Monday, November 30, 2009

STRAIT OF GIBRALTAR


STRAIT OF GIBRALTAR.


STRAIT OF GIBRALTAR.


CASA OLIMPIA.

Friday/Saturday/Sunday 27th/28th 29th November 2009.

On Friday morning after tea and toast on the balcony we dropped down to Tarifa to do the weekend shopping; the views across the Straits were spectacular as it was sunny, crisp, no wind and clear, you could see the snow on the Atlas mountains and Tangier stood out on the coast next to the Atlantic. The forecast for the Sunday is rain but we can’t complain as it’s the first in six months! During the week, on Wednesday, the skydiver with a jet pack wing on his back attempted an intercontintal crossing from Morocco to Spain and ended up in the sea, they definitely choose the wrong day as it was windy and cloudy and if they had waited till Friday-no problem! Pan fried Salmon for supper and then we caught up with the TV; over the last couple of days we have seen the latest QI with Stephen Fry, the new, last series of Gavin and Stacey and on Saturday the Rugby. We had Steak and frits before we all watched SCD, which was very good, then Joan watches the X-Factor! As we got up on Sunday the rain started and during the morning turned into a storm so we decided not to take Joan out as she had not been too well over the last few days, a nice bowl of steaming hot Heinz Tomato soup soon put her right and we then shot out across to Guadalmina to Tricky Ricky’s for Sunday lunch as it was our 38th wedding anniversary, as soon as we got around to the coast past Manilva it stopped raining and we were able to sit outside under the canopy and have a lovely lunch starting with an exceptional Cream of Chicken and Leek soup followed by Roast Beef, Pork and Lamb with mashed and roast potatoes,cabbage,creamed Leeks, puree of Carrots, Broccoli and Pan gravy in a sauce boat! A complimentary bottle of house wine, which we brought back with us finished off a nice day; on the way back we stopped off at the house in Manilva and picked up the mail and some more clothes as it is looking like we will be in the villa for Christmas, after a long phone call from Chris on Sunday morning it sounds that the family are not coming over as we expected! Earlier we had been on Skype to Australia, Jack and Lyn are packing as they move into their new house in two weeks time, we also rang Jenny over in England before we made a pre arranged Skype video call to Tim in Colwyn Bay,for the first time I managed to get the system working and we were able to see Tim and he could see us! Watch out the world !! The pictures above show the Strait at different times in the day over the last few days.

Thursday, November 26, 2009

CASA OLIMPIA.

Saturday/Thursday 21st/26th November 2009.

Just another weekend over here in Tarifa and the weather is still warm and sunny but a little cooler at night; Joan is fine and has some pain in her back at the moment but as she says for her age she is remarkable well! Steak and frits for dinner on Saturday followed by TV. On Sunday the roast was Chicken with all the trimmings inc.mashed Carrots and Parsnips for a change. This week we are taking things easy and catching up with all the bits and pieces around the villa as well as starting to make plans for Xmas!? Brenda has started to write cards as the Australian ones have to be in the post shortly and we have also a lot of birthdays coming up in December. If we are on your Xmas card list please send them to our home address in Manilva ! Thank you in advance !! On Tuesday evening on BBC1 there was a excellent documentary on Dame Shirley Bassey;she was interviewed at her home and the flash backs of her early shows on TV were very good, it then showed her rehearsing with her musical director as they put together the new album in the studio, when all the songs were written by new songwriters especially for her, including Gary Barlow,KT Tunstall,the Pet Shop Boys and lots of others. She then performed all the songs on the Electric Proms programme that I talked about a couple of weeks ago. We went over to Estepona on Wednesday morning to get our hair cut;Gissy as usual welcomed us with open arms and we sat on her balcony for continental breakfast overlooking the beach and sea in the warm sunshine, we caught up with all her news including the latest from Vidal in Lima,Peru!Next week he is on his way to Trinidad to see his mother, he has not been home for some time and his brother Felix, who also lives here on the Costa del Sol is joining the whole family for the first time in decades at Christmas.Ah ! Today we have had for the first time in over six months some wet stuff falling out of the sky- Rain !! but it is still warm !! I am now off to make a Chicken curry for supper tonight.

Saturday, November 21, 2009

CASA OLIMPIA.

Monday/Friday 16th/20th November 2009.

As the weather is still holding up we have gone into our taking it easy and reading mode; Brenda catches up with the chore in the morning and goes out on the balcony in the afternoon whilst I catch up with the e-mails and blog during the day and cook after lunch. This week we have had a Chicken curry, Sausages and mash, Pork fillet in a lemon butter sauce ( The Lemons came from the orchard ! ) and cold Ham and eggs. We have had very little contact with Chris over in London as he is in the middle of some very heavy business deals and seems to spend his whole life in meetings from early in the morning till late at night! We have also been in touch with all the usual casualties! Tim brought us up to date with all his news over in Colwyn Bay, as did the two sisters in England and Jack and Lyn in Australia whilst at the same time Brenda spoke also to Gissy as Vidal has gone over to Peru on business and then onto Trinidad to see his mother and might not be back until the new year! On Friday morning I went across to Manilva but could not get near to the house as the council had blocked all the roads into the village to do some major repairs to the roads, as I came around the village and down towards the coast Mano called me and I met him and Juan for a morning drink at his regular bar which is just at the start of the village; we caught up with all the village gossip and news, which we miss! I then carried on to do all my messages at the supermarket, paper shop, telephone shop, cash point and the butchers; just as I was getting back to the car Anna, who was also out shopping spotted me so we went for a mug of tea and a Bacon butty in the square in the centre of Sabinillas,we sat out in the morning sun and put the world to rights after catching up with all her news after their holiday over in Lanzarote to see their daughter Sally and her grandchildren. Brenda has arranged to go over to Gissy next week to get her hair cut, it still grows like mad and at the end of the week we are going out for Sunday lunch as it is our 38th wedding anniversary on the 29th ! It only seems like yesterday when we walked down the aisle in Port Sunlight with my child bride !!

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

CASA OLIMPIA.

Saturday/Sunday 14th/15th November 2009.

Another weekend over here in Tarifa and the weather is still very good, infact they are starting to forecast that it will be the warmest November in over 70 yrs! This morning Brenda has been catching up with housekeeping and I caught up with the e-mails which we look forward to seeing as our family and friends bring us up to date with all the latest news. In the evening we had a late supper after watching SCD,it was rather exciting with the injuries to the dancers and Bruce being sick with the flu, Joan eats earlier on a Saturday so as she can watch the dancing and then X- Factor afterwards. As usual we all had steak and frits with all the trimmings and then fresh Pineapple and ice cream for a change.
Sunday started with a lie in and Smoked Bacon butties on the terrace before we got lunch ready; we also rang on Skype the folks over in Australia to get the news about the funeral which took place on Friday and then we caught up with our dear friend Tim in Colwyn Bay who had been away on business in Berlin for week; he had a very exciting time as he was there on the Monday when the celebrations took place for the 20th anniversary of when the wall came down and also was shown around the city and visited all the famous landmarks. Roast Beef and Yorkshire pudding with five vegetables, roast potatoes and pan gravy soon settled us down and in the evening we watched BBC1 and Joan watched the X Factor results to round off another week in sunny Tarifa.
PS; Thank you to " Adrian " who left a very nice comment on the blog,it is very rewarding when somebody besides family and friends has read the blog and enjoyed it - thanks!

Saturday, November 14, 2009

CASA OLIMPIA - ESTEPONA.

Monday/Friday 9th/13th November 2009.

On Monday after the terrible news from Australia we had a quiet day around the villa gathering our thoughts; the weather is picking up again with no wind so as the sun comes out it soon becomes warm and the temperature is reaching 25/27 degs.in fact it has been the hottest October in the last 60 years! In the evening we had cold Roast Loin of Pork which was left over from our Sunday lunch, during the day I had been trying to make contact with Chris, over in London, as we need to make plans for Christmas and also we have had some problems with bank transfers which need to be resolved, also some important documents did not reach us at the villa, which were sent by DHL/FED-EX last week. The main problem is that the villa does not have a post box address and is not on the postal route! They were given exact details and our phone number but still did not find us! So on Tuesday I went across to Estepona to find the depot, with no luck, and ended up on a wild goose chase up and down the Costa del Sol ! Eventually I went to the Western Union office and picked up a cash transfer, which Chris had sent and at the same time I opened a private post box so as all the mail can be directed to it in the future, but at the time of typing this envelope has still not arrived in the new post box. For dinner we had Braised Steak and Onions with Cabbage and mash to keep us going!! Over the next two days and with numerous phone calls and texts and two more trips across to Estepona we have still not resolved the missing letter. Yesterday we went back again to Estepona as Brenda had an appointment at the dentists for a check up so we also went to the Hypermarket after some shopping in the town centre, for a change.Carrefort has everything you need and as we have an account with them we get discount on all goods, I also managed to get the new Dan Brown book “ The Lost Symbol ” which I am looking forward to reading over the weekend. For supper last night we had Baked Sole, which I skinned myself, with a foaming lime butter, baby new potatoes and green vegetables, the sole was beautiful and fell off the bone as we filleted them! Just like in a restaurant !! Later we watched Jools Holland with his usual eclectic mix of artists and music.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

AUSTRALIA.

Sunday 8th November 2009.

IN MEMORY OF YVONNE DUTTON/PEREIRA.

OCTOBER 28TH 1962 – NOVEMBER 8TH 2009.

This morning we had one of the phone calls that you most dread; it started with the words “I have some bad news” and came from Norah, Brenda’s sister just after we had been on the phone to her other sister in England Jenny. She had just had a phone call from Lyn in Australia, the other sister to say that her youngest daughter Yvonne had just passed away. She had been ill for some time and was in a hospice receiving new treatment but sadly lost her fight. We called Jack and Lyn on the Skype phone and were able to speak to Lyn to pass on our thoughts at this very sad time; our love goes to her brother Jeff and her two sisters Deb and Annette also. We are also thinking of her beloved husband Roger and her two sons, Brandon and Geoff together with all the extended family and friends over in Australia.Deb has just posted these words in memory of her sister which sum up all our thoughts at this tragic moment; “Farewell my darling sister, bet you have enormous golden wings, love you and miss you more than words can ever say”
We are thinking of all the family over the very sad loss of a life so young,
Malcolm and Brenda, Norah and Jenny xxxx

Saturday, November 07, 2009

CASA OLIMPIA.

Monday/Saturday 2nd/7th November 2009.

Just another week over here in a sunny Tarifa, the weather is still very good for the time of year with long warm days and not cold at night. On Monday I did my usual trip over to Estepona and Manilva and picked up all the essentials for the week. Tuesday was Chicken curry night and on Wednesday we got ourselves ready for Thursday and Friday as we are over in Estepona at the Marriott resort on two sales training days for them. We have not had very much contact with Chris over in London during the last couple of weeks as he is in the middle of some very heavy business dealings to do with his company but hopefully it will be resolved by this weekend. On Thursday morning we went over very early to Estepona as Brenda has not been well with mouth ulcers and it had got into her face; she has not been eating much and has been feeling down, the dentists fitted her in straight away and soon sorted things out and by lunch time she was back to her old self! The weather at the resort for the two days was very hot and sunny and it gave us a break from the villa back in Tarifa and we were paid in vouchers to use at the Spa. Hotel and restaurant over the next few months! Today we have been down to Tarifa for the weekend shopping and Joan’s tablets, tonight it is steak and frits for dinner before we settle down to watch SCD,last night, Friday, we had Calves Liver with Smoked Bacon, sausages and Onions on mash before we watched Robbie Williams and Jools Holland late on. I have just spoken to Chris and it sounds that things have been resolved, which is good news so I am going off to watch the Rugby Union internationals,come on England and Wales ! Oh and sorry to all our Australian family in advance !!
PS; Australia have just beaten us !!
PPS; Wales to beat New Zealand next !!!
PPPS;The All Blacks won also !!!! but the England Rugby League team have just beaten the Kiwis in the semis final and play the Australian's next week !
PPPPS; They murdered us in the final !!

Monday, November 02, 2009

CASA OLIMPIA.

Friday/Saturday/Sunday 39th/31st October/1st November 2009.

On Friday morning we went down to the supermarkets in Tarifa for the weekend shopping; the weather is still warm and very sunny at the moment. We are still able to sit out on the balcony and Brenda spends all her time in the afternoon sunshine, we have all the windows and door open and it is very pleasant with the little Tarifa breeze. For dinner, for a change we had steaks of Hake baked in the oven in a savory Provencale sauce with new potatoes. Saturday was very warm, in fact it was too hot to have our lunch on the terrace so we moved into the kitchen and Joan joined us for a prawn and fruit salad after having a breath of fresh air on the balcony,30degs and rising! For dinner we had steak and frits after watching SCD as it was on earlier than usual; later I watched the football and I was sorry that I did as Liverpool were beaten, by Fulham and played terrible! This Sunday for a change we had our lunch sooner than later and I cooked it in front of Joan as we did not have a roast but instead we had Spanish Pork cutlets, from our butcher in Manilva,with all the usual vegetables and Lyonnaise potatoes ! We watched a new period drama on BBC1 about the history of the Old Bailey and I stopped up to watch a documentary on Fleetwood Mac and then Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood live in Madison Square Garden in New York, both of which were very good.