Back to me being a bad Blogger it seems! Lo siento..

Above some of my favorite flowers, hydrangeas at Casa de Flores .. and this color is absolutely gorgeous...

A couple of beautiful views taken from K.'s, sunsets in paradise...

And back to Blighty!! On Wednesday evening my first day back the food delivery guy gave my son two massive bags of peas!! 

For free I mean ! He said there was so much excess stock everyone was getting them!

Not sons favorite veggie side, so Thursday I sat out the back in the beautiful sunshine, just as I left it .. it only rained while I was away! Hang on, it did rain a bit yesterday and the day before, not much though.  

So sat in one of my old camping chairs, cup of fresh mint tea, I podded the peas .. 

It was so lovely, music playing in my earbuds, popping the peas out into the bowl.. brought back memories from sitting out the back at New Road in Northchurch with my gran when I was little, podding the peas she had grown...

Me and her... 

And the completed peas.. there were more than it looks... I went into the kitchen and cooked off some red onion some garlic, diced up a few new potatoes, keeping on the skins, cooked off a little more with some stock, then added the peas for five minutes and some fresh mint! 

Was okay, I mean not the best soup, but I ate it over the next few days so nothing wasted...

Now.. what else, Saturday! Went to a beer and food festival, there were a couple of sudden drops of rain but not enough to stop people eating where they sat on the grass, or to stop the musicians from playing and people to abandon the hay bales..

Two great bands, solo singers... but neither of them said 'hello' or introduced themselves.. it's nice when musicians interact with the audience, you feel included... 

Anyways, I bought a few items, an amazing snake made with a 3D printer, and an octopus!! I'll take photographs tomorrow... Couple of LEGO characters.. Mmmm oh and a very large amount of Turkish Delight!! Two pieces of every flavor, after he cut off tiny pieces for me to try! 

I was aiming for an advertised price for a specific weight.. but that went.. somewhere! Where all good intensions go! As the seller was just piling it in a box then weighed it, I tried to not looked shocked and just tapped my phone and ran!

Cannot show you, today is Friday and there is none left! At all!! Can't lie! 

Today, went for a ride out on a bike, Matlock Bath, lovely sunny day, had a jacket spud with chilli con carne.. nice bit of spice actually...

And sat there, outside the pub, the benches all up on a raised area above street level, with all bar one bench taken, every one of the customers were bikers; the path, a slow moving walkway of people admiring the parked up bikes next to the kerb.. my casco, (helmet), on the wall, my jacket on the back in my seat.. my 'helmet head' hair pulled back, my fine array of tattoos! And I giggled to myself when a passing woman said to her partner when he suggested 'sit up there?' she looked up, looked shocked looked panicky! and said "oh no, I didn't want to sit up there!."

So funny, to be somewhere where someone can't imagine being happy sitting, because of how the other people, the majority, all look like!

Made my day! 

M.

The universe will surprise you

Constantly

Oops catch up! When I last posted I was on the beach down at Cabopino on Sunday.. 

What did I do Saturday? Let me check my calendar! Okay! Met up with friends here in town, coffees chatting lunch! I remember now! 

Then Sunday with J. down at Cabopino most of the day, didn't get back until the evening, I was under the parasol all day, well, most of me... A group started playing in the mid afternoon which was nice, so a day of good conversation, lots of laughter and people watching.. followed by more laughing!! 

Yesterday, Monday, Torremolinos with the girls, K. and S., 

Went to The Tudor Rose I used to take Peter too.. which was why we went. On the approach no parking spaces, so I carried on past, around the two Picasso dancing girls roundabout, and back.. and a space right outside! Perfect!

We walked up and sat down, no electricity! She said only cold drinks and food at the moment.. We debated staying or leaving and I said out loud, 'Peter!! What are you doing to us?!' and the electric came back on! Again! Perfect!

After a light breakfast, my second of the day! We went to Ikea, where I tried and succeeded in not buying anything!! A very rare occurrence, but then, seriously! What was a going to do! Carry it back to England with me!! Noooo!

Then!! After items were purchased we were off to Casa las Flores! Hence the turtles in the top photograph, they have opened up the area around the raised flower beds and painted the fence; when I was last there I couldn't get close to see them! 

Night before last there was a fire in the Finca la Mota área in the evening and turned the sky a beautiful color... 

 Today, my last full day..

Coffee with T. and then my neighbor, then a wander around town.. made the mistake of (or made the most of), going into my favorite store, Bulee, only purchased two items! Well, one item is a twin set.. So sort of three items, for the price of two! I say, explaining myself to absolutely no body at all! 

Now I sit here at Bar Mori, Isa's café, a cup of té verde, writing my memoires.. 

M.

The only limits in our life are those we impose on ourselves.

Bob Proctor - 1934-2022 - Author and Speaker

More from Fridays trip to Málaga and the Botanical Gardens.. 

My photographs really do not do the place justice..

Stunning colors, some blooms fading already as the heat sets in.. 

The area above they use for weddings and we imagined how they would hold them there .. Then we began wedding planning! How, where, the best places there... And if our gardens... What we would do... 

Yep, three women dreaming as girls ...

Black bamboo, a couple of amazing bamboo forests here, green and black ... Amazing to walk through...

Many of the pools and streams had thousands of tadpoles in! The water was alive with them! And in this one a turtle or two!

This building, a small museum, below, looked new but was very very old... Gorgeous.. 

So many pathways, so much to see, beautiful.. we'll be back! 

Hopefully, again and again, it's so close! Forty minutes from here really, that's all... 

Or again bus and coach, easy...

M.

Go as far as you can see. When you get there you will see how you can go farther.

Thomas Carlyle - 1795-1881 - British Historian-Essayist-Philosopher-Mathematician-Teacher

Above Thursday evening, back in Alhaurín... 

Beautiful sunsets.. memories abound.. 

Yesterday, Friday 13th June, the Botanical Gardens of Málaga.. all these years meaning to visit.. never too late! 

We got the fast bus from Alhaurín to Málaga bus station, us three girls, stopped for breakfast at a bar near the bus station.. it was busy but we nabbed a table and three chairs..

The botanical gardens on built above Málaga, above the A45 to Cordoba..

It is about 13 minutes from the hospital.. There really are no excuses for not going over these decades!! 

The bus from here is fast, and cheap, and the bus from Málaga bus station took about half an hour, and cost 1.40€ very cheap... 

We had coffees, twice, and a little food from the cafe on site, was clean and well stocked.. the many bathrooms were all clean..

Sorry, laughing to myself, I'm giving a review here!! I leave it to Google maps for that! 

We walked, and walked.. remember the gardens are on the side of a mountain! Was easy and okay to walk, but maybe not when it gets hotter.. we didn't get everywhere, saving a little for next time.. and cooler weather..

We imagined, different times of the year everything would be different, of course, like any garden.. ever changing, ever growing.. 

So incredibly beautiful, and the air, although right next to the A45, and you could hear it.. the air amongst the trees was beautiful.. refreshing..

The house! Stunning! I'll put a link here to the Botanical Gardens of Málaga.

Some photographs today, more in the morning.. 

Two nights ago I dreamt about many holes in the road ahead of me...

Dreams about holes in the road often symbolize life's challenges and obstacles, suggesting the need for caution and perseverance. The holes can represent unexpected difficulties or situations that require careful navigation. It may also reflect a sense of being lost or facing uncertainty in one's life. 

Interesting eh! Sorry dream out of context, but I'd already left this here from yesterday morning.. and let's be honest, much of life is out of context!

So yesterday! 

After our long wonderful day in Málaga, I had a brief reprieve and then off to Bar Monika at the other end of town, my old end, so to speak! 

After a glass of wine and the world's largest burger to share! Would not, could not be eaten alone, and still both left some!

A good laugh, good conversation and in my old local.. 

My walk back, still light, about 9pm, back the way I walked, we walked, too many times to count.. was beautiful and sad..

To live here nineteen years, and now not, to feel my heart cry, bleed.. It hurts.. still, how long for? Always...

And back once more at K.s... 

M.

You were born with the ability to change someone's life, don't ever waste it.

Dale Partridge - Author

Yesterday's walk back from Cabopino, much humidity

And along the beach much much seaweed!! 

Piling up all along here.. sand is missing and rocks aplenty.. 

This used to be nice to sunbathe on, not too wide, and never too busy.. 

More rock puddles now and sea urchins! 

My temporary fur baby.. She's so beautiful, so loving and last night kept very tight to me, all night.. 

This was around midnight.. 

The thunder and flashings of lightening drew me up to the terrace, I watched nature's amazing light display..

Photographs were difficult to capture and videos a bit hit and miss!

I love these Spanish storms.. spectacular!

Stayed up there a long while until the rain began hammering down, then I thought I better get back in, and continue with Lady Chatterley's Lover, on TV..

Feel so sorry for J.'s mom, using her Netflix account, I'm completely trashing it!! 

Today I drove down to the market to meet a friend for coffee, I parked as directed by the attendants and walked off to the bar in the Carrefour nearby.

After coffees I went for a meander around the market, and it was only when I got to the very end, the top end... I walked back into the carpark area from there... And realized, I have absolutely no idea where the car is!!

I walked up and down like a numpty, both exist lanes full of people trying to get out by car, and after a quarter of an hour I gave up! 

When I go back, I'll walk up to the BBVA bank, and try to retrace my steps from there...

And, the market will be emptier by then, it closes at 14:00, it's not closed yet... But I've walked into La Cala and have had some pizza and Aquarius drink.. 

Then I'll walk the boardwalk for a while..

Fingers crossed enough cars will have left and the car will show up for me!! 

Never lost a car before!! I think ours had a small bit of reflective tape on the aerial... Franco was always losing the car! He was allowed to!

Update! Walked a long way down the boardwalk, about as far as Miraflores.. then I walked back to the feria ground... The back way, the main road way... Still stalls up, mostly being packed away, but still seemed busy, cars were thinning out... I was looking for my car .. before, in the totally wrong place, it was up against a barrier?? 

I do not remember that, I guess being distracted by the .. everything else!!

M.

You choose the life you live. If you don't like it, it's on you to change it because no one else is going to do it for you.

Kim Kiyosaki - Author and Speaker

Today lunch with J., but first I parked down at El Zoco, first visited in 1989, it can't have been there long, talking to our neighbor from Calipso.. She remembers when her and her husband bought the apartment and there was no El Zoco.. just an olive grove there ..

I don't think it would have been there that long then... Thirty six years since I first visited there, for restaurant, for supermarket for the bars... 

I did the tourists thing and took plenty of photographs, not many people about, and lots of places closed, or closed up.. Seems sad there.. 

I walked from the car towards Paco's bar, that I thought had closed, but saw it open, and then him coming out with coffees, and also in that moment is when I saw our neighbor, and she saw me! And shouted! Was wonderful! So good to see her.. Just like old times..

She was sat with a lady who used to own the Almond Tree with her husband... Before the Sullivan's were there... I knew the lady also, from work... 

I'd popped into the office and saw the lady who works there, for the apartments.. It was her birthday! 

Good to see her also..

Then!! Off to 'work' and we went for lunch, I tried not to pull forward too much, or faceup! So difficult not just do what I did... 

Had a lovely lunch as always, time went too quickly.. I miss her... 

More tomorrow..

M.

Believe that life is worth living and your belief will create the fact.

William James - 1842-1910 - Philosopher and Psychologist

Today! This morning a trip up to Alhaurín for drinks with the girls.. woke to a sprinkling of dirty rain, and on the drive through the mountains a few drops... But nothing much and dry within moments..

Two coffees and a té verde later... a quick walk around town and down to Fuengirola, parking in my usual spot, the Sohail end... 

Now in Bar Luis, of course, always, why change what isn't broke.. like I just said on my Insta .. until either their doors close, or mine!

Avocado y olive oil on brown toastado... A Nestea..  and full healthy tum! I say laughing.. should be healthy! For a healthy person!! 

Something we noticed yesterday in a particular British bar in La Cala..  half empty when we left.. shootings tend to have that effect on places I guess! 

I'll not post yet! Day still in full swing!

After Luis's I came off the paseo marítimo and walked straight down and through Las Rampas, Dunnes is still open, the real estate agent where we rented the apartment from is closed, Snr Lorenzo has been gone from there many years.. signs on the window say 'Been in business over twenty years', but that business is no more... Just the gates and steps down to the tower we lived in for six months, seems another lifetime ago..

The tattoo place I got my angel done, April 1st, 2003.. that's gone.. most of the bars, clothes shops, other businesses here above in Las Rampas have gone.. it looks so sad.. the day earlier wasn't too bright then either, adding to the overall look of gloom and despair.. at that time it was 85% humidity, the air was bad.. 

Sun came up about 3pm.. brighten our day..

So, okay! I walked a long stretch of the main high streets through Fuengirola.. up one road, down the other... Past where the fish market was, opposite the train station and the mermaids roundabout.. past my favorite tattoo place.. up to where the horses roundabout is and turned right... Left at the crossroads and along as far as Anthony's jewelry store, and back... Stopped in a place and bought a tea cup!?! One for fresh tea! I don't know why?? And when I went to wash it earlier, it actually has Fuengirola written on!! Oh dear! Shaking and hanging my head now! Really!?!

Then! I carried on along past the church, thought I'd have a coffee where we, the boys and I used to have chicken sandwiches.. it's gone! It looks gone for a long while, because two stores are there, both look old, closed, and run down! How long ago did the beautiful restaurant close?

So, back through a small cut-thru, where a long long time ago two gypsy girls snatched some pesata notes from my wallet, and we grabbed them back and upset their tray of roses! 

Out onto the main road by the wonderful, thankfully still open, pastelería.. filled with beautiful cakes and aromas of them.. 

Back and along past the old ayuntamiento, (town hall), and police station and down to the car..

Drove back to La Cala the back way, like I was going home.. why does life hurt? 

Came home here instead... And the fur baby and I cwtched a while.. 

She is so loving.. 

M.

“Don’t be afraid. There are exquisite things in store for you. This is merely the beginning.”

Oscar Wilde - The Picture of Dorian Gray

Day ?? Forgotten.. Mmm and today's quote? Pop down, have a look! I'm already on day four, I guess!

I drove down to the feria ground and parked up, walked down to the boardwalk and walk along past the old fishing houses... Then I realized I had forgotten my beach towel, so walked back to the feria ground, a whole new different way I had never walked before, even in thirty-seven years.. So, that was nice, and walking back, I chose another path, I had also never, ever taken... In retrospect, the paths were probably never there that long ago... but still, never too late to take a new path is there...

I met up with my friend down near Reggie's Bar.. It's becoming my local, very fast! And one I could become accustomed too! 

Just nice, relaxing, good vibes.. and I had 00 beer, of course, driving... 

After drinks here we tootled off to the Jubilados Bar! 

And I'm only... BRB.. 37 days and 20 hours away from it!! So says my Countdown, been on my phone for how long? Four years is it? Wow that time sped by... Better make up for lost time!! 

Both photographs above taken from that bar... I had paella, cooking outside there on a huge paella hot plate, and fresh... Wonderful..

G. had fish! 

That plate filled the whole width of the table!! It was massive!! Towards the end I was asked to eat some too!! Easily enough for two! Maybe with berenjena y miel... Mmm beautiful...

After lunch ... Oh! I had flan! Of course! Not had flan for a while... So would have been rude not to!

Tootled off! (Used earlier), that's a word I either have never used or hardly ever heard except in old books.. I've been listening to some Poirot Podcasts to help me sleep? Maybe there? Subconsciously... That's worrying!!

After lunch, walked back to our respective cars and I came home... Relaxed a while on the terrace, but too hot to sit in the sun, so shade it was.. 

M.

"Life is four days, and three have already passed. Damn, let's not be here in a bad mood, let's be here in a good mood, let's love each other. Let's not hate each other, because hate doesn't get us anywhere, only to bad things."

PAU DONES

Day Four:

Yesterday I drove up to Alhaurín and coffees with the girls, tea with my neighbor, and shopping from Mercadona! 

Back down here afterwards and a walk along the boardwalk at La Cala and home.

I unfortunately had another of those damn visual migraine disturbances, things .. 

I had my dinner on the terrace and came down and was watching TV... It's very bright behind the TV with the wall nearly all window, lots of light and reflection? I looked at my phone and saw an image.. trying to work out still how to describe what 'it' looks like .. a kaleidoscope is a good way? Maybe.. anyways I thought maybe it was just a reverse image type of thing, you know when you look at something and then at another surface and you see the negative sort of thing? 

But soon I realized it wasn't, that it was the damn visual thing... 

So I went downstairs, darker down there and watched TV down there until I went to sleep.. about one am! And then couldn't stay asleep!

As if I haven't enough this eye thing worries me! And I think stress is making it happen, get such a weird feeling in my head afterwards!! Bloody hell!! Enough already!! 

Walking along to Luna Beach today from work I didn't look at the sea at all, I was worried about glare and reflections and setting it off again!! 

Today! Day Five:

Drove down to Calahonda, popped into work, of course, then to get a bottle of Aquarius, which I can't find in England and on Amazon is about 50 pounds to import!! 

Well, that's a surprise I've just gone to have a look... I've moved the letters about a bit, incase of copyright? 

WoW only 14:99 now for 1.5 litres, that has come down! Although 45:00 pounds for 8 cans is still a bit steep!! 

I paid a euro today for my 1.5 litre bottle... It's unbeatable, it's not fizzy, it's full of things to hydrate, to give you energy without any bad things.. 

I digress!! Lols of course! Then, I walked to Luna Mar beach, paid €7 for a beach bed.. not bad, I used to pay €7 when I working at the tabacs donkeys years ago!!

I did manage about three hours, before walking back to work, and having lunch in the Espresso Bar next door... Always great there on a Saturday afternoon, Ladies lunch! Big long table and about ten? No more like 15 or 20 girls, they're all such a laugh, it's great, even just being on the periphery, you're still included and drawn in... Then J. or C. are singing.. shots flowing... It's just great, and of course, I know them all now... Customers.. friends...

Then I was back in the car, La Cala, and parked in the feria ground, walked to the paseo marítimo and along for a while, then back to the car and home..

Not feeling 100% very tired, and maybe eaten a few things that don't agree..

Since I've been here I've eaten salad every day, one of my 'not to eat' foods, because of the chronic gastritis.. but I have so many 'not to eat' foods I've decided to try to reintroduce some of them... I mean seriously, salad! Fresh food, it's good for us!! Ha! Or not! I've also eaten a bit of fruit, which is also not allowed, just decided what the hell and want to eat healthily, like I used to!! So now I'm paying for it!

Okay, more than long enough on my phone, I'm going to start to put limits on it! 

I've been spending hours sometimes, on Duolingo and mind games .. 

Okay!! Lift up my mind... Look where I am!! 

M.

You will either step forward into growth or back into safety.

Abraham Maslow - 1908-1970 - Psychologist

Day Three:

Yesterday I got a cab down to La Cala, J. got a bus and we had lunch at a chiringuito.

Not a liquid lunch! But this wasu Mojito.. mmm very nice! 

I had chicken a la plancha y patatas fritas.. We then walked along to a bar I hadn't been in before, a Reggae bar right at the end of the beach, where the paseo ends and it's just sand and rocks..

I had a G&T, Larios, por su puesto.. J. a wine.. we sat and talked and laughed in the sunshine.. a man at a nearby table got up and leaving his glasses on the table went to the bar.. a little while later I noticed someone go up to the table and sit! I said in Spanish and English excuse me there's someone sitting there and he turned around and said yes it's me! so funny J. and I were hysterical!  another man at another table nearby burst out laughing, I looked at him and he said no no! it's very good that you care about other people like that! it was so funny!

Then after a little while a girl asked if she could sit at the table with us, there were still three empty chairs and I said yes of course, as long as you don't mind some rather raucous conversation and she said no not at all, that she would enjoy that very much! Five minutes later a man sat down her partner, and then another ten minutes later his friend joined them, joined us, so there were five of us... we were just talking to each other, like old friends quote quickly..

I have to say though something strange did happen she said to her fella that she wanted a drink, she only had a small amount of drink left in her glass, and he said well you know where the bar is! and she threw what was left of her drink at him! his face his chest! He was covered, amazing how such a small amount of fluid can go so far! so he was left sticky, it was cava I think...  and he went and had a quick shower from the shower on the beach..

 There had been a very awkward moment, a strange moment, but there was quick recovery on all parts... and we had a great amount of time with them talking, it was really nice then they left, and then us..

I went on the exercise equipment, kind of had an idea J. was taking photographs, didn't expect to see them on Facebook which is fine! Also by then I had had another G&T..  we made our way to the taxi rank said our goodbyes and both got in separate tax's..

Really good day... 

M.

Kiss slowly, laugh insanely, live truly and forgive quickly.

Paulo Coelho - Author

Arh... Paulo Coelho...