SUNNY MANILVA AT THE START OF THE WEEKEND

FRIDAY 12^th/ JULY 2013.

This morning is definitely the hottest so far, the weekend forecast is the same and next week it is getting even hotter; we shot down to Sabinillas first thing for the shopping and to pick up the papers from the English bookshop.

We have just got back from our walk around the village, we went to get some fresh flowers from the local market down by the sports complex and on the way back called into the butches for our weekend steak; see the pictures above of the new pathway and railings along Calle Cruces, no sign of any work on finishing ‘Plaza Pozo Del Rey’ over the last two weeks?! Meanwhile in the new ‘Plaza Vendimia’it s full steam ahead, they have started to put the fencing up along the top and all the work on the children’s play area and all the other spots is progressing very quickly as you can see above.

When we got back to the house we were drenched in sweat as there is now breeze today; this afternoon I will watch the ‘Tour de France’ stage 13 which is from Tours to Saint-Amand-Montrond over 173kms and is the last chance for the sprinters to win a stage before the last one in Paris a week on Sunday; I’ am not going to tempt fate and make any predictions as to who will win today! The tour is winding its way up to the Alps over the weekend.

You beauty - Mark Cavendish has just won today's stage in a sprint finish from Sagan who he obliterated,his team rode the race very cleverly - the big looser today was Valverde who came in nearly 10 mins behind Froome after being dropped and is now 12th - Froome has the Yellow jersey and Alberto Contador is 3rd 2-45 seconds back! See the picture above of the 'Manx Missile' crossing the line above.The cross-winds today caused all the havoc as Froome's team struggled and Contador's team helped him gain 1min - but the stars were Cavendishe's team mates as they are the best at 'Echelon' riding to make use of the wind!Mark Cavendish has just talked about his team - 'Quote' " 9 big hearts and 18 bigger 'B---s!"

This evening for supper we having ‘Goujons of Hake’ with square Chips and Mushy Peas and my Tomato Salsa on the side for a change!See the picture at the top of the blog. It will then be time to catch a film, last nights was a classic ‘Western’ from way back in 1959! “ Warlock ” has a terrific cast of Henry Fonda, Richard Widmark,Antony Quinn, Dorothy Malone, Dolores Michaels and two young actors that went on to make names for them self’s later, Deforest Kelly and Frank Gorshin!

Tonight's film was another classic " Oceans of Fire -Hildalgo " from 2004 with Viggo Mortensen playing the part of the legendary long-distance horse rider 'Frank Hopkins' and the tale of his 'Mustang - Hildalgo' taking part in the 3000 miles 'Oceans of Fire' race in Arabia against pure-bred Arabian horses back in 1891 - with of course Omar Sharif as a Bedouin King! Zuleikaia Robinson and Louise Lombard are the female leads.

Thought for the Day; See above.

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