MANILVA 31ST DECEMBER 2011 " NEW YEARS EVE "

SATURDAY 31st DECEMBER 2011.

After our breakfast on Saturday morning we went for a walk with Cheta around the village and ended up down at the sports hall, it was a practice day for all the junior Basketball teams; the weather for the weekend is clear blue skies and sun and the forecast for next week is more of the same over the big holiday weekend here in Spain, next Friday is ‘Epiphany ’or ‘Day of the Three Kings ’and is when they celebrate and give lots of presents like our Christmas. The street parade in the village along Calle Mar is on Thursday evening – watch out for the pictures next week. At lunchtime we went up to Bar Rojas and sat under the Sonbrajo in the warm sunshine and has some Tapas, Diced Pork in a rich Tomato sauce and Prawns in a Chili sauce-with Patatas Fritas .On the house with a complementary drink – thanks Manolo and Lumy ! Feliz Ano Nuevo !! Last night as I was ‘Hopping ’through the channels I came across a English Period Drama, which we had not seen before; we soon realized that it was “ Downton Abbey ” the big new ITV hit programme,the episode that we watched was very moving as it took place in 1918 as they brought the ‘ Upstairs and Downstairs ’injured family members home – great period atmosphere and great acting – one to watch. Later I also caught the Liverpool v Newcastle game, Liverpool won 3-1 and Gerrard came on and scored.

In the evening after a little siesta we had our usual Saturday night dinner, Pan Fried Peppered Steak with Sauté Mushroom and Onions and crisp Chips with thinly sliced Green Beans, Brenda likes her Garlic so I deep fry the Garlic Cloves, whole like Lumy does, Spanish Style ! Later in the evening Mano and Anna where able to join us for a toast drink ‘ Cava Rosado ’ and we then walked around to the family house in Calle Iglasia to see in the New Year – Ana Mari’s Carlos’s wife, parents Manolo and Antonia always make us very welcome as all the family sit down to a large family dinner- Spanish style- Antonia is the best cook in Manilva and the table is always full of all sorts of traditional dish’s. More Cava flowed as a family ‘ Pastoral ’singing broke out, with all the instruments including a ‘ Zambomba ’As the New Year arrives the tradition is the eat twelve Grapes on the chimes,small seedless preferred ! We them walked back to the house as Mano was in work, early on Sunday morning, on the TV we then had watched another New Years Eve celebration from Tenerife who like England are an hour behind us !

We would like to wish all our family and friends a ‘ Healthy, Wealthy and Happy’ 2012.

‘ Feliz Ano Nuevo ’ from Sunny Manilva !!



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CASA OLIMPIA.

Monday/Thursday 27th/31st December 2009.

After the long Xmas weekend we took things easy on Monday and Tuesday and just pottered about the house and caught up with some reading; Turkey Curry was on the menu for Monday and kept popping up during the week! On Wednesday morning we went down to Tarifa to do the shopping and at the same time we took Boo to the vets for another check up. He is fine and the tablets are working! The same as me!!! Today I was up and out before 7-30am to go to the bank in Estepona to collect a cash transfer to pay the water bill, it eventually came through but it was to late to get to the office to settle the account. Tonight we are having Steak and Frits for dinner and are then going to watch the New Year in with Jools Holland, at twelve o’clock we will go out on the top balcony and listen to the ships horns in the Bay of Gibraltar as we crack open a bottle of something sparkling to toast a happy and healthy 2010 as well as a more prosperous one, fingers crossed!!

MANILVA 1ST JANUARY 2009.

FELIZ ANO NUEVO FROM SUNNY MANILVA.