Tuesday, January 06, 2009
MANILVA.
Saturday 3rd.January.
Today was a quiet day at home to catch up and relax after the New Year celebrations; the weather is fine with sun and blue skies during the day and cool in the evening,the temperature is now back up to 16/18 degs. which is still cold for this time of the year here!In the evening we had Steak and Frits for supper,we picked up the Steak from the butcher in the village,Sirloin and it was delicious.
Sunday 4th.January.
After our usual Sunday lie in we went for a walk down to Post Office.it only opens during the week for an hour every morning but the post is still reaching England in three days although it takes a little longer to reach us!We then stopped in Bar Rochas for Tapas and a drink,they look after us very well,the owner now stocks a very nice Rosado for Brenda and plenty of Bacardi for me!As I was on the PC later in the day we found out that Ben, Carol’s son, has become engaged to Andrea on New Years Day so we got on the Skype phone to wish them all the best for the future. Over the weekend we decided to have a party on Monday for the Three Kings Day so we asked everybody round and Vidal and Gissy also as a surprise to make the table up to ten;we pulled the Spanish Turkey out of the deep freeze and I plan to re-stuff it with the filling and then stitch it !
Today was a quiet day at home to catch up and relax after the New Year celebrations; the weather is fine with sun and blue skies during the day and cool in the evening,the temperature is now back up to 16/18 degs. which is still cold for this time of the year here!In the evening we had Steak and Frits for supper,we picked up the Steak from the butcher in the village,Sirloin and it was delicious.
Sunday 4th.January.
After our usual Sunday lie in we went for a walk down to Post Office.it only opens during the week for an hour every morning but the post is still reaching England in three days although it takes a little longer to reach us!We then stopped in Bar Rochas for Tapas and a drink,they look after us very well,the owner now stocks a very nice Rosado for Brenda and plenty of Bacardi for me!As I was on the PC later in the day we found out that Ben, Carol’s son, has become engaged to Andrea on New Years Day so we got on the Skype phone to wish them all the best for the future. Over the weekend we decided to have a party on Monday for the Three Kings Day so we asked everybody round and Vidal and Gissy also as a surprise to make the table up to ten;we pulled the Spanish Turkey out of the deep freeze and I plan to re-stuff it with the filling and then stitch it !
Friday, January 02, 2009
MANILVA 2009.
Wednesday 31st December 2008.
As we went out to the local shops it was warm and sunny,we called into the butchers and thanked him for the two Spanish Christmas Turkeys which turned out to be very good;we also collected a new calendar from the Opticians in the Main Street for the office wall.For lunch we had good old Egg and chips to line the stomach ready for the nights celebrations! We walked down to Carlos’s house later in the evening to join Mano and Anna,Ana Mari with Fabio and Carlos when he got in from work later for supper.When Carlos arrived we sat down to Sirloin Steak and Frits with Fried Peppers and Mushrooms accompanied with a pepper sauce then as midnight approached we opened a bottle of very nice pink Cava, which we dropped all the wedding rings into the glasses,a Spanish tradition and at the same time we had little cups filled with twelve Grapes which you eat on the chimes at midnight,the secret is to use tinned grapes as they are easier to eat! The beer flowed, the wine kept coming and my Bacardi and Coke were just right as the night went on,Fabio was a non stop whirl of energy as we watched the Spanish equivalent of Jools Holland and then had a rather loud game of Trivial Pursuits and at the same time we introduced Fabio to Party Poppers! On the way home we found out that the only two clubs in the village,which was dead when we walked down earlier, had opened;One of them is in what looks like a deserted house just by the roundabout and the other is opposite the Police Headquarters underneath a block of flats! The village streets where full of cars,hundreds of them parked in every possible space,but not a sole in site!They were all in the clubs,except for us! As we arrived home I let in the New Year and yes I did have in my pocket a little parcel of Suger,Tea and Coal for good luck.
Thursday 1st January 2009.
After a nice lie in we had a late breakfast of Brenda’s famous Poached Eggs on Toast with a glass of Pink Cava to welcome in the New Year in the right way! We then hit the Skype phone and rang all the family and friends we could think of to wish them all the best for 2009.In the afternoon Gissy rang to say that she would come and cut our hair and so I picked her up from Duquesa Marina as Vidal had a New Years Day gig at one of his regular spots.We caught up with all their Christmas news as we had not seen them since the start of December,we do miss seeing them as they live on the other side of Estepona now.In the evening after I had dropped Gissy back down to the marina we settled down to watch some TV and found that they were showing the Coldplay concert when they played live in front of the BBC headquarters in London,we had seen it before but it was still very good to watch again even though we don’t like them much! For Supper we had the stew from the day before which we are living on for now!
Friday 2nd January.
The weather over this weekend is not very good and the forecast for the start of next week when it is the Big Christmas celebrations for the Spanish people,it is a Bank Holiday on Monday and Tuesday for the “ Three Kings” and this is when they go mad and celebrate and give presents,much more than at Christmas. At lunchtime today we went down to Sabinillas as we had an appointment at the solicitors office to re sign the contract on the house,In Spain it is 11 months at a time so we have to renegotiate every year at this time,keep all your fingers crossed as we have few problems at the moment with the Pound now being down to one Euros!
Tonight we are having a quiet night in and watching TV,not forgetting to mention Tim our dear friend in Colwyn Bay who’s birthday it is today,he is having a Helluva party at a friends house tonight and we will be having a drink to toast him,later!
As we went out to the local shops it was warm and sunny,we called into the butchers and thanked him for the two Spanish Christmas Turkeys which turned out to be very good;we also collected a new calendar from the Opticians in the Main Street for the office wall.For lunch we had good old Egg and chips to line the stomach ready for the nights celebrations! We walked down to Carlos’s house later in the evening to join Mano and Anna,Ana Mari with Fabio and Carlos when he got in from work later for supper.When Carlos arrived we sat down to Sirloin Steak and Frits with Fried Peppers and Mushrooms accompanied with a pepper sauce then as midnight approached we opened a bottle of very nice pink Cava, which we dropped all the wedding rings into the glasses,a Spanish tradition and at the same time we had little cups filled with twelve Grapes which you eat on the chimes at midnight,the secret is to use tinned grapes as they are easier to eat! The beer flowed, the wine kept coming and my Bacardi and Coke were just right as the night went on,Fabio was a non stop whirl of energy as we watched the Spanish equivalent of Jools Holland and then had a rather loud game of Trivial Pursuits and at the same time we introduced Fabio to Party Poppers! On the way home we found out that the only two clubs in the village,which was dead when we walked down earlier, had opened;One of them is in what looks like a deserted house just by the roundabout and the other is opposite the Police Headquarters underneath a block of flats! The village streets where full of cars,hundreds of them parked in every possible space,but not a sole in site!They were all in the clubs,except for us! As we arrived home I let in the New Year and yes I did have in my pocket a little parcel of Suger,Tea and Coal for good luck.
Thursday 1st January 2009.
After a nice lie in we had a late breakfast of Brenda’s famous Poached Eggs on Toast with a glass of Pink Cava to welcome in the New Year in the right way! We then hit the Skype phone and rang all the family and friends we could think of to wish them all the best for 2009.In the afternoon Gissy rang to say that she would come and cut our hair and so I picked her up from Duquesa Marina as Vidal had a New Years Day gig at one of his regular spots.We caught up with all their Christmas news as we had not seen them since the start of December,we do miss seeing them as they live on the other side of Estepona now.In the evening after I had dropped Gissy back down to the marina we settled down to watch some TV and found that they were showing the Coldplay concert when they played live in front of the BBC headquarters in London,we had seen it before but it was still very good to watch again even though we don’t like them much! For Supper we had the stew from the day before which we are living on for now!
Friday 2nd January.
The weather over this weekend is not very good and the forecast for the start of next week when it is the Big Christmas celebrations for the Spanish people,it is a Bank Holiday on Monday and Tuesday for the “ Three Kings” and this is when they go mad and celebrate and give presents,much more than at Christmas. At lunchtime today we went down to Sabinillas as we had an appointment at the solicitors office to re sign the contract on the house,In Spain it is 11 months at a time so we have to renegotiate every year at this time,keep all your fingers crossed as we have few problems at the moment with the Pound now being down to one Euros!
Tonight we are having a quiet night in and watching TV,not forgetting to mention Tim our dear friend in Colwyn Bay who’s birthday it is today,he is having a Helluva party at a friends house tonight and we will be having a drink to toast him,later!
Thursday, January 01, 2009
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
MANILVA.
Saturday/Tuesday 27th/30th December.
Saturday 27th.
During the day we got our selves sorted for the invasion of the Guerrero clan for dinner! We had some tapas to start with along with Pink Cava and then Roast Rib of Beef on the bone along with Cabbage,Mashed Carrots and Turnips,glazed Green Beans and garden Peas together with a stack of Roast Potatoes in Duck Fat,all washed down with Sangre de Toro,Torres.We just about got ten of us around two tables,we put a heater in the chill out room uptairs for the smokers,that’s everybody and the front door was open to create more space and as they passed in the street our neighbors called in! Sally and her kids are leaving for Tenerife first thing in the morning so I got her to write a message in our guest book before she left.
Sunday 28th.
After a late start and thank god for the dishwasher! we managed to sort the house and get it back to normal,In the afternoon I watched for the first time on the PC,Carlos rang to say that it was live on RTVE,ES, the main Spanish TV station Web Page,the Liverpool match which was just amazing,5-1 !! and now I have another way of watching the football when it is not on the TV! On checking the e-mails and messages on Facebook I caught up with some replies and will do some more over the next couple of days,thanks to in no particular order; Joyce,Debbie,Celia,Glenys,Penny and Jenny! amongst many others. In the evening,we had another Turkey experience,we have now had Turkey sandwiches, Cold Turkey,Turkey and Pinapple Curry! The same is going to happen with the Beef,as I am typing this the Beef sandwich is ready and I’m making a pan of stew later!
Monday 29th.
It was a little better today so we went for a walk at lunchtime and ended up at Mano and Anna’s to catch up with the news,Sally had arrived back in Tenerife safely, and we are making arrangements for next year already; Mano then made a lovely warm Spanish Turkey Baguette for a snack,you can’t get enough,Honest! In the evening we settled down and watched the TV including a documentary,filmed from a helicopter,which shows you all around Spain,it”s on TV2 and we watch it often,One day we are going to tour the country in the Smart car as it is very spectacular;each area is different and the architecture is out of this world.
Tuesday 30th.
Today we popped down to Sabinillas for some shopping and a newspaper,it is actually nice to read the paper in the hand rather than on the web for a change.Brenda is hanging the washing out,it”s not very good drying weather at the moment and next she is doing the ironing so I’m keeping out of the way in the office as it is her least favourite thing and she gets just a little unhappy with life as she does it!! Mano has just let us know that we are going to let in the New Year at Carlos’s new house so we are going to make the arrangements later about food and more importantly the drink!
Saturday 27th.
During the day we got our selves sorted for the invasion of the Guerrero clan for dinner! We had some tapas to start with along with Pink Cava and then Roast Rib of Beef on the bone along with Cabbage,Mashed Carrots and Turnips,glazed Green Beans and garden Peas together with a stack of Roast Potatoes in Duck Fat,all washed down with Sangre de Toro,Torres.We just about got ten of us around two tables,we put a heater in the chill out room uptairs for the smokers,that’s everybody and the front door was open to create more space and as they passed in the street our neighbors called in! Sally and her kids are leaving for Tenerife first thing in the morning so I got her to write a message in our guest book before she left.
Sunday 28th.
After a late start and thank god for the dishwasher! we managed to sort the house and get it back to normal,In the afternoon I watched for the first time on the PC,Carlos rang to say that it was live on RTVE,ES, the main Spanish TV station Web Page,the Liverpool match which was just amazing,5-1 !! and now I have another way of watching the football when it is not on the TV! On checking the e-mails and messages on Facebook I caught up with some replies and will do some more over the next couple of days,thanks to in no particular order; Joyce,Debbie,Celia,Glenys,Penny and Jenny! amongst many others. In the evening,we had another Turkey experience,we have now had Turkey sandwiches, Cold Turkey,Turkey and Pinapple Curry! The same is going to happen with the Beef,as I am typing this the Beef sandwich is ready and I’m making a pan of stew later!
Monday 29th.
It was a little better today so we went for a walk at lunchtime and ended up at Mano and Anna’s to catch up with the news,Sally had arrived back in Tenerife safely, and we are making arrangements for next year already; Mano then made a lovely warm Spanish Turkey Baguette for a snack,you can’t get enough,Honest! In the evening we settled down and watched the TV including a documentary,filmed from a helicopter,which shows you all around Spain,it”s on TV2 and we watch it often,One day we are going to tour the country in the Smart car as it is very spectacular;each area is different and the architecture is out of this world.
Tuesday 30th.
Today we popped down to Sabinillas for some shopping and a newspaper,it is actually nice to read the paper in the hand rather than on the web for a change.Brenda is hanging the washing out,it”s not very good drying weather at the moment and next she is doing the ironing so I’m keeping out of the way in the office as it is her least favourite thing and she gets just a little unhappy with life as she does it!! Mano has just let us know that we are going to let in the New Year at Carlos’s new house so we are going to make the arrangements later about food and more importantly the drink!
Friday, December 26, 2008
MANILVA.
Friday 26th December 2008.
After a little lie in we got ourselves ready and walked down to Mano’s in the warm lunchtime sun to collect the Smart Car and catch up with all the gang.We ended up on the front down in Sabinillas at the Bar Med to watch the Manchester City match but when we got there the system had broken down so we had to watch the Sky Sports report,City won and Liverpool! In one of the pictures below you can see the sign outside Carlos’s house,Main Road rules!The picture just below shows the beach and view from Bar Med this afternoon! Tonight we are having a quiet night in,we are having cold Turkey and Chips for supper! Tomorrow the Guerrero family are coming to us for a Roast Beef dinner as Sally Ann and the kids are flying back to Tenerife on Sunday morning.
After a little lie in we got ourselves ready and walked down to Mano’s in the warm lunchtime sun to collect the Smart Car and catch up with all the gang.We ended up on the front down in Sabinillas at the Bar Med to watch the Manchester City match but when we got there the system had broken down so we had to watch the Sky Sports report,City won and Liverpool! In one of the pictures below you can see the sign outside Carlos’s house,Main Road rules!The picture just below shows the beach and view from Bar Med this afternoon! Tonight we are having a quiet night in,we are having cold Turkey and Chips for supper! Tomorrow the Guerrero family are coming to us for a Roast Beef dinner as Sally Ann and the kids are flying back to Tenerife on Sunday morning.
MANILVA.
Tuesday/Thursday 23rd/25th December.
Tuesday 23rd.
We had to stay in on Tuesday as we were expecting the Carrier to deliver our goods from England;earlier in the month when we phoned Ben,Carols son,to see how he was after a nasty operation on his back after Carols funeral we found out that they had already sold the house and needed us to move the eight box’s of glass and china that Carol had let us store in her loft.So at very short notice we arranged for a carrier to pick up the goods and bring then to our house in Manilva,which he did very effentially,Brenda had packed everything in Bubble Rap and we had only one small breakage! At the same time they also brought our two collapsible bikes which I don’t now if we will use them due to the steep roads around here,honest!We then went through all the cases and sorted them out and then packed then away on the two top floor’s. We found out later in the week that the Brass Band and Carol concert had been on in the church and we had missed it! We had not spotted it in the Local Paper.so we watched it on the local TV station later on one night and we were very sorry that we had missed it.
Wednesday 24th.
On Wednesday morning we called into Mano and Anna’s for a Pancake Breakfast,one of Salle Ann’s many specialties and as we were talking she told us that she did not like the stuffing in the two Spanish Turkeys that Mano had dropped off at our house yesterday; So when I got back I started to take out the filling of the one I was going to Roast(Due to oven space) after unstitching the bird and found out that I had a disaster on my hands! The bird collapsed and was flat as a pancake as the filling was the whole of the meat,taken from inside and then mixed with all sorts of fat and Garlic Cloves which formed the Turkey,Spanish style! We then panicked and rung the English butcher in Duquesa,we had just picked up the Beef for our Roast over the weekend,they had one Turkey left and where just about to close so I shot down to pick it up.The picture below shows the English Turkey and in the Xmas Day photographs you can see the second Spanish Turkey that I did not un-pick! In the afternoon we caught up withVidal and Gissy to wish them a happy Christmas and to arrange to see them over the holiday.Carlos and Ana Mari had asked us around to their new house for a Buffet supper with all the family in the evening,Ana also made some excellent Frits.On the way back home in the early hours of Christmas day we took the picture of the “ Feliznavidad” sign across the main street as we walked home.
Thursday 25th December 2008
We were up bright and early as Father Christmas had to be ready to go down to the Guerreo house to hand out the presents and bring some Xmas cheer to one and all! As you can see in the pictures he entered into things with great gusto and put a smile on the faces of all the children and the ladies! We then settled down to get ready for the Christmas dinner later in the afternoon,the drink soon started to flow as the folks got changed and the kids played with the toys,the remote control Trucks where soon in the hands of the older children,Mano, Carlos and the Head Chef! We started with the Pink Champagne and Smoked Salmon and Prawns as the time for the Banquet to start got nearer; We had Roasted the two Turkeys and they carved beautifully, the Spanish one was particularly good and very different,we made fresh Chestnut stuffing,Bread sauce,Chipolatas wrapped in Bacon,Cauliflower in Cheese Sauce,Broccoli in Lemon Butter,Carrots glazed in Ginger,Roast Parsnips in Maple Syrup,Sprouts tossed with diced Smoked Bacon and the Famous Roast Potatoes in Duck Fat,I also made two different Gravies to go with the two Birds!! The wine flowed as it always does in the Guerrero house and the Bacardi and Coke came along at a regular pace,Later in the evening it was the time for the family entertainment to start,Carlos and Mano sang and danced to the Bob the Builder Cardboard Box hit,Sally Ann sang a song from a show,Dlyan Brake danced,Jordan sang and danced to a show tune,Fabio joined in with everything until the Morris Dancers hit the floor,Anna and I brought the house down and the audience was spell bound,as you can see in the picture below! As we walked home we stopped at Bar Rojas as the owner asked us in and I finished with a White Firewater and Coke to round off one “ Helluva Christmas Day” in Manilva.
Tuesday 23rd.
We had to stay in on Tuesday as we were expecting the Carrier to deliver our goods from England;earlier in the month when we phoned Ben,Carols son,to see how he was after a nasty operation on his back after Carols funeral we found out that they had already sold the house and needed us to move the eight box’s of glass and china that Carol had let us store in her loft.So at very short notice we arranged for a carrier to pick up the goods and bring then to our house in Manilva,which he did very effentially,Brenda had packed everything in Bubble Rap and we had only one small breakage! At the same time they also brought our two collapsible bikes which I don’t now if we will use them due to the steep roads around here,honest!We then went through all the cases and sorted them out and then packed then away on the two top floor’s. We found out later in the week that the Brass Band and Carol concert had been on in the church and we had missed it! We had not spotted it in the Local Paper.so we watched it on the local TV station later on one night and we were very sorry that we had missed it.
Wednesday 24th.
On Wednesday morning we called into Mano and Anna’s for a Pancake Breakfast,one of Salle Ann’s many specialties and as we were talking she told us that she did not like the stuffing in the two Spanish Turkeys that Mano had dropped off at our house yesterday; So when I got back I started to take out the filling of the one I was going to Roast(Due to oven space) after unstitching the bird and found out that I had a disaster on my hands! The bird collapsed and was flat as a pancake as the filling was the whole of the meat,taken from inside and then mixed with all sorts of fat and Garlic Cloves which formed the Turkey,Spanish style! We then panicked and rung the English butcher in Duquesa,we had just picked up the Beef for our Roast over the weekend,they had one Turkey left and where just about to close so I shot down to pick it up.The picture below shows the English Turkey and in the Xmas Day photographs you can see the second Spanish Turkey that I did not un-pick! In the afternoon we caught up withVidal and Gissy to wish them a happy Christmas and to arrange to see them over the holiday.Carlos and Ana Mari had asked us around to their new house for a Buffet supper with all the family in the evening,Ana also made some excellent Frits.On the way back home in the early hours of Christmas day we took the picture of the “ Feliznavidad” sign across the main street as we walked home.
Thursday 25th December 2008
We were up bright and early as Father Christmas had to be ready to go down to the Guerreo house to hand out the presents and bring some Xmas cheer to one and all! As you can see in the pictures he entered into things with great gusto and put a smile on the faces of all the children and the ladies! We then settled down to get ready for the Christmas dinner later in the afternoon,the drink soon started to flow as the folks got changed and the kids played with the toys,the remote control Trucks where soon in the hands of the older children,Mano, Carlos and the Head Chef! We started with the Pink Champagne and Smoked Salmon and Prawns as the time for the Banquet to start got nearer; We had Roasted the two Turkeys and they carved beautifully, the Spanish one was particularly good and very different,we made fresh Chestnut stuffing,Bread sauce,Chipolatas wrapped in Bacon,Cauliflower in Cheese Sauce,Broccoli in Lemon Butter,Carrots glazed in Ginger,Roast Parsnips in Maple Syrup,Sprouts tossed with diced Smoked Bacon and the Famous Roast Potatoes in Duck Fat,I also made two different Gravies to go with the two Birds!! The wine flowed as it always does in the Guerrero house and the Bacardi and Coke came along at a regular pace,Later in the evening it was the time for the family entertainment to start,Carlos and Mano sang and danced to the Bob the Builder Cardboard Box hit,Sally Ann sang a song from a show,Dlyan Brake danced,Jordan sang and danced to a show tune,Fabio joined in with everything until the Morris Dancers hit the floor,Anna and I brought the house down and the audience was spell bound,as you can see in the picture below! As we walked home we stopped at Bar Rojas as the owner asked us in and I finished with a White Firewater and Coke to round off one “ Helluva Christmas Day” in Manilva.
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