A VERY GREY, OVERCAST AND WET SUNNY MANILVA ON SATURDAY.

SATURDAY 17^th/ NOVEMBER 2018.

We had a nice lie in this morning as the village was even more quieter than normal due to the heavy rain, it started during the night and it looks like it’s with us for the rest of the weekend and all of next week?! After freshening up we had our regular ‘ Saturday’ morning breakfast of Brenda’s famous ‘ Campo’ Poached Eggs on Toast’ – Scrambled with Toast Fingers for her, with mugs of strong tea.

As I said above the ‘wet-stuff’ has returned with a vengeance, we are in for a prolonged spell of ‘RAIN’ – all over the weekend and most of next week, with just the small chance of some sunshine at times, staying partly cloudy, the overall temperatures are hovering on the 17/18 degs mark, a little cooler at times, down to overnight 10 degs! Watch this space.

Yesterday lunchtime we caught up with Tim & Thea, up in Mojacar, on the ‘ Skype’ video, they are both well and have settled back into their lifestyle, they also are having heavy rain, at ‘Christmas’ Ben is flying in from Manchester and Jo is coming down on the bus from Madrid, then both of them are flying back to Manchester for the New Year, meanwhile Tim & Thea are coming down to us around the 29^th December for the ‘New Year Celebrations’- before they collect Jo from the airport in Malaga, as she fly’s back in, on the 2^nd January 2019 (Tim’s Birthday!) to spend some more time with them, before going back to work in Madrid at the ‘International’ School, it’s a ‘ Small World ‘ !

This weekend on the sports front, there is no Football over in the ‘Premier League’ and over here in the ‘ La Liga’ as over the long weekend it’s the ‘ UEFA Nations League’?! Meanwhile at the ‘International Rugby Union’ there is full programme of fixtures as Wales welcome Tonga, England play Japan, Scotland welcome South Africa and the ‘ Game of the Day’ is Ireland v New Zealand ( All Blacks) This afternoon we will also be watching the ‘National Hunt Racing’ from the ‘November Meeting’ at Cheltenham, the home of the sport.

For our supper this evening I’m cooking the classic ‘ Flambe’ dish of “ Steak au Poivre” – using in my recipe of ‘ French’ trimmed ‘Entrecote Steaks’ coated in cracked Black Peppercorns, seared in butter in the pan and then taken out to rest, the rich & creamy sauce is then made with finely chopped Shallots & Garlic, a little spoon of Dijon Mustard, a dash of Lea & Perrins & Tabasco, then deglazed with a glass of Red Wine ( thanks Brenda!) – then a little Beef stock added, before the  Double Cream, as the sauce cooks-off the Steaks are put back in the pan to finish ‘ Pink’ no blood, before finally ‘Flaming’ in Cognac! Not forgetting the freshly chopped Parsley! ( Brenda) – accompanied with whole ‘ French’ Green Beans and twice-cooked ‘Frits’ as the Potatoes are not large enough for ‘Shoestrings’

So it’s an ‘at home’ day, relaxing and basically doing nothing, as we can, just watching the TV with all the sport this afternoon before channel hopping, later after supper, to find something to watch.

Thoughts for the Day; See above.

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