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.
No comments:
Post a Comment