MANILVA.

Tuesday 24th. June.

After the night before we had a lie in and a lazy day at home.The “ Noche de San Juan” festival takes place at the same time each year and is a continuation of a pagan tradition under a Christian name.We really enjoyed the atmosphere and the burning of the “ Juas” and the fireworks which were the best on the coast.We caught up with the jobs around the house and in the late afternoon we went on the roof terrace which is now getting hotter every day,the forecast by the weekend is 37 degs! For supper we had Lamb Chops Boulangere for the last time for a while as it gets too hot with the oven on in the kitchen.

Wednesday 25th.June.

We were up early and shot down to the National Police station in Estepona to start the process off to stay in Spain.Outside the police station all the local and national TV crews where filming at the entrance as over the last week Estepona has been the main news item as The Mayor together with five councilors,businessmen and lawyer’s have been thrown in jail for corruption.Spanish and local TV have been covering it every day and Estepona has been in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons!We had called in last week and so we had filled in the documents for Numero de Identidad de Extranjero ( NIE ) and after a long wait and a quick run to the bank to pay for the documents we came out with our first papers.Mano is checking everything and advises us as we are going along.We then called into the ITV ( MOT ) station and checked out that we had all the right papers to start changing the Smart car to the Spanish system and eventually the number plates as we have to do this within one month after finishing the paper work.We booked an appointment for Friday morning and on the way back picked up some Gambas for supper which we had with salad and then watched the football as Germany won the first semi final.

Thursday 26th.June.

The next document we had to obtain was issued from the Town Hall who are our neighbours! So we went in first thing in the morning and with the help of Carlos on the mobile we found the right office and registered with the local council and obtained the “ Empadronamiento” to go with the NIE. After a early dinner we walked up to the Aparthotel and caught up with all the Guerrero family in the bar to watch the other semi final with all the locals,Carlos and I led the chanting and banging on the tables as Spain beat Italy and the village once again went mad!The fountain was in use once again so watch out for the pictures when Spain win in the final!!

Friday 27th,June.

First thing in the morning we went to the ITV station in the industrial estate above Estepona to get the Smart car checked only to run up against Spanish bureaucracy for the first time and probably not for the last time as they would not register the car without another Spanish document which they had not told us about when we called in the day before! So on Tuesday morning next week Mano has arranged for his best friends son in law,Nico the local motorcycle champion to come with me in the Smart car to Malaga to obtain all the paper work and hopefully finish off all the documents for the car, fingers crossed! We then called in to the local surgery and again checked out the procedures to register into the healthcare system. So on Monday we are going back to the police station to get the forms of “ Certificado de Residencia” to fill in and then when we are registered as Resident in Spain we have to go to the Local INSS office in Estepona with all the documents and also a E121 form from the Pension Service in England which we have already got but on ringing them in Newcastle we found out that I need a different form which they have put in the post!We are then given a paper card “ Tarjeta de Afiliacion” and then take it back to the doctors surgery to finish off the job of becoming resident in Spain! Mano is also arranging Spanish insurance for the Smart car in the next week as the English one runs out.

Saturday 28th,June.

This weekend is forecast to be the hottest yet and could go above the 40 degs mark for the first time so we are taking it easy as next week we are going to be out and about and also Carlos and Ana Mari are having a BBQ at their new house and we have asked all the family around before Sally and the kids go back to Tenerife for a Roast dinner! Tomorrow we are going up to the Aparthotel to watch the final and see Spain win the cup! so watch out for the pictures and the blog report of what we will get up too!