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

MONDAY 10^th/ FEBRUARY 2020.

I was up very early this morning to welcome back little ‘ Miss Bella’ with us for the day, she as usual, shot upstairs and had a nice lie in with us, she is back with us in ‘ Doggy World Heaven’ on Tuesday/Wednesday.

After freshening up, as I was on the breakfast rota I had my favourite ‘ Toasted Crispy Smoked Bacon Butty’ – smothered in ‘HP’ Brown sauce – open on brown for Brenda, with sliced Baby Mushrooms, seared in the bacon juices, some of which made it onto my Butty, with mugs of strong ‘ PG’ Tips Tea, to start the week is the right direction!

We then popped around to the local market, in the middle of the village, on the ‘ Plaza de Poso del Rey ‘ which has moved from down by the sports ground, on a Friday morning. On the way back Brenda called into the local Chemists, in Calle Mar, for all of our prescription tablets.

The week has started with a glorious day, down here on the ‘ Costa Del Sol’ – the sun was out early and the sky is bright blue and cloudless, there is a light breeze, so by lunchtime it’s due to reach 19/20 degs+ - with warm sunshine, the rest of the week is staying the same, with a few patchy clouds at times, with a light breeze, hovering in the high ‘ teens’- going up to 21 degs+ by the weekend, over night only down to 12/13 degs, next week is at the moment dry and settled, with more sunshine, watch this space.

Meanwhile over in Liverpool, over the weekend the severe ‘ Storm Ciara’ that has hit all of the UK, bringing with it 100mph winds, rain storms and bad flooding, arrived in the River Mersey, as you can see below, in North Wales, the whole area faced flooding in many towns and villages.

On our lunchtime walk we ended up back at ' Bar Castillo' and sat outside in the very hot sunshine for a nice cool drink, Mario, the Mayor and our neighbour came along and I was able to thank him as the open/raised post hole, at the top of 'Calle Botica  where I had my nasty fall, a few weeks ago has been fixed! " RESULT "  Then the ' OliveNet' engineers arrived and have started the work to install the new Fiber Optic cables etc, as well as our new Router, in the next couple of days! " RESULT" 

Finally outside ' Cafe Plaza' which is closed on a Monday, they are having installed a enclosed /ground terrace in front of the entrance on 'Calle Mar' - setting out their area, before the new bar, next door opens!!


See below;

For our supper this evening we are having the rest of the ‘ Smoked Chicken & Three Green Bean Risotto’ – which I will add some more of the Chicken to, as well as a little stock, then re-heat, the ‘ Menu’s for the rest of the week are still to be agreed, watch this space.

This afternoon/evening we are going to catch up with all the ‘ Quiz Shows’ that we follow; ‘ Countdown, Tenable, Tipping Point, The Chase, Pointless, Mastermind, Only Connect & University Challenge’ – later watching the pen-ultimate episode of this series of the award winning ‘ Cold Feet’

Thoughts for the Day;  See above.

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

MONDAY 19^th/ AUGUST 2019.

I was up very early this morning to welcome back little ‘ Miss Bella’ for the day, she’s back tomorrow morning also, ‘Chico’ slept all night, as usual, in the marble floor, under our bed, after freshening up Brenda took them for their first walk of the day, when she returned we had our light breakfast of ‘Weetabix’  with cold milk for me, brown toast for Brenda and the dogs, with fresh fruit ( cold sliced Nectarines ) and mugs of tea, to start the week in the right direction.

In “ Doggy World Heaven”- ‘Pucci’  an older Water Dog, arrived later this morning for his short break, he’s with us until Friday morning, on Thursday ‘ Chico’ is due to be collected after his three week holiday, we will miss him as he’s such great company and a good boy, then on Friday afternoon ‘ Sunny ‘ is back with us for a short weekend break until Monday morning, no doubt ‘ Chispa’ will be in & out all the time, as usual, to see all her friends, old & new, watch this space.

After breakfast I shot along to our local Bank in ‘Calle Mar’  to pay our water bill, Brenda keeps records of the readings and checks it before we pay! The street is back to normal after yesterday’s ‘Gran Fiesta Del Agua ‘ – which was a great success, the whole village (children) turned out in their shorts & bikinis, the 50 metre main slide, with foam, was installed in a different street, at the top of ‘Calle Mar’- coming down from the top of the village, see the picture below.

This evening ( early)  we have our appointments with Carmen, the Council ‘Chiropodist ‘ - down at the local surgery, we will take the three dogs for their walk with us, we then sit outside in the shade and take turns to go in!

Overnight the breeze got up and this morning there is a cooling breeze in the shade, but it’s still very hot & sunny, the sun was out early and the sky is clear and blue, by lunchtime it’s due to reach 32 degs+ - tomorrow a little cooler, then from Wednesday it’s dropping down to 26 degs, with the threat of the ‘ wet-stuff’ in the air, as well as on Thursday, as the breeze stiffens, staying in the mid/high 20s over the weekend, from Thursday down in Sabinillas it’s their turn for the annual ‘Feria’ taking place up to Sunday,  next week is at the moment looking warm, hot & sunny, hovering in the high 20s/low 30s, leading up to the ‘ Vendemia’ Wine Festival weekend, here in sunny Manilva, watch this space.

Another picture, see below, of Liverpool, old & new, the old taken from a plane back in 1939 and the new from a drone yesterday!

For our supper this evening we are having ‘ Chicken Schnitzels ‘ – flatted Chicken Breasts ( last night’s Empanadas ) – shallow fried in Vegetable Oil, until crisp & golden, topped with a ‘ Campo’ Fried Egg, resting on a pool of Tomato sauce, accompanied with Broccoli Florets Glazed Carrot Batons and a few ‘ triple-cooked’ Frits as a treat, the menu’s for the rest of the week are one day at the time, on Thursday, as usual, we have given the ‘ Staff’ the night off!

After supper last night we settled down to watch the next gripping episode of“ Poldark’  - the final two ( ever ?!) are this weekend on Sunday and then on next Monday, back in Cornwall ‘Demelza’ found out that the ore from their mine was being stolen, ‘Poldark’ meanwhile in London pleaded for his best friends acquittal, but the trial was ‘ fixed’ and he was taken to the gallows to be hung, beheaded, drawn and quartered, a pardon just arrived in time, so he was just hung! Ross headed back to Cornwall were all the other characters in the story sorted out all their problems, the nasty ‘ Sir George’ was thwarted at the alter, as he was about a marry a young lady, at the end ‘Poldark ( Ross) suddenly disappeared from the screen, is Demelza widowed?!

Thoughts for the Day;  See above.

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A VERY HOT & SUNNY MANILVA ON WEDNESDAY.

WEDNESDAY 24^th/ JULY 2019.

We had a nice long lie in this morning after another very hot night, we then freshened up and had our regular breakfast of fresh fruit ( Nectarines ) toast & tea, to start us off for the day.

The ‘ Second Chef’ is preparing all the ingredients for the ‘ Russian Salad’ which I will make later, meanwhile I’m up in the office/studio on the ‘WWW’ before I type/post today Blog.

At lunchtime one of our new dogs, that is with us during August, is coming to see us, here in ‘ Doggy World Heaven ‘ – ‘Pucci ‘ with his Mom, Carolina, ‘Chispa’ has already been in for her breakfast, later this afternoon ‘ Scruffy’ is back with us for a few hours, as usual.

The sun was out early this morning and the sky is cloudless and blue, there is a slight breeze, so by lunchtime it will reach 29 degs+ tomorrow even hotter, than from Friday it will be 32 degs, for the start of the main part of the ‘Feria Santa Ana’ – over the weekend hovering in the low 30s, next week is also going to be another ‘ Hot-One’ – watch this space.

Over at the “ Tour de France “ today’s ‘ Stage 17’ makes it way from ‘Pont Du Gard’ to ‘Gap’ over 200 kms, with a steep, long, finish into the town, at the foot of the Alps, with three more stages to come, over the mountains!

As you will have guessed, this evening we are having cold, sliced ‘ Smoked Ham’ with ‘Russian Salad ‘ for our supper!

Later we settle down to channel hop and find something to watch, last night it was programme about ‘Plane Spotting’ with lots of ‘ Geeks’ going on about all the planes!  It brought back happy memories of when my Dad, Tommy Sexton, used to take me to ‘ Speke Airport’ ( the old Liverpool Airport)  to plane -spot! – back in the mid 50s, on our bikes, at the same time as we used to train spot at Lime Street Station, Central Station & Exchange Station !!

PS; As well as 'Ship/Ferry' spotting at the Pier Head! 

Thoughts for the Day;  See above.

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A STILL DRY & COLD SUNNY MANILVA ON MONDAY AT THE START OF THE WEEK.

MONDAY 8^th/ APRIL 2019.

I was up early this morning and after a quick freshen up I shot off across to the ‘ Estepona Hospital’ for my first, of four, appointments, this week, at the ‘ Physiotherapy Department’ for more extensive treatment on my left hand, I found a spot to park and had my usual tostado & tea at ‘ Tikitapi’ before crossing to the Hospital.

I’m going to carry onto my Barbers, Manuel, on Wednesday morning after my appointment at the Hospital, for the ‘ Full-Works’ - while I’m in Estepona I’m calling into the ‘ IT’ shop for some printer ink and then to ‘La Casa’ for ‘ Tea-Lights’ ( Brenda’s request!) On Friday morning after I have been back down to Sabinillas on my travels for the weekly shopping I’m then taking Brenda to the main ‘Medical Centre’ for her appointment with our Doctor, Natalia, for her six-month review/check up.

This evening ‘ Scruffy’ is back with us for a sleep-over as Adrian has another appointment at the ‘Costa Del Sol Hospital’ tomorrow morning, ‘ Chispa’ has been in & out over the weekend in between the showers.

Overnight the ‘ wet-stuff’ returned, this morning as I set off it was grey and overcast, but dry, here in sunny Manilva, by the time I reached Estepona it was dry, warm & sunny! It looks like we are in for more rain later and tomorrow, there is also a light breeze, so by lunchtime it’s due to reach 17/18 degs, overnight down to 9/10 degs, then as the new ‘Atlantic’ front comes in we are in for a dry, warm & sunny spell, with patchy clouds, by Saturday/Palm Sunday it’s going up to 23/24 degs, overnight 13/14 degs as the breeze drops.

See below the beach front down in Sabinillas this morning.

Next week ‘ Semana Santa’ is on all the forecasts looking dry, warm & sunny hovering in the low 20s, which is good news for all the local ‘Brotherhoods’ as they start the religious parades/celebrations on ‘ Palm Sunday’ and carry onto ‘Easter Sunday’ –a week later! ‘Fingers Crossed’!!

For our supper this evening we are having the “ Cold Roast Leg of ‘ Halal’ Lamb “ – which was very tasty, moist and easy to carve, we love ‘ Cold-Cuts’ of roast meat, we are having a selection of Vegetables and of course the  ‘ Boulangere Potatoes ‘ On Tuesday evening it’s going to be ‘ Escalope’s of Chicken Breast’ – Wednesday it will be a  ‘Liver & Bacon Casserole’ – then on Thursday ‘ Omelettes of Choice ‘ before Fridays ‘ Fish Night ‘ and Saturdays ‘ Steak Night’ – Sunday is still TBC, but we will not be ‘ Roasting’ Watch this space.

Last night after supper we settled down to watch the next episode of the very exciting, gripping & zigzagging plot, of ‘Line of Duty’ – you can’t take your eyes of the screen and ask any questions as you will miss something! I won’t give it all away as there are still four more episode’s to go, only to say that the undercover cop ( UCC)  who is leading the criminal gang ( 0CG) is sounding genuine?! The double-crosses are piling up, the boss of ‘ AC 12 ‘ is looking scared, is he the main Police super villain?! “ H “  Lots more of corrupt police were uncovered, in all sorts of Police undercover Departments, the two main investigating Detectives have more family problems, as they go deeper into the very dangerous world of the gang of killers, who use blackmail to uncover their police informers, watch this space.

Thoughts for the Day;  See above.

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