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

MONDAY 29^th/ JULY 2019.

We had a nice, very long, lie in this morning, after I was up early to welcome back little’ Miss Bella’ for the day, she didn’t arrive, there was a message from Leah, saying duo to a change of plans it would only be tomorrow! This afternoon ‘ Scruffy’ is back with us for five days in ‘Doggy World Heaven’ – just for a few hours, as Adrian has more radiotherapy treatments over in Malaga, tomorrow also little ‘ Nacho’ is back with us for the day, as James & Michala and their two boys are moving house, in the village, to a large property below the church!

After freshening up we had our regular light breakfast of fresh fruit ( Bananas) toast and tea to get another week on the go, tomorrow afternoon I have an another emergency appointment with our Doctor, Natalia, down at the main ‘Medical Centre’ in Sabinillas, for a review/check up with all my medications, especially including the ‘Blood Glucose’ readings/levels and ‘Insulin’ injections. The only problems are finding somewhere to park at this time of the year, as well as the afternoon ‘ Heat’!

Speaking of the ‘ Heat’ – the sun was out early this morning and there is a light breeze, so the clouds have cleared and the sky is blue, by lunchtime it will reach 31 degs+ tomorrow is going to be the same, with a few patchy clouds, then a little cooler, hovering in the high 20s, before the weekend, when it’s going very hot, back up to 33 degs+ on Saturday and then 35 degs+ on Sunday! The following week is also going to be a ‘Hot-One’  Watch this space.

This coming Saturday we have yet another ‘ Festival’ in sunny Manilva, this one is special to only Manilva, the “ Noche del Embrujo – Night of Enchantment “ with exciting illuminations along ‘ Calle Mar ‘ – Fire Lights & Dancers, with small stages with different singers, dancers and acts, all at the same time! Watch this space.

Over the ‘ Feria Santa Ana’ weekend the ‘Pizzeria’ – two doors down from our house, reopened with new tenants, its’ now called “ Super Mario “ – the first reports, from a friend, are that their pizzas are excellent and very good value!

Staying on the food front, this evening we are having, for a change, some small ‘Brochettes’- that I picked up from the ‘Butchery’ department in ‘ Mercadona’ on Friday, they are diced Turkey, with slices of Red & Green Peppers, I will add some half’s of Shallot & Diced Baby Mushrooms, before cooking them on a very hot ‘ griddle-plate’ – served with finely sliced ‘French’ Green Beans and Baby New Potatoes in their Skins, accompanied with a sauceboat of Tomato sauce!  As usual, at this time of the year we are taking it one day at the time on the ‘Menu’ front! Watch this space.

Yesterday we went out, in the late afternoon, to watch the new band on the second stage at the top of our street, they were the best so far and had the large crowd dancing away, with their ‘ Bolsa/Flamenco’ dance music, in the hot afternoon sunshine.

We then had a early supper, before watching the second episode of “ Poldark” – he’s back down in Cornwall, he’s now a MP in London, saving lives in the mines, chasing  the local villains, bathing his wife in a brass tub in front of the roaring fire, causing  ‘mayhem’  within his old family etc, there is also a ‘Nastie’ man up to no good, killing ‘Poldark’s’ friend back in London, as he’s sorting out all the villagers problems! Watch this space.

We then went back out and first walked down to the main fairground, on the lower field, where there was four main, large rides, the very loud Dodgems, a Flying Saucer, a very large ‘Extreme Swing’ and a ‘Air Blasting Super Ride’ We then came back up to the ‘ Plaza de la Vendimia’ where all the children’s rides are, as well as all the food stalls. We found a seat to watch the very loud, very good, but short ‘ ‘Fireworks’ display to close this year’s ‘ Feria Santa Ana 2019’

See all the pictures above.

Thoughts for the Day;  See above.

....

A NOW WARM, CLOSE AND VERY SUNNY MANILVA ON MONDAY AT THE START OF THE 'WINE FESTIVAL' WEEKEND.

MONDAY 27^th/ AUGUST 2018.   

We had another nice lie in this morning as the village is still quieter than normal after all the celebrations down at the ‘Feria’ in Sabinillas over the weekend, we are bracing ourselves for this coming weekends ‘ Vendemia Wine Festival ‘!

After freshening up Brenda shot down to the local sub-post office to post a birthday card, she had tried last Friday morning and was told that the weighing machine was not working, ‘come back’ on Monday, it was the same result this morning,  so she went to the local ‘ Tabac’ in ‘Calle Mar’ for a stamp, as the post office would not sell her one! She then posted the card in the new post box on the wall of the Town Hall!!  

As I was on the breakfast rota I treated us to my now famous ‘Toasted Crispy Smoked Bacon    
Butties’ – open on brown for Brenda, when she returned, with mugs of strong, sweet, tea, to set us up for the week & weekend ahead( that’s my excuse!)

We have no appointments, so far, this week so on Wednesday we are going across to the ‘La Cañada’ shopping mall, above Marbella, in ‘Doggy World Heaven’ we have little princess ‘ Reina’ with us on Thursday, for the only day this week, it’s, as normal, the ‘ Head Chef’s & Staff’ night-off so we will be going out for our supper, then on Friday morning I will be out on my travels, down to Sabinillas, to brave the holiday hordes & traffic, for our weekly shopping. 

We are also starting to plan our weekend celebrations, for the ‘ Vendemia Wine Festival’ - we are going along on Friday evening to ‘ Bar Castillo’ again, to follow the religious parade, led by the local Brotherhood carrying the ‘ Tableau’ – and the ‘Manilva Brass Band’ followed by the weighing of the grapes, for the largest bunch, before all the music, singing, drinking & dancing kicks off! Watch this space.

At the moment it’s a little grey & overcast, as the sun is struggling to break through, despite there being a slight breeze, by lunchtime it’s forecast to reach only 29 degs, with even the possibility of ‘Rain’ on one of the forecasts?! The rest of the week and over the Festival weekend it’s going to be warm & sunny hovering in the high 20s/low 30s, overnight on the 20 degs mark, with at times patchy clouds and even more of the ‘ wet-stuff’  Watch this space.

Just a quick update on the sports results; Real Madrid won 1-4, Lewis Hamilton was second in the ‘Belgian Grand Prix’ as the ‘Ferrari’ of Vettel was faster! Today the ‘ La Vuelta 2018’ is still local, as it goes from Mijas to Alhaurin de la Torre’ over 178 kms, with a climb just after the start and through the mountains to a ‘flat’finish.

Overnight we had a nice’ news’ update from Sandra & Bill over in Everett, Ontario, Canada, they are relaxing after a busy couple of weeks, next weekend they are going away , again with their trailer, up to ‘Hope Bay’ The weather is still warm but with a beautiful breeze, with lots of ‘ Morning Butterflies’ ( good things to come!) Which must be a sign as it’s only 7 weeks until the folks arrive here down on the Costa Del Sol’ in Sunny Manilva!

See below a picture taken over the family wedding weekend with Bill’s son Dylan and his fiancé Kartiaya, at the back, top left, in front Neil (Pink) and his girlfriend Nicole and on the left ‘Lanner’ with her partner Blake( the Sauce King!) – thank’s for the nice family picture!

For our supper this evening we are keeping things still very simple, ‘ Escalope’s of Chicken Fillet’ – seared on the griddle-plate, and finished in a Lime Butter/Balsamic Vinegar Salsa & garnished with seared Button Mushrooms, served with finely-sliced ‘French’ Green Beans and a Baked Potato. The rest of the weeks Menu’s are be taken one day at the time, watch this space.

Last night after supper we settled down to watch the new BBC TV series “ Bodyguard “ starring the excellent Keely Hawes, as she plays a ruthlessly ambitious ‘Home Secretary’ aiming for the top job -  the opening 20 minute action sequence saw a former special ops soldier confront and disarm a female suicide bomber on a packed commuter train! He then becomes her bodyguard, he has family problems and is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, with hidden suicidal thoughts, played by Richard Madden,  it’s psychological storytelling at it’s best, watch this space, as the second part is this evening, then every Sunday/ Monday for the next two weeks.

Thoughts for the Day;  See above.

..

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

MONDAY 14th SEPTEMBER 2015.

We were up as usual this morning as we had some people coming to see us about looking after their dog, after a quick breakfast  we sorted ourselves out for the week ahead, on Tuesday & Thursday 'Reina' is back with us,then on Wednesday morning we are going across to Estepona to go to the watch repair shop and then onto Marbella for some retail therapy ( shopping!)

On Thursday morning Brenda is going down to her hairdressers in Sabinillas for the 'full work then on Friday morning its our regular weekly shopping down in Sabinillas and a quiet weekend before next weeks birthday celebrations for my 70th birthday on the 24th September!!

There is a slight breeze this morning but its still warm in sunny Manilva with the temperature due to rise to 30 degs today,the rest of the week is looking fine and sunny and could even get a little hotter!

Vic & Helen had made contact with us last week and asked if we could look after their dog 'Scooby' for a week at the start of October,they arrived this morning with him, he's a real character and a pet (see the pictures below) - they are going away with their children for a holiday to Sicily where Vic is from. So we have another guest here in 'Doggy World Heaven' - 'Chispa' came calling and checked out her new friend to be! It was nice chatting to you both with 'Scooby' and we are looking forward to greeting him back.

The hire car people from Marbella that we have used since we arrived down here on the 'Costa Del Sol' all those years ago have confirmed this morning that they are dropping off the car next Monday morning at 11-00 am. I'm down at the surgery first thing on the Monday morning for all sorts of tests so that fits in very well.

Another one of our Pensions arrived in our Spanish Bank A/C this morning and was down, quiet a bit on last months,this means that this month we are loosing a considerable amount overall in September due to the 'Euro' being down, its those 'dammed' Chinese fault again!

We have not planned the Menu's for this week yet, we are just taking each day as it comes; this evening we are having the rest of the 'Rotisserie' Chicken with a nice Mixed Salad.

We will be having our 'Happy Hour' as usual,.it depends on where the workmen are working, we are now both reading Harlan Coben which we are enjoying as we listen to the local radio stations before supper.

Last night we found a film to watch that was written and directed by Quentin Tarrantini ""Django Unchained" from 2012 - its a stylized spaghetti western set in the old west on the 'Antebellum south; it won many awards for the writing and screenplay by Tarrantini! Its stares Jamie Foxx in the title role, Christoph Waitz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Samuel L.Jackson and KerryWashington - catch it is you can just for the acting alone!

Thoughts for the Day; See above.

..