WARM BUT SLIGHTLY OVERCAST SUNNY MANILVA ON THURSDAY;

THURSDAY 10^th/ APRIL 2014.

We had a nice lie in this morning as the street was very quiet, the sun is trying to get through the haze again but the forecast for over the weekend and into next week is fine with with warm sunshine and clear blue skies; last night we had an E-Mail from our new German friends Doreen & Claus to say that they are driving down from Bremen this weekend so we will catch up with them next week.

This coming weekend its finally the official opening of the 'Plaza Pozo Del Rey' on Saturday evening so we will pop along to check out the car park underneath - pictures on Saturday.

Next week is ‘Semana Santa’ week with all the processions from Monday to Easter Sunday; hopefully this year it will stay dry, it’s also a long Bank Holiday weekend as Thursday & Friday are the holidays this year! On Monday lunchtime Josie has asked us for a light lunch on their large balcony at their apartment below us; We are picking a Swedish friend of Lillemor’s up from the bus station over in Marbella on Tuesday evening and then on Easter Sunday we are taking Den & Josie to Gibraltar airport to catch their flight home.

So today its an at home day catching up with the chores, washing, cleaning, polishing, de-frosting, dusting, ironing etc and any other ‘ing’ that Brenda can find! Meanwhile I’ am up in the office ‘checking’ out the WWW!!

We are going for a walk later with the dog and will pick something up from the butchers for tonight’s supper; Brenda has requested Salmon for our Friday ‘Fish Night’ so I’ am thinking of making an old classic dish from the past ‘Salmon en Croute’ – wrapped in Puff pastry and baked in the oven with a Hollandaise sauce on the side watch this space. ‘Steak a la Plancha’ on Saturday and on Sunday we are not roasting so I will think of something possibly a ‘Smoked Chicken & Broad Bean Risotto’!

So this evening we are having marinated 'Brochettes of Pork' served on a bed of Basmati Rice,diamond cut Green Beans with my famous Tomato salsa in the side; the 'Brochettes' are made with Red & Green Peppers,Mushrooms and Onion slices! 

This week has been a very important week for football with the Quarter finals of the ‘UEFA Champions League’ – Real Madrid lost at Borussia Dortmund 2-0 but went through 2-3 on aggregate,Chelsea won 2-0 so it was 3-3 on aggregate but they went through on the away goal rule, then last night Atletico Madrid stunned Barcelona as they won 1-0 - 2-1 agg and went into the semi-final draw before Manchester Utd lost at Bayern Munich 3-1 – 4-2 agg! Hope you are following all this – I will ask questions later !!

Last night on TVE1 the second series of Spanish ‘Master Chef’started; tonight its ‘Soap Night’ after the news.

PS; The pictures above show a ' Statfold Barn's' - " Hudswell Clarke - Lautoka No 11 " on the Welsh Highland Railway this morning on a test run - spectacular shots of the train and North Wales!

Thoughts for the Day; See above.

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MANILVA AT THE START OF THE WEEKEND.

FRIDAY 7^th/ SATURDAY 8th/ DECEMBER 2012.

Well Friday was a bit of a damp one to say the least; we were well and truly soaked as we went down to Sabinillas for the shopping and as we got back to the house the heavens opened! We called into ‘ Lidl’to see if they had any car seat covers left on the offer of the week,Mano had picked up some, but sadly they had all gone, as usual! We topped up with petrol and then went to Mercadona for our regular shopping, on the fish counter, just arrived fresh were some unusual ‘Tiger Soles?!’ – just like Dover Soles but a lot cheaper, they gut and skin them for you, so we had two with four large Gambas as a garnish for our Friday Fish Night! We picked up the papers and some more books from the bookshop and came back up to the village; I then had to change into some dry clothes and then went out again in my full waterproof jacket down to the local market to get some fresh flowers and more Poinsettia’s! On the way back I called into the butchers for our Saturday Night Steak, when I got back Mano and Anna had just arrived so we had a catch up and a cup of tea. In the evening I baked the Tiger Soles a la Meuniere, which we had with Garden Peas and Baby New Potatoes, we then settled down to watch the late film “Red Corner”from 1997 with Richard Gere as the accused of murder businessman in China who is defended by Bal Ling.

Today, Saturday the sun is out and the sky is blue, it is warm and very pleasant and has just reached 19 degs.! See the pictures above taken this morning on our walk, also I have just posted the picture taken this afternoon of ‘Papa Noel ’This morning I made some of my famous Tomato sauce and I’am now following the football in England, Torres has just scored a cracking goal and now a penalty! More later. Next week we are going to be out and about on the Costa Del Sol, on Tuesday we are picking Gillian up from Marbella Bus station, on Wednesday we are going over to Estepona for my haircut, Brenda needs some top up cards for her phone, a battery for her watch and some face cream, we are also going to look for a glass lamp shade for the bedroom. On Thursday we have been asked to join a coach trip to Malaga, more about it when we find out ! Then on Friday morning I have an appointment at the X-Ray department at Estepona Hospital in the morning before our shopping. It’s all happening down here on the Costa Del Sol !!

PS; Oh yes and on Wednesday Paul and David are opening their third Pub/Kitchen - ' The Hanging Gate at Weaverham - good luck and all the best guy's !!!

Thought for the Day;

What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals.

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