Thursday 7th/ Friday 8th August.
First thing in the morning we called into the local doctors in the village and signed the papers and acquired a doctor,so now we are fully into the Spanish system! Friday turned out to be a “ Helluva ” day that we had not planned,In the morning we went to the hypermarket in Estepona as usual and came home and packed everything away,just as Mano called in with Fabio and asked us out for lunch.He had decided to take the day off and switched off his phone at the same time,Anna is away in North Wales till next week so he had brought Fabio out for a walk and then took him back to his Spanish grandparents for lunch as both Carlos and Ana Mari were working at the Aparthotel.We called into a couple of the local bars and then went down to Sabinillas to a beachfront Chiringuito for a “ Frituria de Pescado” Octopus,Squid,Hake,Sea Bream and baby Whitebaite all cooked in a very light batter with chunks of Lemon on the side and served with a salad starter and accompanied with Baby Clams,washed down with the local Tinto de Verano,sat by the beach overlooking Africa on the hottest day of the year so far! What a life! We then came back up to the village and stopped for a couple more drinks in Bodega Augustine before we called into to see Carlos and Anna Mari in their new house and watched the opening of the Olympic games on their new large screen TV.We then came home for a siesta as we had decided to go down to the Feria as Mano had got us tickets to go and see the concert later in the evening.The Feria ground is down in the valley below us and is now a purpose built area for all sorts of avtivities including the local weekly market as well as a large car park for Sabinillas during the summer.The Feria is a very large Spanish festival and also has a very noisy fairground with all sorts of big rides for us adults and small one’s for the children.As in Spain the whole family goes out together from Babies to Great grandmothers! There are all sorts of food outlets and restaurants serving fast food to typically Spanish Tapas such as Whole Baby Grilled Rabbit! The Feria ground is covered in bright fairy lights and starts to get going as the sun goes down and carries on till 4/5 o’cock in the morning from Wednesday to Sunday.On the open air stages there are all sorts of music and dancing as well as local Samba bands and the concert on Friday was a very popular Spanish singer called “ El Arrebato ” who hit the stage at midnight and went on till past two o’clock in the morning,Every body was there to see him and the show was on live on ManilvaTV.The pictures below give you just a taste of it,the blonde in the new sparkled top,Brenda with the latest hair by Gissy,El Aarrebato on stage,who was very loud and got the place rocking,Mano giving Fabio a ride on the small horse’s,our next door neighbour’s son with his wife and new baby son Pablo all dressed up,the family picture is of Rafael,Marjoleine and their six month old daughter with Rafael’s mother and father and Pablo’s mother,They are all related as our next door neighbour is the sister of Marie Luisa,Rafael’s mother!! The last picture is of Juan and Amelia who are Anna and Mano’s best friends and who live in the village and who we have become friends with over the past eight years since we first came to Manilva in 2000.
Saturday, August 09, 2008
Wednesday, August 06, 2008
MANILVA.
Monday4th/ Wednesday6th August.
In the morning we popped down to the shops in Sabinillas and also to pick up a paper to catch up with the weekend news.We now have online on the large PC both English and Spanish newspaper’s,Radio and TV news page’s with video updates from the BBC and MSN as well as the local TV stations on a small mobile TV monitor in the office.I’ve just downloaded a BBC Olympic news page personalized to our tastes so as we can keep up with the news and watch it on the Spanish TVE channel at the same time.At lunchtime we rang Jane in Chester to wish her a happy birthday as she is not back online after moving to a new house; the Skype phone has been updated and is now even better and had no feedback when speaking.We also rang an old friend who worked for us in Colwyn Bay,Hilda, who see’s a lot of our very loyal staff from the Seventy Degrees days, it was her birthday on Tuesday and we had a long chat and caught up with all the news including talking about Liverpool being the Capitol of Culture this year as she is a born and bred Scouser like myself!On Tuesday morning we arranged the hire car for when Tim is here so as we can get about and at the same time we booked for Sunday lunch at our favourite restaurant on the other side of Marbella.He has just phoned from Crete to say that he is looking forward to seeing us next Monday and to check on the weather! Today we got up early and went to the INSS office in Estepona to finish off the paperwork and get a social service number as all the documents arrived over the weekend from England so we will sign on at the local doctors tomorrow.We had set the alarm but did not need it as we were awoken with a bang! It was fireworks to announce the start of the local Feria week which takes place down on the Feria ground in Sabinillas and is a very Spanish festival which celebrates all things Spanish with music,singing,dancing,drinking and eating especially in the evening when the fairground and the whole area is covered in fairy lights.The picture below shows the village band this morning passing the top of our street as the fireworks went off dressed informally and playing lively marching music for the first time! Watch out for the full Feria report and pictures.
In the morning we popped down to the shops in Sabinillas and also to pick up a paper to catch up with the weekend news.We now have online on the large PC both English and Spanish newspaper’s,Radio and TV news page’s with video updates from the BBC and MSN as well as the local TV stations on a small mobile TV monitor in the office.I’ve just downloaded a BBC Olympic news page personalized to our tastes so as we can keep up with the news and watch it on the Spanish TVE channel at the same time.At lunchtime we rang Jane in Chester to wish her a happy birthday as she is not back online after moving to a new house; the Skype phone has been updated and is now even better and had no feedback when speaking.We also rang an old friend who worked for us in Colwyn Bay,Hilda, who see’s a lot of our very loyal staff from the Seventy Degrees days, it was her birthday on Tuesday and we had a long chat and caught up with all the news including talking about Liverpool being the Capitol of Culture this year as she is a born and bred Scouser like myself!On Tuesday morning we arranged the hire car for when Tim is here so as we can get about and at the same time we booked for Sunday lunch at our favourite restaurant on the other side of Marbella.He has just phoned from Crete to say that he is looking forward to seeing us next Monday and to check on the weather! Today we got up early and went to the INSS office in Estepona to finish off the paperwork and get a social service number as all the documents arrived over the weekend from England so we will sign on at the local doctors tomorrow.We had set the alarm but did not need it as we were awoken with a bang! It was fireworks to announce the start of the local Feria week which takes place down on the Feria ground in Sabinillas and is a very Spanish festival which celebrates all things Spanish with music,singing,dancing,drinking and eating especially in the evening when the fairground and the whole area is covered in fairy lights.The picture below shows the village band this morning passing the top of our street as the fireworks went off dressed informally and playing lively marching music for the first time! Watch out for the full Feria report and pictures.
Sunday, August 03, 2008
MANILVA.
Friday 1st/Sunday/ 3rd.August.2008.
August all ready and down on the coast it’s a mad house! At the airport in Malaga over twenty planes an hour land with holiday makers! Up in the village life goes on at it’s usual pace as we keep in the shade mainly and go out in evening when things have cooled down! Brenda picked some flowers up from the market in the village on Friday morning for the house and dropped some off to Anna Mari’s family to say thank you for supper last Saturday.We had a nice comment left on the blog page from one of our very loyal ex-staff in North Wales over the weekend and we have now caught up with all her news,thanks Julie! Anna is off to North Wales on Monday for a few days and the countdown to Tim’s arrival is on with seven days to go! On Saturday morning we had another bed problem,it broke again! It’s an antique and the metal brackets are all gone,Juan the village blacksmith came round in the afternoon and welded it together again! The blond bombshell, Brenda! won’t keep still for me to take a picture as promised!
August all ready and down on the coast it’s a mad house! At the airport in Malaga over twenty planes an hour land with holiday makers! Up in the village life goes on at it’s usual pace as we keep in the shade mainly and go out in evening when things have cooled down! Brenda picked some flowers up from the market in the village on Friday morning for the house and dropped some off to Anna Mari’s family to say thank you for supper last Saturday.We had a nice comment left on the blog page from one of our very loyal ex-staff in North Wales over the weekend and we have now caught up with all her news,thanks Julie! Anna is off to North Wales on Monday for a few days and the countdown to Tim’s arrival is on with seven days to go! On Saturday morning we had another bed problem,it broke again! It’s an antique and the metal brackets are all gone,Juan the village blacksmith came round in the afternoon and welded it together again! The blond bombshell, Brenda! won’t keep still for me to take a picture as promised!
Thursday, July 31, 2008
MANILVA.
Sunday 27th./Thursday 31st. July.
After Saturday night we had a lie in as we did not get to bed until 3-30am.A hearty cooked breakfast started the day on the right note,in the afternoon Brenda was out on the roof terrace reading and I watched the end of the Tour de France,The Spanish rider.Carlos Sastre won! It’s definitely Spain’s year,watch out for the Synchronized Swimming at the Olympics !On Monday we called into the bank in Estepona and the card shop as August is a busy month for birthdays,the cards are in the post,Jane,Ben,Andrea,Anna and Darren! Over the weekend we texted Tim in Crete to see how his holiday was going and he phoned us on Tuesday morning to update us and say that the island is beautiful,he is due to come and stay with us for ten days on the 11th. August! In the afternoon I made a curry for supper.Later on in the evening I ended up on the Pete Price show on Citytalk FM in Liverpool talking about the Wirral,including Port Sunlight,then Chester and North Wales and all the places we had been,the conversation then got onto food costs here in Spain.The show now has a web-cam in the studio at the top of the tower and so I am able to watch what goes on in the high-tec studio at the same time,Pete waved to me to check the time delay,it was six seconds!We called into the fish market in the Hypermarket and bought some very fresh large Gamba’s for supper on Wednesday and in the evening we went for a couple of drinks around the corner on the main street in the cool night air.Today we have just been for a short walk to the butchers and at the same time we met Anna Mari with Fabio outside the shop.This evening Gissy is coming to the house to cut,colour and style Brenda’s hair and give me the once over! Watch out for the picture!!
After Saturday night we had a lie in as we did not get to bed until 3-30am.A hearty cooked breakfast started the day on the right note,in the afternoon Brenda was out on the roof terrace reading and I watched the end of the Tour de France,The Spanish rider.Carlos Sastre won! It’s definitely Spain’s year,watch out for the Synchronized Swimming at the Olympics !On Monday we called into the bank in Estepona and the card shop as August is a busy month for birthdays,the cards are in the post,Jane,Ben,Andrea,Anna and Darren! Over the weekend we texted Tim in Crete to see how his holiday was going and he phoned us on Tuesday morning to update us and say that the island is beautiful,he is due to come and stay with us for ten days on the 11th. August! In the afternoon I made a curry for supper.Later on in the evening I ended up on the Pete Price show on Citytalk FM in Liverpool talking about the Wirral,including Port Sunlight,then Chester and North Wales and all the places we had been,the conversation then got onto food costs here in Spain.The show now has a web-cam in the studio at the top of the tower and so I am able to watch what goes on in the high-tec studio at the same time,Pete waved to me to check the time delay,it was six seconds!We called into the fish market in the Hypermarket and bought some very fresh large Gamba’s for supper on Wednesday and in the evening we went for a couple of drinks around the corner on the main street in the cool night air.Today we have just been for a short walk to the butchers and at the same time we met Anna Mari with Fabio outside the shop.This evening Gissy is coming to the house to cut,colour and style Brenda’s hair and give me the once over! Watch out for the picture!!
Sunday, July 27, 2008
MANILVA VERBENA SANTA ANA 2008.
Saturday 26th.July.
Well the pictures below don’t give you the full atmosphere but we had a “ Helluva ” night in Manilva.The parade starts at 8-00pm and passes through the village twice with the village band lead by the Bandmaster with the Mayor and the councillor’s following the Santa Ana statue.The whole village dressed in their finest follows on behind.The two main bars on the Calle Mar were very busy and the stall holders did a roaring trade.We then joined the Spanish side of the Guerrero family. for supper with all the family sat around a large table on the terrace of the family house,with all sorts of tapas and plancha dishes.After some fine 8 year old rum we then walked back upto the main street where two Samba/Spanish bands played very loud music for dancing until past 3-oo o’clock in the morning.We were guests of the local PP party and danced the night away as we drunk a very fine chilled bottle of Cava with Mano and Anna.Carlos looked after us during the night and kept the drinks flowing,thanks! And also “ Muchas Gracias” to the family who as usual made us very welcome in their lovely house with over thirty of them including the great grandmother sat at the head of the table!
Well the pictures below don’t give you the full atmosphere but we had a “ Helluva ” night in Manilva.The parade starts at 8-00pm and passes through the village twice with the village band lead by the Bandmaster with the Mayor and the councillor’s following the Santa Ana statue.The whole village dressed in their finest follows on behind.The two main bars on the Calle Mar were very busy and the stall holders did a roaring trade.We then joined the Spanish side of the Guerrero family. for supper with all the family sat around a large table on the terrace of the family house,with all sorts of tapas and plancha dishes.After some fine 8 year old rum we then walked back upto the main street where two Samba/Spanish bands played very loud music for dancing until past 3-oo o’clock in the morning.We were guests of the local PP party and danced the night away as we drunk a very fine chilled bottle of Cava with Mano and Anna.Carlos looked after us during the night and kept the drinks flowing,thanks! And also “ Muchas Gracias” to the family who as usual made us very welcome in their lovely house with over thirty of them including the great grandmother sat at the head of the table!
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