Apologies as always in my procrastination! Above two coffees from before my flight here a week ago Monday! Landed in Blighty about midnight, a little early, and after leaving twenty minutes late! A busy full flight, mostly with the seatbelt sign on due to very bumpy ride!

And landing in East Midlands, I think it was the coldest I have ever been in my life! Am I exaggerating? Not sure, we spent that wonderful week in the cave house back in 2007.. For Christmas and New Year..

Was wonderful, wish I could go back to live that time, around and around and around... Franco the Pipster and me... Found a cigarette on the massive mantle piece, it had been Franco's, but I didn't know it, he was being a secret smoker.. bless him...

Anyways!! It was -9° in the mornings and in the minus all day, every day, still didn't feel as cold as it was the other Monday in the middle of the night in the freezing wind at East Midlands Airport.

I've still not tried buses yet, since I've been back, Monday I am! Off to Nottingham and on the bus! For freeeeeee!

Last week can you guess from above where I was? Yep! IKEA! Of course, wonderful! 

I've been walking along the canal, that I've been calling the River Erewash, but now the trees are so bare and the river so high, it looks like it's the Cromford canal I've been walking along?? Says three meet here.. 

I took the above in black and white.. Seemed appropriate and looking now at this .. only a few clues to it being taken in the 21st century..

As I was walking earlier in the week, listening to Harry Potter, still .. I came across a lost wand! Sono left it on a bridge for it's owner to find! Magic eh!

Doctors I visited the doctor because of tiredness, seems a silly thing to bother him with, but I am so incredibly tired, exhausted.. so getting bloods done Monday.. and going to see a physio about my still sore, after two months, knees..

A photographs more from my canal side walk... 

The mushrooms, Jelly ear or wood ear, mushrooms.. below, apparently are edible?? Should I try them!! It's okay, I think not!

 

Terrible storms back home, trees, electricity WiFi!! And I still worry about my house, my home... 

Always..

M.

Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life

Steve Jobs

As the sun rises this morning over the Guadalhorce valley...

Coffee at Bar Cruz, times two, nos vemos pronto to friends, just one more visit to an especially favorite clothes store!

A visit to a friends apartment.. and Mercadona for food for later...

And now a coffee, yes more! At Mori's ..

Writing just one more time before flying this evening..

Maybe I'll post this before I fly..

M.

How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.

Winnie-the-poo

The Thyssen gallery in Málaga 

Many more photographs from last week's visit to the Thyssen gallery in Málaga..

The link may help where I have failed to add any artists names... And dates of work! 

Next time, I will go slower and take more time..

Although we took time, I know when I go alone I take more .. maybe without the worry of who I am with...

Time has flown as must I later today...

Here all day really, flying at 22:00... And after a bit of a mixed weather day yesterday, today is bright and sunny with a mix of clouds..

Above I do know, I'd in the room with the Rembrandt collection..

M.

One who knows how to enjoy life does not need riches 

(I add, it would help though!)

Museo Carmen Thyssen

I should have taken more note of who painted everything I took photographs of .. 

Deepest apologies.. 

I took way too many photographs, hadn't been in the Thyssen for about.. mmm maybe five or six years? 

Good to be back there... 

The picture below, Emilio Sánchez-Perrier, Winter in Andalucía

Looks so incredibly modern, the poplar trees, the sheep... Almost photograph like..

Painted in 1880...

I miss going to the gallery's and museums of Málaga, the rich history.. artwork painted over the last couple of hundred years; some more.. we saw some of  Rembrandt's work ... from the 1600's..

To see all this amazing beauty, then step out in the old part of Málaga.. wonderful, fills the heart up, recharges the soul.. I am so lucky.

Just ran through my decades of views of Málaga, to place one here from the past, but wasn't a helpful exercise! The happy times...

M.

Only I can change my life. No one can do it for me.

Carol Burnett - Actress, Comedian, Singer

A couple of photographs from my friends terrace.. The mountains never look the same, different times of days, different times of the year.. The photograph below, only the mountains in the foreground can be seen in summer, those looming behind disappear in the heat of the day..

Yesterday we went to Málaga, us three girls, bus there and back, a fast bus, cutting out de la Torre and Churriana.. etc etc etc..

When we arrived we stopped at the nearby bar for coffee, times two for all of us, and a bite to eat... Before walking over into the old part of the city and...

...the Museo Carmen Thyssen.. 

I took a lot of photographs of paintings... Will post them after this... Minus the chattering!

These two I took from the smoking terrace, the view was lovely, not so the extremely penetratingly high pitched noise coming from somewhere, an alarm maybe? We mentioned it to them when we came down..

It started to give two of us a headache!

After the gallery we only visited one store, for S. who got some shoes, then it was all systems go to get to the bus station and home to Alhaurín!

It's been a fair weather day, after last night's stormy wind and a little rain... It feels cold in the shade, and warm in the sun..

Another good day..

M.

To practice any art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow, so do it.

Kurt Vonnegut - 1922-2007 - Author

Selfie! Sorry! Taken Sunday on the coast, not sure about the little orb floating nearby!

Took these Tuesday morning, walking up to Bar Monika, although I didn't make the bar as stopped to talk to a friend at Bar Cruz.. 

Top two photographs are along Gerrard Brennan, just before 9:00 so fairly quiet...

The one above is near my house, Plaza Alta, so quite a few of this already in my (phone) gallery, over the decades!

And here above of course another well photographed view looking down over the valley...

The streets look so blue... The town still isn't rh shade of the Sierra De Mijas...

I of course, did not walk down my street, I glanced up as I passed before the ayuntamiento, and walking back down, risked a quick glance up the street.. I wonder if I'll ever have the strength to pass my house...

I feel at the moment still, that I won't, and that's okay.

M.

A river cuts through rock, not because of its power, but because of its persistence.

Jim Watkins - American Anchor and Journalist

Memento Mori

 

However people ignore signs, or weird sh!t, it really does happen! 

I was telling you about the weirdness already of Memento Mori on tv, and on the flight over I am reading Suzie Dent, Guilty by Definition, and, as you can see there it is again! 

And again!! Just now this morning in El Corte Inglés.. I wanted to buy it! But that's not very practical... So.. against my own wants wishes and need to keep a bottle of this on a shelf indefinitely... There it remains on their shelves!

These words are obviously meant to be on me!

So be it!

A quick walk around the Calipso flea market this morning, then a coffee in the small bar by the gasolinera there.

All like old times...

...my old times, there opposite is the original timeshare I had, Lubina Sol, Apt B11B... c1989

It didn't need to be in black and white... Nothing usually is! Oh how I twist and turn my words! 

Back home now, after a quick trip to Elviria and the above supermarket for wine, then over the road for bread at a wonderful bakers.. I paid €9 for two cinnamon rolls! Extortion! They better be good or I'll be taking the crumbs back to him!!

Looking forward to getting back to Alhaurín later today.. My heart and soul are happy

M.

I wish someone had warned me when I was younger, now I stay up all night and weep; the ghosts of everything you have loved and lost come back to haunt you in your sleep.

Nikita Gill

Cabopino... Day one, or is it two? Arrived safely yesterday afternoon, good and speedy flight..

Ate an early dinner, late lunch? I was starving.. a good walk out, the photographs... and an evening of enjoyable talking and a glass of good wine... And chocolate

And chocolate!

This morning a drive to Puerta Banus, a quick visit to see friends working at the market, then back into Banus, a coffee, and another friends store, but she wasn't in until later... 

A nice walk around the port, and window shopping! Then another coffee! And home.. 

Lunch and another walk! Came home and got the car.. I was dropped back at Calahonda and walked along to my old shop .. saw five people I knew before I got there, was good to be back, although my buddy isn't there any more.. Was very strange... But had a good catch up with J. And another J. from work stopped by, good to see her too... Miss them all...more as time goes by... Not less... 

I went down to a bar I used to frequent and had, another coffee!!

We have been out, again, and down to Elviria, yes for more coffee! Sat and chatted in the warm sunshine.. very nice..

Window shopped while I was there, two sweaters later.. but they won't fit in my bag to get them back!! I'll be like the Michelin man on my flight!

I came home and needed to nap, surprisingly, although the body is tired sleep is being elusive! The caffeine maybe! Ha!

So no nap! And it is with heavy lidded eyes I am now writing, next I'll practice some Spanish, and or German, and do some brain games..!

M.

Whatever you are doing today, do it with the confidence of a tutu wearing four year old in a Batman T-shirt 

Purloined from a Facebook page!