A VERY HOT & SUNNY MANILVA ON TUESDAY.

TUESDAY 21^st/ MAY 2019.

We were up early this morning after a nice evening with Brian, catching up with all his news, after freshening up, as I was on the breakfast rota in ‘ Casa Sexton’ and our guest was on the ‘ Full-Board’ Rate I served him my now famous ‘ Toasted Crispy Smoked Bacon Butties ‘ – smothered in ‘ HP’ Brown sauce, open on brown for Brenda, with mugs of hot/strong tea.

It was time for us to set off across to the ‘ Costa Del Sol Hospital’ – past Marbella, for Brenda’s appointment with her ‘ Kidney Consultant ’ – meanwhile Brian walked along to ‘ Hostal Ocaña ‘ to check in, he’s here for eight days, his mate Brad, is joining him for a few days on Wednesday.

See the picture below that Brian took on his travels later, around the village!

The Lady Consultant is very thougher and checks all Brenda’s reports, readings, etc, she has adjusted her tablet prescriptions, as she was not happy with some of them effecting the main ‘Kidney’ report, she balances all the tablets for the heart etc, at the same time, as they all cross/over and affect each other, it’s a balancing act to get things settled, she is calling Brenda back for a review/check up in six months time, in the second week of October, the week after Sandra and all the family are here is sunny Manilva!

We have another glorious day down here on the ‘ Costa Del Sol ‘ – the sun was out early and the sky is cloudless & blue, there is a very light breeze keeping it ‘ fresh’ but still very warm & sunny, by lunchtime reaching 27 degs+ over the next few day and then over the weekend it’s going warmer, up to 30 degs+ by Saturday, next week we are in for more of the same, hovering in the mid/high 20s, very hot & sunny, with just a few patchy clouds at times, perfect for the time of the year, watch this space.

This morning the ‘ Council’ and the Mayor, Mario handed over new vehicles to the local Police, at the same time ‘Contractor’ started to install the new, 15 security cameras around the village and the general area of Manilva.

See below;

Early this evening a new dog is coming to meet us, ‘Pucci’ with his owner ‘ Carolina’ here in ‘ Doggy World Heaven’ – he’s going to be with us in August for 4 days and then the possibility over ‘Xmas up to the New Year’ Watch this space.

We have given the ‘ Head Chef’ the night off, so we are going out & about around sunny Manilva, after making contact with our dear friend ‘ Joyce Baby’ up at her house in ‘ Alhaurin el Grande’ to make the arrangements to meet her tomorrow back down here in sunny Manilva as we are going out for lunch, up to Casares’ to ‘ Restaurante Sarmiento’

Thoughts for the Day;  See above.

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A BEAUTIFUL WARM & SUNNY MANILVA ON MONDAY AT THE START OF THE WEEK.

MONDAY 13^th/ MAY 2019.

We were up very early this morning and after freshening up we shot off across to the ‘ Costa Del Sol Hospital’ past Marbella for Brenda’s appointment for her special ‘Blood Tests’ etc, ready for next week when she has a appointment with the ‘ Kidney Consultant’ The very busy Department has been ‘ Automated ‘ – you sign in with your ‘Health Card’- the system gives you a 3 letter code, which appears on the screens, which then calls & tells you where to go! We were in & out on time!!

The sun was out early this morning, the sky was blue and the high mountains were clear, as we passed along the coast road, the Mediterranean was sparkling, a beautiful warm & sunny day, perfect for the time of the year, by lunchtime it’s due to reach 23 degs+ - tomorrow is the same, then on Wednesday it’s going up to 29 degs+ - as the breeze gets up, over the next few day and the weekend it’s hovering in the mid 20s, with a few patchy clouds, with even the chance of the ‘ wet-stuff’ returning, next week is looking the same, going a little warmer at times, watch this space.

See below a spectacular aerial view of Liverpool, with the two football grounds of Everton & Liverpool, either side of Stanley Park!

On the way back we dropped down into a very warm & sunny Estepona, I dropped Brenda off in the centre of the Town, for some retail shopping, and I carried on to the ‘Estepona Hospital’ where ‘ Encarni’- the ‘ Head Physio’  fitted me in for a shorter appointment, I’m back on Thursday morning, as the next two days are a local Bank Holiday’s for the ‘Feria’! 

I then had a quick tostado & tea in Tikitapi’- Brenda had the same in the centre of the shopping mall, I then collected her at the main roundabout and shot back along to Sabinillas, to call into ‘ Mercadona’ for a little shopping, before coming back up the hill, through the very Green Vine Fields.

Yesterday afternoon we watched the two football matches, Liverpool won 2-0 but Manchester City won 1-4, so they are the 2018/2019 ‘ Champions of the Premiere League’ – by 1 point!

Later we caught up with Sandra & Bill over in Everett, Ontario, Canada, on the ‘ Skype’ video, before Sandra went into work, despite it being ‘Mothers Day’ – they are both fine, the weather is still cold so they have not been able to get out in the garden yet, Next weekend they are going away with the trailer to ‘ Hope Bay ‘ on the South Bruce Peninsula’ They have booked their flights, this time from Montreal, direct to Malaga, they arrive on Sunday 29^th September and fly back the following Sunday 6^th October, it’s starting to get closer, we are getting rather excited, to say the least, as they all (8) arrive down here in sunny Manilva, on the ‘ Costa Del Sol’!!

For our supper this evening we are having ‘ Cold Roast Topside of Beef ‘ – with a selection of Vegetables and the rest of the ‘ Goose-Fat’ Roast Potatoes, the menu’s for the rest of the week are still to be agreed ‘TBC’ –watch this space. 


PS;  ' Pan-Seared Lambs Liver ' on Tuesday, ' Grilled Gammon Steaks ' on Wednesday, 'Omelettes ' on Thursday, 'Fish' for Friday, ' Steak' on Saturday & ' Medallions of Pork' on Sunday! 

See below the small joint of Boned & Rolled ' Roast Topside of Beef ' 

This afternoon/ evening we will be catching up with all the ‘Quiz Shows’ that we follow, later channel hopping to find something to watch, last night we caught the ‘ BAFTA’ Awards as “ Killing Eve ‘ won three!

Thoughts for the Day;  See above.

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A VERY WARM & SUNNY MANILVA ON MONDAY AT THE START OF THE ' SEMANA SANTA' WEEK.

MONDAY 15^th/ APRIL 2019.

I was up early this morning, after a very quick freshen up, in between the electricity going off and then the water, I shot off across to the ‘Estepona Hospital’ for more extensive treatment on my left hand at the main ‘ Physiotherapy Department’ with Encarni, the ‘Head Physio’ - I’m back on Tuesday & Wednesday and then have an appointment with the ‘ Consultant Physiotherapist’ next Monday lunchtime back at the Hospital for a review/check up, watch this space.

After yesterday when it reached by mid-afternoon 27 degs,  we had the hottest day so far this year, this morning the sun was out as I set off along the coast road past a sparking & calm Mediterranean, the sky was clear & blue and there was a light breeze keeping it a little ‘ fresh ‘ in the shade, by lunchtime it’s due to reach 25 degs+ down to 13/14 degs overnight, Tuesday is the same, but then on Wednesday as the new ‘Atlantic’ front blows in, it’s going a cooler, down to 19 degs, then on all the forecasts its’ showing the ‘ wet-stuff’ returning from Thursday onwards, sadly continuing all over the main ‘ Semana Santa’ ‘ Easter Weekend’- hovering in the high ‘ teens’ -  next week is also now starting the same, just as we are due to meet up with David & Jane in Malaga on the Tuesday morning, at their Hotel, the ‘ Atanazanas Boutique Hotel’ Watch this space.

Over the weekend we had a different cloud formation over the village, see below!

When I returned I popped along to the local Bank in ‘Calle Mar’ to pay the electricity bill, the village is very quiet, the children are off school for the week, none of the local Bars are open, ‘Bar Rojas’ is closed, both ‘Cafeteria Nacho & Bar Castillo’ are on holiday, ‘Bar Ocaña ‘ has not re-opened yet, ’Cafe Plaza’ is closed on a Monday and ‘ Bar Luque ’ only opens when he wants too! The ‘ Council’ were washing down the street with the water wagon.

See below ‘ Calle Mar’ this morning.

A quick update on the sports results; Manchester City won 1-3 & Liverpool won 2-0 – as Mo Salah hit a ‘ wonder-goal’ to take Liverpool back to the top of the ‘ Premiere League’  - which we watched on the live ‘IPTV’ sports channel, at the same time as following the “ Paris-Roubaix’ cycling race, the famous ‘ Hell of the North’ over 257 kms, taking 6 hours, with nearly 20 little stages over the cobble stones ( Pave - Setts ) – the Belgium rider Philippe Gilbert won!

Later we caught the final round of the ‘ Masters’ Golf from Augusta as Tiger Woods made the greatest comeback in sporting history as he won, by one shot, his 15^th ‘ Major’ and his fifth ‘ Masters’ title – his last back in 2008, after all his problems over the past few years!

This evening for our supper we are having ‘ Escalope’s of Pork Fillet’ – Schnitzels’ style,  coated in breadcrumbs from the local Bakery, then shallow-fried in Vegetable Oil, until crisp & golden, and finished ‘ Holstein’ style, topped with a ‘ Campo’ Fried Egg, Anchovy Fillets & Capers, accompanied with lots of Lemon Wedges and served on a bed of ‘ Spaghetti Milanese’ ( diced Smoked Ham & Tomato salsa) – with some finally sliced ‘French’ Green Beans,

On Tuesday it’s going to be ‘ Escalope’s of Chicken Breast’ – then on Wednesday we are having ‘Cottage Pie’ – topped with Brenda’s famous ‘Mashed Potato’ – Thursday is TBC, then on ‘ Good Friday’ we will have a ‘ Fish Supper’ – Saturday is ‘ Steak Night’ and then on Sunday, for the first time this year I’m making my famous ‘ Smoked Chicken & Three Green Bean Risotto’!

Last night after supper we settled down to watch episode 3 ( of 6) of the very gripping & exciting ‘ Line of Duty’ – with more shootings, a senior ‘ corrupt’ policeman killed, the Head of ‘ AC 12’ acting strange, the undercover cop ( UCO) - losing his mind, more corrupt police uncovered and at the end the ex-wife of the ‘Head of AC12’ about to be attacked/kidnapped! Watch this space.

Thoughts for the Day;  See above.

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A VERY CRISP' AND SUNNY MANILVA ON TUESDAY - ' NEW YEARS DAY 2019 ' !!

TUESDAY 1^st/ JANUARY 2019!    " NEW YEARS DAY " 

We all had a little lie in this morning after a late night for me & Brenda, sadly both Tim & Thea are a little under the weather with colds, so they retired early. Tim saw in the ‘ Spanish’ New Year with us, as we ate our twelve grapes on the stroke of midnight, we then watched the ‘New Year’ in for a second time from the spectacular ‘Fireworks Display’ over in London, even bigger & better this year, on seven barges in front of the ‘London Eye’ all set to music!  

At the same time we were watching the ‘ Madness’ concert from London and on ‘BBC 2’ the annual “ Jools’ Hootenanny “ with his ‘ Rhythm and Blues Orchestra’ - with Michael Buble, Jess Glynne, Nile Rodgers & Chic, George Ezra, Rudimental, Ruby Turner & Yola and a new band from the USA  - ‘The Record Company’ – a blues/rock band with a lead singer with a Harmonica!

Both the dogs have been very good and welcomed little princess ‘ Reina’ back with us for the evening, she was collected later, the ‘ Fireworks etc’ in the village this year were not so loud, I have just put the ‘Letter Box’ back on the wall, with Tim’s help’- as in the past it’s been blown up/off! ‘ Charlie & Chico’ slept all night as usual, this morning after we all freshened up Brenda took them out for the first walk of the day as I was on the ‘Breakfast Rota’ – see below a picture from yesterday morning when Tim & Thea took them out for a long walk around the village, on a very windy day!

I made my now famous ‘ Toasted Smoked Bacon Butties’ – smothered in ‘ HP’ Brown sauce, open on brown for Brenda and the closed for Thea, with mugs of strong hot tea, to set us all up for the year ahead “ 2019 “

At the moment it’s very ‘ crisp’ but most importantley dry, the sky is clearing, there is just a very slight breeze and by lunchtime it’s due to reach 17 degs+ - the rest of the week and over the coming weekend we are in for a settled period of fine, dry, weather hovering in the high ‘ teens’ – a little cooler during the night, next week will be the same, watch this space.

At lunchtime we are now staying local as Tim & Thea are still not quiet back to their old selves, this evening we are having ‘ Cold Roast Beef’ with a selection of fresh, local ‘Vegetables’ and my now famous ‘ Pommes Risolees’ – for our dessert it’s ‘Apple Tort ‘ with Strawberries & Vanilla Ice Cream!

PS; It was so nice at lunchtime that we decided to go down to Sabinillas in Tim's car, with the dogs, and ended up at 'Jameson's Indian Tapas Bar ' in the 'Orange Square' - we had lovely large drinks, sat in the hot sunshine, as we ordered from the small 'Tapas' style menu, Tim had a three-choice platter, Thea had two selections and Brenda a Lamb Marsala, with Frits, I had the Meat Samosas & Onion Bhajis, with a Chicken Jalfrez', all excellent and served by the host!


See below;

This afternoon on the sports front we will be watching the ‘ National Hunt Racing’ from Cheltenham, over in the ‘ Premiere League’ Everton are at home to Leicester City and then on Thursday it’s the ‘ Game of the Season’ as Manchester City welcome Liverpool – the old Champions and the next Champions!!

This morning we called Norah & Jenny on the ‘ Skype’ landline to wish them ‘ Happy New Year for 2019 ‘ – to all our family & friends, all over the ‘ World’ and here in sunny Manilva, we wish you a ‘ Very Happy New Year – Feliz Ano Nuevo ‘ -   ‘ Health, Wealth & Happiness ‘

Thoughts for the Day;  See above.

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