SUNNY AND A VERY HOT MANILVA AT THE START OF VENDIMIA WEEKEND

FRIDAY30th/ AUGUST 2013.

We were out bright and early this morning to go down to Sabinillas for the shopping; we called into ‘Super Sol’ first for some English goods and stopped outside the wholesale Greengrocers as I went across to our bank for some cash from the cash-dispenser, it was not working so I went inside and told the cashier, she said it was so I went and tried again, no joy – after two more attempts I asked for cash from the cashier, she would not give me any as I did not have my passport, my driving license’s/Spanish Picture Pensioner pass were not sufficient !

They are a branch of our Bank in Estepona and I have used the Sabinillas branch for nearly six years, the Manager was not there and the regular cashier was on holiday! So I stormed out and went next door to the cash dispenser machine of ‘Banko Santander’ – it gave me my money but took my card!! When I went inside to find out why the only cashier on duty was busy with a couple who then went through five different transactions as the queue formed behind me and everybody including me got rather up-tight!! By then I had lost my patience and stormed out again! This is defiantly not my week!

I found Brenda and we then carried on to ‘Mercadona’ using her card! We picked up the papers and exchanged our ‘Patterson’s’ for two more; after unpacking Brenda went down to the local market for some fresh flowers and I went to our butchers for some Chicken legs and thighs to go with some breasts, all diced into the curry that I made later ready for the weekend; we have moved ‘Steak night’ to Monday so I picked up some steak as Monday is a local Bank Holiday after the ‘Vendimia’ in the village! Tonight we are having early supper of ‘Lubina’- Sea Bass fillets a la ‘Meuniere’ with Garden Peas and diced New Potatoes tossed in foaming Butter. We will the go up to Calle Mar to watch and listen to the ‘Fandango/ Flamenco’ concert on the bandstand in front of the Town Hall that they are building now!   VENDIMIA IS HERE !! We have just heard while we were out the Brenda's Dentist Victor is opening his Wine Bodega over the weekend so it will be our first 'Port of Call' when he does !

The concert was much better this year,the 'Flamenco Sur' dance troop and singer were excellent and the older man singing 'Fandango' went down with the crowd very well - see the pictures above which I have just posted at 2-45am on Saturday morning,the concert started at 10-00pm and is still going on now! When we came home we had a very late supper of 'Heinz Spaghetti' on toast - you can't beat it!!

At lunchtime we went for a short walk as its still very sunny and hot,not as predicted with Rain and storms,yesterday up in Granada,Jaen and Cordoba they had flash flooding and hailstones the size of Golf Balls!! As you can see in the pictures above the two stages are set,Bar Pedreta,Bar Rojas and Cafe Nacho are getting ready and down in the park they have fenced off the main part and are just putting up the new sign( Flood Lights?) and working very hard to get finished on the Wall Plaques.!!

SPORTS WEEKEND NEWS;

This afternoon I will be following stage 7 of the ‘Vuelta2013’as it leaves from Almendralejo the ‘Cava Capital’ of the ‘Ribera Del Guadiana’ region and crosses into Andalusia past Seville to the town of ‘Alcor’over 205kms. Tomorrow’s stage 8 is from Jerez de a Frontera to Estepona finishing up the ‘Alto de Pennas Blancas’ – the mountain behind the town! The Chech rider Zdenek Styber has just won stage 7 into Alcor outside Seville,Nibali is just holding onto the RED jersey by 3 seconds from Chris Horner!

Over in the ‘USA The Open Tennis’ is getting into the third/fourth rounds; back in England it’s the British Motor GP from Silverstone on Sunday.

The weekend football here is on Sunday when Barcelona travel to Valencia and Real Madrid are at home to Athletic Bilbao, over in the UK Manchester City are at home to Hull and Everton are down in Cardiff then on Sunday its Liverpool v Manchester Utd.

This evening as we were going out the 'UEFA SUPER CUP' was just kicking off over in Prague; Chelsea ( Mourinho) v Bayern Munich(Pep) Final score 2-2 after a wonder goal right at the start from Fernando Torres,after extra time it was a penalty shoot-out 5-4 to Bayern Munich!! Mourinho's comment was a classic " The better team lost" !!!!

Thought for the Day; See above.

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