MANILVA START OF THE WEEK.

MONDAY1st/TUESDAY2nd/ OCTOBER 2011.

As we got up on Monday morning the sun was already out; it was an at home day as we caught up with chore’s around the house, meanwhile I caught up with WWW! It‘s that time of the year when we start to watch on the BBC I Player Jools Holland and Strictly Come Dancing. We are now back into our routine after all the excitement of September, with have just heard from Jane over in Chester, she is trying to get over at the beginning of November but sadly no David – too busy building the ‘ Empire ! ’As you can see the Blog is back to normal after Andy’s help last week and the small PC is a lot faster. Cheta is in and out as normal and is full of energy and loves her walks around the village, especially at this time of the year with the cooler weather, by our standards! In the evening we had Pan-Fried Pork Cutlets with the left-over Boulangere Potatoes before settling down to watch the TV, the late film was a good murder/mystery called “ Under Suspicion ”from 1991 and starring Liam Neeson,Kenneth Cranham and Laura San Giacomo – it is based in Brighton in 1960 and there is a very good twist right at the end !

It started grey and overcast on Tuesday but ended hot and sunny as the day went on, as forecast; we had an easy day as we had  been invited to a presentation by the deVere Group, which we had excepted as it was taking place at the ‘ Finca Cortesin Hotel Golf and Spa’ up the next valley on the way to Casares. It is the top five-star Hotel in our area and is the current home of the ‘ Volvo World Match Play Championship ’We got ourselves dressed up, Brenda had two outfits ready depending on the weather, Anna had lent her a spectacular shawl if it was cold but she ended up in her summer best as it was warm and sunny as you can see in the pictures below; We drove up in our Red Fiesta that thinks that it is a ‘ Ferrari ’- we had given it a wash and polish just for the occasion ! We passed the security and drove up into the large courtyard outside the main entrance – a very helpful member of staff offered to take the keys and park the car; I said to him to pretend that it was a ‘Ferrari ’as he shot off ! The Hotel is spectacular, we had not been inside before, as you can see in the pictures below, the young staff are very attentive and the service was excellent. We met the deVere people in the ‘ Moroccan Suite’ for drinks, which flowed and the presentation was upstairs in an Conference suite; it was very informative and at the same time eye opening as to the mess the Euro-zone and the main countries have got themselves into ! It is also very worrying for the next few years as to what is going to happen – the figures are mind blowing – “ Trillions of Euros ”at risk between England,Germany,France and the possible collapse of the Greek,Portugese,Irish and Spanish economies !! Watch this space – I hope our ‘ Winter Fuel Allowance ’gets here in time !!

We then returned downstairs where I managed to take a few pictures; the two restaurants are the ‘ Jardin ’ which was open and the ‘ Schillo ’named after the Dutch Chef – if you click on the menu’s you will see the dishes and the prices ! They are both ‘ Mitchelin ’ standard and the food especially in the ‘ Schillo ’ is the best and very inventive. The wine was flowing and the Tapas where very good, tray serverd,various shots, deep fried white Fish, Crab and Ham baby croquette balls,mini skewers of Beef,Pork,Chicken and Prawns on a sizzling platter and various cold nibbles – all delicious. As we were leaving Brenda got talking to an English couple who where at the presentation, James and Alison Dolan, they said to Brenda that your ‘ Husband stands out in a crowd ! ’- which is true !! We soon got talking and ended up in the Cocktail Bar/Lounge till late over the very expensive glasses of wine and my ‘ Caiprinha ’as we made friends, they have had a very interesting life as they have lived and worked in Spain for over 27 years ! They now live just down the coast in Torreguadiaro after having lived up in the country in Jimena de la Frontera for many years. We hope to see them again and catch up with more stories about out lives ! Nice to meet you ! As we left we found that they had brought the Fiesta back to the courtyard by the front entrance where it was waiting for us !! Service !!!

A “ Helluva ” evening down on the Costa Del Sol.

PS; It’s only 83 days to Christmas !

Thought for the Day;

No road is long with good company.

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