A CRISP AND SUNNY MANILVA ON WEDNESDAY;

WEDNESDAY 18^th/ FEBRUARY 2015.

A nice long lie in this morning as there are no deliveries on a Wednesday, the village was quiet and we are ‘doggy free’ except for ‘Chispa’ who will come calling later. The sun is cracking through and the breeze has dropped, there is no sign of any of the wet stuff and the temperatures are forecast to rise to 19degs by lunchtime!

After our regular breakfast we got tonight’s supper on the go, the traditional “Lancashire Hotpot” but with a difference; my recipe has as well as the normal sliced Onions & Potatoes I add in each level, diced Carrots, Celery, Leeks & Turnips! I also ‘brown off’ the Lamb Cutlets, for more taste, before putting the ‘Hotpot’ together. In some parts of Lancashire they add Kidneys or Black Pudding! I use a strong Chicken & Vegetable stock along with some secret ingredients and lots of seasoning. This evening it goes in the oven to cook and with it we will have pickled shredded Beetroot and diamond cut Green Beans.See below;

Later we are going for our regular lunchtime walk with ‘Chispa’ who has just arrived, after being shampooed at home, she smell like a little ‘Tart’ – which she is! We called into 'Bar Las Vinas' for a drink and Mano & Anna came along as they were out for a walk and so they joined us for a good chat and gossip!

At the moment the ‘Euro’ is staying strong and is at its highest for this year, so far, which is good as our monthly pension ‘cycle’ start next Monday! The next bill due in is the water but it is very low and fair, not like the Electricity Bill which is the highest its been since we arrived here in Sunny Manilva and especially after the coldest winter on record – also the price of the Gas Bottles has steadily gone up - please note Mr. Ian Duncan Smith, the Pensions Minister who has stopped our ‘Winter Fuel Allowance’ this year!! (I’ve signed the on-line petition!)

This year it’s a major election time, like across in the UK, It’s both the National/Regional as well as the Local elections here in the village in May; Andalusia has called the regional election, early, for sometime in March and then the rest of the country goes to the poles in the summer. Here in sunny Manilva, where we have the vote, all the local politicians have already started electioneering and are chasing our vote!!

Last night we watched the ‘Champions League’ football as Chelsea drew with PSG 1-1 and then after the late film was “ Tears Of The Sun” from 2003 with Bruce Willis in charge of a US Navy ‘Seal’ team causing all sorts of havoc in the Nigerian Civil War along with Cole Hunter & Peter Menson as they try to rescue Monica Bellucci from the hands of the rebels – lots of shooting and mayhem followed!!

                                                                 NEWSFLASH;

Later this morning we heard drilling coming from the side of the house, which is on Calle Domiguez,I went to investigate and it was an electrical contractor connecting a junction box to our wall to re-routs the electricity cable above the old house's in the street,on asking one of our neighbours he said that they are knocking down the old buildings and constructing four new apartments!! Watch this space as this is the first we have heard about it and the owners of our house know nothing!!??

Thoughts for the Day; See above.

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