SUNNY AND A VERY HOT MANILVA/ESTEPONA/MARBELLA ON HELLUVA DAY !

THURSDAY 12^th/ SEPTEMBER 2103.

We were up before the break of dawn and shot over to Estepona to our bank; as we went down the coast road the sun was just coming up! The day started badly as the cash machine took my card and went dead! It was not showing out of action, so they opened up the works inside and gave me back Brenda’s card and we ordered a new card for me

It was then time to go across to the far side of Marbella to the ‘Costa Del Sol Hospital’ for my appointment with the’Iternal Medical’ consultant – she was a very nice lady and spoke good English so we were able to tell her my history and she asked lots of questions and checked my records; she said that the most important thing was my weight loss and general very good health as well as my positive attitude, diet control and alcohol intake! She recommended that I continue in the same way as she thought that any further treatment/injections was not necessary and the course of tablets that I’ am on from our doctors are fine and working! RESULT!!

We left very happy and headed back to Estepona for my haircut and Brenda’s shopping; we called into the English butchers on the way and picked up some of his homemade Pork Sausages. I then pulled into the ‘Repsol’ garage for some petrol as we have a ‘Repsol’ points and discount card, unusually there was a lady attendant at the pumps and she would not let you do it yourself, I asked for ‘Petrol 95’ and pointed at the nozzle as she sent me inside to pay. As we were leaving the forecourt the car chugged a bit and Brenda said ‘Bad petrol?’ We then headed off down the road to do our shopping and my haircut in Estepona, as we reached the turn off it happened again and we shuddered to a halt beneath the N340,thankfully in the shade as it is very hot today!!

‘B----R !! I called our breakdown service that our bank arranged and had a very good English response and an unbelievable quick, in fact only a 10 minute wait for the breakdown wagon to appear!! Brenda had gone off around the corner to the next garage for a bottle of water and appeared back as they were loading the car ! They brought us back up to the village to our local garage man, Pedro who looks after us. We are waiting  to hear what the problem is but we think and they think also that DIESEL was put in instead of PETROL!! Looking at the receipt you can’t tell – we asked then to fix at the same time a couple of small problems as at the beginning of November the car is due for its  ‘ ITV – MOT’!  Not a good day!! Thank god its not tomorrow - FRIDAY 13TH !!

So this afternoon I will be watching the ‘Vuelta 2013’ stage 18 from Burgos to ‘Pena Cabarga’ over 187kms, just 3 more stages to go to the finish in Madrid on Sunday.The 'Sky Team' rider from Belarus Vasil Kirylenka won today's stage up the final 1/9 climb over 6kms above Santander to the top of the 'Pena Carbarga' as you can see above,the USA rider Chris Horner is now only 3 seconds behind Nibali in the overall standings!

We will then have a well deserved stiff, long,cool drink up on the roof terrace!

Tonight we are having the last of the ‘Chicken Schnitzels’ left from last night with some ‘Albondegas’ -  ‘Meatballs’ in my rich Tomato salsa with diced peppers added and Spaghetti for supper.

Thought for the Day; See above.

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