A WARM & SUNNY MANILVA ON WEDNESDAY.

WEDNESDAY 13^th/ SEPTEMBER 2017.

I was up first this morning and took ‘ Charlie’ for his first walk of the day, after he jumped on top of me to tell me that it was time to go out! Brenda grabbed a quick shower before we returned, I will have one later, we then had our normal breakfast of ‘ Weetabix’ toast & tea.

I then made the ‘ Chicken Curry’ for this evenings supper, leaving it in the capable hands of the ‘ Second Chef’ to cook out, I then shot up to the office/studio to catch up with the E-Mails, Facebook messages etc before typing & posting today’s Blog.

This morning the light breeze has returned so it’s a little cooler, down to 27/28 degs, yesterday in parts of the ‘ Costa Del Sol ‘ it reached 36/37 degs! The sky has cleared and the sun is out, tomorrow it due back to 33 degs, before the weekend settles down again, next week is going to be warm & sunny, in the high 20s, watch this space.

See the pictures below of Llandudno on a sunny day, in the bottom picture you can see on the left, our old friend, Geoff Lofthouse,s Hotel ‘The Imperial ‘ where he has been the General Manager for nearly 20 years, it’s the one with the four pointed roof!

We are taking things easy today ‘again’ – relaxing, doing nothing in particular, because we can! We will go out with ‘ Charlie’ when he lets us know it’s time, when we go along ‘Calle Mar’ everybody makes a fuss of him, because he’s so friendly and also he’s known around the village.

Yesterday evening after supper we watched the second episode of ‘ Doctor Foster ‘ ‘Gemma’ with Suranne Jones in the title role, the ex- husband is after revenge, where did he get all the money from?! His new young wife could be having an affair, he set up his ex-accounant, when out for drink and his wife has now chucked him out?! The new doctor in the practice was at University with the ex-husband, can she be trusted?!  Her son’s school teacher chased Gemma and succeeded after an early breakfast, her son meanwhile was in a fight at school with his best mate and was expelled, who will he live with?! Watch this space.

Thoughts for the Day;  See above.

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A VERT HOT & SUNNY MANILVA ON THURSDAY.

THURSDAY 27^th/ JULY 2017.

I was up early again this morning to see ‘ Reina’ back with us for the day, she shot back to bed with us, she’s back tomorrow morning when ‘ Chico’ is joining us for a sleep over until Sunday evening, we all had a good lie in, the music didn’t stop until after 3-00 am this morning!

The village is very quiet with just the ‘Council Cleansing Department’ at work, using the machines and our local street cleaners, nothing is happening today, so it’s a rest day before three days of partying for the ‘Annual Feria’

On Friday morning the ‘ Charanga Chichipom’ Band parades around the streets, the ‘Fair’ is then officially opened, with music & dancing to two bands on the stages, at midnight the main act ‘ Las Carlotas’ takes to the stage. The Fairground is down by the sports complex and the Plaza de Vendimia ‘is full of food/craft stalls, all the bars have large temporary bars with extra tables and chairs along the main street.

On Saturday morning there is children’s games and the main parade with floats with the ‘Feria Queens’ comes along led by the band at 8-00  pm followed by a dance performance by the ‘Flamenco School’ – then two more bands into the next day!

Sunday is a day fair in ‘Calle Mar’- at 2-00 pm another two bands hit the stages then at around 8-00 pm there is concert by the group ‘Planet 80’ which will perform some of the classic hits from the ‘ Golden Age of Pop’ Finally at around 11-00 pm the ‘ Firework ‘ display will light up the night sky! We will survive !!

Today has started very pleasant with the sun out, the sky blue and just the hint of a little breeze, tomorrow we are in for a hot one – 35 degs+ and over the weekend more of the same ,hovering in the mid 30s, next week it’s more of the same, watch this space.

I’ve just made a large pan of my famous ‘ Beef, Mushroom & Vegetable Casserole’ which I then add diced Potatoes to, making it into a proper pan of ‘ Scouse’ – we will live off it over the weekend, with lots of local pickled Beetroot on the side!

Last night we settled on a table outside ‘ Bar Rojas’ and stayed there for the evening, Susana looked after us, we had, before she was overrun by the masses, ‘ Orange Chicken Casserole ‘ for Brenda and two ‘Campo Fried Eggs’ for me – both served with her very nice, once-cooked, in Olive Oil, ‘ Frits’ – like all the local Bars she has a limited menu and all the drinks are served in plastic cups as directed by the Council, our drinks came in our usual glasses. The whole village, dressed in their finest, passes by, the ladies in their best ‘ Flamenco’ dresses.

After the parade of the ‘Tableau of Santa Ana ‘ the two bands kicked off, see above the procession pictures and the bands on the two stages.

PS; The local workmen/friend that was coming this evening to re-grout the upstairs bathroom has cancelled, as we thought/suspected he would, we met  him last night, it sounds like he will be with us on Tuesday morning, as Monday is a local Bank Holiday! " Hasta Manana " 

Thoughts for the Day;  See above.

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A CLOUDY & OVERCAST SUNNY MANILVA ON WEDNESDAY;

WEDNESDAY 20^th / JULY 2016.

I was up first this morning and saw ‘ Reina ‘ back for the day, she’s being picked up later this evening as Daniela is collecting Lee up from the Airport in Gibraltar after she finishes work, we all then had a little lie in until the gas bottle delivery man came down our street blowing his horn! After breakfast Brenda went along to the Chemists in ‘ Calle Mar ‘ for her tablets, I’m due for mine in the next couple of days.

This morning its a little over cast, cloudy and very close, there is the sound of thunder in the air and at one time it was spotting, the street is covered in sand as its the ‘ Sahara Rain’ that at this time of the year blows across from Africa, its the tail end of the storms that are hitting the UK at the moment after their ‘one day’ of summer! By lunchtime it will be back to normal for the time of the year, see the forecast below, the picture shows the cloud formations over Puerto de al Duquesa first thing this morning.

For our supper this evening we are having the rest of the ‘ Chicken, Mushroom & Tarragon Casserole’ – tomorrow its the ‘ Chef & Staff’s’ night off so we are having a Tapas supper along at ‘Bar Castillo’ before going down to the Cultural Centre ‘ Casa del Torres’ for the Tango Concert, on Friday its going to be my famous ‘ Seafood Risotto ‘ and Saturday will be ‘ Steak Night’

Today’s Stage 17 of the “ Tour De France “ goes into the Alps for the next four days, today is starts in Berne & ends in Finhaut-Emosson after 184 kms of climbs, Chris Froome will be looking to retain the race leaders Yellow Jersey, Mark Cavendish has left the Tour to focus on the Olympic Games where he is completing in the track racing for the first time in 8 years as he looks to add a Gold Medal ( his first!) to his collection, in the ‘Omnium’ Race. See the route map below. Watch this space.

We are taking things easy today with nothing planned, its an at home day catching up with the chores, later we will watch the ‘ Tour ‘ and then the ‘ Quiz ‘ shows before supper, later I will channel hop and find a film to watch, not forgetting our Happy Hour cocktails!

Thoughts for the Day; See above.

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A VERY WARM AND SUNNY MANILVA ON TUESDAY;

TUESDAY 10^th/ MARCH 2015.

I was up before the workmen arrived this morning to welcome ‘ReIna’ for the day, she’s back on Thursday as well; they then started on knocking down the wall that backs onto my office which will take a few days, then it will be the same wall next to the kitchen – no rest for the wicked!

Today's progress !

After breakfast we went out for our first walk of the day with ‘Reina’ and I called into our butchers for two ‘English’ style thick-cut ‘Pork Chops’ for tonight’s supper, I also bought a Chicken Leg & Thigh with bone out to go in tomorrows casserole; we then went down to our local hone grown greengrocers for some Red & Green Peppers and for Brenda some fresh Broad Beans in their pods.( she eats them as she is taking them out of their pods)!

We then sat in the ‘Plaza de la Vendimia’ and took in the very warm sunshine as today we have yet again another glorious day here in sunny Manilva,the forecast is for more of the same for the rest of week- 22degs!

For our second walk of the day we went down to the Mirador overlooking the mountains and down to the 'Med' glimmering in the very hot sunshine - what a fine day here in sunny Manilva!

So for tonight’s supper we are having ‘Baked Pork Chops’ with glazed ‘Fuji’ Apple slices, Brenda is preparing Cabbage with fresh Aselgas from our neighbours Campo and a little ‘Bouquetiere’ of vegetables, I’m making some ‘Breton Style’ Potatoes – boiled then cubed and tossed with diced Red & Green Peppers, Onions & Garlic in foaming butter.

When we were out we found that the council have stared to work on a new and improved street surface down the length of Calle Iglesia, the services including drains and water are also being updated, this is very good except for the fact that it’s the main street from the church into the village and the ‘Semana Santa’ Holy Week procession are in the first week of April?! Watch this space.

Over the last couple of evenings we have watched two strange films, last night it was a film written and directed by Woody Allen and filmed in London “ Cassandra’s Dream” from 2007 with Ewan McGregor, Colin Farrel,Tim Wilkinson,Hayey Atwell & Sally Hawkins – a thriller with a difference! The night before it was “ Battle; Los Angeles” from 2011 with Aaron Elkhart leading a Platoon of Marines fighting an Alien invasion – all ‘Gung & no Ho’!!

This evening there is a ‘Champions League’ match on ‘TVE 1’ as Real Madrid welcome the German team Schalke? and then a good film after it finishes.

PS; Today is the start of Jump Racing's showpiece '" Cheltenham Festival" which I will try and follow later on one of my live Sports Channels on the large PC.I've got a very good coverage via 'First Row Sports' with the 'Racing UK' punters channel - a beautiful day at Cheltenham with a large crowd - see below;

" The Druids Nephew" jumps the last to win the 3rd race of the day!

Thoughts for the Day; See above.

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