malaga,View of Morocco

Ronda, Malaga

Pescaito Gadito, Fuengirola

Chicharon, my friend's mum's delicious food!

Photos © Julian Andres Yepes Molina

The vibrant culture of any popular holiday destination doesn't begin and end with the holiday season in summer. September is definitely the new August, lower prices, lack of commotion and equally sweltering heat, with the culture perfectly sustained.

I went to visit a friend in Spain this September because having to do an internship on top of a job and sky high University fees doesn't facilitate taking time off in the 'best' holiday months, i needed to be AT that bar, taking advantage of other tourists! However, i have to say taking this delayed holiday came with several great advantages!

The area of Fuengirola in Malaga has a long stretch of beach that at that time, laid waste to the remnants of a holiday i'm glad i missed. Ghosts of drunken teenagers and lad's parties, holiday reps and hen nights left their memories on the street and made way for me. The great clubs and bars, with their cheap prices were left, Playa Fuengirola was still accommodating tourists but i was left in the company of friends that knew the best places to eat, avoided the displays of social inadequacy and lavished in the 30 degree heat.

Now i'm not saying everyone flock in September, because that would defeat the purpose, but consider the options of timing your holiday with a 50% discount on flights.

Also, i have to say that staying with a friend had benefits i didn't even consider. I've never stayed with friends abroad before, despite offers, because i deemed the gesture of an offer generous enough, i never wanted to be a burden and offering proves love, friendship and a heart which means i should't be occupying their house with my suitcases of clothes or animal snoring. However, i certainly learnt that the benefit to taking someone up on the offer isn't even about saving money on hotels, insurance and food.

Staying with my friend got me piles of hospitality incomparable to money, a smiling face at the airport of an unknown city, a personalised tour of the best places to go, and not to mention some of his mothers amazing cooking!

I found it very difficult to swallow my pride and accept the offer, thinking that all i'd get out of it was a financial saving. But it turns out i spent that saving on presents for great hosts and an experience you could never equate to or buy with money.

So, if you do head to Malaga go to Pescaito Gadito (pictured above) a seafood restaurant that looks like a fishmonger and acts like one to. Waiters wander around with plates of fresh seafood, shouting their names: 'Langostinos!'Croquetas!' Just shout back if you want one! Or head to the Maijas, where the carnivals see the sky painted with streamers and the white houses visible from the beach, Tarifa where you can practically touch Morocco, or Ronda where you can practically touch the sun, because none of that would i have seen if it wasn't for the wonders of my friends and the wonders of September.

Post número uno: Español.

So, i'm going on holiday to Malaga in September, staying with a friend of a friend (for free i might add.) So, for the purposes of interacting with these Spanish speaking amigos and, if i'm honest, purely to be polite, considering the cheap cheap rent, i've been trying to improve my Spanish skills. Now you would think, having worked in a Latin American Restaurant for nearly 2 years now and being surrounded and immersed in the chitter chatter of the romantic languages i would have gained some skills. Well, you would be wrong. My skills, however, are slowly moving along with the help of a couple of useful tips and hints.

One friend of mine triumphs the Rosetta Stone Spanish Listening CdRoms. Champion, apparently, expensive, also. At £149.00 a pop for a starter kit at little old WhSmiths i went on a search for something with a little bit more of a 'i work in a bar 3 days a week' price-tag.

The Collins easy learning Spanish Conversation book comes in at £6.99; a bargain. Self proclaimed as the 'bestselling bilingual dictionary' it doesn't disappoint on convenience of size, overview of terms or reading ease. Reluctantly, it is a tad boring.

So, i come to the saviour of boring self teach Spanish courses, and bloggers it comes in no better form than the World Wide Web. One thing must strike you first, free, but reliable? Yes, indeed the Web does offer a satisfying aid to learning which is reliable, the BBC, or should i say my Spanish friend 'Teresa.' I came across the BBC website which has vocabulary, tips and hints similar to the Collins book i purchased, however it also has a video course, offering the visual and audio aids which must have been so triumphant in Rosetta Stone. 

'Mi Vida Loca.'

The video tutorial 'Mi Vida Loca' acts as a role play, with you unexpectedly vacationing alone in Spain dealing with situations such as finding your way to your flat, ordering food and interacting with people who cannot speak English. The tutorial stops at intervals to review areas of grammer and vocabulary, as well as allowing you to stop and start at your will. People say that the best way to learn a new language is to go to the country of origin and just start trying, but why not fake that. My crazy life feels pretty real for the 10 minute episodes, provides some structure needed in teaching yourself at home and allows for proper practice.

Admittedly i am only two episodes in but i will keep a little update of my progress. One thing is for sure, that Mi Vida Loca, my crazy life, is a lot more interesting as well as equally concise as the expensive ranges a magpie such as myself is drawn to. It is definitely worth a research before you flash the cash on something dear.

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