A RATHER WET,BUT STILL WARM, SUNNY MANILVA ON SATURDAY.

SATURDAY 4^th/ NOVEMBER 2017.

We had a very nice long lie in this morning, yesterday evening we had a very heavy rain storm with lightening & thunder and then during the night it returned with a vengeance, when it rains in Spain, it ‘RAINS’! We have just had the same while we were having our breakfast, the forecast is for more of the wet stuff during the day, tomorrow the sun returns and next week is now looking dry & sunny hovering, just, on the 20 degs mark, but during the night it could be down to 11/12 degs . ‘Duvet’ time! Watch this space.


Oh dear !! 

‘Scruffy’ is being dropped off for the evening as it’s Rose’s 70^th birthday, she is going out with Adrian & friends for dinner, over the past two days little ‘ Chispa’ has been in and out, as usual, after her ‘ lock-down’ finished, she comes crashing in to see us and any of her friends who are here in ‘ Doggy World Heaven’ ‘Reina ‘ is back from next Monday for three days.

For our supper this evening we are having a large ‘Grilled Entrecote Steak’ cooked on a very hot griddle-plate until ‘ Med-Rare’ and then left to rest before slicing it into ‘ Fingers’ – ‘French’ style. It will be garnished with seared Asparagus Spear & Button Mushrooms along with Onion Rings fried in ‘ Cruzecampo’ Beer Batter, with whole Baby Green Beans and, you’ve guessed, twice-cooked ‘ Pont Neuf ‘ doorstep Chips and ‘ Bearnaise’ sauce on the side!

Tomorrow night we are having a ‘Roast Leg of Spanish Lamb’ studded with Garlic Cloves & Rosemary, finished on a bed of my famous ‘ Boulangere’ Potatoes  with a sauceboat of my equally famous ‘ Finger-Licking’ Pan Gravy. A selection of fresh local Vegetables will be served along with a small dish of Brenda’s famous Mashed Potato ( left-over cuts from the ‘Pont Neuf’!) The ‘Spanish’ Leg of Lamb is rather difficult to carve and need all my carving skills ( a French ‘Sabatier’ Knife – sharpened- helps!) as the Legs are very slim & Long, not full-bodied like ours!

On the sports front this weekend; over in the ‘Premier League’ Liverpool travel down the M1 to play West Ham and tomorrow Everton are at home to Watford and Manchester City welcome Arsenal, over here in ‘La Liga’ Barcelona welcome Sevilla today and Real Madrid are at home to Las Palmas tomorrow.

We had a nice long ‘ Catch-Up’ on ‘ facebook’ messenger with Sandra & Bill over in Everett, Ontario, Canada yesterday  and are arranging a ‘Skype’ video call with them, we are also going to call Jack & Lyn over in Melbourne at the same time, next week, with the help of Lee, I’m installing a new phone system, via the Skype, so as we can call Norah & Jenny on their ‘Landlines’ as our new, fast ‘Fiber Optic’ phone system is rather more expensive, watch this space.

Thought for the Day; See above.

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A CRISP & DRY SUNNY MANILVA ON SATURDAY;

SATURDAY 12^th/ DECEMBER 2015.

We managed a little lie in this morning but had to be up to catch the gas bottle delivery man, to start it was grey & overcast but its now going better, the sun is braking through and the sky is clearing, its still crisp but remaining dry at the moment as there is the threat of some of the wet stuff in the air.

‘Reina’ was collected a little later by Daniela, we are taking her & Lee out to lunch tomorrow for our ‘Xmas Staff Party’ at our favourite restaurant ‘Cocomo’ in its new spot which we found the other day on the way back from the hospital over in Marbella, its on the opposite side of the road!!

For breakfast this morning we had ‘Campo’ Poached Eggs on Toast with a mug of steaming tea, ‘Chispa’ arrived as usual and has been playing around the house as Brenda does the chores, mopping at the moment, and also hanging out the ‘Father Xmas’s’ on the top two balconies on the front of the house.

Tonight we are having ‘Entrecote Steak’ cooked on a very hot griddle-plate ‘Med-Rare’ with sautéed Baby Mushrooms, Sugar Snap Peas and twice-cooked ‘Frits’ – a little ‘Bearnaise’ sauce on the side along with some French Dijon Mustard! Tomorrow its the ‘Chefs’ day off as he’s taking his staff out for lunch!! Watch this space.

Over in England in the ‘Premiere League’ the early kick off is Norwich v Everton and then later Manchester City at home to Swansea, Liverpool welcome West Brom on Sunday; in ‘La Liga’ Barcelona are at home to Deportivo de la Coruna and then tomorrow Real Madrid travel to Villarreal.This afternoon I’m going to watch some Horse Racing on ‘Channel 4’ as I enjoy the winter jump racing.

Last night over in Knutsford the “ New Moon Pub Company’ opened their 8^th ‘Gastro Pub’ in the ‘Empire’ when the ‘Bronx Bar & Pizzetteria’ – their second business  in the town, was launched! Ana’s ( Mano’s wife ) cousin, Debbie’s son is working there as a Cocktail Barman – its a small world!! Watch out in 2016 for more openings.

Late yesterday afternoon we watched the latest episode of Michael Portillos’ Great Continental Rail Journeys’ on ‘TVE 2’ as he travelled form Turin to Milan, onto Verona and then Lake Como before arriving in Venice; later in the evening after supper we channel hopped on English TV and caught various programmes.

Thoughts for the Day; See above.

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WARM AND SUNNY MANILVA ON 'ROMERIA' SATURDAY;

SATURDAY 7^th/JUNE 2014.

This morning we were awoken by the sound of gunfire & fireworks to announce the start of the ‘Romeria Manilva’ weekend down here on the ‘Costa Del Sol’ – it’s a local country festival with a parade to start followed by singing, dancing and drinking with a little bit of religion thrown in!

It all takes place down in the valley below the village by the Roman Baths – the statue of ‘Ntra.Sra.De Fatima’ is carried on a cart drawn now by a tractor, it used to be Oxen! There is a very old small church called ‘ La Ermita de San Adolfo’ en ‘Los Banos de la Hedionda’ where it all takes place. Pictures later.See above as directed by the assistant camera person!!

To start the day our gas bottle delivery man dropped off earlier our new gas bottle; for breakfast we had freshly squeezed local Orange juice with a special treat/request I made to the ‘Breakfast Chef’ – ‘Smoked Bacon Butty’s’( with a dash of HP sauce!) on for a change soft White thick English Bread!

I’ am now up in the office watching on the smaller PC via my ‘Film-On’ connection the ‘BBC TV Breakfast’ programme before ‘Saturday Morning Kitchen’ later, the assistant camera/reporter is on standby if the procession come along Calle Mar a little early! 

No ‘Russian Salad’ this weekend, tonight we are having ‘Steak a la Plancha’ with sautéed Mushrooms, griddled Onion rings, finely sliced Green Beans and twice-cooked Chips, fried Garlic Buds for Brenda and mine topped with a ‘Campo’ fried Egg!

At lunchtime after our walk with the. dog we called into 'Bodegon Andaluz' for a nice cool drink.

For sport this weekend we have live coverage of the ‘French Open’ Tennis finals from Paris, ladies today and tomorrow the men – Brenda’s favorite; meanwhile over in Montreal it’s the ‘Canadian Grand Prix’ with Alonso in the lead at the moment in practice.

Sharapova beat Halep to win her second 'French Open' - we found it live on a small channel 'Discovery Max' as it was not on TVE1 - it's the same tomorrow for the men's final!  Over in Canada Roseberg is on pole with Hamilton second.

Finally last night we found a good film to watch “ Breach ” from 2007 – a true story about the ‘FBI’ special agent ‘Robert Hanssen’ who spied for Russia over many years; Chris Cooper in the main role with Ryan Phillippe & Laura Linney trying to catch him!

At the moment after our supper we have the Spanish friendly on downstairs and up in the office the English friendly - both games in the USA !! Spain won 2-0 (Villa) v El Salvador,the England game in Miami was suspended due to a large electrical storm overhead - so the second half is yet to start! 

Thoughts for the Day; See above.

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