Wildlife in the Bay of Biscay

Just a short postscript to say that anyone travelling with Britanny Ferries or P&O from Plymouth, Portsmouth, Poole etc to Bilbao or Santander will most likely be able to watch dolphins and whales during their sail.

I was reading my Kindle when out of the corner of my eye I detected movement.   I thought "Those birds are a long way from land!" and suddenly saw that dolphins were surfacing near the ship.   About 10 minutes later I spotted the spouting of whales too.   I would have needed binoculars to see the whales but their water spouts were happening all over the sea on the port side and it was clear what they were.   Britanny Ferries did not charge extra for the wildlife experience!

We set off for home via Toledo

Well, the car behaved itself with a lot of TLC from me when driving up hills.   It will be reported to the garage very soon!

Going back to the beginning of our adventures in Spain - at the hotel where we stayed in Santander were a group of Russian cyclists.   They were professional cyclists who formed a well kitted out team indeed.   They had support vehicles with untold tons of equipment to keep the cycles in perfect order.   On the Thursday as we left the hotel we had to make a detour round all their equipment which was in the hotel car park.   We got to the car and then crossed the street to fill up with fuel.   As I dealt with this I noticed someone cleaning an ambulance which was also part of the team's support.   Today I looked them up and discovered that they were about to tackle a mountain stage of the Vuelta a Espana (Tour of Spain) on the day we saw them.

When we stayed a second time at this hotel the night before sailing home we found there was a huge contingent of football supporters in the hotel bar and a table for two was impossible.   We did, however, manage a pizza each through the good offices of the waiter, Manuel (who else!).

We left Finca Manolo at 9.20am on Friday 23rd September, loaded with more than we had taken there.   We found room for sets of pottery, a case and a half of wine as well as Spanish spices, salami, beer etc.   Our driving experience in Spain was surprising because almost every driver was keeping close to the speed limit.   Additionally, I have to say that driving on a Spanish Motorway from north to south and vice versa is much easier than at home.   The fact is that there is a huge network of motorways that are mainly two lanes wide.   One does not see anything remotely like the number of vehicles using British motorways.   Spain is a very large country and therefore its roads are necessary but cheaper to maintain because in comparison they are under-used.

I must confess to being a little nervous about entering the city of Toledo where we were to saty for two days.   Foreign cities and satnav are usually a challenge.   I needn't have worried becae almost as soon as we turned off the motorway we saw a sign for the hotel.   We had booked in at Hotel Martin using the web but found we were to stay next door at the Duque de Lerma.   The two hotels were adjoining so there was no problem.   We had the most friendly and helpful receptionist I have ever encountered.   She helped us enjoy our visit there.

Having showered and changed we took a taxi to Plaza de Zocodover ( a name ensuing from a time when the Spanish were occupied by the Moors and did not understand their language).   Sitting there in the early evening we watched the population of residents and visitors passing through the square.   The sparrows were very loud as they went through the process of finding roosts for the night.   There were many local buses passing through the whole time.   Most of them were new and powered by natural gas.

Later that evening we returned to find a restaurant and ended up in the forecourt of an old convent.   The young waitress there was brilliant and worked at an amazing speed whilst still able to look as if it was very easy.   We over faced ourselves with tapas foods, but they were very tasty.

The next morning we left the hotel by taxi for Plaza de Zocodover.   At 11.00am we knew the Zocotren  would start, so I queued to buy two tickets.   The ride in this road train was 45 minutes long and involved seeing just about every view of Toledo.   Sadly, we found it almost impossible to take photos because a young Chinese couple in front kept on blocking our view.   But I can say that we now consider Toledo the most beautiful city we have visited.   Its cathedral is incredible in size and we were able to see the most beautiful objects as we visited the Chapter House and the Treasury.   I have never seen so many paintings by the masters.   We saw Goya, Rembrandt, Van Gogh and, of course, the local boy - El Greco.   El Greco paintings were everywhere but quite a number were copies as the originals were elsewhere in the city.   There was even a wedding being celebrated in a chapel of the cathedral.   At one point a soprano was singing Maccabeus by G F Handel.   Having said all this, whilst the huge expense created by what you find in great churches was a burden on the poor of the day, the creative prowess of the designers was quite amazing.

Later that night we went back to have dinner at a recommended establishment.   It was the first time I had eaten partridge - very nice!   Being very tired that night we hit the sack and I did not sleep all that well as I anticipated our final drive back to Santander.   I need not have worried as we enjoyed the changes in scenery as we approached the northern coast. 

The following day we decided to drive around and visit some beaches.   We had already visited the one at Comillas the previous day.   We turned down a track where the sign said playa and found an enchanting view of rocks and beach below us at the foot of some cliffs.   As we drove away through the small town I pointed out a pinnacle roof to Pauline and made a derisory comment about the boring architecture of the parish church.   A few miles later we found another beach and had 20 minutes there.   We then started to make our way back to Santander (pronounced Santandairrrrrrrrrrrrrrr) and saw another beach sign.   As we drove through the town i said, "Not another boring looking church!"   Then I noticed a nearby pinnacle roof.   We were back at the beach we first visited that morning!   We found it entertaining and finished off with two small beers before heading off for the ferry to Portsmouth.

Our experience on the Britanny Ferries ship, MV Pont Aven, was excellent.   On the way out we booked a table in the posh restaurant and thoroughly enjoyed the quality food we had.   So we did the same, coming home, and had another wonderful meal.   When it came to paying, the waiter noticed me looking puzzled at the bill which was for incorrect food.   He had known something was wrong and realised he had presented the couple on the next table with our bill and they had paid it.   The meal they should paid for was £4 cheaper than ours!   The waiter suggested we should pay the wrong bill and call it a draw!   The weather at Portsmouth was lovely as we sailed in and remained so for the whole of our drive back to Anglesey.   It was a lovely sunset last night!

Once more we can report on an excellent holiday in Spain and thoroughly recommend Toledo as a city worth visiting.   Viva Espana!

Final day at Finca Manolo

Today has been beautiful in the Montes de Malaga.   We have lazed around the pool, swimming whenever we felt too hot.   I can think of no better way to unwind and summon up strength for a long drive to Northern Spain.

Whilst lying on the sunlounger I was joined by Yodo the ginger cat.   What a lazy pair we were!   Pauline and I ate the remaining Serrano Ham and Manchego Cheese with the last vestidges of salad left in the fridge.   This was lunch, of course!   Then we repeated what we had been doing all morning.   It seemed the appropriate activity somehow.

We have now reached the point where we have decided to start packing our cases and loading the car for an early departure tomorrow.   We shall return with more than we brought.   There is a case and a half of good Spanish wine to see us through the coming days as we acclimatise to UK autumn weather.   In addition we are also bringing back a supply of traditional Spanish dishes that we promised ourselves and others before we came out here.

The itinerary is as follows:   Tomorrow we head for Toledo and Hotel Martin.   The following day we hope to see some of the city of Toledo which Pauline has always wanted to do.   After a second night in Toledo we drive the remaining distance to Santander and Hotel Chateau de Roca.   Did you know that Roca is a leading maker of sanitary ware?   Every loo I have visited in Spain during our holiday has firmly embedded this knowledge in my head.   Even the equipment here at Finca Manolo has the same logo!   On Monday at 3.00pm (2.00pm in the UK) we sail for Portsmouth.   On Tuesday we expect to arrive in Portsmouth at 2.00pm and within 30 minutes set off for home.   I reckon we shall be back in Anglesey at about 9.00pm.

Watch this space for details of any adventures along the way.   These will be posted after we get home.   For now this is the final Andalucia Report.

Nerja and Frigiliana

Yesterday evening we decided to pay a visit to Comares, the mountain top village we see every day from Finca Manolo.   It was quite a difficult journey because of the time of day.   The road is very much a twister going down to the bottom of the valley and then climbing up the other side.   We persevered with the car pointing skywards so often - right into the evening sun.   The problem is not just the bends but the sheer drops at the roadside.   Driving blind occasionally on this road was not very good I thought.   Well we reached journey's end and found a village with lots of pedestrian only very narrow streets - suitable for only people and donkeys/mules.

We then had the problem of getting back to our base here in El Romo.   It isn't listed on the satnav so I keyed in Colmenar instead, thinking we would be directed via our hamlet.   Outside the village the sign to the right said Colmenar and satnav said "turn right".   Satnav was wrong in that we were taken about 20 miles or so when the actual distance to El Romo was about 4/5 miles on a twisty road.   By the time we passed through Colmenar we were driving on dipped headlights with 12 more minutes along the valley side!   We visited several valleys among the Montes de Malaga, I can tell you!

Today we went to Nerja, which is a town and resort quite a few miles west of Malaga.   When we arrived we drove into the centre and looked for parking.   This we achieved in the municipal multi-storey car park.   Driving around level -2 in thr semi darkness I was surprised to hear the driver of the car behind me give a long blast on his horn.   I had stopped because a driver was reversing out of a parking space and the way forward was temporarily blocked.   However, I let the other driver go and went down the line to find a suitable place.   What had got into the guy behind me I shall never know.   He drove on and parked up somewhere unknown to me.

Using the lift to get back to the ground level, we found ourselves in a deserted square.   We walked through it and soon came to an avenue of trees that led to a popular view point by the sea.   Pauline took my photo with the guy you see encapsulated in bronze in the above photo.   He was a former King of Spain.   I cannot put our particular photo on this posting because I need another device which takes the Olympus cards.   Then we walked across to a posh hotel and ordered coffee.   After a drink and a rest we set off to find a shop selling fridge magnets.   We made our purchase and collected the car from the car park.

Pauline keyed Frigiliana into the satnav and off we went to have lunch there.   I dropped Pauline off at the restaurant and drove off in search of a parking space.   It was a 12 minutes walk back from the car.   We had a nice lunch.   Pauline ordered Serrano Ham and Manchego Cheese for her starter.   We really can recommend these foods from Spain.   My starter was Gaspacho, the chilled soup.   It was good but not as good as the one I made on return from Spain  last year!   The main course was a platter of fried fish and we immediately recognised it as having been what we ordered at the same establishment in 2010!   We tried hard but still could not empty the platter!

After this I left Pauline in charge of my wallet and therefore able to pay the bill whilst I walked back to the car which I brought back to Pauline.   Soon we were homeward bound and keen for a swim after a hot day out.   Tomorrow is our final day here so we shall stay put and get our strength up for the journey home starting Friday morning.   We shall be driving to Toledo where El Greco did most of his painting, staying for two nights and then setting off for Santander and the cruise home on the Pont Aven on Monday.

Olive Oil by the million litres

The top photo, taken a few days ago, shows Mount Maroma beyond Lake Vinuela.   It is a little over 6,000 feet above sea level.   Yesterday, driving from Alhama, we found we were much closer than at any time before.   It has quite a lot of trees on its lower slopes which are incredibly steep.   There is a very noticable scar on the mountain and to the left, as you look, a village.   With this closer view there was a very strong impression of Mount Maroma threatening to collapse and bury that poor village.   It really did appear to pose a threat from our angle view.   This morning saw a mist obliterating the mountain except for its peak.   This was because a few clouds had appeared there and were fairly low in altitude.

Earlier than this we had visited Zuheros which is situated in a very important olive growing area.   The second photo shows this very clearly.   Bear in mind, of course, that this is a tiny fraction of the entire olive producing area.   In turn this is a tiny fraction of the olive oil capacity of Spain.   Since arriving here, this year, we have seen an amazing number of olive trees.   I was reading today the third book of a trilogy by Chris Stewart, The Almond Blossom Appreciation Society.   Chris mentions his personal involvement in the production of oil.   He tells how he went into an olive grove and picked a single olive straight from a tree.   His reaction to the taste was not good because as a fresh fruit they are very bitter.   Some are grown to be bottled whole or stuffed with anchovies and the like whilst others are destined for pressing into oil.   Each version goes through quite a process, so don't think it is just a matter of picking and pressing them!

The original way to harvest olives after the October rain has swelled the fruit was to take a long stick of wood, fashioned from a long straight branch and start knocking the olives out of the tree where they land on nets spread on the ground below.   Modern times changed the sort of stick to a long dayglo coloured stick made of fibreglass.   The advantage here is that the colour helps you find a stick dropped in the undergrowth.   But the most modern way is to dispense with sticks and use a mobile generator with a vibrating attachment.   You grip a tree and the vibration gets every olive from the tree.

Our abiding memory of our two holidays in Spain will be its beauty.   This is a country with a breath-taking landscape which changes dramatically as you drive from the north to the south.   It was an expensive way to come this year, but having driven all through the land we got the experience we sought.   Some of the hills and mountains are quite the usual expected shape but many are very surprising indeed.   Some appear to be more like a single rock weighing thousands of tons.   They are every imaginable shape and keep on surprising you as you round a bend in the road.   If you love landscape then this country needs to be visited.

Our plan for this evening is to drive over to Comares, the white village on the hill across from us.   It has beckoned long enough.   Now we must go and see it close up.   It is understood to be very pretty.

Zuheros

Today we  drove for may miles.   There was no way we could avoid a trip to the village of Zuheros.   last year we had been there and were impressed by the castle and the village clinging to the hillside.   On of the features of this part of Spain is the climb up the steep village streets.   Even in Colmenar we have to drive up incredibly steep streets to get to the point where we can take the 7 kilometres scenic route to El Romo.   Zuheros is no exception.   The streets are steep and very narrow.   As we drove slowly up the  streets of Zuheros we went even slower as we followed an elderly man up a narrow street.   I think he had hearing difficulties because he seemed un aware of us driving slowly behind him as he climbed the hill in his home village.

After taking plenty of photos and the odd video we left to drive over to Alhama de Granada.   It is an old town with thermal springs which we did not see.   We drove up and down the narrowest streets I have yet encountered.   Eventually, with our stomachs rumbling at the lack of food and our bladders complaining bitterly, we arrfived in a square with two food outlets.   I fancied House of Diego.   So we orderd a couple of beers and asked for a menu.   Our order was for hake with potatoes and green beans and codfish in a prawn sauce.   The latter was for me and I was not disappointed.   We came away with full tummies and headed for Velez-Malaga near where the Eroski Hypermarket was. 

There we bought our final purchases to see us through and supply us with wine for at least October.

From there we drove back to Colmenar and then Finca Manolo.   When we arrived we discovered that we had once again been adopted by a dog.   She managed to remain here despite two cats who rule the roost.   Later, as we were preparing dinner I heard a "Hello!" from the gate and it was the dog's owner asking if I would let her out.   He was Spanish but I quickly realised he wanted his dog back.   We were glad to be rid of her.   Her name turned out mto be Bessie!   She kept on interfering as I tried to fit the key into the gate's lock in pitch darkness.   I eventually got the lock to open and then let Bessie return to her owner.

By the time we left Eroski with a full tank of petrol we had the final part of our wine which we plan to bring home.   We have made quite a few discoveries in wine so if we are lucky enough to come here again we shall know what to buy.   Tomorrow will be a day of rest by the pool!

A quiet Sunday

The two photos here are taken from our property looking south.   They were taken at 4.00pm with my zoom lens which is manual focus only.   As we look in any direction from here we see hillsides dotted with a huge number of properties.   There must be hundreds of them within sight of eye.   This particular district between Colmenar and Comares has a significant English population.   We met four of them in the local bar the other day.

This afternoon I decided to actually do something and drive the rubbish to the wheelie bins.   I had noticed a couple behind the bus shelter about 400 yards up the road so I took them there.   When I approached the bus shelter I realised that it was not a bus shelter at all.   It was the size of a bus shelter but better built with a tiled roof.   Inside where about 70 post boxes, many of which had the names and addresses of the local population.   There many English people with labels on their post boxes.   So now we know how the local postman gets the mail to the recipients.   They have to visit the post boxes to see if there is any mail.   I bet they curse when all they get is flyers!

Looking at the photos you ncan see how all the properties are spread along the hillsides.   In the case of towns and villages they seem to cling to great mountainsides.   You should see how steep the streets of Colmenar are!   To get here we drive up such streets which are also very narrow.   You have to park very considerately in these villages.   Other cars and vans need to pass up the narrow streets as well as yourself.

Today I spoke to my daughter, Sue, who passed on some sad news.   Mavis Butterworth, who was my Assistant Church Secretary when I was still living in the Rochdale/Oldham area, has died.   She was a lynch pin at our Heyside Church and the church owes a huge debt to Mavis for her leadership over the years.   I first met Mavis in 1975 when I joined the church there.   We always got on well.   She had one gift that we all loved and that was her singing voice.   She was a powerful soprano and often sang in church on special occasions.

Since travelling out here I have heard of the deaths of two people who I really valued.   It is a reminder that when we are on holiday all the many facets of life are continuing at home.

A shopping day

This morning we drove to the Eroski Supermarket to get essential food items plus a consignment of wine (most of which will travel home with us in a week or so) and two sets of typical Spanish earthenware dishes.   Liz, your wish has been granted.   We looked in many shops before finding what we wanted.

We returned to Manolo where we put a pizza in the oven for a late lunch.   All our holiday lunches seem to be late!   In a little while we had our lunch of Chorizo Pizza and San Miguel.   It went down well.   I then decided to consult my laptop and found, to my joy, that Sue & Derek's car had passed its MOT.   That was really good news and well timed after their recent problems.

So the rest of the afternoon was spent in and out of the pool.   During one of the out periods one of the cats, Little Tiddles, thought he would stroll over to say hello.   I tickled him behind the ear and he took that as an invitation to join me on the sun lounger.   He quickly discovered he had got it wrong.   I had enough problems last year when a dog who had adopted us did the same.   On that occasion , in return for my pushing him off the lounger, he ran off up the road with my baseball cap!

I have posted photos of the two cats at the top of this posting.   Yodo is the ginger cat and loves to bask in the sun on the top of the bamboo cane shelter under which we have our meals.   This morning I had to persuade Yodo to move to a new position as I was not keen on a cat falling through onto me at breakfast time.   Little Tiddles (These are the names given to the cats by Sue Brown who owns the property) is the noisy one and is always trying to get me to provide food more often than Sue's rules lay down.   The note on the catfood says "One per cat every 2 days".   They seem to be good cats in that they repel all boarders.   Twice I have heard Yodo seeing off an intruding cat during the night.   I imagine that mice etc get the same treatment.

So now we come to the end of this posting as it is now time to start preparing for dinner.   I really enjoy doing the cooking and Pauline has been helping out with various salads.

A quiet day

As you can see from these photos, life is very hectic here at Finca Manolo.   After the long drives of yesterday we decided that tranquility and the occasional swim was the order of today.   Pauline was very disappointed at the way yesterday turned out.   Firstly, she was unable to go up the Rock at Gibraltar and secondly, when we arrived in Ronda, the hotel where she had enjoyed some excellent food last year was closed and then her painful back prevented her from walking any further.   She was in real pain as we crossed the bridge in Ronda.   Once we finished our meal there I walk across town to the car park and then brought the car to her.

This morning saw us doing a little essential shopping in Colmenar and the we stayed at Manolo for the day.   The sun was hot, set in a clear blue sky once the early clouds had gone.   We did quite a lot of reading.   Having finished the book I had been reading I started on another which has turned out to be fascinating.   It is a history of the Knights Templar.  

For a number of years I have read the books by Michael Jecks which are set in the 12/13th century and involve a knight, Sir Baldwin de Furnshill, who solves crimes committed in dartmoor and surrounding areas.   Sir Baldwin, in the first novel, is described as a former Knight Templar, and part of the book is about revenge taken on one who was cruel towards the order.   The order began when 9 devout knights in Jerusalem made a vow to protect the pilgrims who were being attacked and robbed on their journey by a group of Muslims known as the Musselmen.  

Eventually they became a large order who were bequeathed great wealth by the ultra rich of Europe in their wills.   Their downfall was at the hands of a King of France who complained to the Pope that they pursued many activities which were depraved.   The Pope then declared that they should be hunted down and tried for crimes they never committed.   The King was happy to do this because they had refused to advance him some money at a time when his coffers were extremely low.   In other words, he had denounced them because they refused to grant him the money.   He thought he would soon have his hands on it.   In the United Kingdom there is still a belief that the treasure of the Knights Templar of England Scotland and Wales is buried in a secret location.

Having aquired some more historical knowledge it is now time for a 20 minutes spa in the hot tub.   After that I shall be on BBQ duties.   Today is the 13th birthday of our granddaughter, Isabel, so we wish her a very Happy Birthday!   It is also the anniversary of our moving to live in Anglesey.   This is something we have never regretted.

The visit to Gibraltar

The plan for today was to visit Gibraltar.   Waking up at 5.00am with an aweful ache at the top of my right leg did not bode well for a long drive.   Eventually, after some treatment it settled down and some measure of comfort returned.   We rose at 8.00am and soon began making breakfast and the pain was not as bad as it had been.   During breakfast I said we should go to Gibraltar and eventually we set off.   As we approached we found the weather had become like Gib - very British.   It was raining!   After queuing for quite some time we crossed the border.

In Gib the traffic follows the same rule as in Spain - drive on the right.   We headed across the airport runway - no aircraft to be seen.   Then we entered what can only be described as the town of Gibraltar.   It is a very small cramped place and mostly pretty grubby.   We drove around various streets several times, passing the sentry on guard at the Governor's house at least 3 times.   Twice I noticed that we were passing the methodist Church - they get everywhere.   We even passed through a Jewish quarter where the children were being collected from school.   Try as we may, we could not find the way to the bottom of the rock where there is a cable car terminus.   After a long and frustrating drive round streets which possess the absolute minimum of direction signs and the world's largest population of scooters and their riders we called the visit off.   But not before filling up with petrol at £1.049 per litre!

So as not to spoil a day out, Pauline opted to return to Colmenar via the ancient town of Ronda.   Last year we were fined for illegal parking in Ronda.   This year we parked legally!   We found that the walk to the hotel where we had been last year was much longer than we remembered and Pauline was suffering as she tried to walk the distance.   She was really in pain.   Then disaster struck - the hotel was closed and up for sale.   Where could we eat?   We made it across the famous Puento Nuevo and found a side street with tables.   We sat down at about 5.00pm to eat for the first time since breakfast.

To backtrack, we found the route which we had designated went through some of the most beautiful and staggering scenery.   Ronda was a long time coming as we went along up and down hills and around a world record number of bends, but the views were sensational.   Along the way we found a number of Miradors where we could pull off the road and take in the scenery.   How those white villages cling to their hillsides is baffling.   The town of Gaucin is pictured at the top of this posting.   There is a recomended circular drive which includes the road we took.   It is called the land of bandits!

In a few minutes I shall be cooking our dinner.   We are having barbecued lamb chops with salad.   Tomorrow will be a day of rest!!!!!

The travelling salesman

This photo was taken this afternoon.   Pauline decided that we should stay put today and just enjoy the pool and the scenery that surrounds Finca Manolo.   But we still had a number of items that we had forgotten to purchase earlier so after a late breakfast (they are always late here) we drove into Colmenar to see if we could find the elusive items.   We needed a lightbulb so that we could see to eat outside after dark.   Also needed were flour for cooking, a powder we would need to create Paella (something including safron), more bottled water, BBQ charcoal, tomato purree and lemons.   Apart from lemons which could be purchased separately elsewhere (ie not in nets), we found the goods we needed.

On the way back to Finca Manolo (7 kilometres) I suggested that we drive past our house and locate the local bar in El Romo.   El Romo is not a village.   It is what we would call a scattered community or hamlet.   Believe it or not we had to sweep in through white gates and drive for 300 yards or so along a drive bordred by beautiful shrubs and bushes.   We stopped at the car park and walked over to the covered area where three people were enjoying the odd beer or three at a table.   I went in and ordered two beers and brought them out to our table by the door.

We had not been there more than five minutes when a large white van rolled up and its driver came across to our tables and started a sales pitch for clothing, bed line, towels etc!   We did not understand a word of Spanish but ended up with Pauline buying a top for 12 euros.   The Spanish family who own the bar (El Nino) were dragged in to the sales pitch and their daughter bought some towels.   The salesman was a real character but a really nice guy.   Eventually, having made a few sales he got back in his van and went off to find another remote bar in the mountains.   Apparently he is a weekly visitor there.   We came away saying, "We only wanted a beer each and bought a top for Pauline!"

the rest of the afternoon was taken up with reading (Boys from Brazil in my case) and swimming.

Late in the afternoon I went over to the car and did some calculations using TomTom.   After double checking my results I went over to Pauline and announced that tomorrow we shall be driving to Gibraltar which is only 2 hours away.   My cousin advised last year that there is nothing of interest at Gibraltar.   Tomorrow we shall validate that statement.   We have read many war books which have involved Gibraltarm (the Malta Convoys etc) so we want to know what it is like today and see if there is anything left relating to the war.   I shall report back to you in due course.

Mijas

I was first to awake today.   I looked through the window, which has anti mosquito mesh across, and saw there was no sunlight.   Eventually I got up and saw that the entire mountain range around us was covered in mist.   I thought, at first, it was cloud!

By the time we had showered etc and gone outside for breakfast only Mount Mourama was still wreathed in mist.   Once the breakfast was complete we set off for the well known mountain village of Mijas Pueblas near Torremolinos.   It was a journey of about an hour and a half.   Once we had completed the few miles from Colmenar to Casabermeja, we joined the A45 Autovia Malaga.  

At this point I stopped to fill up with petrol.   This can be a confusing performance in Spain.   At some filling stations an attendant comes out and you simply ask to be filled up.   Hand signals easily cover this.   Other stations require you to go into the shop and say how much petrol you want and pay at that point.   If you can't get that much fuel into the tank, hard lines!   On this occasion I realised I would have to go in and tell them I wanted to fill the tank.   After queuing for 3 minutes, I asked to be filled up and then understanding broke down.   Eventually the attendant asked me to go back to the car and he would open the pump.   I did this and found that the pump was still not ready to discharge petrol.   After a minute I saw the  numbers go to zero and filled the tank.   Then back I went to pay for the fuel.

Off we set for Mijas, following the commands of Tom Tom, our satnav.   One feature of travelling the Spanish motorways is the tunnel.   There are lots of them and the law demands that you have dipped headlights on in the tunnels.   So before each tunnel there is a blue sign with a drawing of dipped headlights and once back in the daylight you see another with the same drawing and a question mark to remind you to switch off your lights.

Eventually we reached the turn off for Mijas (pronounced Meehass) and climbed the steep hill.   The road winds up the hill until you reach the village from where you have a balcony view of the resorts along the coast - a concrete jungle with many high rise buildings.   On a clear day you can see as far as the coast of Africa.   This is our third visit and we still have not seen that particular view.   We parked on a well designed multi storey car park, waited five minutes for the lift and then emerged in the village.   Pauline spinal troubles were not too bad today.   She did very well and climbed the steps to the upper village in a single attempt.   Well done!   Within a few minutes we found the eatery we had used last year and ordered drinks plus a Ceasar Salad and a Paella for two.   The food was lovely.   Later we wandered off again and Pauline bought a leather handbag to replace the two she had bought last year which were cheaper in design and had lost their straps!

Having had a look round we drove back to Finca Manolo in El Romo and descended into the pool!   Then we had afternoon tea - a cup of Earl Grey for Pauline and one of English breakfast for me.   Soon afterwards we indulged in small beers before another swimming session.   All in all it was a good day.

We visit Lake Vinuela and the Eroski Hypermarket

 

 

Having risen later (even later than usual!) we had breakfast by the pool and then set off to locate the Eroski Hypermarket at Velez-Malaga.   Last year we were quite impressed by the amount of roads under repair because they had fallen into steep sided valleys.   This year it seems much the same.   Several sections of the road we were using had collapsed into the valley below.   You can always tell when one is coming up because the road signs have yellow backgrounds instead of white.   Even the lines on the road change to yellow.   I think this is a good idea as you are immediately warned of possible danger on very bendy roads.

Once we had found the hypermarket, which turned out to be part of a huge indoor shopping mall, we were able to locate all sorts of food to keep us going during our stay.   Although we forgot quite a number of items we needed I did remember to buy a sharp knife for cooking.   The knives available to us were not even able to cut through onions without problems.  Many items in the store were much cheaper than home prices.

On the way back we felt hungry so called at a camping place by the side of Lake Vinuela for a spot of lunch.   We had a sandwich each and a plate of chips between us.   This was washed down by two glasses of beer followed by some excellent mineral water.   Then we set off back to Colmenar and then Finca Manolo.   The cats seemed pleased to see us as we lugged our heavy load across to the kitchen.   After putting the groceries away we opted for a swim in the pool.   I had to remove a lot of dead insects from the surface before starting my swim.

Suddenly, I was reminded that I had not included the story of the house martins in an earlier posting.   What reminded me was the fact these birds had suddenly returned to the pool which they used for drinking.   This happens all over the world.    We have witnessed it in Anghistri, our favourite Greek island.  The birds sit somewhere local from where they can swoop down and drink quick beakfuls of water as they skim the surface.   Later in the evening they begin feeding their young in a nest under the side shelter of the house.   However, should we happen to be resident in the hot tub which is close to the nest, the birds zoom down as near to us as they dare and then beat a hasty retreat.   The haste is something worth seeing.   They fly so quickly.   They keep on doing these approaches until one suddenly has the courage to fly just above our heads to get to the nest.   I have included a photo of the beautifully constructed nest of the house martins above.

One experience which is worth sharing is the sight of dragon flies skimming the pool surface each day.   One pair must have fallen out because they were locked in mortal combat.   It resembled an insect version of the Battle of Britain movie.   I noticed too that quite often two dragon flies would fly around locked together.   I think, though I am no expert, that they were mating on the wing.   I understand that they have a life of only 24 hours so this is an essential thing to do before night falls.

Tonight we are have a BBQ dinner and Pauline has just started to cook some rice in advance.   This will become a rice salad later in the evening.   The meat to be cooked is steak and sausage.   We shall be making melon and serrano ham for a starter and finally ending with a peach flan purchased this morning.

Sunday in the Mountains

 

The weather forecast for Malaga today was 38 degrees.   However, I doubt the temperature up here in the mountains rose so high.   For one thing, a temperature so high would mean a swimming pool closer to a hot tub temperature.   The pool is deliciously cool and refreshing!   We rose quite late and had breakfast outside under the bamboo shelter which Yodo, the ginger cat, was using as a sun bathing hammock.   We fully expected Yodo to come crashing down as the bamboo gave way.   The only thing to blight the day was the news that Andy Murray had lost his match against Rafael Nadal.

As we looked out towards Mount Mourama it looked a little misty.   After breakfast I checked if the dish washer had worked from the previous evening.   It had not, because I think I set it to simply rinse which was not much use.   You see, we have what we call our Bible.   It is a file put together by Sue and Trevor who own the villa.   In it you find the answer to all questions like how to operate the dish washer.   My problem was that the point to which I was supposed to turn the knob had lost just about all lettering to show the various settings.   I therefore included the breakfast pots and re-started the machine.   This time it worked beautifully.   We must remember to get a top up supply of dish washer tablets tomorrow.

We had fully intended spending our first weekend unwinding by the pool so we continued this activity with gusto.   Perhaps gusto is not the best description!   However, I did a number of lengths so my efforts could be described as exercise.   We drank the odd beer, the odd coffee and the odd Fanta lemon.   Our lunch was bread, cheese & serrano ham which is, of course very Spanish.   Two rolls of this was all we needed to feel full.

Once in a while I would look out over the valley and see the landscape changing in definition as the sun crept round the sky.   The best view of the white village, Comares, is when the sun is moving over to the west and getting lower.   You then see it at its very best.   Comares was originally built in a classic defensive position ie. on the top of a large hill or mountain.   Andalucia is full of such places.   Locally, our view, as we do the whole 360 degrees gaze, is of hundreds of small white buildings on a multitude of hillsides.  

I cannot think of a more inspiring location for a holiday or even a place to live.   There is very little sound, although there was some local shooting at one point.   It is weekend, after all!   Two light aircraft flew lazily across our view at one point.

Incidentally, I was on cat feeding duty this morning.   They get a sachet of food each every two days.   I put the dishes out round the back of the house and the cats stayed where they were - even though they were yowing when they saw me bring out the food!   I was elected cat feeder because Pauline cannot stand them.   When they rub against her she hates it.   Not a cat person!   As for me I have, in the past, fed dogs, cats, white mice, tortoises, a guinea pig, a rabbit and 3 chickens who presented me with 3 eggs a day for my services.   The guinea pig, rabbit and chickens belong to our friends who were on holiday recently in Mid Wales.

Tomorrow we shall be shopping for other cooking ingredients and most importantly, some good wine.   We hope to combine this with a lunch by Lake Vinuela.   It's all go!

First Saturday

Today was a day of buying groceries and meat to see us through afew days.  Having been here before (in 2010 we hired the villa just down the road) we knew which little supermarket we wanted to use and the butchers next door.   The supermarket is small but well patronised so it was quite a squash to get in and select what we wanted.

The woman at the till, although not speaking English, was able to make fun of her customers who were gabbling and shouting to each other.   With the odd word and much body language we  were able to include the correct amounts of cheese and salami to our basket.   It was good fun.   I was pleased that, having done a lot of exercise this year in a local gym I could carry the large bags of goods up the street to where the car was parked.

Next we called in at the butchers where by pointing and displaying the correct number of fingers we bought two very large chicken breasts, 24 sausages, 8 chicken drumsticks, 4 pork loin chops and a chorizo for 18 euros.  When we had put our purchases in the car and were ready to leave for El Romo another car had pulled up close behind.   A timely toot on the horn got us out of that problem!

Back home we went through 7 kilometers of stunning views as we glanced across the other valley.   To stand on the roof terrace is to get a wonderful 360 degrees view stretching for miles.  The top photo is of the mountain top village of Comares which we want to visit whilst here.   Last year we never went and regretted this afterwards.

You can see from an initial photo of the pool that it is sizeable.   Whilst the bottom slopes it is very little so the shallow end is not really shallow at all.   But it has Roman steps and this gets people into the water by increments!   We spent the rest of the day in and out of the pool followed by a twenty minutes spa treatment in the hot tub.   Sitting in the hot tub with jets of water coming from every angle and looking out over the valley at sunset is a memorable experience.

Afterwards I made chicken breasts with garlic and pimenton and a salad for dinner.   This was followed by creme caramel.   All was washed down with a sparkling wine.   Following the meal which we ate outside one of the house cats jumped on my knee for a little smoothing.   Its name is Yodo.   This cat was later involved in a fight with a visiting cat who was obviously very unwelcome.

If any typos or spelling mistakes appear it is because I am lazy and use spellcheck which, because I am posting from Spain, does not work for me as it thinks I should be writing in Spanish!

The very beginning

We left Penysarn, Anglesey on Tuesday, 6th September 2011 at 8.30am as planned.   I drove about 360 miles south to Portsmouth with a couple or three stops along the way.   We were about 40 miles from Portsmouth when we switched on the radio.   It was a shock to hear that Britanny Ferries had cancelled their sailing to Cherbourg.   No mention was made of the Santander sailing so I checked my mobile for messages and found one from Britanny Ferries to say we would be sailing at 6.15pm and not 5.00pm.

The Pont Aven sailed at the advised time and as we left port there was a noticeable movement  but not too bad.   Overnight the weather was not good but the ship didn't give us cause for concern.   Waking in the night to feel your world moving in several directions is slightly unusual!   About 5.15am the movement reuced and when we rose next day conditions became perfect.   It was an excellent ship with good food and friendly crew.   I recommend it.

At last we arrived at Santander and we drove into the town, using satnav to find our first hotel.   Its name is Hotel Chateau de Roca and our room was much better than we expected with lots of room and a very large bed!   The bathroom was spacious too and equipped to a high standard.   We had a very restricted menu offered costing 16 euros.   It was very good indeed and included a sweet and coffee as well as a bottle of wine.   next day the breakfast was enjoyable too.

We pulled out of their car park and across the road to fill up with petrol and set off for the Madrid area.   At the end of our drive we arrived at Travelodge in Las Rozas a few miles outside Madrid.   Here we had booked b & b for 35 euros!   Just round the corner we had a nice dinner and then turned in for a night's sleep before part two of our journey.

The next day saw us on Madrid's equivalent of the M25.   It was called the M50 but it was not twice as bad as the M25.   The satnav took us on a couple of toll roads and later in the day we drove across the Sierra Nevada on  the windiest motorway imaginable.   We took the existing pass through a beautiful gorge with lovely and magnificent rock formations.  The auto gear box was not happy at all when we had long hills so we were glad to reach refreshment points when it seemed to recover a little.

The scenery in the north was very green and turned gold as we drove through the middle of the country.   The Spanish plains do go forever and were a joy to see.   There were other areas which were mountainous and then we started to see millions of gallons of olive oil growing.

Sadly, Pauline directed me down a wrong turn just 5 miles from Colmenar which is our nearest village and we ended up going back 3 miles along the motorway to take another turn for Colmenar.   Once in the village we knew the route that led up incredibly steep streets and came out by the church to drive our final 7 kilometers to Finca Manolo in the hamlet of El Romo.

The house has a wonderful swimming pool and also a hot tub.   This removed all our tiredness and we went to bed and slept until morning.