Saturday/Tuesday 27th/30th December.
Saturday 27th.
During the day we got our selves sorted for the invasion of the Guerrero clan for dinner! We had some tapas to start with along with Pink Cava and then Roast Rib of Beef on the bone along with Cabbage,Mashed Carrots and Turnips,glazed Green Beans and garden Peas together with a stack of Roast Potatoes in Duck Fat,all washed down with Sangre de Toro,Torres.We just about got ten of us around two tables,we put a heater in the chill out room uptairs for the smokers,that’s everybody and the front door was open to create more space and as they passed in the street our neighbors called in! Sally and her kids are leaving for Tenerife first thing in the morning so I got her to write a message in our guest book before she left.
Sunday 28th.
After a late start and thank god for the dishwasher! we managed to sort the house and get it back to normal,In the afternoon I watched for the first time on the PC,Carlos rang to say that it was live on RTVE,ES, the main Spanish TV station Web Page,the Liverpool match which was just amazing,5-1 !! and now I have another way of watching the football when it is not on the TV! On checking the e-mails and messages on Facebook I caught up with some replies and will do some more over the next couple of days,thanks to in no particular order; Joyce,Debbie,Celia,Glenys,Penny and Jenny! amongst many others. In the evening,we had another Turkey experience,we have now had Turkey sandwiches, Cold Turkey,Turkey and Pinapple Curry! The same is going to happen with the Beef,as I am typing this the Beef sandwich is ready and I’m making a pan of stew later!
Monday 29th.
It was a little better today so we went for a walk at lunchtime and ended up at Mano and Anna’s to catch up with the news,Sally had arrived back in Tenerife safely, and we are making arrangements for next year already; Mano then made a lovely warm Spanish Turkey Baguette for a snack,you can’t get enough,Honest! In the evening we settled down and watched the TV including a documentary,filmed from a helicopter,which shows you all around Spain,it”s on TV2 and we watch it often,One day we are going to tour the country in the Smart car as it is very spectacular;each area is different and the architecture is out of this world.
Tuesday 30th.
Today we popped down to Sabinillas for some shopping and a newspaper,it is actually nice to read the paper in the hand rather than on the web for a change.Brenda is hanging the washing out,it”s not very good drying weather at the moment and next she is doing the ironing so I’m keeping out of the way in the office as it is her least favourite thing and she gets just a little unhappy with life as she does it!! Mano has just let us know that we are going to let in the New Year at Carlos’s new house so we are going to make the arrangements later about food and more importantly the drink!
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Friday, December 26, 2008
MANILVA.
Friday 26th December 2008.
After a little lie in we got ourselves ready and walked down to Mano’s in the warm lunchtime sun to collect the Smart Car and catch up with all the gang.We ended up on the front down in Sabinillas at the Bar Med to watch the Manchester City match but when we got there the system had broken down so we had to watch the Sky Sports report,City won and Liverpool! In one of the pictures below you can see the sign outside Carlos’s house,Main Road rules!The picture just below shows the beach and view from Bar Med this afternoon! Tonight we are having a quiet night in,we are having cold Turkey and Chips for supper! Tomorrow the Guerrero family are coming to us for a Roast Beef dinner as Sally Ann and the kids are flying back to Tenerife on Sunday morning.
After a little lie in we got ourselves ready and walked down to Mano’s in the warm lunchtime sun to collect the Smart Car and catch up with all the gang.We ended up on the front down in Sabinillas at the Bar Med to watch the Manchester City match but when we got there the system had broken down so we had to watch the Sky Sports report,City won and Liverpool! In one of the pictures below you can see the sign outside Carlos’s house,Main Road rules!The picture just below shows the beach and view from Bar Med this afternoon! Tonight we are having a quiet night in,we are having cold Turkey and Chips for supper! Tomorrow the Guerrero family are coming to us for a Roast Beef dinner as Sally Ann and the kids are flying back to Tenerife on Sunday morning.
MANILVA.
Tuesday/Thursday 23rd/25th December.
Tuesday 23rd.
We had to stay in on Tuesday as we were expecting the Carrier to deliver our goods from England;earlier in the month when we phoned Ben,Carols son,to see how he was after a nasty operation on his back after Carols funeral we found out that they had already sold the house and needed us to move the eight box’s of glass and china that Carol had let us store in her loft.So at very short notice we arranged for a carrier to pick up the goods and bring then to our house in Manilva,which he did very effentially,Brenda had packed everything in Bubble Rap and we had only one small breakage! At the same time they also brought our two collapsible bikes which I don’t now if we will use them due to the steep roads around here,honest!We then went through all the cases and sorted them out and then packed then away on the two top floor’s. We found out later in the week that the Brass Band and Carol concert had been on in the church and we had missed it! We had not spotted it in the Local Paper.so we watched it on the local TV station later on one night and we were very sorry that we had missed it.
Wednesday 24th.
On Wednesday morning we called into Mano and Anna’s for a Pancake Breakfast,one of Salle Ann’s many specialties and as we were talking she told us that she did not like the stuffing in the two Spanish Turkeys that Mano had dropped off at our house yesterday; So when I got back I started to take out the filling of the one I was going to Roast(Due to oven space) after unstitching the bird and found out that I had a disaster on my hands! The bird collapsed and was flat as a pancake as the filling was the whole of the meat,taken from inside and then mixed with all sorts of fat and Garlic Cloves which formed the Turkey,Spanish style! We then panicked and rung the English butcher in Duquesa,we had just picked up the Beef for our Roast over the weekend,they had one Turkey left and where just about to close so I shot down to pick it up.The picture below shows the English Turkey and in the Xmas Day photographs you can see the second Spanish Turkey that I did not un-pick! In the afternoon we caught up withVidal and Gissy to wish them a happy Christmas and to arrange to see them over the holiday.Carlos and Ana Mari had asked us around to their new house for a Buffet supper with all the family in the evening,Ana also made some excellent Frits.On the way back home in the early hours of Christmas day we took the picture of the “ Feliznavidad” sign across the main street as we walked home.
Thursday 25th December 2008
We were up bright and early as Father Christmas had to be ready to go down to the Guerreo house to hand out the presents and bring some Xmas cheer to one and all! As you can see in the pictures he entered into things with great gusto and put a smile on the faces of all the children and the ladies! We then settled down to get ready for the Christmas dinner later in the afternoon,the drink soon started to flow as the folks got changed and the kids played with the toys,the remote control Trucks where soon in the hands of the older children,Mano, Carlos and the Head Chef! We started with the Pink Champagne and Smoked Salmon and Prawns as the time for the Banquet to start got nearer; We had Roasted the two Turkeys and they carved beautifully, the Spanish one was particularly good and very different,we made fresh Chestnut stuffing,Bread sauce,Chipolatas wrapped in Bacon,Cauliflower in Cheese Sauce,Broccoli in Lemon Butter,Carrots glazed in Ginger,Roast Parsnips in Maple Syrup,Sprouts tossed with diced Smoked Bacon and the Famous Roast Potatoes in Duck Fat,I also made two different Gravies to go with the two Birds!! The wine flowed as it always does in the Guerrero house and the Bacardi and Coke came along at a regular pace,Later in the evening it was the time for the family entertainment to start,Carlos and Mano sang and danced to the Bob the Builder Cardboard Box hit,Sally Ann sang a song from a show,Dlyan Brake danced,Jordan sang and danced to a show tune,Fabio joined in with everything until the Morris Dancers hit the floor,Anna and I brought the house down and the audience was spell bound,as you can see in the picture below! As we walked home we stopped at Bar Rojas as the owner asked us in and I finished with a White Firewater and Coke to round off one “ Helluva Christmas Day” in Manilva.
Tuesday 23rd.
We had to stay in on Tuesday as we were expecting the Carrier to deliver our goods from England;earlier in the month when we phoned Ben,Carols son,to see how he was after a nasty operation on his back after Carols funeral we found out that they had already sold the house and needed us to move the eight box’s of glass and china that Carol had let us store in her loft.So at very short notice we arranged for a carrier to pick up the goods and bring then to our house in Manilva,which he did very effentially,Brenda had packed everything in Bubble Rap and we had only one small breakage! At the same time they also brought our two collapsible bikes which I don’t now if we will use them due to the steep roads around here,honest!We then went through all the cases and sorted them out and then packed then away on the two top floor’s. We found out later in the week that the Brass Band and Carol concert had been on in the church and we had missed it! We had not spotted it in the Local Paper.so we watched it on the local TV station later on one night and we were very sorry that we had missed it.
Wednesday 24th.
On Wednesday morning we called into Mano and Anna’s for a Pancake Breakfast,one of Salle Ann’s many specialties and as we were talking she told us that she did not like the stuffing in the two Spanish Turkeys that Mano had dropped off at our house yesterday; So when I got back I started to take out the filling of the one I was going to Roast(Due to oven space) after unstitching the bird and found out that I had a disaster on my hands! The bird collapsed and was flat as a pancake as the filling was the whole of the meat,taken from inside and then mixed with all sorts of fat and Garlic Cloves which formed the Turkey,Spanish style! We then panicked and rung the English butcher in Duquesa,we had just picked up the Beef for our Roast over the weekend,they had one Turkey left and where just about to close so I shot down to pick it up.The picture below shows the English Turkey and in the Xmas Day photographs you can see the second Spanish Turkey that I did not un-pick! In the afternoon we caught up withVidal and Gissy to wish them a happy Christmas and to arrange to see them over the holiday.Carlos and Ana Mari had asked us around to their new house for a Buffet supper with all the family in the evening,Ana also made some excellent Frits.On the way back home in the early hours of Christmas day we took the picture of the “ Feliznavidad” sign across the main street as we walked home.
Thursday 25th December 2008
We were up bright and early as Father Christmas had to be ready to go down to the Guerreo house to hand out the presents and bring some Xmas cheer to one and all! As you can see in the pictures he entered into things with great gusto and put a smile on the faces of all the children and the ladies! We then settled down to get ready for the Christmas dinner later in the afternoon,the drink soon started to flow as the folks got changed and the kids played with the toys,the remote control Trucks where soon in the hands of the older children,Mano, Carlos and the Head Chef! We started with the Pink Champagne and Smoked Salmon and Prawns as the time for the Banquet to start got nearer; We had Roasted the two Turkeys and they carved beautifully, the Spanish one was particularly good and very different,we made fresh Chestnut stuffing,Bread sauce,Chipolatas wrapped in Bacon,Cauliflower in Cheese Sauce,Broccoli in Lemon Butter,Carrots glazed in Ginger,Roast Parsnips in Maple Syrup,Sprouts tossed with diced Smoked Bacon and the Famous Roast Potatoes in Duck Fat,I also made two different Gravies to go with the two Birds!! The wine flowed as it always does in the Guerrero house and the Bacardi and Coke came along at a regular pace,Later in the evening it was the time for the family entertainment to start,Carlos and Mano sang and danced to the Bob the Builder Cardboard Box hit,Sally Ann sang a song from a show,Dlyan Brake danced,Jordan sang and danced to a show tune,Fabio joined in with everything until the Morris Dancers hit the floor,Anna and I brought the house down and the audience was spell bound,as you can see in the picture below! As we walked home we stopped at Bar Rojas as the owner asked us in and I finished with a White Firewater and Coke to round off one “ Helluva Christmas Day” in Manilva.
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
MANILVA.
Wednesday 24th.December.
This is the first Turkey out of the oven from the central kitchens in Calle San Vicente! Tomorrow we are roasting a Spanish Bird at the Guerrero Family house!
This is the first Turkey out of the oven from the central kitchens in Calle San Vicente! Tomorrow we are roasting a Spanish Bird at the Guerrero Family house!
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
MANILVA.
Saturday 20th/Monday 22nd. December.
Saturday was a hot and sunny day as we had a day at home,Brenda was out on the roof terrace in the afternoon as I caught up with the blog page in the office.Later I made a Chicken Curry as the local butcher had some large Breast’s! when we called in for the weekend goods. In the evening as we watched the TV and caught up with all the football highlights,at the same time we followed the final of Strictly Come Dancing on the PC,like with the football we follow the News blog which is updated every two minutes,live, and with pictures-Lisa was robbed!On Sunday we went for a walk at lunchtime and bumped into Andy and Anna,so we called into Bar Rojas for a drink.As we came along the main street the police were blocking off the roads and that’s when we found out about the Xmas Band Parade in the pictures below.As usual we had our Brunch late as we ended up having some Tapas in the bar.First thing on Monday morning we called into Mano and Anna’s to catch up with Sally Ann and the kids who arrived from Tenerife on Saturday and started to make the arrangements for Xmas Lunch.After shopping and calling into the Bank in Estepona when we returned home we found that a lot of Xmas cards had arrived,thanks! One of the cards was from a friend that we met,a long time ago now,in Le Touquet at the start of our travels so thanks to Gordan who is still following us on the blog page and has acquired a Smart car and trailer behind his Motorhome! We then watched the Lottery draw on TV, ‘ El Gordo” is the largest in Europe and is held every year at the same time,one ticket costs 20 euros but the prize money is unbelievable.Mano is the local agent so we have always bought our ticket from him,they are sold in blocks in different areas so the same number is won by whole families,bars,shops etc.It means that the whole village can become millionaire’s over night! And no we did not win,again!!
Saturday was a hot and sunny day as we had a day at home,Brenda was out on the roof terrace in the afternoon as I caught up with the blog page in the office.Later I made a Chicken Curry as the local butcher had some large Breast’s! when we called in for the weekend goods. In the evening as we watched the TV and caught up with all the football highlights,at the same time we followed the final of Strictly Come Dancing on the PC,like with the football we follow the News blog which is updated every two minutes,live, and with pictures-Lisa was robbed!On Sunday we went for a walk at lunchtime and bumped into Andy and Anna,so we called into Bar Rojas for a drink.As we came along the main street the police were blocking off the roads and that’s when we found out about the Xmas Band Parade in the pictures below.As usual we had our Brunch late as we ended up having some Tapas in the bar.First thing on Monday morning we called into Mano and Anna’s to catch up with Sally Ann and the kids who arrived from Tenerife on Saturday and started to make the arrangements for Xmas Lunch.After shopping and calling into the Bank in Estepona when we returned home we found that a lot of Xmas cards had arrived,thanks! One of the cards was from a friend that we met,a long time ago now,in Le Touquet at the start of our travels so thanks to Gordan who is still following us on the blog page and has acquired a Smart car and trailer behind his Motorhome! We then watched the Lottery draw on TV, ‘ El Gordo” is the largest in Europe and is held every year at the same time,one ticket costs 20 euros but the prize money is unbelievable.Mano is the local agent so we have always bought our ticket from him,they are sold in blocks in different areas so the same number is won by whole families,bars,shops etc.It means that the whole village can become millionaire’s over night! And no we did not win,again!!
Sunday, December 21, 2008
MANILVA CALLE MAR.
TSunday 21st.December.
As we sat in Bar Rojas for our Sunday lunchtime drink and Tapas the village suddenly came alive as a street band came marching along Calle Mar a bit like a Salvation Army Band in the UK,with Tambourines,Triangles,Bells and Water Drums accompanied with the singers chanting Xmas songs,all in the warm sunshine.The pictures above were taken later in the afternoon as the band came down our street and around the block on their way back to the School of Music
As we sat in Bar Rojas for our Sunday lunchtime drink and Tapas the village suddenly came alive as a street band came marching along Calle Mar a bit like a Salvation Army Band in the UK,with Tambourines,Triangles,Bells and Water Drums accompanied with the singers chanting Xmas songs,all in the warm sunshine.The pictures above were taken later in the afternoon as the band came down our street and around the block on their way back to the School of Music
Saturday, December 20, 2008
MANILVA,CALLE SAN VICENTE 1
Friday 19th December.
In the morning we stayed local and called into the butchers for the weekend meat and at the local market at the bottom of the village next to the sports hall we picked up some more Poinsettias,you can never have enough!The sun is out and it is not as cold at night now and the forecast is looking good for the Christmas week.In the evening we had Pork Cutlets for dinner with Chips,for a change along with local Cabbage,over the last few weeks we have got into Cabbage as the next day I make Bubble and Squeak with Brenda’s left over Mashed potatoes!Later on the TV we watched a live concert from the Bullring in Madrid,AC/DC were unbelievable;they played all their classic songs,Brian Johnson’s voice is still out of this world and Angus Young is a mad man! The sound was fantastic and the stage and pyrotechnics had to be seen to be believed,the atmosphere was electric as the Bullring in Madrid which is the largest in Spain added to the whole experience! The picture below shows the Xmas stockings for the children,the two on the right are for the lads and the large one on the left is for Jordan,Brenda’s stockings are not on show!
In the morning we stayed local and called into the butchers for the weekend meat and at the local market at the bottom of the village next to the sports hall we picked up some more Poinsettias,you can never have enough!The sun is out and it is not as cold at night now and the forecast is looking good for the Christmas week.In the evening we had Pork Cutlets for dinner with Chips,for a change along with local Cabbage,over the last few weeks we have got into Cabbage as the next day I make Bubble and Squeak with Brenda’s left over Mashed potatoes!Later on the TV we watched a live concert from the Bullring in Madrid,AC/DC were unbelievable;they played all their classic songs,Brian Johnson’s voice is still out of this world and Angus Young is a mad man! The sound was fantastic and the stage and pyrotechnics had to be seen to be believed,the atmosphere was electric as the Bullring in Madrid which is the largest in Spain added to the whole experience! The picture below shows the Xmas stockings for the children,the two on the right are for the lads and the large one on the left is for Jordan,Brenda’s stockings are not on show!
MANILVA,CALLE SAN VICENTE 1
Friday 19th December.
In the morning we stayed local and called into the butchers for the weekend meat and at the local market at the bottom of the village next to the sports hall we picked up some more Poinsettias,you can never have enough!The sun is out and it is not as cold at night now and the forecast is looking good for the Christmas week.In the evening we had Pork Cutlets for dinner with Chips,for a change along with local Cabbage,over the last few weeks we have got into Cabbage as the next day I make Bubble and Squeak with Brenda’s left over Mashed potatoes!Later on the TV we watched a live concert from the Bullring in Madrid,AC/DC were unbelievable;they played all their classic songs,Brian Johnson’s voice is still out of this world and Angus Young is a mad man! The sound was fantastic and the stage and pyrotechnics had to be seen to be believed,the atmosphere was electric as the Bullring in Madrid which is the largest in Spain added to the whole experience! The picture below shows the Xmas stockings for the children,the two on the left are for the lads and the large one on the right is for Jordan,Brenda’s stockings are not on show!
In the morning we stayed local and called into the butchers for the weekend meat and at the local market at the bottom of the village next to the sports hall we picked up some more Poinsettias,you can never have enough!The sun is out and it is not as cold at night now and the forecast is looking good for the Christmas week.In the evening we had Pork Cutlets for dinner with Chips,for a change along with local Cabbage,over the last few weeks we have got into Cabbage as the next day I make Bubble and Squeak with Brenda’s left over Mashed potatoes!Later on the TV we watched a live concert from the Bullring in Madrid,AC/DC were unbelievable;they played all their classic songs,Brian Johnson’s voice is still out of this world and Angus Young is a mad man! The sound was fantastic and the stage and pyrotechnics had to be seen to be believed,the atmosphere was electric as the Bullring in Madrid which is the largest in Spain added to the whole experience! The picture below shows the Xmas stockings for the children,the two on the left are for the lads and the large one on the right is for Jordan,Brenda’s stockings are not on show!
Thursday, December 18, 2008
ELVIRIA.
Tuesday/Thursday 16th./18th. December.
Tuesday was a at home day after the night before when we had a lovely evening with Mano and Anna,the weather has turned and we are back to sunshine and blue skies every day;the temperature is going up every day and by the weekend it will be 20degs.After catching up with the chores around the house and hanging the washing out on the roof terrace Brenda settled down to her book as I spent some time on the PC.s as we had seen on the news the problems with “ Internet Explorer” I’ve gone on to “ Firefox” as my main browser for now until the upgrade comes through and at the same time I’ve checked all my Anti Virus are up to date! We had a light supper and a early night after a busy weekend of doing nothing!On Wednesday morning we went across to the Hypermarket in Estepona to stock up for the Xmas festivities and at the same time we bought some presents for the kids,remote control cars for Fabio and Dylan( The adults we be able to have some fun with them) and a makeup bag for Jordan.In the evening we had Farmhouse Sausage and mash with onions and gravy along with assorted vegetables a la Brenda!Today we went out for our" Xmas lunch" at the Beach House at Elvira,using the last of our vouchers from the Marriott sales training,The weather was spectacular as we sat outside in the hot sun; we had decided to go as over Xmas we are going to spend a lot of time in the kitchen looking after the Guerrero family! Brenda had Deep Fried Chicken Livers with Chili Jam and I had three assorted Samosas with a Lime dip.We went all fishy for our main course,Brenda had the Fish Pie with a Potato Cheese top and a had the Fish and chips in the Beach style!On the way back we stopped at the beach down on Sabinilias for a coffee,the pictures below will give you a little taste of our day out on the Costa del Sol!
Tuesday was a at home day after the night before when we had a lovely evening with Mano and Anna,the weather has turned and we are back to sunshine and blue skies every day;the temperature is going up every day and by the weekend it will be 20degs.After catching up with the chores around the house and hanging the washing out on the roof terrace Brenda settled down to her book as I spent some time on the PC.s as we had seen on the news the problems with “ Internet Explorer” I’ve gone on to “ Firefox” as my main browser for now until the upgrade comes through and at the same time I’ve checked all my Anti Virus are up to date! We had a light supper and a early night after a busy weekend of doing nothing!On Wednesday morning we went across to the Hypermarket in Estepona to stock up for the Xmas festivities and at the same time we bought some presents for the kids,remote control cars for Fabio and Dylan( The adults we be able to have some fun with them) and a makeup bag for Jordan.In the evening we had Farmhouse Sausage and mash with onions and gravy along with assorted vegetables a la Brenda!Today we went out for our" Xmas lunch" at the Beach House at Elvira,using the last of our vouchers from the Marriott sales training,The weather was spectacular as we sat outside in the hot sun; we had decided to go as over Xmas we are going to spend a lot of time in the kitchen looking after the Guerrero family! Brenda had Deep Fried Chicken Livers with Chili Jam and I had three assorted Samosas with a Lime dip.We went all fishy for our main course,Brenda had the Fish Pie with a Potato Cheese top and a had the Fish and chips in the Beach style!On the way back we stopped at the beach down on Sabinilias for a coffee,the pictures below will give you a little taste of our day out on the Costa del Sol!
Monday, December 15, 2008
MANILVA.
Friday/Monday,12th./15th. December.
In the morning we shot across to Estepona and called in to see Vidal and Gissy,it was Gissy’s birthday so we had a little something for her along with a glass of wine to help the day start off in the right direction! On the way back we called into the site where we had the Winnebago last Christmas,just in case any Xmas cards go there! It seems a long way away now from when we came back in September 2007 with the Smart car on its trailer,a lot’s happened since then! In the evening for supper we had Pan Fried Fillets of Salmon and Pink Trout with a Ratatouille and then watched a little TV.Over the weekend the forecast is for rain during the night but sunny and cold in the day,as we got up we found that we had no water so we had to use the spring tap,which is outside our front door,along with all our other neighbours.In the evening we had two nice steaks from our local butcher with Frits,During the day I watched the Liverpool match,live,they drew with Hull and in the evening it was the Real Madrid/Barcelona match from the Nou Camp stadium which seats 96,ooo thousand, the match does not kick off until 10pm and Barcelona murdered Real!After our usual Sunday lie in we walked down to Mano and Anna’s as she had come back from North Wales on Saturday and caught up with all her news and made some plans for Xmas,whilst we were there Carlos called in with Fabio,who is a lovely little happy boy. On the way back we called into Bar Rojas for a glass of Rosado and as we were sat at the bar some other customers had a selection of Tapas with fresh Batata frits,so we had a plate with some Breaded Chicken fillets! The water did not come back on until late in the afternoon as we got in so we had Brunch late again for dinner!This morning we had an appointment at the bank to close our account in North Wales and on the way back we picked up a large fresh Chicken ,for dinner,which we are roasting with all the trimmings including the famous Roast potatoes in Duck fat! Mano and Anna are joining us for our first Roast since May when all the family were last together.
In the morning we shot across to Estepona and called in to see Vidal and Gissy,it was Gissy’s birthday so we had a little something for her along with a glass of wine to help the day start off in the right direction! On the way back we called into the site where we had the Winnebago last Christmas,just in case any Xmas cards go there! It seems a long way away now from when we came back in September 2007 with the Smart car on its trailer,a lot’s happened since then! In the evening for supper we had Pan Fried Fillets of Salmon and Pink Trout with a Ratatouille and then watched a little TV.Over the weekend the forecast is for rain during the night but sunny and cold in the day,as we got up we found that we had no water so we had to use the spring tap,which is outside our front door,along with all our other neighbours.In the evening we had two nice steaks from our local butcher with Frits,During the day I watched the Liverpool match,live,they drew with Hull and in the evening it was the Real Madrid/Barcelona match from the Nou Camp stadium which seats 96,ooo thousand, the match does not kick off until 10pm and Barcelona murdered Real!After our usual Sunday lie in we walked down to Mano and Anna’s as she had come back from North Wales on Saturday and caught up with all her news and made some plans for Xmas,whilst we were there Carlos called in with Fabio,who is a lovely little happy boy. On the way back we called into Bar Rojas for a glass of Rosado and as we were sat at the bar some other customers had a selection of Tapas with fresh Batata frits,so we had a plate with some Breaded Chicken fillets! The water did not come back on until late in the afternoon as we got in so we had Brunch late again for dinner!This morning we had an appointment at the bank to close our account in North Wales and on the way back we picked up a large fresh Chicken ,for dinner,which we are roasting with all the trimmings including the famous Roast potatoes in Duck fat! Mano and Anna are joining us for our first Roast since May when all the family were last together.
Friday, December 12, 2008
MANILVA,XMAS 2008.
The lights went on in Manilva this evening all along the main street and also on the Town Hall.As I went to take the pictures the Full moon came out,it is a special one that only happens every fifeteen years and it is 14% bigger and 30% brighter!
Thursday, December 11, 2008
MANILVA.
Monday/Thursday 8th./11th. December.
Monday was a at home day so “we” caught up with housework and washing and in the afternoon I made a Chicken Curry for dinner,the forecast for the week is sunny but it goes cold in the evenings,the rest of Spain is covered in snow.Spain is very mountainous and on the TV.every day they show the snow reports from around the country,it is only the Costa Del Sol that misses the bad weather!On Tuesday we went across to Estepona in the morning to the Hypermarket and on the way back we called into the bank,we are watching the exchange rate with interest as it means that the pension is going down,it looks like it will be one for one by the end of the week as I am typing this blog!In the evening we had Small Dab Soles pan fried with with Gambas which we had bought fresh from the market,earlier in the day. The weather on Wednesday was beautiful with clear blue sky,no breeze and in the sun it was warm.Brenda went shopping for the Xmas cards so I sat and read the papers overlooking the marina in Estepona with a Tinto de Verano in front of me!In the afternoon when we got home I noticed that the folks in Australia had been trying to call us on Skype so we called Lyn even though it was late for them,the news was very good,Lyn is getting married to Jack who proposed to her on bended knee on her birthday!She is very excited and is acting like a school girl,we think that it is smashing news and wish them all the luck in the world!!They have booked their flight over to the UK.in May and they are planning to come and stay with us,they could be “ Mr and Mrs Irving ” by then! Over the last couple of days I have read “ The Da Vinci Code” for the first time,interesting,very interesting! Brenda at the same time is now reading a book every week,we read in the late afternoon as the sun goes down and as we have our evening cocktail and nibbles in the lounge! At the moment Brenda has the washing machine on and the drain pipe has just fallen out and flooded the kitchen,there are some strange non Spanish sounds coming from the washer woman!! Tonight I am making a Lamb Stew for supper with 7/8 different vegetables and local potatoes in it as well as local Cabbage on the side!
Monday was a at home day so “we” caught up with housework and washing and in the afternoon I made a Chicken Curry for dinner,the forecast for the week is sunny but it goes cold in the evenings,the rest of Spain is covered in snow.Spain is very mountainous and on the TV.every day they show the snow reports from around the country,it is only the Costa Del Sol that misses the bad weather!On Tuesday we went across to Estepona in the morning to the Hypermarket and on the way back we called into the bank,we are watching the exchange rate with interest as it means that the pension is going down,it looks like it will be one for one by the end of the week as I am typing this blog!In the evening we had Small Dab Soles pan fried with with Gambas which we had bought fresh from the market,earlier in the day. The weather on Wednesday was beautiful with clear blue sky,no breeze and in the sun it was warm.Brenda went shopping for the Xmas cards so I sat and read the papers overlooking the marina in Estepona with a Tinto de Verano in front of me!In the afternoon when we got home I noticed that the folks in Australia had been trying to call us on Skype so we called Lyn even though it was late for them,the news was very good,Lyn is getting married to Jack who proposed to her on bended knee on her birthday!She is very excited and is acting like a school girl,we think that it is smashing news and wish them all the luck in the world!!They have booked their flight over to the UK.in May and they are planning to come and stay with us,they could be “ Mr and Mrs Irving ” by then! Over the last couple of days I have read “ The Da Vinci Code” for the first time,interesting,very interesting! Brenda at the same time is now reading a book every week,we read in the late afternoon as the sun goes down and as we have our evening cocktail and nibbles in the lounge! At the moment Brenda has the washing machine on and the drain pipe has just fallen out and flooded the kitchen,there are some strange non Spanish sounds coming from the washer woman!! Tonight I am making a Lamb Stew for supper with 7/8 different vegetables and local potatoes in it as well as local Cabbage on the side!
Sunday, December 07, 2008
MANILVA.
Thursday/Sunday 4th./7th. December.
Yet another sunny day as we packed the Smart car to be ready to move back over to the house on Friday morning as we are picking up Clive and Carolyn from Malaga airport tonight at 8-30pm. We will miss the animals and especially walking Bruno along the lanes around the villa in Guadalmina.On the way back we called into the English butchers to stock up for weekend as it is a Bank Holiday weekend in Spain;On Saturday it is the 30th anniversary of the Spanish Constitution being signed after the death of Franco and on Monday it is
a very religious day celebrating the Immaculate Conception! For supper on Friday we had Pan Fried Calves Liver with Crispy Bacon and Sausage and Brenda made her famous Mashed Potatoes.Mano called in on Saturday morning to catch up with the news,Anna is away at the house in North Wales so we have asked him around for Sunday Brunch.In the evening we had Steak and Frits for dinner and then watched TV,in the afternoon the Liverpool match was on,we won! and in the evening Barcelona won and there where stacks of goals in the Spanish Liga.We went for a little walk on Sunday morning after a lie in and on the way back we called into Bar Rojas for a quick one and met Mano with Carlos,who was not working,so he joined us for Brunch.The Picture below shows our Xmas Tree in the corner of the lounge.
Yet another sunny day as we packed the Smart car to be ready to move back over to the house on Friday morning as we are picking up Clive and Carolyn from Malaga airport tonight at 8-30pm. We will miss the animals and especially walking Bruno along the lanes around the villa in Guadalmina.On the way back we called into the English butchers to stock up for weekend as it is a Bank Holiday weekend in Spain;On Saturday it is the 30th anniversary of the Spanish Constitution being signed after the death of Franco and on Monday it is
a very religious day celebrating the Immaculate Conception! For supper on Friday we had Pan Fried Calves Liver with Crispy Bacon and Sausage and Brenda made her famous Mashed Potatoes.Mano called in on Saturday morning to catch up with the news,Anna is away at the house in North Wales so we have asked him around for Sunday Brunch.In the evening we had Steak and Frits for dinner and then watched TV,in the afternoon the Liverpool match was on,we won! and in the evening Barcelona won and there where stacks of goals in the Spanish Liga.We went for a little walk on Sunday morning after a lie in and on the way back we called into Bar Rojas for a quick one and met Mano with Carlos,who was not working,so he joined us for Brunch.The Picture below shows our Xmas Tree in the corner of the lounge.
Wednesday, December 03, 2008
GUADALMINA ALTA.
Monday/Wednesday 1st/3rd. December 2008.
After the weekend festivities we settled back into life at the villa;the two house cats have been coming and going as normal and the wild cats outside,now down to four,are still hanging around waiting to be fed.Bruno has not been his normal self as he has a sore paw so we have been walking him at a gentle pace and bathing it in warm salty water,there is no sign of the fish in the fountain but their feed is gone in the morning!The garage rang to say that the part had arrived from Madrid and they would call us when the car was ready;the pressure cap took no time to fix and reprime the system but it turned out that the door lock part that had broken,a very small and simple plastic clip and wire, took over five hours to repair as they had to strip down the door to its metal frame! They took some pictures to show us what they had to do,this was after they had been on the Smart car repair site on the Web,as usual nothing is simple with the Smart car!! Hermann,the “Auto Doctor” then brought the car up to villa from Estepona late on Monday night.On Tuesday we popped out in the car to give it a little run as we had to call into the bank and catch up with the shopping,over the weekend we had to use the Toyota Land cruiser as the Astra has a flat tyre which was like that when we arrived!Today the tree surgeon was due to come and treat the Palm tree as well as chop down and tidy up the trees at the bottom of the garden but he has just rung to say that he is ill!We are still waiting to hear when the folks are coming home,it could be on Thursday or even Friday so we have arranged for the cleaner,Merly,to come tomorrow;at the moment the gardener,Miguel,is out side the front door planting a display of Poinsettias.
After the weekend festivities we settled back into life at the villa;the two house cats have been coming and going as normal and the wild cats outside,now down to four,are still hanging around waiting to be fed.Bruno has not been his normal self as he has a sore paw so we have been walking him at a gentle pace and bathing it in warm salty water,there is no sign of the fish in the fountain but their feed is gone in the morning!The garage rang to say that the part had arrived from Madrid and they would call us when the car was ready;the pressure cap took no time to fix and reprime the system but it turned out that the door lock part that had broken,a very small and simple plastic clip and wire, took over five hours to repair as they had to strip down the door to its metal frame! They took some pictures to show us what they had to do,this was after they had been on the Smart car repair site on the Web,as usual nothing is simple with the Smart car!! Hermann,the “Auto Doctor” then brought the car up to villa from Estepona late on Monday night.On Tuesday we popped out in the car to give it a little run as we had to call into the bank and catch up with the shopping,over the weekend we had to use the Toyota Land cruiser as the Astra has a flat tyre which was like that when we arrived!Today the tree surgeon was due to come and treat the Palm tree as well as chop down and tidy up the trees at the bottom of the garden but he has just rung to say that he is ill!We are still waiting to hear when the folks are coming home,it could be on Thursday or even Friday so we have arranged for the cleaner,Merly,to come tomorrow;at the moment the gardener,Miguel,is out side the front door planting a display of Poinsettias.
Monday, December 01, 2008
GUADALMINA ALTA.
Sunday 30th. November.
On our way back to the villa we stopped in Guadalmina for a mug of tea and ended up having a Cheese and Ham Toastie with a Bacon and Egg Boasted buttie in Tricky Ricky’s! Just like the old times on the way back from the clubs in Liverpool and Manchester in the late 70s!! The weather at the moment is cool with blue skies,when we walk the dog it is still very warm in the sun.During the afternoon we sat on the terrace and read the papers and had our usual Brunch in the early evening before we settled down to watch Strictly Come Dancing and the new Wallender programme on BBC. as well as a very good and interesting documentary on China.The picture below shows the snow capped mountains in the distance behind the villa.
On our way back to the villa we stopped in Guadalmina for a mug of tea and ended up having a Cheese and Ham Toastie with a Bacon and Egg Boasted buttie in Tricky Ricky’s! Just like the old times on the way back from the clubs in Liverpool and Manchester in the late 70s!! The weather at the moment is cool with blue skies,when we walk the dog it is still very warm in the sun.During the afternoon we sat on the terrace and read the papers and had our usual Brunch in the early evening before we settled down to watch Strictly Come Dancing and the new Wallender programme on BBC. as well as a very good and interesting documentary on China.The picture below shows the snow capped mountains in the distance behind the villa.
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