A GREY & OVERCAST SUNNY MANILVA ON ' EATER SUNDAY'

SUNDAY 12^th/APRIL 2020.    “ STATE OF ALARM DAY 29 “

“ EASTER SUNDAY “

We were up a little earlier this morning and after a quick toast & tea we got the ‘ Sunday Roast ‘ on the go.

Sadly no ‘ Leg of Halal Lamb’ as usual on ‘ Easter Sunday’ – instead we are having a local ‘ Roast Chicken’ – jointed into the ‘Crown, Legs & Thighs’ -  seasoned with Sea Salt, crushed Black Pepper & Lemon Juice, roasted on a bed of ‘Mixed Vegetable’ trivets, accompanied with a savoury ‘ Mixed Herb’ stuffing and my now famous ‘ finger-licking’ Pan Gravy!

See below as it came out of the oven!

The ‘ Second/Vegetable Chef’ has prepared ‘ Broccoli & Cauliflower Florets in a three Cheese sauce, Crushed Baby Carrots & Turnips, Creamed Leeks, Braised Onion, Wilted Swiss Chard & Green Beans and Garden Peas’ ( for me!)

See below, before going in the oven;

Finally we are having ‘ Chicken Juice Roast Potatoes’ ( Sadly no Goose Fat!) – par-boiled, sliced in halves/round – roasted in a very hot-oven this evening, see below later!

The  next wet, windy & cold ‘ Atlantic’ front has arrived earlier than forecast, so it’s a little grey & overcast with a low cloud base, there is a cooler breeze so by lunchtime on what would have been the climax of the ‘ Semana Santa celebrations, on ‘Easter Sunday’ - it’s now forecast to only reach 17 degs+  with the threat of the ‘ Wet-Stuff’ hanging in the air - overnight 13 degs+ - next week is still going to be very unsettled, with more of the same weather to come, but hovering in the high ‘ teens’ – as the breeze drops, even up to 21 degs+ by next Saturday, the following week is not looking much better, watch this space.

“ CORONAVIRUS UPDATE – COVID 19 PANDEMIC “

You can see on our main ‘ Facebook’ page a ‘Zoom Video’ -arranged/posted  by our friend ‘ Fernando Antiñolo ’ – the ‘Head of the School of Music ‘ and the leader of the ‘ Manilva Brass Band’ – showing the ‘Band’ members in their houses and all our friends & neighbours also, playing & singing a traditional ‘ Semana Santa – Easter Song ‘!

 Sorry that I can’t post it on the Blog!

On ‘ Good Friday, yesterday and later today, for our usual afternoon ‘ Tea & Biscuits’ – we have treated ourselves to ‘ Toasted Hot Cross Buns ‘  to get into the ‘ Easter Spirit’!

Later this afternoon/early evening we will be making contact on the ‘ Skype ‘ video/audio link up with Norah, Jenny and then Sandra & Bill over in Everett, Ontario, Canada, to wish then all ‘ Happy Easter ‘ – no cards this year, overnight Sandra set us a ‘ ‘Singing Easter Card Video ‘!

We are now into the fourth week of ‘LOCKDOWN’ here in Spain, with another 15 day period forecast, after the 26^th April! Watch this space.

                                            “ STAY SAFE & SOUND INSIDE AT ALL TIMES “

Thoughts for the Day;  See above.

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A BEAUTIFUL AND SUNNY MANILVA ON ' GOOD FRIDAY '

FRIDAY 10^th/ APRIL 2020. “ STATE OF ALARM – DAY 27 - GOOD FRIDAY “

We had a nice long lie in this morning at the start of the ‘ Easter Weekend’ here in sunny Manilva, after freshening up we had a quick toast & tea before getting the day on the go.

Last night as we were going to bed, late, after watching a new series of ‘New Tricks’ I noticed that Lyn was online on ‘Facebook’ – so we called her on the ‘Messenger’ Video chat and had a nice surprise catch up with all her news, she is reading our ‘Blog’ all the time, she is very well and in self ‘ Lockdown’ – being looked after by ‘ Debs’ – who is able to call in and see her, in her capacity as a ‘Palliative Care Nurse’!

On ‘ Easter Sunday ‘ we will be calling Norah on her new ‘ Skype’ video link-up, then we make contact with Jenny via the ‘Facebook Messenger ‘ voice link-up! Lastly, but by means least, we have arranged our usual ‘ Skype’ video link-up with Sandra & Bill, over in Everett, Ontario, Canada at  6-00 pm our time!

Usually on ‘ Good Friday’ evening it’s the grand parade of the ‘ Brotherhood of Jesus Nazarone ‘ –  the ‘Brotherhood’ that I’m a member of, one of the highlights of the ‘ Semana Santa’ celebrations here in the village, led by the Ladies in their Black dresses & ‘Mantillas’ the Men in their ‘ Capirote ( Conical Hoods ) followed by the Manilva Brass Band & Dignitaries, then the ‘Tableau’ – carried by the local village ‘ Penitents’ – sadly not this year.

See last year!

         

Sadly we have a glorious & beautiful day here in sunny Manilva to start the ‘ Easter Weekend’ – for a change – it’s usually ‘ fresh & damp ‘ for the week of ‘ Semana Santa ‘! The sky is bright blue and cloudless and there is only a very slight breeze, so by lunchtime it’s due to reach 19/20 degs+ - overnight down to 13 degs+ - Saturday & ‘ Easter Sunday ‘are going to be the same, next week is now looking rather unsettled to say the least, as the weather changes, with mainly rain and showers all week, patchy clouds and just a little sunshine, but still hovering in the mid/high ‘ teens’- with the breeze stiffening, watch this space.

We would like to wish all our family & friends all over the World a very ‘ Happy  & Peaceful  Easter ‘ – sadly no cards this year, from us here in sunny Manilva, so most importantly, ‘STAY WELL & INSIDE ‘

See below a picture of the  ‘ Grade 1’ listed “ Oriel Chambers “ – located in the center of Liverpool on Water Street, it’s the World’s first building featuring a metal framed glass curtain wall designed by architect Peter Ellis and built in 1864, the forerunner of ‘Skyscrapers’!

Not a lot of people know that – they do now!!

“ CORONAVIRUS UPDATE – COVID 19 PANDEMIC “ 

The ‘ National Government ‘ in Madrid, are now proposing another two-week extension to the ‘ State of Alarm’ after the 26^th April leading into May and then possibly June, as expected.

As you can see below the ‘ Council’ have been out & about in a very sunny Manilva this morning, on ‘ Good Friday’ – washing down ‘ Calle Mar’ and then sanitizing and humidifying – as they do every day!

As usual while I have been typing/posting today’s Blog’ I have been listening to the ‘ Lockdown Show’ on the three local Radio Stations, I guessed correctly the ‘ Mystery Voice’ – it was ‘ Steven Berkoff ‘ – the actor, author, playwright & director – so I’m in the draw, again, watch this space.

For our supper this evening we are having our ‘Fish N’ Chip Supper’ – ‘ Fillets of Hake’ – coated in a ‘Tempura Cruzcampo Beer Batter’ – shallow-fried in vegetable Oil, until crisp & golden, accompanied with lots of Lemon Wedges and a Homemade ‘ Tartar’ sauce (Brenda) served with our last tin of ‘ Mushy Peas ‘ – with of course triple-cooked ‘ Chips’!

PS; Not mine!

PPS; Mine!!

                                            “ STAY SAFE & WELL INSIDE AT ALL TIMES “

Thoughts for the Day;  See above.

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A DRY & CRISP SUNNY MANILVA ON SATURDAY.

SATURDAY 20^th/ APRIL 2019.  “ HAPPY EASTER “

NB;  The pictures of yesterday evening processions are below, showing the two ‘Tronos’ and the ladies of the village with their ‘ Peineta’s & Mantilla’s’ on a beautiful peaceful sunny Manilva evening, we know most of them, as friends & neighbours, in the ‘Band’ are some of their children & family, as well as their sons & husbands  - the ‘Nazarenos’ carrying the ‘ Tableaus’!

We managed another nice long lie in this morning as the village is still very quiet after all the excitement of last night, at midnight on ‘ Good Friday’ there is another procession by tradition, in silence, as the ‘ La Parroquia’ is paraded around the village, with no band or bells, all the directions are made with hand signals!

Brenda was on the breakfast rota so I had her now famous ‘ Campo’ Poached Eggs on Toast, Boiled with toast fingers for herself, with mugs of strong/hot tea. Brenda popped along to the chemists in ‘Calle Mar’ for our prescription tablets and a little shopping in our local ‘Supermercado’ at the bottom of our street, meanwhile I retired upstairs to my office/studio to go online and read all the news, catch up with the E-mails etc, before typing/posting today’s Blog.

After yesterday when it stayed dry, sunny and no ‘Levante’ breeze blowing, not as forecast, today it’s at the moment the same, with no sign of the forecasted ‘ wet-stuff’ –  the sky is blue with fluffy clouds, by lunchtime reaching 20 degs+ - sadly it’s still showing the same for tomorrow, ie; ‘Wet’ - when the final two parades should take place at lunchtime, fingers crossed that it changes in time, next week when we are over in Malaga with Jane & David, on Tuesday & Wednesday, it’s showing light to moderate rain, hovering in the high ‘ teens’- by next weekend the sun is due back and it will be warmer, up to 23 degs+ - watch this space.

See below the beach front down in Sabinillas this morning.

On the sports front this weekend; over in the ‘ Premiere League’ Manchester City will be looking to revenge over Tottenham Hotspur, Everton welcome their near neighbours Manchester Utd and Liverpool travel down to play Cardiff, over here in ‘ La Liga’ Barcelona welcome Real Sociedad & Real Madrid are at home to Atheltic Bilbao. The Racing this afternoon is from Haydock Park & Musselburgh.

Meanwhile over in the USA, Jeff & Annette on their ‘ Grand Tour’ reached ‘ Washington,D.C. on their travels, they ‘did’ it in a day, seeing the ‘Pentagon, Arlington Cemetery, the Smithsonion, the White House, where they ‘scared-off’ the President and the Washington Monument’!

See below;

For our supper this evening we are having ‘Steak Diane’ – a classic recipe using ‘ French’ trimmed Entrecote Steaks, smeared with English & Dijon Mustard, then seared in a hot pan, taken out and left to rest, the diced Onions & Shallots are sweated off with the sliced Button Mushrooms, in the pan, a dash of ‘Lea & Perrins and Tabasco’ added, with a large spoon of Dijon Mustard, a small ‘ splash’ of Red Wine and a rich Beef & Vegetable stock, seasoned to taste, the double cream added, with chopped Parsley, and the consistency adjusted with knobs of Butter, the ‘ Steaks’ are placed back in the sauce, to cook ‘Med-Rare- Pink no Blood’ and finally the dish is ‘flamed’ with Brandy! Served with whole ‘French’ Green Beans and of course twice-cooked ‘ Frits’!!

After supper we will be channel hopping to find a good film to watch.

Thoughts for the Day;  See above.

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