Monday, March 31, 2008
MANILVA ,CALLE SAN VICENTE 1
The last week after our few days at the Aparthotel has been spent at home catching up with the chores,doing the washing,stocking up with food and drink!and checking out our e-mails which we always look forward to.We did not have to work at the Cafe and Supermarket as Mano made alternative arrangements so we have enjoyed our time doing nothing,reading books and sitting on the roof terrace in the warm sun! At the start of the week Brenda went to the doctors to have some treatment on a sore shoulder,it was the same doctor that looked after me when we had the fall from the scooter so he also is able to give you a ultra sound and injection as well as the prescription and she is now feeling a lot better. We called into some of our old haunts in the marina and also went across to the sales garage were the Winnebago is,we then started it up and we moved it to a front position and at the same time passed on the sales leads from our advert.We then called into see Vidal and Gissy to catch up with all the news,they have had some friends from Germany staying with them for a couple of weeks.We have also had some phone calls on our new house phone which again is always a nice surprise,thank's Tim,Penny and Joyce! We also called our friend in Madrid, Rafael as the internal calls in Spain are free!! On Sunday Anna joined us for dinner as we Roasted a Corn-fed Chicken with all the trimmings including Brenda's six vegetables, we sent Anna home with a plated meal for Mano as he was working at the Cafe Bar and Supermarket! Over the Easter week we received some Easter cards from Brenda's two sisters in England but not from her sister in Australia,we had also not had a reply to our e-mail and when we tried to phone on Skype there was no answer! The mystery was solved by the picture below showing Lyn on holiday in New Zealand which arrived by e-mail at the end of the week,She has had a fabulous time including landing on a glacier by helicopter! New Zealand looks spectacular!!
Sunday, March 23, 2008
MANILVA GREEN APARTHOTEL
Our five days at the Manilva Green Aparthotel are coming to a end tonight but we are going to look after the Cafe Bar and Supermarket one day next week so as to give Mano a day off- he has been working for over three weeks,14hrs a day so he is looking forward to it !! We have not been run off our feet but we have had some moments! As the kitchen is very small and not very well equiped we have to improvise as we go along, we are now the Chicken Nugget and Burger King and Queen of Manilva!! All the meat is from the local butcher in the village so the nuggets and burgers are fresh and the Sirloin steak are rather special-we served them to the owner,Rafael and his family for lunch on our first day! The pictures below shows the view from the kitchen on Easter Sunday and also the terrace,the Internet cafe is now looking better with the pictures for sale on the walls,one has already been sold! and the large screen TV is attracting attention as can be seen in the picture.
MANILVA on GOOD FRIDAY
On Good Friday we were working at The Aparthotel so we did not get back to our house till late in the evening so we shot down to the church at midnight and caught the start of the silent procession of the mourners.The pictures below shows the “Costaleros “ just about to lift the “ Pasos” onto their shoulders in the Iglesia Santa Ana Church.They then set off around the village in silence with all the people following,We came back thru the back streets to our house but as we turned the corner we found that “ Bodegon Andaluz” was still open so we stopped for a night-cap!As we came out we saw at the top of our street that the procession was just passing so we took the other pictures below showing the religious brotherhood in all their penitential robes and conicl hats called “Capirotes “ as the “Nazarenos” carrying processional candles stopped to listen to a “Saepas” a lament being sung to the Virgin Mary.The final picture shows the village and the local priest following the “Pasos” back down to the church.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
MANILVA GREEN APARTHOTEL
The pictures below show us on our first day at “ Work” at the Manilva Green Aparthotel where Mano and Anna are now working as Food and Beverage manager and Executive Assistant respectively ! We are helping them out over Semana Santa for five days so today we set up the Chringuito by the pool and also set up the kitchen next to the terrace overlooking the coast.The menu is an extensive snack menu with Spanish and English dishes,all freshly cooked by the Executive Chef de Cuisine ans his assistant-- US !! The internet cafe,bar and supermarket have been set up by Mano and Anna over the last couple of weeks and are open all day whilst the food is on at lunchtime and in the evening.Their son Carlos is working on Reception and Sally their daughter is staying in a apartment with her children Jordan and Dylan and their best friends Juan and Amelia are their most regular cutomers ! This evening we served our first customers but we did not serve any of the Dish of the day-Curried Pork and Rice so the staff supper was!!
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
MANILVA PALM SUNDAY
Monday, March 17, 2008
MANILVA PALM SUNDAY
As we got up on Sunday it was a very bright and blue sky sunny day which was good for the Palm Sunday procession in the village,We had deceided to have a full English before we went down to the church at the bottom of the village,So we had ,local eggs,Ham,mushrooms,tomato.saute potatoes and Heinz Baked Beans! The picture's below give's you a little idea of the atmosphere as the procession leaves the church carried by the “ Brotherhood “ We had just gone down to take some photographs but soon got into the atmosphere as the whole village joins in and walks the route around the streets of Manilva led by the village brass band,then the village dignities and the children in white robes,the music is very moving and with the the incense from the church server's hanging in the air it is easy to get taken along with the crowd-as we did! All this is also on the camcorder as it takes over three hours to get back to the church as they stop every 100 yrds'or so to rest as they carry the very heavy “Borriquita “ Our friend Juan in the picture is also a village elder and a very good friend of Mano's as well.As we walked the locals that we know were coming up to us and greeting us,including the owner of our house and her family as we then went into a couple of the tapas bars for refreshment! There are three more processions in the evening during this week,culminating in the silent procession of the Mourners on Good Friday.We have now also got into a routine of Sunday lunch so we had a Roast Beef dinner with all the trimmings which Anna joined us for,Mano as he finished work at 10-pm had a “Plate-meal” as Sally was not arriving from Tenerife until 3-oam in the morning! We then walked up to the top of our street and made a call into a couple of the local bars for a nightcap-including a game of pool at the “Antique” bar where we bought a very nice wine rack with a local's discount! which we collected this morning and drove back to the house with the boot open! We have just had a phone call from Vidal who has found us a possible buyer for the Winnebago-cross your fingers and watch this space as we are also busy this week working for five days up to Sunday at the Aparthotel with Mano and Anna and getting paid well!!
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Saturday, March 15, 2008
MANILVA NEWSLETTER
We have been in the house for four weeks now and are starting to settle into a routine now that we have finished un-packing.We have also started to furnish the guest rooms,new nets last week and a new cane and wicker bedhead in the double room which was dropped off the same evening after we saw it in the shop in Sabrinillas! The other day we went out for a walk in the village and found our way thru the narrow streets and ended up in the local bar below Carlo's apartment for a lunchtime drink-no driving ! The process for the paper work has been updated so next week we have to go to the Civil Police and sign in for our “NIE” so we can then go to the town hall and obtain the necessary forms to become resident here and then we are able to obtain all the benefits etc.Our Spanish bank account is open and running and we set up standing orders for the services;From this weekend it is the start of “ Semana Santa “ which is a very special time in Spain,the first procession in the village is tomorrow and goes on throughout the week with the the final one on Friday which is done in strict silence This all happens in the streets around us and past the town hall to the church at the bottom of the village. The Costa del Sol is full for the whole week with holiday people and family's meeting up for the festivities,Sally ,Mano and Anna's daughter is coming over for the week with her two chidren and is staying at the Aparthotel,Mano who is now the Food and Beverage manager showed us the Spa,the Restaurant and Cafe Bar which are due to open later in the year-very impressive and the Restaurant has terrific views from the balcony,Over next week end we have been called in to help at the bar and poolside “Chirigito” as our housesitting job has cancelled due to a change in plans by the owner that we worked for a couple of weeks ago.At the same time we are receiving calls about the Winnebago from our adverts in the paper all the time,which we pass on to the garage,The other evening we even made time to sit on the roof terrace over looking the roofs of the village with our Gin and Tonic and Bacardi and Coke as the sun went down over the coast !!Also over the last two weeks we have been cooking all our old favourites,including Stews,Curry,Lamb and Pork chops and Steaks,last night it was fish night when we had Fillets of Halibut,all cooked in the best Olive Oil,The now famous “Omelette” of choice is also back on the menu as well! During the last week we have also been busy sending E-mails to all our family and friends updating them with all the news if they have not had a chance to view the blog-page.Watch out for all the pictures of the procession's during the Easter week.Vidal and Gissy are very dear friends from the site are starting to work now that it is getting busy in the bars so last weekend I went down and picked up Gissy from the marina and she did Brenda's hair at our house as well as cutting mine and also putting face masks on us!That evening I went to bed with a blond for the first time!! ( Brenda )
Friday, March 07, 2008
MANILVA NEWSLETTER
The pictures below show our new house in Manilva on a sunny day at the end of February,the villa on the golf course was rather nice with it's views down to the 13th fairway and the Beach House restaurant which we went to twice is also in a very spectacular setting on the beach past Marbella. When we last reported to you we where housesitting at the villa with a fish,hampster and a Jack Russel,we picked up the owner and his son from the airport at Malaga on Sunday evening in his top of the range-Range Rover and he has booked us again for Easter week when he is going to Portugal.Whilst we were there we went out for dinner on the Friday evening to The Beach House and used one of the vouchers from the Marriot sales day training so we went for a drink before to the Don Carlos piano bar which is set above the pools and overlooking the sea.The meal of sauteed Kidneys with Colcanna potatoes and fried Tampura Prawns,followed by Rib-Eye steak with Bearnaise sauce was washed down with a half bottle of Chablis and a half bottle of a excellent Rioja as we watched the sun set over Gibraltar.We also stayed in a couple of nights and caught up with all the British soaps and watched some films,On the Sunday before we picked them up from the airport we had planned to go to a restaurant at Cabopino but as we set off we changed our minds and called into The Beach House as it was Mothers Day,they were full but fitted us in later at 4-30,When we got back the place was bouncing and we ended up on a nice table overlooking the view,Once again we used another voucher and ended up having the finest Sunday lunch we have ever had!The Roast Rib of Beef was rare and served on a fresh yorkshire pudding with creamed leeks,honey roasted parsnips,fine green beans,glazed baby carrotts and broccoli all served with fresh crisp roast potatoes and proper gravy,accompanied with freshly grated Horseradish!! When we asked for more roast potatoes and gravy they arrived hot and steaming!!It was so special because of the setting,the weather, the standard of the food and it was our first time out for Mothers Day lunch in nearly 40 years !!! This week we have been settling into the house and have finished the unpacking and we now making it into our home,Over the weekend Mano rang us to say that he and Anna were starting work running the bar and supermarket at the Manilva Green Aparthotel on Monday so we called into to see them on Monday morning and christened the bar! Their son Carlos is working on reception so the Guerrero “Family” are taking over!Watch this space!!From now on we are going to put weekly newsletters on the blog-page to keep you up with what's happening to us in sunny Manilva.Yesterday we called into the garage and checked out the Winnebago,we have had many phone calls from our advert and passed on the best contacts to Charles the German owner.The Winnebago looks very smart and clean inside and our thanks to Vidal and Gissy and Charles has put it in his advert in the car sales paper which came out today,it looks spectacular !Again watch this space; we have also put our two unused bike's in the paper together with all the gear!!At the same time we have had quite a few enquiries from our housesitting advert including one for horse's-we said neh!!I have listed below once again our new address and phone numbers for info;On the blog page we have also had a couple of new posted comments,one from Penny our dear friend in Bridgnorth who we will e-mail in the next few days and one from”Oscar” in Conwy who we don't know but who has a very interesting blog-page;please give our kind regards to Barry Edwards our first wine merchant some 38 years ago in Bedgelert!
CALLE SAN VICENTE 1
29261 MANILVA.
MALAGA
SPAIN.
952890548- HOUSE.
628529975-SPANISH MOBILE
07717746107-BRENDA MOBILE
CALLE SAN VICENTE 1
29261 MANILVA.
MALAGA
SPAIN.
952890548- HOUSE.
628529975-SPANISH MOBILE
07717746107-BRENDA MOBILE
Sunday, March 02, 2008
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