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!