Hello everyone from sunny Spain
Here goes with the latest update on our life in Spain so far.
Graham has started doing one day a week as a volunteer for a local cancer charity MABS, he is working in one of their shops in Totana, he is mainly on the door as security but I think he is doing more colour co-ordinating on the clothes rails !!!! My big concern is putting Graham in a shop.....I am sure his lunch money is going to get spent on some "bargain" ....
Mum and Dad arrive on Wednesday which I am so excited about and we have been busy doing the last minute bits and pieces to the house and getting the downstairs guest room ready...towels match, bedding washed and ironed...yes we have eventually bought an ironing board after 2 months of not ironing anything....but in our defense we have only been wearing shorts as it has been so incredibly hot..it hit 49 degrees last Friday at 4.30 in the afternoon. Mum says she is only coming to give us a hug, but I know she will still be checking the oven is all clean and the fridge in order etc.....we have got some trips lined up to take them out and about and get to see a bit of the local area etc.
We have made friends with 2 great guys Mike and Gareth, they came round for a Tapas evening Saturday night, I used them as Guinea Pigs to test food ready for when mum and dad come, they said they enjoyed it all, Gareth got carried away and wanted to score each dish out of 10....felt like I was on "come dine with me ". They very kindly took us to a lovely local Market the other Sunday morning and then came back here for coffee.....which turned into a gin & tonic at 12 o clock...and carried on until 530 that afternoon...ouch my head the next day.
Gareth and Mike also very kindly invited us round for a full Sunday roast...it was delicious, roast pork, potatoes and all the trimmings followed by rhubarb crumble...how very British we felt..especially with our material napkins..makes my kitchen roll ones look a bit poor.
I am still going along with the walking group each Thursday morning which I am loving, the scenery is spectacular, and also the breakfast at the end of the walk is pretty good to. I discovered a lovely coffee to have with my breakfast last week, it's called a Belmonti ( spelling is probably wrong ) it us a shot of carnation milk, espresso on top and finished with a nip of Brandy...beautiful.
I know I have said this before but I cannot believe how lucky we are to be living here , life just seems to be getting better and better.
The neighbours are just wonderful, we got invited over for drinks the other night and got home at 130.. A wonderful evening spent outside on their terrace with all the other neighbours there as well. People here are so incredibly friendly, I guess IRS all because we have more time to be social with each other.
We are loving our lives.
All my plants I have purchased over the last few weeks are coming on leaps and bounds, and the garden is really taking shape. We had 5 trees removed last week and it has really opened up the front of the house and looks much better. We have also had the back wall re- rendered as it had not been done because it was where the shed had been located before we moved it...so still keeping nice and busy.
I shall stop waffling on now and report back later to let you know how the Folks enjoyed their week with us .
Love to all
Barry & Graham
puerto de mazarron beach
Monday, 29 August 2011
Tuesday, 9 August 2011
Good afternoon everyone, we hope you are all keeping well and that life is treating you kind.
I realise I have not written on here for some time and I apologise, to some it may even be a blessing !!!!! But I am back.....so in the words of Miranda's mum "bear with " ( my favourite comedy programme of all time )
What has been happening with us......the house is virtually finished to our ( Grahams standards ) , just the last bit of painting to do on the outside..just tarting up the bannisters etc and the last few things to get before we have any visitors, bedding, towels and odd things like that.
We have started going out and about a bit more, we have now been to Alahama and to a Market at Polaris World ( not a place I would choose to live, all the houses looked like boxes ), we have driven round a few country lanes and through villages I cannot remember the names of and had a few coffees out.
We did discover some fantastic pottery factories along one of these country lanes and cannot believe how cheap the terracotta pots were, it felt rude not to buy some so our seating area outside is gradually being taken over with the plants in their lovely ( cheap ) pots.
The thing I am finding strangest about living in Spain is just how friendly everyone is and how they have the time to chat or help in anyway they can...a few examples....
The car had to go to Lorca to get a new ITV ( the equivalent of an MOT ) and the man from the garage where we bought the car gave up his afternoon off to take me and show me the way and the procedure with which it is done...I offered him 30 euros but he wouldn't take it and said his philosophy is that one day he may need help and guidance....I was so grateful he was there as over here for the ITV you stay in the car whilst it all happens...you join a queue and that get told to put lights on, test breaks, indicators etc etc...all very confusing above the noise of the engines and the language barrier.
Another example I was walking Basil ( the Scottish terrier ) last night and some people were sat outside the front of their house, I said good evening and ended up having wine with them...never met them before in my life...seems to be a good thing walking basil at night as also a few days ago I left at 1030 for his night time wee and ended up coming home at 1230 after a bottle of Rose wine with neighbours.....
But dog walking does have it's downside as well as the morning the day before yesterday we were walking along the road and then to my horror I saw Travis ( the poodle ) had dis front foot in the middle of a snake that was curled up...I think you probably heard me yell in the UK as I just yanked him as fast and hard as I could, thank god the snake didn't bite him which was my biggest fear, it just wound it's say off along the road. It was about 18" long and has made me very aware of where mine and the dogs feet are treading now.
I have also joined a local walking group and go off with upto 20 other people every Thursday morning at a ridiculous time in the morning , we meet at 0650....but saying that by the time we have done our walk it is sweltering, I joined as a way of getting to meet other people as well as he exercise.
We had some friends round for drinks the week before last and I have to say I think that was really the turning point in my head when I thought how lucky we are to be living here, sitting outside at 1130 at night in the warm and so many stresses of living taken away from us.
If someone asked me at this present time would I return to the UK the answer would be no although I miss family and friends the quality of our lives here is fantastic, I feel very honoured and lucky to be living this dream.
Mum and Dad are coming out for 8 days at the end of August which we are both really looking forward to..hence the exploring of the surrounding areas to find some nice places to take them.
The dogs are doing fantastically and really settling in well and getting into a good routine, Ralph is definitely a morning dog when it is at it's coolest...the daytime temperatures over the last couple of days have gone into the 40's, I got so hot yesterday the Graham just poured a watering can from the outside tap to cool me down but all that happened was I just steamed....
Hope this has brought you all up to date a little
Send you all our love
Barry & Graham
Plus the Boys
Xxx
I realise I have not written on here for some time and I apologise, to some it may even be a blessing !!!!! But I am back.....so in the words of Miranda's mum "bear with " ( my favourite comedy programme of all time )
What has been happening with us......the house is virtually finished to our ( Grahams standards ) , just the last bit of painting to do on the outside..just tarting up the bannisters etc and the last few things to get before we have any visitors, bedding, towels and odd things like that.
We have started going out and about a bit more, we have now been to Alahama and to a Market at Polaris World ( not a place I would choose to live, all the houses looked like boxes ), we have driven round a few country lanes and through villages I cannot remember the names of and had a few coffees out.
We did discover some fantastic pottery factories along one of these country lanes and cannot believe how cheap the terracotta pots were, it felt rude not to buy some so our seating area outside is gradually being taken over with the plants in their lovely ( cheap ) pots.
The thing I am finding strangest about living in Spain is just how friendly everyone is and how they have the time to chat or help in anyway they can...a few examples....
The car had to go to Lorca to get a new ITV ( the equivalent of an MOT ) and the man from the garage where we bought the car gave up his afternoon off to take me and show me the way and the procedure with which it is done...I offered him 30 euros but he wouldn't take it and said his philosophy is that one day he may need help and guidance....I was so grateful he was there as over here for the ITV you stay in the car whilst it all happens...you join a queue and that get told to put lights on, test breaks, indicators etc etc...all very confusing above the noise of the engines and the language barrier.
Another example I was walking Basil ( the Scottish terrier ) last night and some people were sat outside the front of their house, I said good evening and ended up having wine with them...never met them before in my life...seems to be a good thing walking basil at night as also a few days ago I left at 1030 for his night time wee and ended up coming home at 1230 after a bottle of Rose wine with neighbours.....
But dog walking does have it's downside as well as the morning the day before yesterday we were walking along the road and then to my horror I saw Travis ( the poodle ) had dis front foot in the middle of a snake that was curled up...I think you probably heard me yell in the UK as I just yanked him as fast and hard as I could, thank god the snake didn't bite him which was my biggest fear, it just wound it's say off along the road. It was about 18" long and has made me very aware of where mine and the dogs feet are treading now.
I have also joined a local walking group and go off with upto 20 other people every Thursday morning at a ridiculous time in the morning , we meet at 0650....but saying that by the time we have done our walk it is sweltering, I joined as a way of getting to meet other people as well as he exercise.
We had some friends round for drinks the week before last and I have to say I think that was really the turning point in my head when I thought how lucky we are to be living here, sitting outside at 1130 at night in the warm and so many stresses of living taken away from us.
If someone asked me at this present time would I return to the UK the answer would be no although I miss family and friends the quality of our lives here is fantastic, I feel very honoured and lucky to be living this dream.
Mum and Dad are coming out for 8 days at the end of August which we are both really looking forward to..hence the exploring of the surrounding areas to find some nice places to take them.
The dogs are doing fantastically and really settling in well and getting into a good routine, Ralph is definitely a morning dog when it is at it's coolest...the daytime temperatures over the last couple of days have gone into the 40's, I got so hot yesterday the Graham just poured a watering can from the outside tap to cool me down but all that happened was I just steamed....
Hope this has brought you all up to date a little
Send you all our love
Barry & Graham
Plus the Boys
Xxx
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)