FRIDAY/MONDAY 25TH./28THJUNE 2010.
During the week we stocked up with food in the deep freeze to take with us next week when we are over in Guadalmina from Wednesday for six days. On Friday morning we stocked up for the weekend and in the evening we went down to Mano and Anna’s to watch Spain v Chile – Spain won 2 – 1 and play Portugal this evening in the next round; On Saturday Brenda had a day about the house getting ready for the visitors, who arrived in the early evening on Sunday – all the details are below.
So after talking to the folks on Sunday evening we changed our plans and went to Ronda as we had originally told them; The weather inland is always hotter and it got up to 33degs.during the day, we set off on Monday morning and went down to Sabinillas and then up the road to Casares,then onto Gaucin before going down to Ronda over the top of the mountains. We parked in the underground car park which keeps the car cool and walked down the main street past the church and went across the park to the panoramic views across the 300ft.cliffs to the mountains; next on the agenda was the Bull Ring, as you walk into the centre of the ring you get a sense of what the bullfighter see’s as he waits for the bulls arrival! We then had lunch in our favorite
Restaurant on the cliff face by the bridge,the hotel and restaurant Don Miguel, the girls had the Brochette of Monkfish and Prawns and we had the whole Roast Leg of Baby Lamb ( with Mint Sauce which Brenda had in her handbag ! ) We then walked across the famous bridge and into the old town of Ronda to take in the sights and sounds.
On the way back to the car we had a cooling ice cream before we set off down the road to the coast, the A376 is one of the great drives of Europe and the views have to be seen to be believed; we had decided to make a day of it so we next went into Puerto Banus and had a walk around before we stopped for a drink and got stung with prices, being three times what they are here in the village ! By then it was early evening so we set off along the coast on the infamous N340 to Estepona to show the folks our favorite town and then called into the Casares Costa Golf Restaurant for supper as the sun went down behind the hills of Manilva; Brenda had a huge Club Sandwich with a fried egg on the top which I had with my thick Entrecote Steak and Frits, Annette had the Chicken Salad with Apple and Pineapple and Jeff chose the Tomato Carpaccio with fried Garlic, Jabugo Ham and Mozarella Cheese, everything was spot on.We arrived back in Manilva at 11 -00pm twelve hours after we had left; one “ Helluva ” day down and about on the hot and sunny Costa Del Sol ! On the way up to the village the Brazilian Bar was going mad as Brazil had just beaten Chile. We all slept well. The picture’s below will give you just a little taste of our day out with Jeff and Annette who left this morning to catch the plane back to England, at the end of the week they are flying to Canada as their daughter ,Kate, is 21 – Happy birthday in advance Kate !
As I have mentioned in the Blog below Jeff has a very special talent, among many others ! The company that he has worked many years for “ Kerry ” is an international world wide food producing company and they are the sponsor’s of the world wide” Barista Championship” which take place in various cities around the world, he is a judge and his knowledge about coffee and coffee making knows no bounds ! He was in London for this years World Championship, which an American won, so when we took him to Bar Rojas for a Carajillo it was with some feeling of apprehension – no worry he was very impressed ! When we started talking to him it was fascinating how the various types of Coffee’s are judged and how the competition works; in his job he has been all over the World and has eaten all sorts of strange things including the Coffee bean that comes from Wolves s - - t in South America and is the most expensive made, when he was in Japan he was taken to a restaurant and had Sushi, as he was asking his hosts about what they had been eating his lips went numb, it turned out that he had just been given Blowfish ( Fugu ) In Japan the sushi chef undergoes years of training and must obtain a license in order to prepare blowfish; One such fish contains enough neurotoxin to kill 30 people, speed ,care and precision is needed as the Fugu is gutted and skinned while it ‘s still breathing !! Jeff is now covering Asia Pacific,based in Kuala Lumpur and at the end of this contract he would like to be based next in NewYork if his boss is reading this !
PS; Thanks Annette for the very nice comments in our guest book
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Thought for the Day;
You can’t go back; Go forward. Don’t Dream; Act !
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Tuesday, June 29, 2010
MANILVA SUNDAY EVENING.
SUNDAY 27TH JUNE 2010.
Well the waiting was over when Jeff and Annette finally arrived on Sunday evening; Brenda had been on pins all day and wouldn’t stop “ Faffing About ” as their plane was an hour late getting in, we walked to the top of the village after we got the call from them to say that they were on the A7 towards Manilva following my directions and map that I had sent to Annette.We had the Welsh flag with us and we stood at the roundabout as they came across the bridge waving it furiously! We then jumped into the hire car and brought them through the back streets to the house as you can see in the pictures below;As I was pouring the first glass of Laurent Perrier Rose Anna walked in and joined us as we started to catch up with all their news.I had made a large selection of Tapas and we then had a Kir Royale made with Cava before we went up to Bar Rojas for Frito Pescardo and Patata Fritas and Carajillo’s ! ( more about coffee and Jeff later )
Well the waiting was over when Jeff and Annette finally arrived on Sunday evening; Brenda had been on pins all day and wouldn’t stop “ Faffing About ” as their plane was an hour late getting in, we walked to the top of the village after we got the call from them to say that they were on the A7 towards Manilva following my directions and map that I had sent to Annette.We had the Welsh flag with us and we stood at the roundabout as they came across the bridge waving it furiously! We then jumped into the hire car and brought them through the back streets to the house as you can see in the pictures below;As I was pouring the first glass of Laurent Perrier Rose Anna walked in and joined us as we started to catch up with all their news.I had made a large selection of Tapas and we then had a Kir Royale made with Cava before we went up to Bar Rojas for Frito Pescardo and Patata Fritas and Carajillo’s ! ( more about coffee and Jeff later )
Monday, June 28, 2010
Friday, June 25, 2010
SAN JUAN 2010.
WEDNESDAY 23RD.JUNE 2010.
Wednesday turned into a “ Helluva ” day in all sorts of ways; In the morning we had a call from Caroline over in Guadalmina asking us to look after their villa and the animals next week, it just fits in with our plans as Jeff and Annette go back on Tuesday lunchtime and they want us for six days from Wednesday ! During the morning Mano’s next door neighbour,Tony the fish fryer, sent me the “ Spotify ”online music system, it is very easy to use and you do not need to download; you just type in the song,artist,album etc. and off you go, on Tuesday morning I woke Brenda up on her birthday we some different versions of “ Happy Birthday ”and our favourite version by Stevie Wonder !
At lunchtime I went down to Mano’s to watch the England v Slovenia match, Brenda took things easy back in the house, Anna was still not well and stayed in bed so Mano and I had the TV to ourselves; England played very well and totally outclassed Slovenia, we won 1 – 0 and ended up playing Germany in the next round on Sunday afternoon. On the way back we stopped for a few drinks to celebrate, Brenda said that she knew I was back in the village when she heard the whistle ! After getting back to the house I had a very quick siesta as we were due to go out at 9-oopm.
We went across to the Fish and Chip shop just down the coast and had a lovely meal of Haddock, Chips and Mushy Peas, cooked by Tony the fish fryer and served by a waitress from Liverpool ! We then came back to Sabinillas to take in the sights and sounds of “ San Juan ”2010. The main square in the town," Plaza Vicente Espinel ” has been totally refurbished, they have used Blue and Cream tiles and the new water feature is different, some new bars have opened and it looked very good as it was opened by our mayor, they then had the Flamenco Dance School giving a show.
We went for a walk along the sea front which is very pleasant and stopped at a beach bar to wait for the nights show to start; all along the beach by the side of the low wall are very old wooden winding hoist’s that hall the fishing boats in from the sea on long ropes with two or three fishermen doing all the hard work, watch out for the picture on another day when I catch them doing it ! As the time drew near we walked back along to the tableau and got ourselves in the middle of the crowd; at midnight it starts to burn as they let off some small fireworks and then all of a sudden it goes up in flames and burns down, the crowd all applaud and the grand firework display starts ! Jumping across the flames is only for the young, athletic and mad so we gave it a miss and getting down to water is also a challenge as the mass of people all have the same idea ! We then watched the live music on the stage next to the front, ‘Arco Iris’ are very loud and soon get the crowd singing and dancing. The pictures give you just a small idea of the atmosphere including a visit from the local drag queen,Lola,who has a club in the centre of Sabinillas.
Thought for the Day;
When we remember that we are all mad, the mysteries disappear and life stands explained.
.
Wednesday turned into a “ Helluva ” day in all sorts of ways; In the morning we had a call from Caroline over in Guadalmina asking us to look after their villa and the animals next week, it just fits in with our plans as Jeff and Annette go back on Tuesday lunchtime and they want us for six days from Wednesday ! During the morning Mano’s next door neighbour,Tony the fish fryer, sent me the “ Spotify ”online music system, it is very easy to use and you do not need to download; you just type in the song,artist,album etc. and off you go, on Tuesday morning I woke Brenda up on her birthday we some different versions of “ Happy Birthday ”and our favourite version by Stevie Wonder !
At lunchtime I went down to Mano’s to watch the England v Slovenia match, Brenda took things easy back in the house, Anna was still not well and stayed in bed so Mano and I had the TV to ourselves; England played very well and totally outclassed Slovenia, we won 1 – 0 and ended up playing Germany in the next round on Sunday afternoon. On the way back we stopped for a few drinks to celebrate, Brenda said that she knew I was back in the village when she heard the whistle ! After getting back to the house I had a very quick siesta as we were due to go out at 9-oopm.
We went across to the Fish and Chip shop just down the coast and had a lovely meal of Haddock, Chips and Mushy Peas, cooked by Tony the fish fryer and served by a waitress from Liverpool ! We then came back to Sabinillas to take in the sights and sounds of “ San Juan ”2010. The main square in the town," Plaza Vicente Espinel ” has been totally refurbished, they have used Blue and Cream tiles and the new water feature is different, some new bars have opened and it looked very good as it was opened by our mayor, they then had the Flamenco Dance School giving a show.
We went for a walk along the sea front which is very pleasant and stopped at a beach bar to wait for the nights show to start; all along the beach by the side of the low wall are very old wooden winding hoist’s that hall the fishing boats in from the sea on long ropes with two or three fishermen doing all the hard work, watch out for the picture on another day when I catch them doing it ! As the time drew near we walked back along to the tableau and got ourselves in the middle of the crowd; at midnight it starts to burn as they let off some small fireworks and then all of a sudden it goes up in flames and burns down, the crowd all applaud and the grand firework display starts ! Jumping across the flames is only for the young, athletic and mad so we gave it a miss and getting down to water is also a challenge as the mass of people all have the same idea ! We then watched the live music on the stage next to the front, ‘Arco Iris’ are very loud and soon get the crowd singing and dancing. The pictures give you just a small idea of the atmosphere including a visit from the local drag queen,Lola,who has a club in the centre of Sabinillas.
Thought for the Day;
When we remember that we are all mad, the mysteries disappear and life stands explained.
.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
SABINILLAS BEACH TONIGHT.
WEDNESDAY 23RD JUNE 2010.
Notche de San Juan – A Magical Night.
Andalucians just love a good party; one of the most remarkable is Noche de San Juan – the Night of St John, on the heels of the longest night of the year. The beaches all along the coast play host to hundreds of thousands of people, like so many other festivities in Spain the history is shrouded in religion and rooted in beliefs held long ago. It’s a celebration of an old Pagan event and marks the beginning of summer; the fire of the bonfires purifies, and the water of the sea cleanses and rejuvenates!
According to tradition, if people jump over the bonfire three times on the night their body and sole will be purified and they will find that their problems have been burned away. At midnight hundreds of people rush into the sea and wash their feet and face three times and you are granted three wishes and have a happy year- some say that it symbolizes the baptisms by John the Baptist !
One of the great spectacles is the burning at midnight of the of the effigies specially prepared for the occasion; it was believed that they represented Judas Iscariot although the religious interpretation has taken a back seat, as you can see in the pictures! There is always plenty of entertainment and also a very large firework display normally but this year the cuts may have taken place, so we will see! Watch this space for the full report and some pictures.
.
Notche de San Juan – A Magical Night.
Andalucians just love a good party; one of the most remarkable is Noche de San Juan – the Night of St John, on the heels of the longest night of the year. The beaches all along the coast play host to hundreds of thousands of people, like so many other festivities in Spain the history is shrouded in religion and rooted in beliefs held long ago. It’s a celebration of an old Pagan event and marks the beginning of summer; the fire of the bonfires purifies, and the water of the sea cleanses and rejuvenates!
According to tradition, if people jump over the bonfire three times on the night their body and sole will be purified and they will find that their problems have been burned away. At midnight hundreds of people rush into the sea and wash their feet and face three times and you are granted three wishes and have a happy year- some say that it symbolizes the baptisms by John the Baptist !
One of the great spectacles is the burning at midnight of the of the effigies specially prepared for the occasion; it was believed that they represented Judas Iscariot although the religious interpretation has taken a back seat, as you can see in the pictures! There is always plenty of entertainment and also a very large firework display normally but this year the cuts may have taken place, so we will see! Watch this space for the full report and some pictures.
.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
MANILVA TODAY BRENDA'S BIRTHDAY.
TUESDAY 22ND JUNE 2010.
Today is a very special day, Brenda’s birthday so we have just come back from a very nice lunch at the Casares Costa Golf Club; on the way we stopped at the beach down in Sabinillas to take some pictures of the tableau which is being made ready for the “ San Juan ”festival on Wednesday. This is one of the best festivals with very good live music, fireworks and the setting on fire of the tableau as you walk down to the sea and dip your feet in the water for good luck and wealth, last year we did not make it as we where over in Tarifa,so we are really looking forward to it this year, before we are going for a Haddock and Chip supper at the local fish and chip restaurant which we checked out earlier, the head fryer lives next to Mano so we should be looked after! Sadly Anna is still not well so they were not able to join us for lunch today as we had planned, the birthday girl had the Gujons of Rosado with Salsa Tatara and I had a large Hamburgesa Casares,the fish and batter was beautiful and my burger was made from local ground Beef. Tonight we going up to Bar Rojas later for a nightcap, Brenda is out on the roof terrace topping up her tan and reading. What a life ! The pictures above show the birthday girl and her “ Fella ” as well as the beach front in Sabinillas.
PS; The first picture shows Brenda in her new top that Anna gave her when she called around in the early evening when she was feeling a little better,we then went up to Bar Rojas for some supper.
We are also getting ready for the weekend when Jeff and Annette arrive, this morning Jack and Lyn called to wish Brenda happy birthday as did Norah and on the way out we stopped at the post office to post my pension documents after I had been to the town hall to get all the certificates copied and signed, we also picked up this mornings mail so Brenda has now got all her cards, thanks to you all !
Today is a very special day, Brenda’s birthday so we have just come back from a very nice lunch at the Casares Costa Golf Club; on the way we stopped at the beach down in Sabinillas to take some pictures of the tableau which is being made ready for the “ San Juan ”festival on Wednesday. This is one of the best festivals with very good live music, fireworks and the setting on fire of the tableau as you walk down to the sea and dip your feet in the water for good luck and wealth, last year we did not make it as we where over in Tarifa,so we are really looking forward to it this year, before we are going for a Haddock and Chip supper at the local fish and chip restaurant which we checked out earlier, the head fryer lives next to Mano so we should be looked after! Sadly Anna is still not well so they were not able to join us for lunch today as we had planned, the birthday girl had the Gujons of Rosado with Salsa Tatara and I had a large Hamburgesa Casares,the fish and batter was beautiful and my burger was made from local ground Beef. Tonight we going up to Bar Rojas later for a nightcap, Brenda is out on the roof terrace topping up her tan and reading. What a life ! The pictures above show the birthday girl and her “ Fella ” as well as the beach front in Sabinillas.
PS; The first picture shows Brenda in her new top that Anna gave her when she called around in the early evening when she was feeling a little better,we then went up to Bar Rojas for some supper.
We are also getting ready for the weekend when Jeff and Annette arrive, this morning Jack and Lyn called to wish Brenda happy birthday as did Norah and on the way out we stopped at the post office to post my pension documents after I had been to the town hall to get all the certificates copied and signed, we also picked up this mornings mail so Brenda has now got all her cards, thanks to you all !
MANILVA WEEKEND.
FRIDAY/MONDAY 18TH/21ST JUNE 2010.
As usual on Friday we went out first thing in the morning and did the weekend shopping and picked up the papers; in the afternoon I made a Fish pie which we took down to Mano and Anna’s to have before we watched the England v Algeria match, the pictures below show my hair bands in patriotic Red ,White and Blue and Anna in her English top with my hat and flag! Sadly England played terrible and I did not get to blow my whistle once!! England 0 Algeria 0 un b----y believable.
Every day now the weather is getting hotter and hotter but still we a little breeze, so on Saturday lunchtime we went up to Bar Rojas for a Tapas and cool drink under the trees and a large sun umbrella; Brian joined us a bit later as he had a big night on Friday drowning his sorrows,Lilli then came along and finally Andy, to cut a long story short we ended up feeling no pain and came back down our street at 9-00pm,eight hours later ! It seems that Brian has challenged me to a fish pie cook off amongst many other things !
On Sunday it will not surprise you to know that we had a lie in and took things easy for the rest of the day; the sport on the TV was good with the Motorcycle Grand Prix from the new track at Silverstone and the last stage of the Tour of Switzerland when Lance Armstrong nearly won. In the evening we had Steak and Frits for supper as we could not face them on Saturday evening !
First thing on Monday morning I shot across to Estepona to our bank as we received the pension documents on Friday and I had to get all the bank details correct, when I got back I popped a Chicken in the oven to roast as we had planned to have cold Chicken and salad down at Mano and Anna’s in the evening,Mano rang in the afternoon and said that Anna was not well and in bed so we ate before we went down to watch the Spain v Honduras match in the evening, the pictures below show me in full regalia as we headed off; Spain this time won and played the best football in the World Cup so far as they beat Honduras 2 – 0 but they are not safe yet. On the way home my whistle was given the full works as all the cars went past. The other pictures show Brenda with “ Cheta ”after she came calling to show us her new hair cut !
As usual on Friday we went out first thing in the morning and did the weekend shopping and picked up the papers; in the afternoon I made a Fish pie which we took down to Mano and Anna’s to have before we watched the England v Algeria match, the pictures below show my hair bands in patriotic Red ,White and Blue and Anna in her English top with my hat and flag! Sadly England played terrible and I did not get to blow my whistle once!! England 0 Algeria 0 un b----y believable.
Every day now the weather is getting hotter and hotter but still we a little breeze, so on Saturday lunchtime we went up to Bar Rojas for a Tapas and cool drink under the trees and a large sun umbrella; Brian joined us a bit later as he had a big night on Friday drowning his sorrows,Lilli then came along and finally Andy, to cut a long story short we ended up feeling no pain and came back down our street at 9-00pm,eight hours later ! It seems that Brian has challenged me to a fish pie cook off amongst many other things !
On Sunday it will not surprise you to know that we had a lie in and took things easy for the rest of the day; the sport on the TV was good with the Motorcycle Grand Prix from the new track at Silverstone and the last stage of the Tour of Switzerland when Lance Armstrong nearly won. In the evening we had Steak and Frits for supper as we could not face them on Saturday evening !
First thing on Monday morning I shot across to Estepona to our bank as we received the pension documents on Friday and I had to get all the bank details correct, when I got back I popped a Chicken in the oven to roast as we had planned to have cold Chicken and salad down at Mano and Anna’s in the evening,Mano rang in the afternoon and said that Anna was not well and in bed so we ate before we went down to watch the Spain v Honduras match in the evening, the pictures below show me in full regalia as we headed off; Spain this time won and played the best football in the World Cup so far as they beat Honduras 2 – 0 but they are not safe yet. On the way home my whistle was given the full works as all the cars went past. The other pictures show Brenda with “ Cheta ”after she came calling to show us her new hair cut !
Monday, June 21, 2010
Friday, June 18, 2010
Thursday, June 17, 2010
MANILVA YESTERDAY.
MONDAY/THURSDAY 14TH./17TH. JUNE 2010.
This Monday morning was a bit different to normal ; Brenda had to appear in court before a judge ! to set the record straight she was innocent and had done nothing wrong – honest ! Two weeks ago she received a formal letter at the post office which we had to collect and sign for, when we read it we soon realized that it was something important and so we rushed off to find Mano.It was a summons to appear before the judge in chambers to be interviewed about a pending case; Mano phoned the office and we went down the following morning to the court in Estepona to find out what it was all about, it turned out to be an investigation started over in Algeciras about the accident when Brenda was bitten by Boo and she went to hospital there. In Spain the system falls into place that has to be checked out by a vet and reports sent to the local authorities in case of further problems and any compensation claims as well as a prosecution.
So we went to court with Mano ,who had been appointed as our official interpreter and Brenda made her statement; she confirmed that it was an accident and that no claims where going to be made for compensation and that nothing was to happen to Boo- the case was closed and finished ! End of the excitement. On Monday evening Mano and Anna came round and joined us for a celebration supper of Bacon,Eggs,Sausages,Mushroom
Tomatoe,Chorizo,Baked Beans and Sauté Potatoes ! A Sexton Fry Up !!
On Tuesday we had a day at home and caught up with all the chores and picked up from our local shop the bits and pieces that we needed, I went to the chemists to pick up my tablets, I keep taking them ! and then called into our local butchers and bought some fresh Pork Cutlets for dinner. Brenda was going to go out with Anna to the shopping mall over in Algeciras but it fell through so we ended up on the roof terrace reading and having our early evening cocktails as the sun moved round, the weather has now settled and the breeze in the last few days has dropped; Just as we came down to start dinner Anna called in with a bottle of fine Rioja as Mano,who was off work for a couple of days, had gone out for a quick game of golf with his friend Juan. It ended up with them staying for dinner when Mano came back, Pan Fried Pork Cutlets in foaming Lemon Butter, lots of green vegetables and our new dish of diced cooked potatoes sautéed with assorted Peppers, Onions and Garlic in a rich Tomato sauce. Over the last few days the football coverage on Spanish TV is not as comprehensive as ours so I have been following it on the PC and keeping the wall chart up to date ! The live cycling coverage this week is the Tour of Switzerland, Lance Armstrong is in the field and also Mark Cavendish, from England as they prepare for the Tour de France in July.
Wednesday was the big day for Spain in the World Cup when they played, as it so happens, Switzerland in their first match; Spain who are the European Champions and have team full of star players where expected to go on and win the World Cup; we met Mano and Anna at lunchtime up in Bar Rojas as we had planned to go and watch the match down in their house on the large screen TV and then stay for some dinner; I had my hair platted in Red and Yellow bows, my whistle round my neck and a large Spanish flag on a pole, Brenda and Anna where not very impressed or interested as we set off ! The next few hours where not good as Spain, who played the best football so far in the World Cup where beaten by the resilient Swiss team 1 -0 and ended up not looking like World Cup winners!! Mano then prepared his famous Tortilla, Spanish Omelette,Baby Broad Beans cooked slowly with diced cured Bacon, Onions and his secret ingredient Grappa ! Savoury large Sausages and some Patatas Fritas and freshly baked Bread as we sat out on their terrace overlooking the views on a balmy evening as you can see in the pictures below.
Two birthdays to mention; Zoë over in Manchester and Jeff in Kuala Lumpur – Happy Birthday and all the best !! We have just come off the Skype video to Annette as they are due to leave on Friday morning to fly to London,that is if Jeff gets back from Australia in time from a business trip !
Thought for the Day;
We will be known forever by the tracks that we leave !
.
This Monday morning was a bit different to normal ; Brenda had to appear in court before a judge ! to set the record straight she was innocent and had done nothing wrong – honest ! Two weeks ago she received a formal letter at the post office which we had to collect and sign for, when we read it we soon realized that it was something important and so we rushed off to find Mano.It was a summons to appear before the judge in chambers to be interviewed about a pending case; Mano phoned the office and we went down the following morning to the court in Estepona to find out what it was all about, it turned out to be an investigation started over in Algeciras about the accident when Brenda was bitten by Boo and she went to hospital there. In Spain the system falls into place that has to be checked out by a vet and reports sent to the local authorities in case of further problems and any compensation claims as well as a prosecution.
So we went to court with Mano ,who had been appointed as our official interpreter and Brenda made her statement; she confirmed that it was an accident and that no claims where going to be made for compensation and that nothing was to happen to Boo- the case was closed and finished ! End of the excitement. On Monday evening Mano and Anna came round and joined us for a celebration supper of Bacon,Eggs,Sausages,Mushroom
Tomatoe,Chorizo,Baked Beans and Sauté Potatoes ! A Sexton Fry Up !!
On Tuesday we had a day at home and caught up with all the chores and picked up from our local shop the bits and pieces that we needed, I went to the chemists to pick up my tablets, I keep taking them ! and then called into our local butchers and bought some fresh Pork Cutlets for dinner. Brenda was going to go out with Anna to the shopping mall over in Algeciras but it fell through so we ended up on the roof terrace reading and having our early evening cocktails as the sun moved round, the weather has now settled and the breeze in the last few days has dropped; Just as we came down to start dinner Anna called in with a bottle of fine Rioja as Mano,who was off work for a couple of days, had gone out for a quick game of golf with his friend Juan. It ended up with them staying for dinner when Mano came back, Pan Fried Pork Cutlets in foaming Lemon Butter, lots of green vegetables and our new dish of diced cooked potatoes sautéed with assorted Peppers, Onions and Garlic in a rich Tomato sauce. Over the last few days the football coverage on Spanish TV is not as comprehensive as ours so I have been following it on the PC and keeping the wall chart up to date ! The live cycling coverage this week is the Tour of Switzerland, Lance Armstrong is in the field and also Mark Cavendish, from England as they prepare for the Tour de France in July.
Wednesday was the big day for Spain in the World Cup when they played, as it so happens, Switzerland in their first match; Spain who are the European Champions and have team full of star players where expected to go on and win the World Cup; we met Mano and Anna at lunchtime up in Bar Rojas as we had planned to go and watch the match down in their house on the large screen TV and then stay for some dinner; I had my hair platted in Red and Yellow bows, my whistle round my neck and a large Spanish flag on a pole, Brenda and Anna where not very impressed or interested as we set off ! The next few hours where not good as Spain, who played the best football so far in the World Cup where beaten by the resilient Swiss team 1 -0 and ended up not looking like World Cup winners!! Mano then prepared his famous Tortilla, Spanish Omelette,Baby Broad Beans cooked slowly with diced cured Bacon, Onions and his secret ingredient Grappa ! Savoury large Sausages and some Patatas Fritas and freshly baked Bread as we sat out on their terrace overlooking the views on a balmy evening as you can see in the pictures below.
Two birthdays to mention; Zoë over in Manchester and Jeff in Kuala Lumpur – Happy Birthday and all the best !! We have just come off the Skype video to Annette as they are due to leave on Friday morning to fly to London,that is if Jeff gets back from Australia in time from a business trip !
Thought for the Day;
We will be known forever by the tracks that we leave !
.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
MANILVA AND GUADALMINA.
MONDAY/SUNDAY 7TH/13TH JUNE 2010.
On Monday we sorted ourselves out and packed as little as possible for our five days over in Guadalmina looking after the villa; we did take some food with us, Curry and Braised Steak, which we had saved and frozen so as we did not need to shop over there.
We had to be up early on Tuesday morning as Clive and Caroline had to be at the airport in Malaga by 9-00am;we dropped them off at the new terminal which is very impressive and on the way back picked up some essentials for Joan, Clive’s mum, and dog food. The villa has now been refurbished and is looking very good; the weather was warm and sunny and we soon hit the pool and then relaxed on the terrace over looking the large garden.In the evening we had Fillet Steak, salad and Baked Potatoes for dinner, courtesy of Clive and Caroline and then settled to watch English TV. We only miss a couple of programmes like QI and are now back into watching all the Spanish TV channels.
Wednesday started OK but later there was a little light rain and drizzle as I picked up the cleaner and then went over to Estepona and picked up Gissy;she came to do Brenda’s hair and have a spot of light lunch as we caught up with all her news; they are very busy and some days do two gigs. We did not go in the pool and had a problem with the Solar Heating system; no hot water in the villa! Curry and Rice for supper out on the terrace as it is still warm and the terrace is very sheltered before we watched the concert from South Africa at the start of the World Cup ended the day.
Thursday morning and the weather was back to normal, warm and sunny as I contacted the water engineer, the old gas boiler is there for emergencies and the water was soon back on, later the Solar system kicked back in, it seems that it is not working as it should and they are looking into it! The gardener was in all day and later Joan’s companion called in to look after her, in the early evening the hairdresser came to do Joan’s hair so it meant that we had all had the works during the last two days. The two dogs, Bruno and Abbie are no problem; they have their own pen in the grounds and the run of the villa and garden all the time, except when the gardener is working! The two house cats, Tiger and Sam come and go as they please, the six wild cats are fed out in the garden and the fish in the pond only need a little food, once a week. In the evening we had our Braised Steak and Onions with Baked Potatoes before we watched the opening ceremony of the World Cup.
Friday morning started with the window cleaners doing a very good job, in fact too good a job as Brenda had walked into one of the large terrace windows the day before; no damage to the window or Brenda ! We then popped out to the shops for the weekend goods and bought some Rump Steak from the English butchers down in Guadalmina. The pool called when we got back and then after dinner we watched the start of the football with the South Africa v Mexico match, shame that South Africa did not win in the last minute when they hit the post, the sound from the horns “ Vuvuzelas ” would have been even louder !
We had a quiet day in the villa on Saturday and picked Clive and Caroline up from the airport in the evening; their plane was over an hour late arriving; the system at the arrivals has changed and Mano had given me a few tips, we ended up waiting in the garage by the new terminal and when they called we picked them up from the departure terminal which is lot easier and beats the system ! This meant that we did not see the England v USA. Match, no great loss as England played terrible and Robert Green, the goalkeeper dropped a clanger! We then charged back to Manilva in the Smart car and ended up in Bar Rojas for supper of Fried Fish, Fried Eggs and Patatas Fritas The picture below give you just a taste of the week over in the villa.
Today we are taking things very easy at home and are going to watch the Grand Prix later from Canada; we are not having our usual Roast today, the chef’s are having the day off !
Thought for the day;
I was born modest; not all over, but in spots !
.
On Monday we sorted ourselves out and packed as little as possible for our five days over in Guadalmina looking after the villa; we did take some food with us, Curry and Braised Steak, which we had saved and frozen so as we did not need to shop over there.
We had to be up early on Tuesday morning as Clive and Caroline had to be at the airport in Malaga by 9-00am;we dropped them off at the new terminal which is very impressive and on the way back picked up some essentials for Joan, Clive’s mum, and dog food. The villa has now been refurbished and is looking very good; the weather was warm and sunny and we soon hit the pool and then relaxed on the terrace over looking the large garden.In the evening we had Fillet Steak, salad and Baked Potatoes for dinner, courtesy of Clive and Caroline and then settled to watch English TV. We only miss a couple of programmes like QI and are now back into watching all the Spanish TV channels.
Wednesday started OK but later there was a little light rain and drizzle as I picked up the cleaner and then went over to Estepona and picked up Gissy;she came to do Brenda’s hair and have a spot of light lunch as we caught up with all her news; they are very busy and some days do two gigs. We did not go in the pool and had a problem with the Solar Heating system; no hot water in the villa! Curry and Rice for supper out on the terrace as it is still warm and the terrace is very sheltered before we watched the concert from South Africa at the start of the World Cup ended the day.
Thursday morning and the weather was back to normal, warm and sunny as I contacted the water engineer, the old gas boiler is there for emergencies and the water was soon back on, later the Solar system kicked back in, it seems that it is not working as it should and they are looking into it! The gardener was in all day and later Joan’s companion called in to look after her, in the early evening the hairdresser came to do Joan’s hair so it meant that we had all had the works during the last two days. The two dogs, Bruno and Abbie are no problem; they have their own pen in the grounds and the run of the villa and garden all the time, except when the gardener is working! The two house cats, Tiger and Sam come and go as they please, the six wild cats are fed out in the garden and the fish in the pond only need a little food, once a week. In the evening we had our Braised Steak and Onions with Baked Potatoes before we watched the opening ceremony of the World Cup.
Friday morning started with the window cleaners doing a very good job, in fact too good a job as Brenda had walked into one of the large terrace windows the day before; no damage to the window or Brenda ! We then popped out to the shops for the weekend goods and bought some Rump Steak from the English butchers down in Guadalmina. The pool called when we got back and then after dinner we watched the start of the football with the South Africa v Mexico match, shame that South Africa did not win in the last minute when they hit the post, the sound from the horns “ Vuvuzelas ” would have been even louder !
We had a quiet day in the villa on Saturday and picked Clive and Caroline up from the airport in the evening; their plane was over an hour late arriving; the system at the arrivals has changed and Mano had given me a few tips, we ended up waiting in the garage by the new terminal and when they called we picked them up from the departure terminal which is lot easier and beats the system ! This meant that we did not see the England v USA. Match, no great loss as England played terrible and Robert Green, the goalkeeper dropped a clanger! We then charged back to Manilva in the Smart car and ended up in Bar Rojas for supper of Fried Fish, Fried Eggs and Patatas Fritas The picture below give you just a taste of the week over in the villa.
Today we are taking things very easy at home and are going to watch the Grand Prix later from Canada; we are not having our usual Roast today, the chef’s are having the day off !
Thought for the day;
I was born modest; not all over, but in spots !
.
Wednesday, June 09, 2010
Tuesday, June 08, 2010
Monday, June 07, 2010
MANILVA THIS EVENING.
MONDAY 7TH.JUNE 2010.
At this time of the year the ladies of the village gather outside as the sun goes down and the evening gets a little cooler;they sit by their house's and watch the world go by,Lume,from Bar Rojas, and her mother are on the left.
At this time of the year the ladies of the village gather outside as the sun goes down and the evening gets a little cooler;they sit by their house's and watch the world go by,Lume,from Bar Rojas, and her mother are on the left.
MANILVA WEEKEND.
FRIDAY/SUNDAY 4TH. /6TH. JUNE 2008.
As usual on Friday morning we went down to Sabinillas for the weekend shopping; it was the hottest day so far 33degs. as we set off to see Caroline and Clive over in Guadalmina to make some arrangements for next week. All the work on the villa is finished and so Clive showed me around the new fuse board, the gardener is in for two days and the cleaner has to be picked up on one day. Clive’s mom Joan ( Another ! ) has a companion that comes in two days a week so we will soon get into the routine, they are back on Saturday evening after we have dropped them at the new Airport in Malaga early on Tuesday morning. The pool awaits !! In the evening I had the night off and we had supper in Bar Rojas.
On Saturday we had a day at home catching up with things around the house and at lunchtime I made a Chicken Curry for dinner; we then retired to the roof terrace to catch up with some reading before we had our first drink of the day as the sun moved around ! Later we watched the live rock concert from Madrid,Rihanna was one of the acts and her show was spectacular.
Mano and Anna called in at lunchtime and we went up to the top of our street to watch the Corpus Christi festival as you can see in the report below; in the evening they came around for dinner, Roast Loin of Pork with all the trimmings and we ended up in Bar Rojas for Carajillo’s As Mano left for work Brian and Lilli called in with Brian’s brother and his two boys, who where over for the half term week, they live in Runcorn very close to Brenda’s sister Norah,it’s a small world ! So we ended up having a bit of a night to finish off another great day in sunny Manilva.
Thought for the Day ;
The best things in life are appreciated - most after they have been lost !
.
As usual on Friday morning we went down to Sabinillas for the weekend shopping; it was the hottest day so far 33degs. as we set off to see Caroline and Clive over in Guadalmina to make some arrangements for next week. All the work on the villa is finished and so Clive showed me around the new fuse board, the gardener is in for two days and the cleaner has to be picked up on one day. Clive’s mom Joan ( Another ! ) has a companion that comes in two days a week so we will soon get into the routine, they are back on Saturday evening after we have dropped them at the new Airport in Malaga early on Tuesday morning. The pool awaits !! In the evening I had the night off and we had supper in Bar Rojas.
On Saturday we had a day at home catching up with things around the house and at lunchtime I made a Chicken Curry for dinner; we then retired to the roof terrace to catch up with some reading before we had our first drink of the day as the sun moved around ! Later we watched the live rock concert from Madrid,Rihanna was one of the acts and her show was spectacular.
Mano and Anna called in at lunchtime and we went up to the top of our street to watch the Corpus Christi festival as you can see in the report below; in the evening they came around for dinner, Roast Loin of Pork with all the trimmings and we ended up in Bar Rojas for Carajillo’s As Mano left for work Brian and Lilli called in with Brian’s brother and his two boys, who where over for the half term week, they live in Runcorn very close to Brenda’s sister Norah,it’s a small world ! So we ended up having a bit of a night to finish off another great day in sunny Manilva.
Thought for the Day ;
The best things in life are appreciated - most after they have been lost !
.
Sunday, June 06, 2010
MANILVA ON SUNDAY - CORPUS CHRISTI.
SUNDAY 6TH.JUNE 2010.
Today in the village was the festival of “ Corpus Christi ” It dates back to 1263 when the then Pope made it a day of thanksgiving for the institution of the Holy Communion; Corpus Christi is Latin for the Body of Christ, the pictures below show the young children in their costumes as they make their way down to the church after a small service in Calle Mar ,at the top of our street, to take their first communion. The village choir sang as they gathered around the small Altar that was set up across the street.
Today in the village was the festival of “ Corpus Christi ” It dates back to 1263 when the then Pope made it a day of thanksgiving for the institution of the Holy Communion; Corpus Christi is Latin for the Body of Christ, the pictures below show the young children in their costumes as they make their way down to the church after a small service in Calle Mar ,at the top of our street, to take their first communion. The village choir sang as they gathered around the small Altar that was set up across the street.
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