A VERY WARM & SUNNY MANILVA ON THURSDAY.

THURSDAY 4^th/ JANUARY 2018.

I was up early again this morning to see ‘ Reina’ back with us for the day, we then all had a little lie in before breakfast, ‘Toasted Sausage Butties’ smothered in ‘HP’ Brown Sauce, open, as usual for Brenda, with mugs of steaming tea. We then got the shopping list ready for tomorrow morning, when I’m out on my travels down in Sabinillas for the weekly shopping.

Sadly it looks like I will have to go down on the bus, again, as the car problem has hit us again! The noise was the front wheel bearings, but there is also a problem, now, with the radiator, all this is the result of the bad bump I had earlier in the year! So we are waiting to hear when the car will be ready, fingers crossed later today, but we can’t be sure, we of course need the car on Sunday, when we are going out for lunch with our friend, Joyce ( Baby) Watch this space.

We have the start of another glorious day down here on the ‘ Costa Del Sol’ this morning, the sun was out early and the sky is already bright blue, there is just a little breeze, by lunchtime it’s forecast to reach the heady heights of 22/23 degs+!  Tomorrow is now forecast to be dry but colder, as the ‘Atlantic’ front comes in, on Saturday it’s going to be a lot cooler with the threat of some of the wet stuff, then on Sunday and next week it’s keeping cold, with rain on some days, watch this space.

This evening for our supper we are having savoury ‘Beef Burgers’ topped with crispy Smoked Back Bacon, with a fry-up of the left-over vegetables, from last night and the rest of Brenda’s famous Mashed Potato. Friday is ‘ Fish Night’ & Saturday ‘ Steak Night’ !!

Tomorrow afternoon we are going along to ‘Bar Pedreta’ for the wedding reception celebrations of James & Michala, after they get married in Gibraltar in the morning. In the evening it’s the ‘ Three Kings’ parade, which is now taking place on the far side of the village, depending on the weather!

After supper last night we channel hopped and watched nothing in particular.

Thoughts for the Day;  See above.

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THOUGHTS FOR THE DAY FROM A VERY SUNNY MANILVA;

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A VERY WARM & SUNNY MANILVA ON WEDNESDAY.

WEDNESDAY 3^rd/ JANUARY 2018.

As usual I was up early this morning to see ‘Reina’ back with us for the day, she shot upstairs and joined us for a little lie in, before going into her duvet, I had a call  from Lucy asking if we could look after ‘ Chico’ for another week, starting next Tuesday, which we are delighted to, we then got the day on the go, after our regular breakfast of ‘Weetabix’ toast & tea, I made a rich ‘Red Wine Onion Gravy’ to go with this evenings supper.

Brenda popped along to the local Chemists for our prescription tablets, on the way back she called into the shop at the bottom of our street for some essentials, local workmen are in the old ‘ Bodega Andaluz’ - two doors down from our house, getting it ready for the official opening next Wednesday as a ‘ Pizzeria ‘

I then put the old gas bottle out to be exchanged later, the car is being dropped off at lunchtime by Pedro Jnr. - fingers crossed that that’s it for the last time this year?! I called our dear friend Joyce ( Baby) over in Alhaurain el Grande to wish her ‘ Happy New Year’ – we have arranged to meet her this coming Sunday for lunch at one of our favourite restaurants ‘Kokomo ‘ for their excellent ‘Sunday Roast Lunch’

This morning the sun was out early and the sky has cleared and is now bright blue, there is no breeze so it’s very hot in the sun, warm on the other side of the street, by lunchtime it’s due to reach 21/22 degs+ - the forecast is for some of the wet stuff on Friday before the ‘Atlantic front come in, over the weekend, and hits us with cold & wet weather next week, watch this space.

The promenade & beach down in Sabinillas at lunchtime today.

At lunchtime we ended up outside 'Bar Rojas ' for a cool drink sat in the very hot sunshine!

For our supper this evening we are having ‘ Pan-Seared Calves Liver’ dusted in seasoned flour, with grilled English Smoked Back Bacon & English Pork Sausages, the Red Wine Onion Gravy in a sauceboat, the ‘Vegetable Chef’ is preparing her famous ‘ Mashed Potato’ & whole Baby French Green Beans.

Last night after supper we watched the second episode of “ McMafia “ – the crime drama remains an irresistibly intriguing and decidedly moreish affair; it all kicked-off in Egypt, with a Russian girl was kidnapped and over a series of brutal scenes was sold as a sex  worker/slave, the plot thickened around the World, a  dodgy Polish gangster was thrown off a balcony to his death, the main characters ex Russian gangster farther, had a failed suicide attempt, back in London, then at the end the Russian girl re-appeared in Israel at the home of the shadowy investor played by David Strathairn, watch this space.

Thoughts for the Day ;  See above.

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THOUGHTS FOR THE DAY FROM A VERY SUNNY MANILVA;

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A WARM & SUNNY MANILVA ON TUESDAY.

TUESDAY 2nd/ JANUARY 2018.

I was up early this morning to see little princess ‘ Reina’ back with us for the day, she shot upstairs and we all had a nice lie in, she then goes in her duvet, as we are freshening up before breakfast, she’s with us for four days this week, ‘Chispa’ has been in and out all morning, we had our ‘Weetabix’ toast & tea and then sorted ourselves out.

I  popped down to Sabinillas and called into the ‘English Bookshop ‘for a wedding card, on the way back I stopped at the local Garage were Pedro Snr & Jnr came for a drive in the car and straight away confirmed that the front wheel bearings need replacing, I’ve left the car with them and it will be ready tomorrow, watch this space.

I have just been along to the local bank in ‘Calle Mar’ – the Contractors workers are out in force ( 6) for a change, to pay the electricity bill, I also ordered from the local Bakery the traditional “ Roscon de Ryes “ cake to be eaten on January 6^th on the ‘ Dia de Reyes’ celebrations! Inside the cake is a small trinket ( a figurine of the Christ Child ) – whoever finds the Jesus figurine is blessed after taking it to church!!

See below a sample picture;

We have just spoken to Tim & Thea on the Facebook Messenger Video link, to wish him  Tim ‘ Happy Birthday’ up in Mojacar, we also spoke to their daughter Jo, who is with them for a couple of days, before she returns to work in Madrid later in the week.

We have another glorious day down here on the ‘ Costa Del Sol’ this morning, the sun was out early and the sky is bright blue, there is just a very little breeze, making it very pleasant, in the sun it’s hot, by lunchtime it’s due to reach 21/22 degs+ - the next couple of the days are the same, before the cold front comes in off the Atlantic on Friday, with some of the wet stuff, at the same time, the weekend is looking cold, next week is now forecast to be a little better, picking up as the week goes on, watch this space.

See below a picture of one of the local parks down tin Sabinillas this morning.

For our supper this evening we are having ‘ Cold Roast Topside of Beef ‘ which is ‘ Pink’ and juicy, we love ‘ Cold-Cuts’ of roast meats, I carve the joint using my finest ‘ Sabatier’ French carving knife, with a selection of fresh vegetables and the rest of the ‘ Goose-Fat’ Roast Potatoes, accompanied with Horseradish sauce. On Wednesday it’s going to be ‘Pan-Seared Calves Liver ‘ – Thursday is a ‘ Fridge’ day, on Friday, by tradition, we will have Fish, Saturday will be our ‘ Streak Night’ and on Sunday it’s still TBC, watch this space.

On Friday morning I will be out on my travels down in Sabinillas for the weekly shopping, in the afternoon we have been asked to the small wedding celebration of James & Michala, at one of the local Bars, after they are married in Gibraltar in the morning, in the early evening it’s the parade for the start of the ‘Three Kings’ celebrations, we are waiting to hear the new route, watch this space.

Last night after supper we settled down to watch the first episode of the new series on BBC TV 1 “ McMafia “ – the second episode is this evening, starring James Norton ( the new James Bond?! ) as the son of a ex Russian gangster, an international thriller, with money launderers in Dubai, global crime & corporate corruption, cybercriminals in India, black marketers in Zagreb, druglords in Colombia and Bedouin smugglers in the Negev desert, all in the first episode, not forgetting his uncles murder, by a caviar knife to the throat!  Watch this space.

Thoughts for the Day;  See above.

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THOUGHTS FOR THE DAY FROM A VERY SUNNY MANILVA;

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A VERY SUNNY MANILVA ON MONDAY, " NEW YEARS DAY 2018 "

MONDAY 1^st/ JANUARY 2018.      “ NEW YEARS DAY 2018.

No lie in this morning after a very late night, our friend Andy joined us for our ‘New Years Eve’ celebrations, we had a few drinks and then at midnight here in Spain, as we were watching the ‘TVE 1’ programme from the main square in Madrid, we on the 12 chimes of midnight ate our 12 grapes, by tradition, before a nice glass/or two of chilled Cava.

We then turned over to ‘ BBC TV 2’ to catch ‘ Jools Annual Hootenanny ‘ and see in the New Year for a second time, with more Cava and drinks later, I turned over to ‘BBC TV 1’ to watch the spectacular fireworks display from The River Thames, in front of the London Eye, it was a ‘Son et Lumiere ‘ with the ‘ Bongs’ of Big Ben in the background, it was from three large barges on the river, 10,000 fireworks that took over 20 mins!

We then watched  ‘Jools’ with his guests, Ed Sheeran, Mavis Staple, George McCrea, Jose Feliciano, Ruby Turner, Beth Ditto & Jessie Ware and ‘ Trombone Shorty, The Beat, Soul 11 Soul and the Pipes & Drums of the Scots Guards ‘ ! The highlights were George McCrea singing ‘ Rock Your Baby ‘ and the voice of Mavis Staple!

We were not finished, as we saw Andy off home we heard loud music ( English ) coming from ‘Bar Rojas’ – it was a ‘ Helluva’ party with dancing, all our local Spanish neighbours were singing along, we joined them and had another drink to finish off the evening, coming down our street, feeling no pain, at 4-00 am this morning!!

   “ Welcome 2018 !! “

This morning little princess ‘ Reina’ was collected by Daniela, she is back tomorrow morning and then for the next three days, this evening ‘ Scruffy’ is here with us in ‘ Doggy World Heaven ‘ for the evening. ‘ Chispa ‘ has been in & out all the time over the New Year’s celebrations.

The sun was out early this morning and sky is bright blue, there is just a very light breeze so by lunchtime it will be 17/18degs+ - then for the next three days it’s going to be warmer, reaching 21/22 degs+ but on Friday, for 3/4 days the cold/wet front hits us, the temperatures are dropping to a very low, for us, 11/12 degs, overnight down to 5/6 degs?! Watch this space.

For supper this evening we are having ‘ Roast Topside Of English Beef ‘ ( cooked ‘Pink ‘ ) with Yorkshire Puddings and finger-licking Pan Gravy, accompanied with ‘Goose Fat Roast Potatoes ‘ – the ‘ Vegetable Chef ‘ is preparing whole Baby Carrots & Turnip Batons, Cabbage with Acelgas, Cauliflower & Broccoli Florets in a three Cheese sauce & Garden Peas.

At the moment we are watching and listening to the New Year’s Day Concert, live from the ‘ Golden Hall of Musikverein’ in Vienna, with the ‘Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra ‘ playing music by Strauss,  this afternoon we will catch the ‘ National Hunt Racing ‘ from Cheltenham & Musselburgh, later we find a film/ or two to watch, yesterday is was three old classic ‘ Cowboy’ movies with John Wayne, Burt Lancaster & Robert Redford!

Later this evening we are due to make a ‘ Skype’ video call to Sandra & Bill over in a very cold & snowy Everett, Ontario, Canada to wish them a very ‘ Healthy, Wealthy & Happy New Year’ for 2018.

Thoughts for the Day;  See above.

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