THOUGHTS FOR THE DAY FROM SUNNY MANILVA;

A OVERCAST,GREY AND WINDY SUNNY MANILVA ON SATURDAY;

SATURDAY 31^st/ JANUARY 2015.

We had a well deserved lie in this morning after a few early starts during the week, no noise from the village to wake us up as it’s a rather overcast, windy and damp grey day here in sunny Manilva, its staying the same over the weekend then its picking up on Monday and hopefully getting better for the rest of the week.

For breakfast I was treated to ‘Campo’ Poached Eggs on Toast with a mug of steaming tea to set me up for the day ahead! It’s definitely an at home day, we have no dogs today and even ‘Chispa’ might not venture out in this weather. ‘Reina’ is with us tomorrow for a sleep over and then the full day on Monday as Lee & Daniela are going to Jerez to watch the Grand Prix testing of this years 2015 new racing cars.

I’ was wrong as I’ve just heard the front door rattling; its ‘Chispa’ letting us know that she’s out and wants to come in to play!

At the moment I’m now upstairs in the office watching ‘Saturday Kitchen Live’ on the small PC, but with some interruptions due to the weather, and typing the Blog on the larger PC.Then later I’m preparing tonight’s supper ‘ Steak Diane’ to the classic recipe with sliced Mushrooms & Onions, Garlic, Mustard, a dash of Lee & Perrins and Tabasco,RedWine, Brandy & Cream – we are having it with finely sliced Green Beans and as a treat a few twice-cooked ‘Frits’! See below;

Tomorrow we are going to have an easy day relaxing and will pick up a Roast Chicken from the ‘Rotisserie’ in Calle Mar which we will have with a Mixed Salad and some ‘Rissole’ potatoes, small Baby New Potatoes in their skins tossed in foaming butter!

Football this weekend over in a very cold and snowy England features in the ‘Premiere League’ Crystal Palace v Everton, Liverpool v West Ham and then in the late kick-off its what could be the title decider as Chelsea welcome Manchester City without Costa and Fabregas! Over here in ‘La Liga’ its also rather cold as Real Madrid welcome Real Sociedad and Barcelona welcome Villarreal on Sunday.

Everton won 0-1 Liverpool won 2-0 Chelsea and City drew 1-1 and Real Madrid won 4-1 without Ronaldo!

This evening after supper we will watch the sports high lights on ‘Cuatro’ from around Europe before finding a film to watch. last night it was “Braveheart” for the umpteenth time!!

Thoughts for the Day; See above.

..

                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

THOUGHTS FOR THE DAY FROM SUNNY MANILVA;

A OVERCAST SUNNY MANILVA ON FRIDAY AT THE START OF THE WEEKEND.

FRIDAY 30^th/ JANUARY 2015.

" SNOWY SKELTON - UP NORTH " !

We were up rather sharpish this morning to welcome ‘Reina’ for the day, we then grabbed a quick breakfast and shot out to pick up Josie to take her across to the bus station over in Marbella to catch her flight home from Malaga to Newcastle,See the picture below. I’ts then a bus or train ride home to snowy Skelton, as you can see in the picture above sent by Den, her ‘Consort’ last night! On the way back we picked up the newspapers from the English bookshop in Sabinillas.

Today it’s a little overcast and cloudy but not as cold, as forecast, over the weekend it’s getting a little windy but at the start of next week we are back to normal and the temperatures are rising.

So we are having an at home day catching up with all the chores around the house, Brenda has a lot of ironing to get done, so I’m told! Meanwhile I’m up in the office on the WWW checking out the E-Mails, Facebook.the online newspapers and TV reports and then typing and publishing the Blog!

At the moment ‘Chispa’ is also here and playing around the house ‘Reina’ is observing from her duvet with regal disdain! After we came home I shot along to the chemist and picked up my prescriptions which cost nothing as we have our pensioner discounts!

This evening for a change for our Friday ‘Fish Supper’ we are having a ‘Seafood Stir-Fried Rice’ - ' Arroz Marinera' made with Gambas, Prawns, Mussels & Calamari along with some finely diced mixed vegetables. We will the settle down to watch the news and then find a film to follow.

Thoughts for the Day; See above.

..

                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

" SABINILLAS PROMENDADE" THIS LUNCHTIME " SABORES RESTAURANT"

THOUGHTS FOR THE DAY FROM SUNNY MANILVA;

A BRIGHT AND SUNNY MANILVA ON THURSDAY ON A 'GOOD NEWS DAY' !

THURSDAY 29^th/ JANUARY 2014.

We were up bright and early this morning and after a quick breakfast we shot off down the coast to the ‘Costa Del Sol’ Hospital past Marbella to see the ‘Heart Consultant’ for Brenda’s check up’ We arrived early and Brenda was taken in straight away for an ‘electro-cardiogram’ and then she was seen by the consultant early, he had a smiling face and told her that her readings were very good, her ‘Arrthythmia’ has gone and she is in very good general health – “ RESULT ” !!

She has to go back in March for an ‘Ultra Sound’ to check her heart, he says she has a ‘big’ one, I could have told him that! She has also got to keep taking the tablets to help her and keep things under control – “RESULT”!!

It’s another beautiful day down here on the ‘Costa Del Sol’ as we drove along the coast roast by the side of the Mediterranean in the bright sunshine, by lunchtime it will be reaching 21/22degs, there is a little breeze and over the weekend its going colder as the tail end of the cold front hitting the UK comes down across the rest of Spain – we can’t complain.

On the way back we called into Sabinillas and topped up the petrol, dropped a birthday card off at the English Bookshop for posting (watch out it could be you!?) - Then I called into the ‘Chinese Bazaar’ for a new pin board for the post cards and we did our weekly shopping in Mercadona. Back up at the house as we were unloading ‘Chispa’ came running up the street to greet us!

We are nor getting ourselves ready to go out with Josie down to Sabinillas as we are going out for lunch at the ‘Sabores Restaurant & Tapas Bar’ – now with something extra to celebrate! We have just had a very nice lunch, thanks Josie, at the restaurant from the 'Menu Del Dia' Brenda had the Cheese Fondue to start and Josie and I had the Deep Fried Prawns in 'Panko' Breadcrumbs with a Chilli dressing

For her main course Brenda had the 'Posh Fish & Chips' using John Dory in Tempura Batter while Josie and I  requested as a special the Pork Belly on Mustard Mash with a portion of hand-cut thick chips on the side! We were looked after very well by the waitress as the' lady' of the house Monique was not well. The Chef comes from  Holyhead on Anglesey in North Wales! Watch out for the pictures above later.

PS' In the post when we got back was a post card from Joyce in Chester showing the history of the ;Saint Werburgh' Catheadral dating back from 1092! No a lot of people know that!!

PPS; Watch this space for the new pin board for the post cards.Keep them coming!!

Thoughts for the Day; See above.

..

                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

THOUGHTS FOR THE DAY FROM SUNNY MANILVA;

A CRISP & BREEZY SUNNY MANILVA ON WEDNESDAY;

WEDNESDAY 28^th/ JANUARY 2015.

I was up early again this morning as we had a surprise visitor at ‘Doggy World Heaven’ – ‘Reina’ was back with us for the day, its not a problem as ‘Scruffy’ is here later for the day also; she is back with us on Friday and then here for a sleep over on Sunday.

The sun was our early this morning and it’s going to reach 18degs by lunchtime but there is a little breeze which is turning into a windy weekend ahead but fingers crossed there is none of the wet stuff and the temperatures are keeping up.

At lunchtime we took 'Reina' & 'Chispa' out for a short walk 'Chispa' had come crashing in full of joy and had a mad half hour chasing around the house,sliding on the Marble floors 'Reina' was not interested. Later we will take 'Reina' & 'Scruffy' out for a walk,he's just arrived! 

After our regular breakfast we are showering etc, as we have an early start on Thursday morning to get across to the ‘Costa Del Sol’ Hospital past Marbella for Brenda’s important appointment with the Heart consultant; on the way back we are going to do our messages and shopping in Sabinillas as on Friday morning I’m taking Josie to the bus station in Marbella to catch her plane home from Malaga.

Yesterday the ‘Queen’ made one of her many ‘State’ visits to Malaga on an ‘Art & Cultural’ tour/update of the sights of the city. She even had time to spot a sign that had misused an ‘Apostrophe’ – one of her pet hates in the English language, not normally here in Spain, as they don’t have them! I take great care when using them!!    Then tomorrow, after our ‘travels’ we are taking her out for her farewell lunch to the ‘Sabores Restaurant & Tapas Bar’ on the promenade in Sabinillas opposite the Mediterranean, I have booked a table with a view.

This evening for our supper we are having ‘Albondigas – Meatballs’ in my rich Tomato salsa which I add some diced cooked Baby Mushrooms too and serve it on a bed of fine Spaghetti. We will then relax and catch up with the news before channel hopping to find something to watch.

Thoughts for the Day; See above.

..

                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

THOUGHTS FOR THE DAY FROM SUNNY MANILVA;

A FINE DAY IN SUNNY MANILVA ON TUESDAY;

TUESDAY 27^th/ JANUARY 2015.

I was up first this morning as ‘Reina’ was being drooped off for the day, she shot upstairs and got into her duvet with her coat still on, she is still there now so we will leave her for a little while longer until ‘Chispa’ comes calling later. ‘Scruffy’ is due at lunchtime for a short stay until this evening and is then back tomorrow.

After breakfast I shot around to the butchers and bought some ‘English’ style thick-cut Pork Chops for tonight’s supper, baked in the oven, which we are having with the rest of the Boulangere potatoes along with Glazed Baby Carrots and Cabbage with Alselgas; I also got some ‘Albondigas – Meatballs’ for tomorrow nights supper which we will have with Spaghetti using my famous Tomato salsa, at the same time I bought some Chicken Wings for another day.

This morning its yet another fine day here in sunny Manilva,the sky is bright blue and the sun was out early, by lunchtime it will be 19degs,back to normal by our standards! The forecast for the rest of the week and over the weekend is also now looking more settled. We will go for a walk later this morning after ‘Chispa’ comes up to see us and ‘Reina’

 We have just come back from our walk with the dogs, we sat on our 'Derby & Joan' bench at the 'Mirador' in the hot sunshine,no coats or scarfs needed, we then had a nice coffee sat outside 'Maria's Bar' See the picture below of little princess ‘Reina’ – ‘Scruff’s’ later!

He has just arrived!

Yet again this morning the ‘Euro’ has reached a new high, will it last I ask myself? ‘Fingers crossed’ as we have another pension transfer due into our Spanish bank account over the weekend and then another one next Monday! So it’s going to be Brenda’s haircut next week and then my turn the following week!!

I forgot to say that over the weekend we spoke to Tim & Thea on the Skype video as they had received the brochure for the ‘La Bella Vista’ 5* campsite just outside Sabinillas, on the coast road by the side of the beach, they are making plan to start their’ Travels’ in their motor home by March/April and are definitely coming down for my 70^th birthday celebration in September this year!!

This evening after supper we will settle down to catch up with news etc, and then find something to watch.

Thoughts for the Day; See above.

..