A GLORIOUS ' FRESH' & SUNNY MANILVA ON SUNDAY.

SUNDAY 29^th/ MARCH 2020.    “ STATE OF ALARM  DAY 15 “

After freshening up we had our regular light breakfast of fresh fruit ( Banana) homemade ‘Pueblo’ toast & tea.

We have woken up to yet another beautiful day down here on the ‘ Costa Del Sol’ in a very sunny Manilva, the sky is bright blue and cloudless and there is a very slight breeze, so by lunchtime it’s going to reach 17 degs+ - overnight down to 10 degs+ - a glorious day to be out & about – if only! Tomorrow it’s staying the same, at the start of the week, then on Tuesday/Wednesday it’s going to be wet & windy, with heavy rain and thunder storms at times, by Thursday it will then be back to normal, with sunshine & patchy clouds and a lighter breeze, going a little warmer, up in the high ‘ teens’ – staying the same next weekend, the following week is at the moment looking dry & settled on the forecasts. Watch this space.

“ CORONAVIRUS UPDATE – COVID 19 “

Today is the start of the next two weeks of ‘ LOCKDOWN’ here in Spain, as the Spanish government tightens the lockdown rules to include all non-essential workers, as the crisis continues to get worse all over the Country.

One problem that has been high-lighted down here on the ‘ Costa Del Sol’ is that we have a brand new Hospital standing empty for over a year! The new ‘ Estepona Hospital ‘ which is just 8 kms along the coast from Sabinillas, was built, on time & funded by the ‘ Estepona Council’ to the tune of 17 million Euros, to budget, with the signed  contract/agreement that the ‘Junta De Andalucia’ would equip & fund the opening of the Hospital – which they have now reneged on! The cash has been used for an unspecified project!!

The same problem happened with the ‘ Costa Del Sol Hospital’ – with a round-trip of over 100 kms, over 12 years ago, the new large extension to the Hospital still stands empty and un-finished to this day!!

                                                           “ STAY SAFE & SOUND AT ALL TIMES “

This evening for our supper we are having ‘ Baked Pork Chops with a Mixed Herb Crust’ – the ‘ Double Thick - Cut’ Spanish Pork Chops, from our local Butchers, down ‘Calle Iglasia’ -  are first seasoned with Sea Salt and crushed White Peppercorns, then flash-grilled on a very hot griddle-plate to colour, the ‘ Crust ‘ is then pasted on and they go in a very hot oven to bake, the ‘ Second Chef’ has prepared Crushed Baby Carrots with Baby Turnips, Florets of Broccoli & Cauliflower in a three-Cheese sauce & Garden Peas, together with Boiled Potatoes, which I will this evening make into my famous ‘ Pommes de Teree Lyonnaise – sliced & pan-fried with thinly sliced Onions in foaming Parsley Butter.

See the ‘ Double Thick - Cut Pork Chops’ below;

Thoughts for the Day;  See above.

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THOUGHTS FOR THE DAY FROM SUNNY MANILVA;

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A ' FRESH' & SUNNY MANILVA ON SATURDAY.

SATURDAY 28^th/ MARCH 2020.     “ STATE OF ALARM  DAY 14 “

We had an official lie in this morning after a good night sleep, we then freshened up and as Brenda was on the breakfast rota she produced her world famous ‘ Campo Poached Eggs on Toast ‘ using the ‘ Pueblo Bread’ for a change, with mugs of hot/strong tea, to start the weekend in the right direction!

See below;

This morning it’s at the moment still dry with a blue but cloudy sky, there is a light breeze so by lunchtime it’s forecast to only reach 15 degs+ - overnight down to 9/10 degs, with still the chance of some ‘ Wet-Stuff’ later, yesterday it stayed dry & sunny, but ‘ Fresh’ – tomorrow it’s going to be the same, next week is now still looking unsettled, with a little sunshine to start on Monday, then a few days of rain, by next weekend back to sunny & dry, with patchy clouds, hovering in the high ‘ teens’ as the breeze drops, watch this space.

“ CORONAVIRUS UPDATE – COVID 19 “ 

We are having a quiet weekend in ‘ LOCKDOWN’ – taking things very easy, relaxing, as we face, at the very least, another two weeks inside, staying ‘ SAFE & SOUND’

On Monday I will be calling the ‘ Costa Del Sol Hospital’ to cancel Brenda’s appointments, in mid April and then June, she was due tests in the ‘ Cardiogia/Ecocardiografia ‘ Departments and then a check-up/results’ meeting with the ‘ Heart’ Consultant, hopefully we will get back in the system later in the year, watch this space.

Every day we have ‘E-Mails/Facebook’ messages from old friends, family, old staff & customers asking after us, we also send ‘ Birthday Greetings’ all the time to them and locals here in sunny Manilva. Keep in touch it’s so nice to hear from you all at the difficult time!





NB; One day a week we have decided not to watch the news on the TV as well as not reading anything, as each day goes more critical here in Spain especially, and all over the World, to give us a break from the worry etc! 

This evening the clocks go forward an hour!

For our supper this evening we are having “ Steak & Chips “ – a grilled piece of  ‘Spanish Steak’ – seasoned with Sea Salt & crushed Black Peppercorns – then grilled on a very hot griddle-plate ‘ Med-Rare’ and left to rest, sliced into fingers ‘ French’ style and garnished with pan-seared Asparagus Spears, Button Mushrooms, Shallots & Plum Tomato, accompanied with Dijon Mustard and severed with Whole ‘ French’ Baby Green Beans and of course triple-cooked ‘ Frits’

We are watching a lot of TV during the day and later in the evening, all the ‘ Quiz Shows’ that we follow are nearing the ‘Finals’ over the next two weeks, there are many more food/chef/cooking programmes on (repeats) as well all the usual programmes, we have to channel hop as we don’t have any programme guides, so we are finding different show to watch, which we normally woundn’t catch, and later more old films are now being shown!

Thoughts for the Day;  See above.

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THOUGHTS FOR THE DAY FROM SUNNY MANILVA;

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A STILL FRESH, WARM & SUNNY MANILVA ON FRIDAY AT THE START OF THE WEEKEND.

FRIDAY 27^th/ MARCH 2020.    “ STATE OF ALARM DAY 13 “

As usual on a Friday morning the sounds of the delivery men sliding down the pallets of goods down our street to the local shop got us up!

After freshening up we called Lyn, over in Melbourne, Australia, on the ‘ Skype’ audio line, for a catch-up with all her news, she is fine and being looked after by Debs, her daughter, who calls in all the time, on her way to work, she is a ‘Palliative Care Nurse ‘ “ STAY SAFE INSIDE “

It was then time for our normal light breakfast of fresh fruit ( Banana) toast & tea as we got another day on the go here in sunny Manilva.

This morning it’s still dry & sunny, with blue sky and a few patchy clouds hanging around, there is just a very light breeze, so by lunchtime it’s due to reach 18 degs+ - overnight down to 11 degs+ - tomorrow we could have some of the ‘ Wet-Stuff’ – then on Sunday it’s staying dry & sunny, next week is now looking, after Monday, wet, windy & colder, as the new ‘ Atlantic’ front hits us, bringing with it moderate rain, patchy clouds and strong winds again, up to storm force by next weekend, all the while hovering in the mid ‘ teens’ – 14/15 degs+ Watch this space.

“ CORONAVIRUS UPDATE – COVID 19 “ 

Sadly this morning it’s been reported by the Mayor, Mario, that Manilva has suffered it’s first death of a local Lady ( with previous  health problems)  - taken by ambulance to the ‘ Costa Del Sol Hospital’ past Marbella, it just re-enforces the ‘LOCKDOWN’ here in sunny Manilva and all over Spain is so important to all of us!

Here in the village they are now making/producing  ‘ Masks’ – 600 per day – to be distributed local to those in need, by a local business man in his office/premise’s at the bottom of the village, well done Jesus Bemonte!

See below; Jesus on the left and Mario, the Mayor in the middle! 

One of our neighbours, from the street below ours, Araceli, our friend, has been out & about taking pictures of all the ‘ Old Folk’ around the village, showing them in their windows in ‘ LOCKDOWN’  - as it happens she caught us out on our bedroom balcony ‘ nosing’ !

See below;

We here of course go out on our front door step at 8-00 pm each evening and clap ( as well as blowing my whistle!) and wave to all the local neighbours, as well as all over the village, the ‘Policia Local & Civil Protection ‘ vehicles also drive around blowing their horns and flashing their lights, in support of all of the ‘Medical/Assorted Services’ who are doing a ‘ Helluva’ job under the most difficult conditions, it was also a ‘Helluva’ response last night over in the UK!

See below; led by the local ‘Councillor’ Daniel!

Meanwhile over in Liverpool the World famous ‘ St. Georges Hall’ was flood lit in ‘ Blue’ as were all majors building all over in the UK – showing support for the “ NHS’ staff, who are under extreme pressure  everyday.

See below;

For our supper this evening we are having a ‘ Fish N Chip Supper’ – “ Goujons of Hake Fillet “ – strips of the Hake, coated in breadcrumbs ( flour, egg wash & crumbed ) from the local Bakery, shallow-fried in Vegetables Oil, until crisp & golden, accompanied with homemade ‘ Tartar’ sauce ( Brenda) and lots of Lemon Wedges, served with ‘ Mushy Peas’ and of course triple-cooked ‘ Chips’!

NB; Don't forget that the clocks go ' FORWARD ' an hour this weekend!

                                                                       “ STAY SAFE & INSIDE AT ALL TIMES “

Thoughts for the Day;  See above.

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