cant believe another week gone already, time seems to go so slow while i am standing there, the afternoons more than the mornings, but then i am driving home and now, again, its Saturday, today we had our car broken into in la cañada.... not badly, but they got in through the drivers door and had a look in the boot, but, oh so sorry we had nothing in there to pinch!

OK blog notes... have a little note book with me from now on to.. well make notes!

so bit distorted but here goes... it was San Juan on the 24th and the evening before is when it all starts at midnight with fires on the beaches and lots to drink and eat on bar-b-ques there on the sand, and as i drove off from c/playa along the beach road there were already lots of people about, playing games on the sand and having fun, the roads were packed with people driving down to the coast and the police were out in full force (!) directing the heavy traffic, and then at midnight, when i was fast asleep its when you run into the sea and have your dreams come true....

the following morning driving back the coastal road they were still parting, well the hardened the young people mainly i think! still playing ball, tents up and looking a bit worse for wear, and the rubbish! everywhere the beach was covered with plastic bags and bottles, what a mess!

couple of more new cigarettes for sale this week, promotions only maybe i am not sure, because in these days of trying not to promote smoking as fashionable thing we now have here D&G and CK cigarettes! nice packaging and all that, but who needs Calvin Klein smokes or Dolce & Gabbana!?!

i keep getting pruny fingers... do you know what i mean, like when you have been too long in the bath... i wonder if its the air con in this estanco? in the mornings its not too hot yet outside and the air con is very cool, people coming in saying how nice it is and my fingers are turning blue and wrinkly!! nice eh!

when Russia were playing Spain this week the other two girls in the shop came in in the afternoon both wearing their Spanish tops! and me, still with my black Lambert & Butler shirt on! so one of them made a nice little sign to stick on the front saying 'España' or course! and we won! three goals right at the end, well almost, and as my mom said just as her phone credit ran out calling me the day after, the goals went in boom boom boom! and i was left laughing to my self on my beach bed and the line went dead! mom uses a card to phone my mobile here during the afternoons while i am having my siesta, as its too late when i get home....

i am still having great fun on the roads to and from work... still marvelling at the lack of indicating general couldn't care less approach to driving here... you don't see much road rage from Spanish people, who know others are doing as they do, so what can they say! you have to be waiting along time behind someone having a chat with someone on the path before someone beeps here! and double parking out side the estanco's... only the Brits shout and scream, because the locals don't! so really all in all i guess its us with our road rage who lose out don't we, get all hung up about nothing... although coming round the mountain road between de la torre and el grande the other morning i met with an extra wide load, carrying a small house on board, only a third of the house was almost over my car, i actually ducked! doh! that would have helped, i don't think!

a well known and long standing company down on the coast is not having the best of times, making a lot of people redundant, closing receptions and restaurants, even making porters only work weekends! lots of people have been told to go....

although i must admit not that many people are complaining who come into the shop, they are still getting a huge bargain on their ciggies after all, and after all its not only Spain where the prices have risen we see on the English news every day how expensive every thing is getting well it is here too! its not just a British problem its world wide...

off to Pizarra market tomorrow, will be back soon, Dr Who is just starting... oh and by the way Tony is having his birthday weekend in Prague as i write, havent heard a word from him, hope he is having a good time.... are there any web cams there do you think?

A responsible warrior is not someone
who takes the weight of the world on his shoulders,
but someone who has learned to deal with
the challenges of the moment.
Manual of the Warrior of Light

TTFM
Marian

its late now on sunday, but just remembered something that was on the local news here on friday morning and i wanted to tell you, here at alhaurín golf there have been some bad break ins, not the
usual type, which are bad enough, and we should know after ours three years ago last weekend.... but there were five in just four days there where 'they' used the old gas trick through the air con units over night and people are waking up in the morning feeling sick, and then finding someone has come in and taken anything they want... they and they're pets gased and robbed... i remeber thinking after our break in that the man had seen us laying there and all the other much worse posibilites, and what an awful thought of someone coming in when your unconscious!

ok thats me done for the weekend now, today we went to pizarra market, was a good day, even though the police came round and we all had give our names address's and of course NIE numbers and list what we were selling!

they shifted off a couple of people who had new things for sale and they are not allowed to!

the la trocha market starts again sunday july 6th, but its only boot sale things and no food at all is allowed to be sold. so we may go there instead of pizarra! not sure, also not sure weather to do the S.E.P.E. next sunday.... so many decisions!

my juice and lunch are made ready for tomorrow, and my bags packed!

so have a good week folks and hasta el fin de la samana!

TTFN
Marian

hola amigos...

ok... been making notes, seems the best idea as the more tired i am the more i forget, or the worse my memory gets!?

although this first lot of notes is hard to read, when i was driving into work the other morning i realised the notes were in the back pocket of my jeans, which were then drying on the line... with the faded paper having also taken a wash, but here we go with what i can read....

first thing i noticed immediately this week was the trucks are back in town.... and country and roads every where.... the journey takes about another 10 minutes now with them on the roads taking up space and time! strangely i hadn't noticed their absence the previous week...

a customer who came in the store commented on a girls rudeness to her and said she wouldn't be back in here to me! then later the girl told me how rude the customer had been to her and what had she said to me about it! the tobacconist was also saying how he thinks the people from the UK are unfriendly! no hello's or good mornings... not many thank you's and bye bye's on the way out! and i must admit a lot of the people coming in were none too forthcoming with their usual friendliness... but i think a lot of it is to do with the language barrier... and i said may be its just, rather than start a conversation you cant finish, its best not to start one at all! although i think most of people i know all say hello to all the people here, i know i do as i walk down the street, i don't know them nor them me, but i say hola! and get one in return, this morning i had an 'hola princesa' which i thought was lovely from a neighbor i hadn't seen all week! but then this is inland, and i don't say hello to everyone i meet down on the coast! they'd lock me up!

and a 'foreigner' not naming and shaming here.... told me something about the cigarettes, he told me and pointed at them, i said i didn't understand, and so to make me do so.... he shouted exactly the same thing again at me really loudly! yes that helped!

still not seen anyone i know yet, from either blighty or alhaurín el grande - but people came in Thursday to say bye bye and thanks which is nice. people are so happy to hear an 'English' voice to help, although i don't know the area really, for banks or ATM's etc. and yesterday a couple who i first met last week in the other estanco who knew i was in this one from earlier in the week, came in to see me and say bye bye.... then there are the people to whom i am invisible.... i was telling the guy in the shop about the time when i was working on the golf course - about a man who 'didn't see me' and didn't buy a ticket for diabetes research.... and when he got a hole in one with his shot, he didn't get to go to Las Vegas and didn't get a chance to win a million dollars!!!

well the week went quick - well mostly, could sleep for longer on the beach but for the road works when i am at this estanco on bajondillo, and if the guys who came to collect the money would only not wait till i had just dropped off to sleep!!

also yesterday at this estanco lots of really drunk blokes coming in later on in the day, obviously i don't start back till 5pm but they're well gone by six when some come in, standing there at the counter legs moving all wobbly and trying to hold themselves together and concentrate! yes great eh!

think my Spanish is improving a lot now, i can understand and join in with lots of the conversations this week, although there was one i just listened into and laughed at the end... more because i think i had misheard most of it, the three were apparently talking about a pirate who was in bed, sick, with cheese flavoured chewing gum.... well who wouldn't be sick....

The search for happiness
is more important than the need for pain.
Eleven Minutes

TTFN
Marian

Today, two blogs for the price of one....

franco the hero... when he and maria, his sister, got down to the apartment saturday morning, early about 2am, they were settling her in and could hear this mewing noise from the bathroom ceiling or terraza area, hard to work out exactly where...

the noise the mother was making sounded like a baby in distress, she was moving around everywhere on the roof crying and worried... they thought maybe there was a cat in the ceiling of the bathroom, somehow!

and by 5am there were 3 cats mewing... mommy and two babies! franco had to move a part of the boiler away from the wall and some bits and pieces, and there was the drain with no grill on it to catch leaves or rubbish or small kittens it turns out... because firstly franco saved one that was head down into a drain up on the terraza, he was holding on with his paws out to save him self from falling further, franco lifted him up and put his somewhere safe... then he dropped a long long length of string down the pipe that goes 20 feet through the apartment and the one beneath and then onwards out into the sea i guess, taking rain/washing water from the terraza away with it...

and after a while of coaxing and pulling out came the small fragile body of the other kitten! looking like a drowned rat! the string was around his head and both front paws... as if he had looped it over to help the rescue mission!

then... the first kitten had gone missing again, he had gone into a flower pot head first and got jammed in, so franco had to pull him out by the scruff of his neck!

the mommy cat carried each one away holding on by her teeth to their necks, then a final thank you and good night to maria and franco!

we saw the mother cat later, when i was there, but no sight of the babies, hope they're safe now? and not up to any more mischief eh!

we were out all day yesterday it seemed.... i got the bus down to fuengirola first thing, collected my new glasses! only got one pair for now to see how i get on with them... bit blurry to start with have to be careful how quickly i move my head about!

then a shorter bus ride to calahonda and ice cream in hand, i headed off to maria's place.... once there after our 'hello's' we went out for groceries, after a breakfast, i had had mine of course, would'nt leave the house without it! then to lidl for food, well in theory, as most of the shelves were bare, no food, no milk, no fresh vegetables... this transport strike is killing spain at the moment, no fuel, no vehicles to transport any thing, its crazy...

back to the apartment, and then off to ikea.... maria had a small list of things to buy, now her place is all done up beautifully, there are things to be changed and re newed... coffee table, small cupboard, rug and cushions etc, we were all tired and debated weather to go today, but it was the only day to go really and i would never turn down a chance to go to ikea, especially as i now pass the place morning and night, before its open and after it has closed!!!

we had ice cream and drinks when we got there.... shopped.... and then had a light snack on our way out!! then it was back to maria's and then home, must have been about 8pm i think, cant remember!

so today we decided to give the market a miss, i had to have one day where i did'nt have to get up early! and franco has certainly had a lot of missed sleep the last couple of days too!

i could'nt believe the time when i came down stairs this morning... 950am! unbelievable pippa even let us sleep in that long!

we went out to buy some fresh fruit and bread from the little store near alhaurín golf, they dont have to rely on trucks and gasoline, everything there is grown or made on the premises!

then before coming home we went to see a friend and enjoyed some relaxing time on her terraza, with a cool drink and good conversation...

now home, in the cool of our house, its over a hundred up on our terrace now, at 4pm...

just checked out the web came down at torre where i will be tomorrow, of the three torre web cams its the first one, bit of building work going on down there, and a kiosk in the centre of the view.... there used to be benches there on the path but now only earth under the palm trees? i will have to sit on that wall on the left for tony to see me tomorrow afternoon! it says 'live' but i think its about every minute it changes!

The glory of the world is transitory,
and we should not measure our lives by it,
but by the choice we make
to follow our personal legend,
believe in our utopias and fight for our dreams...

TTFN
Marian

well to begin? had three days of my new job.... just as it was last time, long day... 40 hour working week, but 67 hours from door out in the morning to door back again at night!

but as i just said to barry, i do get a three hour rest on the beach every day! eat sleep read.... then back in to the shop at five! so that'll do me very nicely thank you!

last time i was sitting on a bench trying to get some shade, but not easy to relax on a hard bench, and definitely so sleep, so this time i already have it sussed out, after eating my lunch i am going to sleep, i set my alarm so i wake up, but am waking up naturally after an hour or less, so having some energising sleep for the afternoon.

had such a laugh on friday afternoon, i wasn't sure if i could make it through as we had woken up at 5.30am! for franco to leave at 6.30am! and i hadn't been able to go back to sleep, and i had only had half hour super nap on the beach before being woken by a girl asking me if i wanted a massage(!) but then the boss in the estanco got out a Duracell rabbit! like the one on the telly with the little guys falling of the cliff at the moment... sorry i digress... so she gets out this rabbit(!) and puts him on the counter, standing about 18 inches high, resplendent in his shorts and joggers top, cd player in the hand, camera round his neck and a earphones hanging round from his ears....! then she puts in the batteries and off he goes! music and swaying hips.... we, the boss marie, and her two girls who work there, and me... in hysterics! marie was mimicking the rabbit, then two of them, then three, and well who am i to spoil the show, so we were all doing the bunny swing!

customers came and went realising that yes, it was friday, it was late and we were all un poco loco!

the rabbit was put away, back in his box and we were still talking and laughing about 'him' when a customer came in and caught some of the conversation about.... a rabbit and batteries... he was stunned! misunderstanding... and somewhat embarrassed! will leave the rest to your imaginations.....

i met a lot of nice people, strange seeing the same ones so much in one week, in the last promo i was in five different estanco's in the five days, so didn't see the same people unless they were here for two weeks, or lived here, of course!

this time they come in every day buying cartons and cartons of cigarettes and rolling tobacco to take back home! which is great for me! and a gift for them!

and as last time also, i wonder if i will see someone i know from back in blighty, in the five weeks i only saw one person i knew, which was good, hope to see someone else i know this time too, and wish i would see someone i know from here too! seems very strange being in a store and not seeing all the friendly faces i used to see every day... where are you all you alhaurínos? oh i know up here in alhaurín! of course.... this week i am in the other estanco of the two i shall be doing the promo in, this one is along bajondillo... the one with the web cam from here in my links section, so no doubt i will be calling tony and saying... hey look here i am honey! like a loony standing by the street web cam....

well for now.... i am done... have a story of franco being a hero, will be blogging that later, just need a break!

TTFN
Marian

today i had a days training down in malaga, we met in the hotel room mate! its in the main street c/larrios, hidden away between two shops! then we went to a bar and sat out in the sunshine and went over the products i am promoting, a bit of a refresher for me, but basically just the same as two years ago.

i got the 8am bus into the city which takes an hour, and had a quick walk around el corte inglés on my way back to bus station... well it would have rude not too!

we're running out of petrol here, the strike begun either today or yesterday only, el peñita petrol station down town is closed already, has been most of the day, and the bp garage at the moreno round about has only '98 left, and probably not much of it!

if the strike finishes it will be on friday 'they' say in the papers, and if it ends then, by monday they hope to have the pumps ready for action again by monday! its only tuesday today, so bit of a worry!

ok folks....

this bit below is from the opening of paulo coelho's alchemy 2005

Alchemy
What is this force that drives us far from the comfort of the familiar and makes us take up challenges instead, even though we know that the glory of this world is only transitory? I believe this impulse is called the search for the meaning of life. Over many years of seeking a definitive answer to this question in books, art and science, and in the paths I have followed - both dangerous and easy - I have found many answers. I am now convinced that a definitive answer will never be given to us in this life, but that, at the last, at the moment when we stand once more before the Creator, we will understand each opportunity that was offered to us.
Acceptance speech delivered to the Brazilian Academy of letters.

TTFN
Marian

yesterday we were at the pizarra market again, was good again, so many stalls and lots of people out looking and buying bits...

and today... i got a new job! remember i did the cigarette promotion two years ago... the one that tired me out flat after 5 weeks! well when needs must and the need is great... so i begin tomorrow! had interview this afternoon in malaga, and they called me this evening! i have a day training, remind me of all their products and i am off to a tobacconists on wednesday, last time i did five different locations, this time it is a week at one and a week at another, at just two places.

one of which is at my web cam, see links... so look out for me there! will have to make a time, and stand there looking strange (?!) for five minutes!

my hours will be long, not home till 10pm, so, like last time, franco will have my dinner ready for me, and then it will five minutes and i will be asleep i guess, so if you don't find me writing on here for a day or two don't worry... i will take photos maybe and a quick word or two...

It is precisely the possibility of realizing a dream
that makes life more interesting.
The Alchemist

TTFN
Marian

well whats happened to the rest of this week? no really!

wednesday we went to the benalmádena market, we got up at 530am, left about 630am and got to the market about 715am!!!

we, as usual set up and were then moved, juan, the guy from tivoli market was doing the parking as usual, in his usual manner... couldnt organise a party in a brewery(!) if you know what i mean....

but we were in a good place anyway, and will be going again next week, did ok, ish, but hopefully every week will improve, especially as the holiday season kicks in, although we have next week the fair is there for the next two after that! typical!

thursday in the late afternoon franco and i were on our way home from malaga, and back in the car park, thank you! the radiator blew up! well more like a fizz and a puddle, but it blew up was how it was! back in the house i phoned alex in town, who, again, thank goodness was still at work... and friday took the car down to him, and picked it up later with a recon radiator in place, and, so far so good, we are noticing immediately how the engine isnt over heating, so probably been on its way out for while, although the crack could have been caused by the person who hit our car in the car park and took off the bumper a month ago!!!

photo above franco took in the winter of our church santa vera cruz....

today i was asked if i would come back to cudeca now i have some free time, come back to the fold and join the monday gals again... and later someone else came in and said she had heard i was coming back to cudeca, i said i had heard the same myself this morning!

Faith is difficult to conquer
and requires daily battles
if it is to be maintained.
The Valkyries

TTFN
Marian

well today i will have to eat my words... well the food anyway! we went to iceland store down at miramar parque and for just over 30€ got about two weeks of food! not bad eh!

we also went to diá and lidl, yes it was one of those big shop days, an all over the place job! made more difficult by the road outside dunnes being closed and the ctra 340 being overly busy too.

i was very nervous walking round lidl today, there were a few gypsy types in... the girls on the check outs, and the guards had come in to keep a watch on them... they just walked in with no cart, and were wandering around, so you know they didn't come in to buy if you know what i mean... they were in to steal... either goods, or the customers purses etc etc!

seems like every day we hear news of others being robbed... someones mom was getting out of her car in la trocha, up in coín, she was hardly out of the car when a man was there, she tried to get her bag back into the car which was in her hand and someone else came... not to help her, but to help the thief, so they had to mug her to get the bag, which they did... the police were called, but said she had to contact malaga police station? seems very strange... its a bit un-nerving isn't it!

tomorrow is the benalmádena market, near the parque... lets hope we do well, have lots and lots of garden ornaments folks....

The end of one stage
is only the beginning of another.
Any dangers overcome
are a necessary preparation
to do better in the next stage.
Unpublished by Paolo Coelho

TTFN
Marian

Dia de Jesus

these are the final part of the dia de jesus... at about 12.30am, this morning.... most of my photos were blurred, as usual, they just walk so fast and then if i zoom in they just all fuzzy round the edges...

as usual our street is the rest stop, resting as in quenching their thirst... millions of small bottles of water in boxes... saturday night they were walking up the street towards plaza alta and last night coming back down... photo above men at rest and below the 100 men picking up again and moving on down the street, i was up on the roof by this time, pippa going crazy with all the noise and commotion, they use all our door steps as resting places and so we prevented her getting down stairs and finding them there!

the goat was out earlier and i really should have got my camera out then, she was making a meal of a card board box with all the on lookers leaving her to it, or taking photos with their phones as chowed down on it!!!

at last someone threw the box... over the wall!?! so she could start on the plastic bottles....

here is jesus as he past by our balcon... which had i been down there would have been eye level with me!

this morning about 3or 4am as yesterday morning, the magnificent street cleaning machine came down and you would never has known anything had gone on at all!

saturday... i was on the raffle/tombola stall of this years cudeca spring fair held at el eden, was a great day, we all did really well, i had cramp from all the writing, filling out the raffle stubs! and was a long, but fulfilling day...

then sunday franco and i went to the pizzara boot sale, which is excellent! never been before but we shall be going again for sure... lots of stalls, must have been at least 20 or more, lots of people i knew from other boot sales and people from town, was a really good day, then afterwards we went for coffee to another sellers house! we already have a 'date' for coffee for next week from a seller who was pitched next to us, he was selling aloe vera products, and baby rabbits.. for pets!!! but hope he isn't just going to pitch to us! him and his partner live in pizzara, and although we made it there... the street near the poligino... near día supermarket, we still have never actually been into pizzara, so cant wait!

In our obsessive wish to arrive,
we often forget the most important thing.
which is the journey.
The Pilgrimage

TTFN
Marian

Tribe? what tribe...

want to hear something really really funny?

above... a guy in the store today said "must read this, its about a tribe from (alhaurín) de la torre"... well later on i remembered this and grabbed a paper to read.... of course its not de la torre, or spain or any where near here! ¿what was i thinking? just call me marian the gullible please!

it IS actually on the brazilian/peruvian border.... an unknown tribe of people... please be my guest and read the article.... while i try to stop laughing at my silliness!

today, i emptied out my purse, and only carried into town what i really needed, i do carry things that are not always necessary, was hard leaving my camera behind... you know, just in case i saw something that needed quick photography...

The world lies in the hands
of those who have the courage to dream
and who take the risk of living out their dreams
- each according to his or her own talent.
The Valkyries

TTFN
Marian

going to be a short write today... tired and exhausted.... good 'ol fibromyalgia! and not great news today either, yesterday afternoon a poor lady sat in her car waiting to pull out at the inter section by bar rosa had her bag taken from in her car! she was on her own, car window only slightly down and bag near her, safely away from passenger doors etc... and then... gone!

then today some friends came in and they had been as good as mugged in town yesterday afternoon! stood waiting for a cab, minding their own business and it was smash and grab of her bag, left bruised and bloody afterwards...

and in last two days down at riveria del sol, near to calahonda, people out having a meal and there is a guy holding a gun to the womans head demanding money and jewelry!

felt very nervous coming home today, makes you wonder who will be next...

I believe that I am guided by chance encounters.
I believe in the miracle of chance encounters.
Unpublished by Paulo Coelho

TTFN
Marian

this is a rather strange clock thing that is in milton keynes, we were there eating at one pm and so saw it chiming... the frog coming up and blowing out bubbles, music playing and what not!!



not much more to say about it really, you have to be there to really appreicate it i guess..

these are my last photos for now of my holiday, still waiting to get tonys of the mom and baby elephant from the zoo.

weather not good, never had a may like this one, cloudy damp humid... rain early this morning, not working well with us trying to earn a bob or two at the market!

also quite quiet in town still, where are all the tourists? franco and i went down the coast yesterday afternoon to fuengirola, i had to sort out some new glasses for me!?! and it was very quiet there too, although we were there when most of the shops were still closed... and then it started to rain!

People always arrive promptly
at the places where they are expected.
The Pilgrimage

TTFN
Marian

Woburn Abbey

here we are... mom and i, at woburn abbey, that would have been... two weeks ago today wasn't it? another beautiful day, we had been to milton keynes in the morning and then to here early afternoon, after a walk around the house (no photos allowed, because you know i would have had some on here pretty pronto!)

after our scones with jam and butter... mmmm, could just eat another one of those now! mom and i went for a small walk around the old place...

this beautiful tree... and the house beyond, this part of which was an art gallery and sculpture house...


this above is a folly! wish i could remember exactly what it is though for you... hang on....nope gone through the above link but couldn't find out about it there, although i did come across lots of job vacancy's!

i am so tired... i think i havent caught up with my 980 miles of driving on my holidays yet! i feel exhausted, but not really sleeping well either, and now i have been on here for an hour or more, just came across something and have up loaded a couple of my photos on it, on google maps, i didn't know you could put your photos on there? or did i? cant remember... anyway done that hopefully, i put on a couple of the photos i did for our alhaurín calender this year.

and now to my book...

It is not enough to dream of the impossible love
- it is necessary to conquer it too.
Veronika Decides to Die

TTFN
Marian

here this female lion was extremely interested in the zebra below.... not sure if whipsnade have the close proximity of these two animals quite correct! there is only a small walkway between two spices who have one meaning only for the lions... food! although as you can see the zebras....


held no fear at all, probably not even noticing the predators over the way or us humans! we were all as close to them as this little child got... i have never seen them so close, but then they also look very dejected and sad... the trees here were not the only shelter from the heat so this isn't the only reason they could have been so close...


now i think this above was a snow leopard... not sure, its a new area for the new animals, and a bit hard to see...


the zebra again, i didn't zoom in, only put my camera through into their enclosure...

TTFN
Marian

this little guy above is our cherrub ornament that franco has made for us to sell on the markets... see you at the S.E.P.E. horse and donkey place this sunday folks! hope for good weather.... and some shade also! we have mostly the above, in white, but a pale blue one franco has done looks real nice and i think in gold too would look good!


and now.... back to whipsnade zoo!! above a shot that looks away from the zoo over the hills of gold (rape seed plants) and away towards... i think probably milton keynes somewhere over there!

and yes... another peacock, not zoomed in this one, here he was just relaxing and talking in the superb day...


had trouble with this little feller, a young giraffe... i did climb onto a bench but still couldnt get a full photo of him in, so this is it i am afraid!

holiday today here in alhuarín el grande, lots going on with the feria today, only a few shops were open, well the newsagents and kiosks, the bars and restaurants and the panaderias of course!

yesterday, coín was closed and no one knew anything about it, just all the shops and businesses were closed, people were complaining on the radio, in the stores, here, very strange! maybe they all pulled a sick day for the heck of it!

franco went to the aqua mania boot sale today, there were lots of stalls but not many people looking, i guess everyone was at the feria here instead!

When you travel towards your objective,
be sure to pay attention to the path.
The path teaches us the best way to arrive.
The Pilgrimage

TTFN
Marian

tucan! these birds at whipsnade came out of the wood building in the back ground there and on command went straight back there... if only pippa was as obiedient!

and one of the many peacocks they have in the zoo, i'm not sure did i put the photo in of the one at woburn safari park last week? everywhere i go peacocks... even just down the road here in peoples back gardens!?! this one worried us as we had to walk under him!

couple of good shots here of the rhino enclosure... a few times we confused logs with animals... this one above was one, we thought it was a log, but look no, its a baby laying down near his mommy...


i completely forgot to link to an amazing vid i got sent by friends while i was on holiday... or maybe i did, my memory is failing me fast... ok had a quick look cant see it on here...

its the camino del rey, the walk at el chorro where franco and i used to go through the tunnels over the bridge where frank sinatra died... (in the movie von ryans express!) watch it and be afraid... tony and franco walked along it some way, but we came to it from the narrow concrete bridge that can only be reached from the tracks....

hot today and humid... the streets covered with confetti from the opening celebrations of our towns feria this week, really really should have gone last night but.... my football team was playing franco's in the champions league, so the game won... (and so did my team!)

the town has lots of extra shops open along the streets... trucks come in and open up and lo and behold there is a new bar and a new sweet/pastry restaurant just there along the path!

today the guy who begs in town came in twice to the shop! everyone tells him to get out and leave them alone, and yesterday a poor girl came in with a small toddler and one on the way, maybe, asking for money for food... i do feel sorry for these people to an extent, but i also don't have a penny or a cent to give them right now! and the guy who comes in, what would he really be spending the money on?

i have an early present for my birthday from tony, for me ds lite, spanish word coach, its excellent! and every day i am playing it, words to learn and games to play to hopefully teach me more of this language i have, it seems, been trying to learn nearly half my life!

and i am reading my way through every patricia cornwall book i can get my hands on... i never 'read' her before, and had a book of hers mom and i bought last year, about a month ago i started reading it and finished it in two days... got another from work to read for my hols, finished... and another came in this week i am now reading... two more on the shelf waiting for me! the ones i have read so far are based on a dr kay scarpetta, there are nine so far as this book says in this series alone...

so i have gone from stephen king, for now, to this doctor above who works out who is responsible for the deaths of the people who end up on her police lab table... and its written in full technicolor! and i cant put these books down...

You must find your treasure in order to make sense of everything you discovered on the path. The Alchemist

TTFN
Marian

Whipsnade Zoo

look at these cute lemurs... they were so were here at the zoo... tony steph and i here were there a week last monday, wonderful weather... the keeper had just gone into their, above, enclosure and they were watching and following her around like pippa does me here at home...

below an avenue of wonderful cherry blossom trees.... and the petal were falling a flying about in the breeze....

the bird below i cant remember what type it is? only that his name is richard!!! he didn't do a thing he should have and kept laying down and having a dust bath in front of everyone.. he was cute also!

i am back in full swing here now at home in alhaurín el grande... weather ok(?) bit cloudy this afternoon, but very very warm.

franco and i went down to the huge market in benalmadina... looks a great place, so next week all being well franco will be down there selling our garden ornaments.. did i put a photo up of the beautiful cherubs he has made? ok, manaña...

the market is right next to the park i used to take my lunch break ,while i was doing the promotions job at the tobacconist next to the round about with all the wind mills on down along the paseo, the park has rabbits and peacocks and chickens!?! lots of amusements for the kids and just a nice place to go to relax too... it has a bar restaurant there too.

we had never been to the market before, not sure why!

All suffering goes just as it came,
so it is with the glories and tragedies of the world
The Fifth Mountain

TTFN
Marian

Combe Hill revisited...

bright gorse bush on our way back to the car, my hay fever in full swing by now...!

this is on one of the sides of the monument.... with below a stand with a directional showing you all the places you can see from this hill top....


pretty much unreadable i hear you say... true true.. the photo does not show it properly, was difficult holding up the camera above my shoulders and then trying to point in downwards...


and also back to the car this tree with the blue bells and the squirrel! can you see him?

How does light enter a person?
Through the open door of love.
Eleven Minutes

TTFN
Marian

Combe Hill

sorry these photos are a bit small i wanted to get four on and not take up too much space!

these are all taken in combe hill near wendover and aylesbury in bucks, you can see five counties... did i tell you this already? must be my age! humph!

the views from this hill top are stunning, as you can see on this hot may day about 25º, not the clearest day but never mind! everything is in bloom and i mean everything....

i know i have lived away now for nearly three years but i cant ever remember a may being so flowery, and things when you wouldn't normally see them, like daffodils in may and tulips!?! then the blue bells, my favorite, still out every where...


then the fields were full of bright yellow buttercups and dandelions... there were wall flowers and forget me knots in everyone's gardens... the chestnuts trees were in full bloom either in white or pink or what looked like yellow? the may tree flower couldn't have been more out there! they looked like they were covered in bright white snow the may flower was so wondrous!

the grasses were lush and high the hedges were trying to overwhelm the curb sides... weeds were flourishing... i cant tell you how abundant every where i was the last two weeks, no wonder i had hay fever!!!

and a tummy bug, thanks tony, and then a migraine... thanks to whatever!

my flight home was ok, bit late taking off, about 3/4 hour, but we had a tail wind i guess and made it in on time, the nose of the plane had to be cleaned up a bit after coming in from malaga for our trip home, they had had a bird strike...

and at malaga franco and pippa.... arh! my sweethearts!

A search always starts with Beginner's Luck
and ends with the Test of the Conqueror.
The Alchemist

TTFN
Marian