GUADALMINA LA CASA DEL ABUELO/ MANILVA.

WEDNESDAY/MONDAY 29^th JUNE/4^th JULY TUESDAY 5^TH JULY 2011.

We have had a glorious time over at the villa in Guadalmina, the weather is now hot and sunny every day and above 30 degs; todays forecast for the next few days is even hotter with the temperature rising to 35/38 degs! We spent all our time outside on the terrace, at lunchtime we ate under the ‘ Sonbrajo ‘ in front of the BBQ and in the evening we sat at the table on the terrace overlooking the garden. As Wimbledon was on we also were able to watch all the main games and catch up with all the other sports as well as our favorite old programmes at the same time. During the day we read and as the sun moved around we went in for a swim every evening at about six o/clock before our cocktails on the terrace !

We came home late last night and have now settled back into our life in sunny Manilva,at lunchtime we went up to Bar Rojas for Tapas and a drink; Cheta was delighted to see us and Brenda took her for a short walk as it is just too hot during the day; in the evening all the locals sit outside their house’s till late and take in the cool evening air. The pictures below show the new flags on the Town Hall that have gone up while we have been away; I’ve been chasing all the councilor’s for a few months and last week caught the new Deputy Mayor,Emilo,the Doctor, outside the Town Hall ! It worked !! The Peace Lilli’s are in the chill out room, we bought a single stem with just a couple of leaves over two years ago and since then it had just kept growing, there are two other Lilly’s on the way ! We have just spoken to Jane over in Chester, it is their wedding three weeks today, they have announced on Facebook this evening that they are going into another new venture and have taken over The Morris Dancer in Kelsall outside Chester; it is being renamed ‘ The Lord Binning ’and is opening by the end of August. We knew about it before they came over to stay with us in May as we once had a management contract a few years ago on the old ‘ Morris Dancer ’! I will put a picture on the blog after I have published this.

TOUR DE FRANCE 2011.

Well it has started again on Saturday so I will be boring you with all the details for the next three weeks ! I’am watching it ,live, on ITV4,thanks to Brian’s programme set up, the first four days have been the most exciting start to the race in years. The organizers changed the first day, it was full blooded long stage with a climb to the finish in the ‘Vandee’ region of Western France, the big news was that last years winner,Alberto Contador from Spain, ended up over 1min and 20 seconds behind all his rivals as he got stuck behind a large crash, it was his own fault as he was not at the front of the ‘ Peleton’ at the time ! On the second day it was the Team Time Trial which again was different and he lost even more time. The third day yesterday was flat stage for the sprinters, but in the middle of the stage they went over a very high and grand suspension bridge over the River Loire which was classed as a climb! Mark Cavendish was beaten by American Tyler Farrer on the 4^th July ! Today was another flat stage with a sting in the tail as at the end there was a 2km steep climb up the ‘ Wall ’into Mur-de –Bretagne in Brittany, Contador was beaten by a tires width by the Australian Cadel Evans ! The overall standings have Thor Hushovd from Norway leading with the British pair of David Miller and Bradley Wiggins in the top ten along with the young Welsh rider Geraint Thomas.

Thought for the Day;

Money may not buy happiness, but it can buy the type of misery you can live with.

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