Learning, fun and games!

erm... just put some added gismos in on the right there for your enjoyment, entertainment and just plain 'something to do' factor and they sort of spill out over the page... but seem to be ok there!

have fun folks!

Portsmouth

above are the glass panels with the hand rail either side... more t stop people just walking over with their shoes on... oh sorry this is the Spinnaker Tower still...


and my feet! well yes if i knew i was going to have my feet photographed i would have worn some better socks... but hey!


that's a long long way down isn't it!?!


and another view... this is called Spice Island... just checked it out on the net and came across this great site, Ghost Walk of Spice Island! definitely something to check out next time i go! i think originally its where the ships came in with the spices...

Not till we are lost, in other words not till we have lost the world, do we begin to find ourselves.
Henry David Thoreau

TTFN
Marian

Vote Earth

Don't forget today.... and Vote for Planet Earth....

before i forget, things i keep meaning to tell! a couple of the car parks now here in Alhaurín have changed laws... no longer than 12 hours and its move it! well that's ok for some, but what if you, we, don't want to go out over a weekend, or during the week? whats that all about, its ridiculous for those of us who have no private car space and no parking on our streets, we have to use the car parks and now cannot leave our vehicles there for longer than 12 hours!

also, we had received a letter from the local town hall for a man who every year we get a notification about his road tax to be paid, every year i take his to the office and they take it, and obviously do nothing with it! yesterday we took the large letter to the office, and after waiting some hours... well it seemed like it! the guy opened it and just tore it up! and told me i should do the same if, well when it comes again, and again it will if no one there just gets on the old computer and actually enters his name and address and deletes it!!!! there were i noticed as he tore it up about 7 or 8 years worth of road tax to pay!

and our car is coming up for its ITV, that's MOT in England! here in Spain up to four years old the car is exempt from the test, between four and ten it is every two years, and once over ten, that's us! its yearly! really not sure if our old jalopy will make it this year, few bits hanging on for dear life, the broken bonnet (where someone leaned it back over the windscreen whilst trying to steel the battery remember), both the doors are a little bent out of shape, (from being wrenched open with some thing or other, not our keys!!!), well we will see.

also, and this made it into the English newspapers while i was holiday... a local policemen was fired at in the street here in town whilst trying to stop two men's bad behavior, luckily the gun jambed but the deed was done, and they are now in de la Torre prison for attempted murder, and once again we will all suffer a little as this has a backlash on the rest of us foreigners!

Portsmouth, Bognor Regis

above was taken from the Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth... could have done with a bit more sun, and less wind! although we felt safe enough(?) you could really feel the wind up there and the movement with it! just a slight swaying motion! arh!!!

sorry, couldn't fit in the whole hight of the tower from here, and couldn't walk backwards anymore without falling into the sea!

from this shot you can see if you zoom in... the out side elevator! C R A Z Y! wouldn't want to go up that on a still day or even night time! more pics from up there tomorrow!
the above shot was one i took from one of the dead end roads we came up against whilst trying to make our way back to Hayling Island... we drove and drove and the road ended in this parking lot! there were lots of cars and a few hardy folks on the beach! the other people, in the cars, we either asleep or eating sandwiches! and once out of the car we knew why... could hardly stand up in the wind! still onwards and upwards as they say....


and here Bognor Regis, after leaving sleepy (knocked out) Littlehampton, we came here, passed the massive Butlins Holiday Park and made our way into town, parked the car, again! and walked up the high street, following signs of life and there was lots of it! it was a Sunday afternoon and the shops here were open and full to bursting, as were lots of the eatery's, i guess everyone out and waiting for the clowns to come to town for their parade!

Love is when two people know everything about eachother and are still friends...

TTFN
Marian

Arundel Castle

firstly here above and two below is Arundel Castle, unfortunately of course for us we had no luck getting in! when i checked the site here at home it said it opened in March, i guess i didn't take too much notice of when in March, but it did say March!

that big black door there above was the one we amongst lots of others all thought was the way in... well? it does look like it eh!?!


looking back at the site of when i did look at it, it did indeed say opening March! but they had updated it by the time we got there... and now says April!!! although lots of other bits are still out dated, telling you whats happening in 2008! although it may have changed by now... shall look! yes it has! you would think they would up date the site, in the weeks that follow the closing of the castle, way way before any possible visitors check it out... but hey ho! too late now! guess Mom's bucket was not to have Arundel Castle in it!

this view at the bottom of the town is where the entrance is to the castle, so don't go near the town.... till you come out! lots of nice places to eat and lots of little 'come and spend' shops selling lots of lovely things....


this wonderful display is in the garden of the Waratah Lodge, they have a beautiful garden for guests, and this was a great idea there! look carefully into the mirror to see the back of the B&B!

Truly great friends are hard to find, difficult to leave and impossible to forget...

TTFN
Marian

Asia, and mask!

a couple more photos taken in the British Museum in the Asia section....

very blurred as usual! would be ok if i could hold my camera down below waiste level to take pics, but the higher up i hold my arms the more they, and consiquently my hands shake!


this photo is the death mask of Napoleon... this link tells more about it. although the one in the Museum says it is the original, not sure after reading the link though.


and here a view taken from the one of the many flights of stairs taking you up to the next level....

TTFN
Marian

Ok, well i am blogging off line a the moment, so this seems weird the 'windows family safety' thing keeps popping up, don't know where its come from, had a windows up date and now its there and wont go away! Driving me mad, thought i had got ridden of it, but then give it a moment and its back....

And now here i am live! fixed the family thingy... it got bit upset, in an inanimate thing can do? by saying think of the kids!!! well we only really have Pippa and well she is ok about it!.... ok enough crazy talk, lets get cracking on my diary of me back in blighty the other week... seems my mind was playing tricks as i thought i was repeating myself but cant find any reasons on previous pages of doing so about this trip anyway... so will do a bit and fixing and catch up with you when i get there folks!

so i am not sure where i finished off last blog, and cant read it here so will just begin and see how it goes... if i repeat anything it wont be new, the repeating myself or the blog! Now did i do Portsmouth and all its glories? Our ancestor Nelson's ship The Victory and the other ship there The Warrior... we were not sure mom would manage the steep stairs more like ladders than stairs, with sometimes a wooden hand rail but more times a rope instead! We with all the others on the tour of the Valiant took them sideways! They ate where they slept, and slept where the cannons were! The bread was made on land and by the time they got to eat it full of weevils and things! They ate the bread in the dark so as not to see what was already eating the bread! This type of bread was more like biscuit, twice baked bread in other words.

If you were being punished they manacled you to a bar in between the cannon and tables and you made the cat 'o nine tails for your whipping afterwards! If you stole from your mates – this would be anyone on board ship – knots were also in your cat 'o nine tails and this would leave marks on your back permanently, like 'just' the whipping wouldn't, but this would be worse, and on joining another ship they would see these marks and say “this is a marked man”, and know he wasn't to be trusted.

There was no chef on board in those old days, just anyone would cook, but then with those ingredients i guess who could tell!

The ceilings, well beams more so, were so low even i had to duck in there! Makes a change for me to feel tall! Being vertically challenged as i am! Some of the men on board this ship had been over 6' tall, must have been awful on board and bent over for all those months out at sea.

On The Warrior the standing room was much higher, there were racks aloft with swords awaiting action, and waist high were stands with guns ready to pull out at a seconds notice... we had a chat with a man who seemed to materialize from out of the floor in the mangle room... now did i tell you this? Anyway he explained all about the washing on board in that day, the doctor would usually tell the men when they needed a bath, the clothes were washed in a drum under each of the mangles... ok think i will leave this bit seems familiar... that the clothes although washed, mangled and air dried where never ironed and never looked like they do in the movies! these washing machines of they're day were heated by the steam that came up from the engine room through vast pipes... so they had central heating to eh!

the Spinnaker tower was amazing, 110 meters high, we went up in the internal elevator, there was an exterior elevator, but you really would have to be crazy to go up in that! It was a windy day and in side at the top, you could really feel the movement of the building! There is a section you can walk on of bullet proof glass with railing either side, of course i walked the walk! Looking down at the skinny legs holding the building up! And mom stayed on that level and i went up another couple of floors to the crows nest, as i reached the door i could hear this racket on the other side.... group of school children! Didn't really seem so much higher as your already so high on the other level!

The Mary Rose exhibition was amazing, this ship is 500 years old, and was sunk for 2 hundred years before The Valiant was even built! Its still wet, being sprayed with a type of gum to preserve it, and in the next few months will to taken out and dried off.... you get given a telephone type thing when you walk in and you press the button lift to your ear and hear a commentary as you walk along the length of the ship. I pushed my button and then realised my mom didn't know what to do with it! So i did hers for her, so this meant i was running a few minutes ahead of her! in the Mary Rose museum afterwards we took the opportunity to actually handle some of the artifacts of this great ship, some wood, an arrow and some rope. also in here there was a small room, dark but inviting, well sort of, so in i went, but as i entered a voice spoke up inviting me in to see the dentist! i half backed out, then ventured in again and went to sit on a box to listen to the narrative but as i did 'he' said about the box and what was in side! all the dentist drills and stuff and what he would use them for.... on me! so i hot footed it out of there! there was also a man in costume of the day who told us bits and pieces as we went along, i told him it was like having our own personal guide and he said as there were few people about it was boring for him just standing about and he was enjoying telling us everything... which we did and it was good to hear about things we would otherwise of just passed by... and finally on our way out of there i tried on some armour! i could hardly move and that was just with the breast plate and helmet on! sorry no photos of this!

There was so much more to do than we could, we had thoroughly run out of steam, our tickets, about 18 pounds each, also covered a 45 minute tour, by boat of the local area, but we didn't feel much like a boat ride in the sea that day, windy and a bit rough! There were another 3 or 4 museums we also didn't go into. What you don't see you can return to do another day if you keep your ticket of course! And apart from the tour, the ships and Mary Rose exhibition you can keep going back to with your ticket to see things again.

Think i will leave the rest of the trip for fear of repeating myself.... more than usual! well looks like i didn't! have checked out my past entry two of three times, so it be from telling the story to friends before i came home i feel like i have written it down!

so onwards with the story now live! Tuesday and Winchester... a beautiful day! we found the city easily enough, and a car park! parked up and found the place we were meeting a friend we hadn't seen for a long long time.

we retraced our steps and went to look around the Cathedral, we paid, of course, everything pay pay pay! i do understand why, so much up keep and preservation to be done, and i am glad they do, what a wonderful place, so calm and beautiful... i ran out of battery power there, the camera that is, so we popped into the shop and bought some more, returning quickly before we ran out of time, to meet our friend, and because it was going to close for a service soon!

we waited underneath the big clock that hangs from the front of Lloyd's bank, the old Guildhall of the city, we waited.... and waited, we checked out people who could be our friend as they walked up the steep hill or down it, either way! people that no way could have been him! then have a laugh as they seemed to be coming straight for us and we panicked! but they just wanted to go to the bank after all! well we gave up after 45 minutes and went into the restaurant over the road where we had been watched whilst watching! lovely place good Italian food, just like my grandmother used to make! and we got a call from our friend... ooops, but between this and that he hadn't been able to make it... so never mind, next time amigo promise!

and so back to Hayling Island... and Wednesday morning we woke up, me with a migraine, well was about due, all the driving walking and stuff! now what i should have done was to take an imigren and back to bed for 3 hours, got up fine and did what we wanted to do... visit a friend in Dorking on the way home... but no, checked out and started the drive towards Dorking sort of in the wrong direction really, i got worse and worse and probably not too far from where i wanted to go i saw a sign that read Liphook, a town we had passed through on the way down, and just checking it now i see how far we had got and how long it then took from that left turn to get there! on we went up to M25 and home, running out of gas, me running out of concentration and reserve, trying the whole time not to be ill... don't know how i did it, especially as i don't now drive on the left hand side of the road, or will that much traffic, but i suppose our inner something or other kicks in and kept me going.... got to mom's took the imigren and three hours later up and fine, well fine enough to have done the trip safe and got to see a friend i haven't seen for over 5 years i think! so so sorry Joanne....

So back to home turf....

the notes i wrote i did in the Wyevale Garden Centre in Wendover, so i think i haven't written these!

On Friday i left mom's to go meet a friend in Aylesbury but on the way i popped.... into the above garden centre, it was so lovely in there, walking around the plants and feeling relaxed and breathing! there was a loud bird flying about the outside plants and i followed the beautiful music he made, it was a little robin and he was hopping about watching what was going on while i watched him, then he just sat there whistling to me! only me, no one else noticed him! i guess people see robins everyday but i don't now, so it was lovely! and i at least appreciated him.

later i was off to St Albans and to Tony's to un pack at last and feel stationary for a while! Saturday at Tony's in the morning and took things easy and in the afternoon we went to see Watchmen, absolutely fantastic movie, was loud, and not just for me, Tony mentioned it too! The cinema was empty really, there was us, a group of three, a two, and a one! All blokes! There was a lot of bits of a blue man in it!?! is all i am going to say about that! But a great Super Hero movie!

and Sunday we three went to Windsor! Lovely day, we did go to Woodside first.... its a children's farm on the out skirts of Markyate, and was smaller than we remembered it, i guess this happens! and was a bit pricey too, although i suppose if your with little children it would be as good as it used to be, and we did go alot... so please go! ;-) so we went to Windsor instead, another glorious day weather wise, we were so lucky, the time Mom and i were away it did rain, but only at night, and more or less the days were fine and sunny, and now back this weekend was wonderfully sunny. The Queen was at home, her flag was up to signify her being at home! we didn't go in there either, how can anyone afford to come on holidays to England, about 15 pounds each to enter! so we had a good walk around and i made us walk into Eton so i could go into the Asquiths teddy bear shop! but it had gone... alas!

Monday Milton Keynes with mom, we had a good look around but were pretty much out of energy, goodness know how my mom has been doing all this, this trip completely 'tired' me out well and proper... good going gal is all i can say, bless her...

i think this day i managed to get to see friends on my way back to Tony's for a coffee at theirs, before off again and home...

Tuesday collected mom on the way to have coffee, again, with friends in Aylesbury, should have been lunch but we just couldn't do it, Mom's appetite is 't up to it and we were wore out! but we had a good chin wag and caught up with everything... we also were seeing another friend of mine at her place near Buckingham, and had a shop to do at Tescos before dropping mom off!

when i got to Mom's she asked where her card was! for Mothers Day on Sunday, i said not to worry, but i think she thought as i had bought it Monday i would leave it with her.. and Saturday past she said on the phone..my card never came...! when i rang to wish her happy Moms day on Sunday i told her where i had hidden her card in her house! sorry off a tangent... so Wednesday morning i wasn't going to go far just relax at Tony's but Mom said she wanted to see me before i left for home, so i picked her up and we went to Hemel Hempstead, saw mate at work hadn't had time to see again at her house... and had another coffee!

looks like coffee coffee coffee! its not i drink that much, just written down like this is awful! but thank you Costa Coffee for keeping me going whilst back in the UK!!!

so Mom back to hers and me back to St Albans and Tony came home which was a nice surprise so we both met Barry off his train down from Nottingham and after taking his bag back home, we went into town for a few things, was good to see Baz if only for a quick evening before i had to head off home, i also when booking my flight hadn't realised Mother's Day was on the Sunday and should have arranged the trip better! Baz gave me his card so i could pack it, and Tony told him he would be on his own Friday evening, as Barry was staying there for a few days after i had gone home.

I said to Baz did he want the bedroom for my last night and he said not too worry for one night... i got up at about 4am, and the boys at about 4.30am, and we were off just before 5am! Ugh!! Tony and Barry seemed to be hanging back a bit as i left the house, and then Tony came down with Barry's bag!?! he said he thought it was mine... yeah right! And then at Luton airport i hopped out of the car at the drop off zone, drop off as 'they' said i would be all right on my own to check in, and out comes Barry and his bag... and he is coming back with me!!! yeah yippee! All those lies and fibs between them and mom! It seems lots of people knew Barry was coming back with me, except me!

I was like a giggling chipmunk at the airport with happiness at having him come back with me! So this was Thursday morning we got a cab back home and relaxed a bit! Friday we went down town and got a few bits, but pretty much took things easy. Saturday the three of us went down to Miramar for a look around and some lunch. Sunday we went to the Pizarra car boot sale, there were only about 5 or even 4 stalls, and i am sorry to say we only did a drive through! And went on to the Trocha market instead....

Sunday evening we went to Mijas pueblo and had some supper there, nice in the evening, it was still light when we arrived and dusk as we came home, i hadn't been there at that time of the evening for ages and was nice to see it literally in a different light! Barry took loads of photos tagging me in all the ones i seemed to look awful in! the waterfall is not working now, all the good work they did to improve that area in the gardens has gone to waste, the lights not working, the water green and filthy looking, goldfish languishing in the still water, barely moving, they were alive, just! there were more people about than i expected too, all the shops were open and it was warm...

Now Monday we had a very busy day.... first we went into Malaga city, just the old section and gardens, they were building a huge seating area in one of the plazas, probably for Semana Santa, and some wonderful works of art... by Manolo Valdés i realise now i should have actually taken some photos of these, as there don't seem to be many on the net, although this exhibition is doing the rounds forsure! more here...wonderful pieces... there were loads of the human statues too, jumping at people who got too close! and by the Alcazaba there is a dig going on on the Roman Theater there, it was found back in 1951 but they're doing a lot of work on it now, people were digging up pottery as we watched! last time we were there they were having a book fair on top of it all!

as we made our way through the extensive gardens we found another galleon! this time in the harbor here in Malaga, have to find out what it is though...

phew getting tired now, not sure what time i starting fixing this to blog but its nearly 8pm now, Franco is busy fighting PS styley! only bit to go, must finish tonight!

...then i had to take my glasses into Specsavers in Fuengirola, but on the way we popped in see las chicas in the Estanco where i worked last year! Was so good to see them after nearly five months, we had lots of hugging and kisses, and Barry was flummoxed by all the spanglish that was being said by all four of us!!! and i had to promise to come back soon and we would all go out for lunch again...then off to Fuengirola to take back mis gafas! We had a bite to eat there too! coffee of course for me! Then... off back to Malaga! to the poligino* this time! we were in search of a new jacket for Baz... it was elusive there and also in Plaza Major where we went afterwards!!! i was sooooo tired after all that driving and walking, not used to driving our car that much, no power steering so now have some new muscles and stronger shoulders, was so funny i kept putting my left hand down into the side of the door looking for the gear shift! i normally only do that in England!

anyway with all this we at least managed to avoid the Fuengirola road and save the car from the bumps and jolting, and our bodies of course! Although the road from the Moreno/BP roundabout is closed now... that bit as you head off on the Mijas road is terrible, how can they dig up this road too? I can see they are going to widen it at this point, or something, but it wasn't necessary to do in the way they have, and then you have the forth road on that roundabout, the road to Coín which of course, closed some months ago! So all four roads are rubble and pot holes at this junction!

And Tuesday... also avoiding the above roads unintentionally... we went to Marbella, had coffee in Plaza de Naranja, and a good time to do so with all the wonderful orange blossom there at this time, and once again not done that for years either! On our approach to the coast we could see the Atlas Mountains in Africa and the rock of Gibraltor. lots of tourists there all following people holding up some bizarre item so they can be spotted at a hundred yards, and the pour tourists themselves sporting stickers like school children!

Then it was home, Barry was packed and we just relaxed up on the terrace watching the world go by... the street? Nearly done now, wonderful small little paves, they have left some white stuff on the surface, to naturally fill in and settle, although some of our neighbors didn't know what this was for and washed the area in front of their houses anyway! They have mounted the halogen lights ready for Semana Santa, we have the cable on our terrace as usual for plugging in at the relevant times during the week... although the actual light in on our neighbors terrace!?! ¿que?

And so to Malaga airport and Pippa and i dropped of Barry... ;-(

ok, i think this is enough for today, not sure where i have gone over what i have already said, so will have lots to delete no doubt, or just leave in anyway in case you weren't paying attention! And still have so many photos to add, and now with Barry's trip.... lots more, although most of the ones he took seemed to be me pulling faces... as if!

all folks, thats all!

TTFN

Marian

*using this 'off line' and the in document i have just added 'poligino' was amazing the words that came up as the spell check thought i had misspelled the word... only thing was i haven't even heard of any of them! So what did they mean!?!

Egypt and Asia

photos taken inside the British Museum last week... to be honest cannot remember what anything is or what area we were in... above looks like Egypt of course...


and here we are in Asia....

two more shots here taken in the great hall as you come in....

we three are off out soon... and i don't mean Pippa!

TTFN
Marian

ok spaghetti land... could just eat that wonderful chicken and sauce and pasta right now, washed down by the wonderful Frascati wine we had, mom and i went to Frascati in Italy a few years ago now, and drank of the wine in the place where it was made... uuuummmm

above by the way is inside the British Museum, took a great photo from the that middle window of writing on the floor the following day, we didnt notice it whilst walking over it, and had to wait for a clear shot, which took a while!


by Lord Tennyson... just read what i think is the complete poem, but other sites say its a two part book? and written by him during a period of great depression, so, read or not to read.....!

ok amigos.... back to the hotel after the late lunch, we relaxed and prepared for our next date, at Her Majesty's Theatre (little bit of history in this site...) to see Phantom of the Opera! amazing, had never thought of even going before, and now i have seen this if i never saw another show i feel i have seen the best! we got all dressed up, me feeling like a sausage in a sausage skin, everything felt too tight, and too short! made me realise how little i wear a skirt these days... and i had on new shoes i had bought in a panic the day before that were so high i could hardly walk! looked like i was helping mom keep her balance, it was me who couldn't! and we had front row seats in the Royal Circle, so it was down hill to our seats and nothing to hold on to.... except my mom! intermission meant we had to do it twice! we pre ordered our drinks so at least didn't have to que up for them... was a real disappointment that not everyone was dressed up for what felt like quite a grand occasion, seems jeans fluffy boots and any old top was just fine! we were amongst about the 30% who had made an effort!

we got cabs to and fro from the hotel, each cabby was chatty and friendly, i stood out in the street to hail the cab home, well there were hundreds of people all waiting and no parked cabs so seemed the thing to do! he got a call while we were driving and i could hear a guy moaning our cabby had jumped the line! and we got a discount!

Friday morning after breakfast we went back to the British Museum as we hadn't really had a chance to see much the day before after the Babylon exhibition.

and back to Berkhamsted....

that after noon and following day i was catching up with a friend, Friday evening we had dinner in Milton Keynes, and Saturday a look around the shops and a coffee...

then Mom and i were off again, down to Hayling Island and Waratah Lodge the B&B there in my links section! we had a lovely visit with them, and it felt like a visit if you know what i mean, Linda and Clive make you feel at home with them. i met them during my promotion last year and put their link on my blog, and thought i would check 'em out! very glad we did and would happily recommend them to anyone visiting that area.

that evening we ate in a local pub called The Yew Tree, a very very old coaching inn i think it was, whose friendly staff and wonderful food brought us back another two visits! and on the other evening we ate in a carvery, the Barley Mow i think it was called, for 3.50! how cheap is that!

now on Sunday we went to see Arundel specifically to see the castle, but, it was closed! when i had checked out the site it said open in March, it had said end of March which i didn't notice, and by the time we got there the web site had been partially up dated and now said April! tony showed me how to check back to a previous web page somehow or other, cant remember now, but i did, and yes it said March! thought i was going crazy! we also walked a long way to the top of the high street thinking the way in was up there, and we were not alone, loads of people were milling around up there trying to get in! turns out for information it is down at the very bottom of the town, near some ruins and the river! they lost a lot of money that day for sure, sun shining warm temperatures, well for England ;-)! oh but the car park was still coining it in! literally!

we were thoroughly disappointed! and made our escape towards the coast... we happened upon Littlehampton, i dont think it is what it was! i had never been before, but mom says when she last went there, years ago, before returning to the states that it was a small holiday resort, but a busy little place full of life and hustle and bustle...now it was very quiet with lots of closed shops and an almost ruined shopping arcade that needs some TLC big time, we didn't get as far as the beach and coastal road...

and then on to Bognor Regis....this town was open and lively, we had a coffee and look around the shops and a parade of clowns came through the town! it was really busy and the shops were buzzing which was nice... more car park fees here and above of course in Littlehampton! non transferable... of course!

we then tried to follow the coast road back to Hayling Island, but just there on the coast is like a hand with many fingers and each road we went down.... ended! and back up we came till i gave up and headed inland a short way to the main road!

mañana amigos....

TTFN
Marian

hola amigos! i am sorry i have been away and busy... everything is good with mom, and i didn't even get to a computer till the 9th day of my trip, but still the clock was running and i just couldn't keep up with myself!

so here i am back home, street outside the house paved! shock horror!

i have taken well over a hundred photos whilst on my trip, the above one from Winchester Cathedral, this bronze is in the crypt and wonderful...

as usual after not blogging for a while i wonder where should i start? the beginning? ok here i go... hold on tight it has been a fast ride with few moments even for writing notes, and the memory isn't great so will remember stuff out of sync no doubt!

firstly to say though is mom's last chemo went well on Thursday, she has to have a CT scan next week and then a meeting with a doctor to find out if she needs radiation treatment and if she is in remission yet. she has been tired this week, but then we have been busy busy busy.... what mom wanted to do was fill her bucket, you know the one we are all going to kick! have i said this already? anyway we should make sure all our buckets are getting regularly topped up all through our lives, just with the little things that make us happy every day...

so....

Malaga airport, mi amiga there doing her stuff with a small questionnaire as people leave after holidays... always good to see her there on departure side! witnessed a couple of sad calls, one a lady crying on the phone because she needed to get home fast her dad in intensive care, yes we're close here in Spain to England, but not when its a desperate situation... then another woman on the phone telling an estate agent, we don't want to sell our house too fast... so hold back a bit... oh this sounds like i am just sitting there ear wigging! well i suppose i was a bit, but then everyone could hear these unfortunate conversations...

Fred and Franks taxi was waiting at Luton for me... when i turned on my phone at baggage control a text came through to tell me so, and as i was trying to text back the phone rang and there they were again to say where he was waiting exactly, and off to St Albans to pick up my car!

there was a bit of a thing going on near Tony's place, lots of police cars with scientific crime scene stuff on their vehicles! they were there for over 4 hours, with us coming and going and looking and staring, but to no avail, they looked at us and us at them!

first thing Thursday morning mom and i off from Berkhamsted train station down to Euston, only 35 minutes into London, cab to holiday inn and un packed! we had a 12noon date with the British museum to see the Babylon exhibition, which has finished now. we didn't really feel it was worth the 8pounds each, four or five rooms, very crowded, they let each group go in in 20 minute intervals, but the groups before hadn't necessarily left, so just got fuller and fuller! bit claustrophobic for me. we had a bit more of a look around the museum before leaving and going for lunch.... we went to a place called spaghetti land on Bloomsbury way and Southampton row, a long restaurant running the length of a building and going out in two directions once inside.

i cant find anything on the internet about it, only one on Sicilian avenue nearby, but its not that one, and i want people to be able to find this one!! mom was unable to finish hers with her appetite at the moment not being too good. and the owner came over to check everything was alright which was really nice...

ok gotta go, there are enough links on here for a chain link fence amigos!

TTFN
Marian

just the two photos today mi amigos... have a bad head, woke up with a bit of a head ache but had too much to do down town, a whole list of stuff.... i did all i could and got home, i had taken a couple of pain killers but these don't seem to work till i can lay day and relax....

so pics are our street now, a layer of concrete is down, not on our side though! so everyone was walking very very close to the house, Pippa loved that... not!


and smart person walked over it despite the barrier tape, i am surprised no one scootered over to be honest! some one else i noticed this morning left they're name in the cement... before it could dry completely, clever eh!?! only as this whole lot is going to covered up neither the foot prints or signature mean much! (and Franco just told me, he always does it... writes his name, it might not be able to be seen now, but when they dig it up, there it will be....)

i remember actually, when we were putting in a new wall, a plasterboard wall, i put the days paper in between the two sides....

ok gotta go folks....

TTFN
Marian

Diá de Andalucia

well look we're nearly done here! these were taken a couple of days ago and tomorrow i up load the latest view! there wont be any changes between now and then as the guys are not working today on Diá de Andalucia...

its very quiet out for a Saturday, lovely....

less for Pippa to bark at, and so for now she is reclining asleep after her busy day so far, breakfast and a little run on the terrace!!

she goes crazy now when i get my camera out suspecting me of opening the front door or going up to the terrace, but this morning it was to take photos of some clothes!?! when i am over in England Mom and i have a couple of special things we're up to now, one of which necessitates a nice outfit! i do have lots of going-out clothes, that sit there in the wardrobe waiting to get out!

but suddenly cant work out what to wear, so i have emailed Tony
for help!

mom keeps phoning me in excitement.... you will see and hear all about everything when i can tell you! probably when i can get to Tony's computer!




keep hearing of more and more people returning 'home', the papers full of loved animals that need a new home, one ad really made me sad, a small pony who needs a home and hopefully a another horse in the field, and then another ad, same number of an older horse too, they're family have already returned to England...




TTFN
Marian

everything seems to be in slow motion on here today again, had trouble with Google yesterday, and not much better today...

the street is noisy the weather is grey and cooler than the last few days of what felt like the prelude to summer... we had that smell of sage and rosemary in the air, looking out over the purple green mountains, still topped with a little snow... i was reading on the terrace again surrounded by washing drying quickly in the heat... then bang today its gone!

friends and i sat outside Bar Rosa, a solitary group with everyone else inside in the warm, but we had a smoker amongst us so out side it was, good deal in there still for only 3€ a coffee, a juice and a small bacon baguette! not bad eh! we partook of only coffee and hot chocolate today though!

i want to tell anyone who is interested in something some friends of ours are doing, its an online site for crafts for kids... its called Crafty Creatures, i will link to it here, and add to my links site there on the right shortly, the site is still going through a few hiccups but its easy to negotiate. and if you need any crafts for kids get them now... and mention my name!!!

I am so clever that sometimes i don't understand a single word of what i'm saying!
Oscar Wilde

TTFN
Marian

just some photos... surprise surprise of our street taken the other day...

although now all is looking quite good! as you can see from the third pic here they have cemented down the other half of our road already, and now here in our half it looks nearly prepared for the same for us... they worked till 9m on Friday evening and as normal till 1pm yesterday, Saturday.

yesterday Franco and i went to the poligino near the airport, again, although i say again, it was before Christmas wasn't it! where is the time going already this year!?!

we had a wander around the Bauhaus store first, had a coffee in there, then went to have a look around the big discount mall they have, shoes, boots, 5€ amazing! and the clothes in the El Corte Inglés... the lines of people in there buying! one couple had four or

five of the pull along baskets, like in Mercadona, full of jeans! jeans shorts, trousers, skirts, but all jeans material, and all 3€! so watch out for him on the market putting them up for sale at 5€ and making a little money eh! erm... good idea!!!

there was again, no lack of money in there for sure! it's a bit confusing in there also, the clothes still have they're original prices, and original sale prices on them, so you can pick up a coat and it says for instance 100€ and the sale price is 60€!
but what you have to look for is the price on the rail not the price on the item!

so the coat might be 20€! i got a pair of jeans for 3€ that was originally 39€! and these are all El Corte Inglés items!

the sales here en España end the first week of March, after beginning the 7th of January... still all good things have to come to an end! not sure about this discount place though, will have to
check it out later!

Saturday is Diá de Andalucia! Andalucia Day! the day to give thanks to this regions founding father Blas Infante, and means a public holiday here... it comes in the Semana Blanco week, half term holidays here.

Not sure how the above man would have felt about an article in The News.. a local paper we have here, it told of police in Madrid being ordered to pick up 35 illegal immigrants a week, and if they could not meet this quota in their own district they were to seek immigrants in other parts of the city. that this practice is common throughout the country and policemen who met the quotas were rewarded with time off....

moms fifth chemo went well on Thursday, one more to go... and all being well i shall be with her for that one. then its another CAT scan and hopefully she can come out for a holiday here soon, she says she doesn't care how hot it is when the news comes through she can travel she is!!!

Reality is merely an illusion, although a very persistent one!
Albert Einstein

TTFN
Marian

no photos of the street today, unable to to download onto Picasa, had trouble with it the other day too and lost all my favorites i had kept on my camera! always delete the new ones, but this time Picasa deleted everything! i had a little video of Pippa barking (surprise surprise) up on the terrace, and other important pics, i know i have them on file, but it was nice to have them 'with me' so to speak, but then that's me, daft! and they have gone and i am still fine!

i had to have help again this morning leaving the house! a hand across a deep ravine.. well ok, a couple of feet across a 5foot drop! and its all filled in again now, not sure how they do what they do here, this is the 3rd time of digging up the street, 3rd lot of pipework, you know i think i would have laid it all on the first dig!?!

but the other half of the street is already cemented in! so looking positive for April and Samana Santa i think.

came across this site just now in a local paper for the San Fermin bull run... on a demo here you run with virtual bulls! haven't checked it out yet but will do!

this morning just popped in to see a friend in the dog shop at Plaza Alta, saw a couple of the way down, the girl was wearing a little strappy top! Brrrrrrrrrr! when they came in the shop later, we tried to get her to buy a coat! but they're here on holidays and to them, this is warm of course!

forgot to say, i think? on Sunday night at 10pm lots of people here turned off their electric just for five minutes, surprising how many people i have heard of that did, word gets around obviously, although too late to those who only read of it in a paper later in the week! and not sure if this small demonstration against the ridiculous electricity bills we're all getting, still waiting on ours, and now fear going to the mail box to see if its there....

Franco is at the car boot market at the garden centre this morning with a mate, on the Cartama / Coín road, hope they're doing well!

When i have been out and about, in the bus, or car over the last few weeks, i have been amazed at how many of those little white fluffy looking nests there are in the pine trees this year, i am sure more than usual, so this means more of those awful processionary caterpillars this year.... be warned! don't touch, or let your pets or small children touch!

this could come as a shock to some people... i had my hair cut at a hairdressers! shock horror! the last time i went to a hairdressers was in 1998, for a coloring, loads of colors and something i couldn't do at home! and the last time i actually had my hair cut not by myself with good ol kitchen scissors... was in 1982! 27 years ago! un believable isn't it! i was so nervous, been telling my self to go in since the shop opened 3 years ago, i think i feel about The Hairdressers as some might feel about a dentists!

and as i was coming home Franco was waiting on the corner, he had only been there a few minuets, the road workmen told him i had been out for about 10 minutes....!!! Glad they're keeping an eye on me!

Be the change you want to see in the world.
Mahatma Ghandi

TTFN
Marian

ok i know you were wondering how the street was coming on... so first pic is how the step to our house was last Friday! this was what the men warned me about, and then when i got home it was much much deeper and a bit of a leap into our house!

at least the neighbor had a gantry to walk over!

the rest of the photos are self explanatory except the one of the street market... this was Saturday morning when i went into town
and there was this market down calle Real! i was going to take some photos from the bottom end of the street on calle de san Sebastián, but there was lots of other people taking photos and a film crew! our little village must be on TV lots, we must see these film crews once every ten days or so!

now to the electric! did i mention how now we are being sent monthly bills instead of every other month? January was guesstamate and then this month is a reading. well we are hearing
so many horror stories, i keep checking our account to see if its come into there, or rather come out. we never get the bill first. likewise the phone bill, although i had to go into the bank again yesterday to say it hadn't been paid after they changed our account to here from Fuengirola and promised to sort out the direct debits... they hadn't! so we got a bill saying it hadn't been paid and to do so.

anyway, as i was saying electric! so many people are getting bills now for say 600€ when normally only 125€, or 500€ when
normally 200€, everyone is talking about it, and how to find the money to pay them! the government has put in the papers this is illegal and should be repaid... but we know people who have gone into the offices and only get a shrug and nothing doing! what are we supposed to do?

we do not have our own power supply in Spain, it all comes from France, although the wind farms are multiplying its not enough to fuel this country yet! so its very expensive.

the electricity is also, apparently charged by the size of the property and power made available to you on a sliding scale, for instance an apartment or small house would be about 3.5 kilowatts, and a big house or villa would be 7.5 kilowatts, so even if your not there it will still be quite expensive in a big property. and if you have a business address to your home you will have an extra 80€ on your bill before you even start!

what to do? well Franco has an idea!?! in the papers recently they talked of some tramps living in Malaga airport, its not illegal, so how about we all move into Malaga airport for a few days, kids, pets, cases etc, just as long as we're quiet and not having a party... what can they do, a silent demonstration eh? just name the date.... and we will see you all there!

Few can foresee whither their road will lead them, till they come to its end.
J.R.R. Tolkien

TTFN
Marian

More photos of Nerja

this 'pile' of rocks has no perspective has it! i waited until a man who was standing down there moved so he wouldn't be in my shot, now i think i should have left him there so you can see how far down it is! the man was walking through the gap on the right there between the top rock and the one in the middle!

here is a bird... perched on top of the rock, i zoomed in a bit! maybe not nearly enough!

this is King Alfonso the 12th! someone left a cigarette beneath his foot!


and here is me, with him! didn't realise at the time how i had placed my legs and feet, how strange i did what he had... weird!

TTFN
Marian

another surprise trip yesterday! i must steady myself, all this excitement in one week! guess that will be my lot for a while then... it was great, i had a call asking me if i wanted to join friends for a trip up to Nerja, a trip around the famous caves! oh yes please!

these first few shots are taken in the plaza near the also famous Balcon de Europa...

this is a link to the Turismo de Nerja, and then here to a virtual

journey of the caves... with some very eerie music going in the background!

it took just over an hour to get there, not sure exactly where to come off the N340 we came off at the Nerja exit(?) at which point it pointed us back onto the N340 to get off at the next exit!

then a short journey on and there we were! it was a truly beautiful day, one of those 'food for the soul' days... sun was shining, and

warm with it!

i took some, well lots of photos inside, no flashes allowed though, but well you know me, most came out a bit shaky, and the lights caused what looks like shooting stars all over the pics, will put on the best of them over the next few days, this last photo we took at the entrance to the caves.

they have the usual restaurant of course, where we sat on the
balcony and enjoyed the lovely views...

there are lots of steps, and some of them a bit wet! there is the worlds largest stalactite, and all the information is in the first link up there! it was'nt as damp as the caves i have been in before, although it did feel humid the further down we went.

i had only been to Nerja once before when mom and i went there, parked in the then new car, found a restaurant, had lunch, and came home!

we parked in the same car park... but this time walked down towards the plaza and the church, and the balcon... constructed in 1487. mom and i obviously just turned in completely the wrong direction and thats why we saw nothing!

this morning... in our street, under construction(!) i had a knock on the door to warn me we had no street if i were to take a step outside! and so i had a small leap to leave the house, and on return a bigger leap! over a deeper trench!

just taken some photos while the men are gone for lunch! Pippa jumps up now every time i get my camera out she knows i am going to open the front door, and people say she is un trainable!?!

Music is what feelings sound like.
Anon.

TTFN
Marian

well another group of 'strange' photos for you, but i suppose your just pleased not to be seeing any more road works on here... more tomorrow though i promise ;-)

yesterday i went out! and not just down town or down to the coast! Franco and i went with a friend to a farmers market in Velez Malaga, a town up towards Nerja, on the other side of Malaga...

took about an hour to get there so not a bad run out, it was a bit of
reccy(?) to see what was what with the market, the couple that run it also do the market at ... hang on, got to get my memory into gear... ok at Aquamania on the Cartama/Coín road.

good size lots outside and lots more in a beautiful room that looks like its a wedding venue, lots of people and sunshine too!

although as you can see on these mountains here to the left of the town lots of snow on them, just like ours here!

we had lunch at a branch of the Mariachi restaurants, like the one at Plaza Mayor which has its own web site now, not that great but it has one!

big shopping centre with lots of shops and some restaurants near the shops and then up stairs a whole restaurant plaza!

it was a bit cloudy up this side of Malaga, and we took it home with us later!

today weather is lovely, and tomorrow looks like a little mini heatwave! yeah!

i am no longer a prisoner in my own home, although a misunderstanding means they will be back... to finish the job! we have wonderful news windows up stairs, secure and much warmer already!

and the street outside, pipework done, but now they're breaking up the rest of the street, including the little bit we still had on our side of the road!

last night a neighbor from round the corner came in just as we were sitting down to dinner, plates on laps, you know the thing! and by the time she left after a long and somewhat confusing conversation where it looks like she is buying our old two door window for less than half the price the thought it was worth!?! Franco's dinner was stone cold... and mine had fallen into Pippa's mouth and tummy!

Now and then it's good to pause in our pursuit of happiness, and just be happy.
Guillaume Apollinaire

TTFN
Marian