So the other evening, sat down eating tapas... Drinks being drunk and awaiting next tapa... It's a bar live singer singing...

And a woman says "are these seats free?" In answering yes.. she promptly sat down and called another woman over!!

Lol! Well, sorry, but she got a few comments from us! Primarily.. you can take the chairs elsewhere if you want to!! We are actually sitting here eating!!! I also pointed out two free tables empty! Th women had friends at a next table who had plonked down without a bye or leave.. a poor woman sat on her own!!

She said we want to see the singer!!

Well then I guess if they'd taken the chairs, or even turned them around.. but there they were inches from our food which arrived and drinks etc etc...

Also told er no, sorry then.. we are having a nice evening eating and talking and this seems weird!! (Weirdos!)

They got up, and the others also when ten minutes later her friends arrived!

How very bizarre!! Who does that? Maybe they wanted our food also!!

And an hour later up the street they walked past anyways..

People eh!

I know if just having a drink.. that's one thing, but sat down eating!!

Nothing so strange as folk as they say!

Today.. took an exceptionally long walk this morning, didn't think I'd make it back! But did! Then after a three quarters of an hour nap.. ate a chocolate and peanut butter sandwich and played paddle tennis!

Court here, and gave it a go! Was okay, my serve is great, but it's the hitting it back again in struggle with! Seem to not be able to run around to hit it! Lol

Chips at Casa Flores

Didn't get news of another placement until the day I got home 🤨

So not happy about wasted flights trains and sundries! Probably added up to about two hundred and fifty pounds and nothing to show for it.

But, back home I am..

Began with the next morning a migraine! But strange, as I have had no significant migraines for about ten years! Had bad headaches, but those days of spending 24/48 hours being sick and feeling like.. whatsit! Have, had.. passed, or so I thought.. but after this one, where I was sick, and the one on my birthday.. bit strange actually.

I took strong meds to try to shorten them, and to an extent stayed inside me long enough to make a difference.. although this one I didn't get up until nearly 3pm...

Anyways.. while I was away in blighty, massive storms thundered their way across Spain, causing havoc and deaths along their path..

In Alhaurín word of hailstones the size of golf balls was certainly true, holes in my patio table showing the size of them!!

Radlet train station.. on my day coming home..

Old style station, so I thought black and white seemed appropriate choice.

Once on the train to Luton some woman was in the phone, from there until Luton Parkway.. mostly she just said "yeah" and hearing "yeah" for the whole journey was beyond irritating!! Especially as we were parked up for fifteen minutes outside Harpenden station due to no empty platform!?!

And on arrival at Luton was a nightmare of a line to catch the coach to the airport! Luckily I had the right ticket and hadn't thrown it away on exiting the station! That would have been funny!!

Two coaches came at once.. never seen anything like it at any station airport, ever!!

At security both my boxes went to the 'other side' OMG!! My stick deodorant which never is a problem..was!

And they tested all my bottles of fluids including my toothpaste! At seven euros a tube I wasn't happy she used a whole days worth!!

And it all had to be sent through again!! What the hell!!!

I also have had a bad cold, went straight down into my lungs and been coughing badly.. I was so worried about having a coughing fit on the plane.. I didn't thankfully, just two actually in the departures area..

Still, cleared the seating around me!

And managed the flight almost until landing when the air pressure got my claggy ears and I had the same thing as I did in March!! Chronic pain, went dead first.. then agony extreme agony, until we came down and the air pressure stabilized in my ears..

I wonder if that caused the migraine? I wonder if the migraines I used to get flying to the states were all caused by that air pressure? I used to quite often get a migraine the day after my arrival? In the old days..

At son's... A golf buggy!? Or just a buggy? In the hedge! No golf club symbol and an electric cable permanently fixed.. so maybe a private one, you know, for people with huge gardens!!

So home now, a week tonight.. cold still coughing, but much better, thankfully, earache still though!

Up the coast this week having some R&R... I've been cycling, not easy after a few weeks not doing so, and earache! I need to get my lungs working better, need to work on that somehow.

TTFN
Marian

Lol so last post headed back in blighty.. because I am! Although not for long...

I flew into East Midlands last week, a couple of days with son, then off to work in Cardiff area...

Placement was not as expected, and I now know that I have my limitations now with what my head can take.

So first time ever I pulled out, had a bit of a nightmare leaving at 7pm taking a bus into Cardiff... And expecting a hotel room anywhere in Freshers week!

So wandering around hotels in the fast fading light wasn't much fun! Talking to son he suggested I get a train and they will meet me.. I did, they did! Unexpected visit to Swindon!!! And walking out of the station seeing a car the same as theirs I messaged.. "here I am!" and walking to get in a message came through.. "3 minutes!" So I nearly got in wrong car!! Lol

I have been staying here now since Tuesday night..  we went to the zoo yesterday!

London Zoo, and not been there for donkeys years!

Some, just a few random Zoo pics...

Seeing the news today, absolute flooding back home in Alhaurín!! Cars floating down streets and hitting other cars...

Can't believe the weather since I have been away, further up the coast Valencia it's been torrential, and now moved down to us!

TTFN
Marian

Back in Blighty!

Me, black and white is so good! Helps in so many ways! Lol

Below a view of a harbor on my travels, Almeria coast...

My friend came out for a wonderful weeks visit and we came here.

More photos to follow.

The cove below is another small coastal area about an hour from Malaga, absolutely stunning small beautiful village, not ruined by over population of tourists or high risers.. the town is small, all one needs, I think in the 60's it could have been an artists colony.. just how it makes me feel..

Went to a great quirky bar.. nothing from outside, music pulled people in.. the first night a live band and people just danced where they stood, including me..  Great atmosphere.

Went back another night, no music, but back outside a wonderful place to sit and relax...

TTFN
Marian

A few photograph taken the other week from up the coast a ways..

A very chic chiringuito above.. the price of a small beer was enough, then the overpriced menu also! Nope!

I am quite getting the hang now on the bike, although it's a fold up and so small wheels, probably would be better on a mountain bike.. but small steps me thinks!

At least I ride straight now, mostly.. only panicking occasionally! Lol

Great graffiti piece here, hidden artists abound...

TTFN
Marian

Just mucking about at a marina...

It's cooler down near the water than inland certainly at this time of the year.,

Another warning in Malaga area for hot weather..

So today down at the coast..

Bit of a sea must rolling in though today keeping it cooler..

Above and below a feria at a very small Pueblo... So small, the fair was watched by an equal amount of participants!

Very relaxed and everyone having fun... Was a great evening a couple of weeks ago.

Great tapas and a glass of wine for not much more than two euros.

TTFN
Marian

Windswept skies...

It has been beyond hot here these last few weeks.. Amber alert in Malaga area as we regularly go over the 44° mark...

On the terraces it's in the fifties... But 'they' who record these temperatures don't take those into account!

Another feria, another concert! This was actually after a small fair at the port and a band set up a mile away along on the beach, three girls... Was okay, the young kids seemed to know all their songs...

Lol that makes me feel old saying that!! Oh heck!!

And a table and wine.. because wine not!

So today I am down at Calahonda to meet with friends ...

Always brings both the happiest memories and some sad when I am here.

Seen our neighbor from next door albeit briefly.. seen the lady from the office in passing... Good to see the Almond Tree open...

Having coffee in the old place, still run by the same guys, his hair went from long to short and now from black to gray... Thirty years... A good long time...

Oh, the pool party! Was fine! Was good.. great music, a live musician, she had a very good voice, a bit Adele like.

An open bar, and good food...
A few dogs roaming around for attention and the pool! Of course!

Stayed a few hours, maybe over three I think...oh and there was a film crew there, for a channel 5 item!!

TTFN
Marian

And so! Back home to Spain!

First a small feria by the port... These small fairs are so much nicer than the huge ones.. more personal, and you get to see the same characters throughout.. lol.. could be taken either way that statement!

Still, great tapas, great music... Relaxing times...

This feria is the second I've been too in the same area.. and been to another since.. last week.. trying to catch up with myself, as always on here..

Before I go now though have a pool party to go to this afternoon. Both these words strike horror in me, I don't do pools.. well, okay I now have my own personal water wings, and goggles!! Lol... but the word pool is still not in my vocabulary! And party! Ugh! No!!! So adding these two words together sounds like a nightmare to me.. then I have to tell myself that when I think ahead like this 'things' are never as bad as I think they will be and I end up having a good time...

Although...

TTFN
Marian

Last days of birthday trip home..

Lunch from the 18th... Because I thought it might make you hungry!

Followed by the packet of French toast you can buy in the states.. thick sweet and so yummy!

Smothered with syrup of course!

Walking to the reservoir crossing with a discarded trainer! Looked a bit random!

They are presently refilling the reservoir could take some time!!

Had a bit of a Stephen King moment.. passed a lady and then passed her again.. which would have been impossible given the size of the reservoir, and time to take walking around it!!

Very odd! She looked at me and acknowledged me with a nod the first time, and then the second did the same!!

Freaked me out!! Lol

The last even we ate out.. felt good, but sad too..

The last morning my brother drove us upstate to my niece's ... We met at Molly Browns.. 

I had one pancake and five rashers of bacon, with syrup and coffee... Coffee's plural!

One pancake was more than sufficient!

Wow!

Then.. after visiting their home, it was back on the road, heading downstate.. collected my bag and off to LAX.

Good flight home, extremely tiring, ten and half hour flight to Gatwick, four hour stopover, luckily with international onwards travel I didn't need to collect my bag and skipped through directly to the departures again...

Managed not to fall asleep anywhere.. kept eating and drinking plenty of water, took my meds.. and boarded again for Malága and home.

When it came to collecting my bag was a bit confusing as no one had said my bag wouldn't come through the normal channels.. and when I stood almost alone and no more cases coming through.. I spoke to a couple next to me also waiting.. He asked and we went through to the international flight arrivals baggage section.. and lo and behold my case was there! Lol They too had arrived from LAX.

But I wish I'd known...

Thankfully I didn't need to drive home, and by the time we got home I'd been up about 30 hours!? Something like that, I woke up at 5am on Saturday morning and got to bed at about 23:30 Sunday evening.. nine hours time difference and two flights..

I had an amazing time with my family, didn't want it to end, but also so happy to come home...

My family east coast missed me not stopping over.. next time...

TTFN
Marian

July 18th

Well there had to be a first time for a pedicure! And it had to be in California! Look at those toes of mine! Lol.. I have never seen them look so good!

Yes I still chose bright red.. No change there since I was 13 years old! Always been red! Except one evening when Sarah and I went to Watford and I painted them green! Awful night! Still have a scar to prove it!

On my hand! From a lit cigarette end that stuck to it while we were dancing!

Given a thin pair of flipflops to leave with I t they had dried sufficiently!

Neat eh! Lol My last pair came free with Cosmopolitan mag have only just given up! They lasted about twenty years! Don't think these will do so well!

Also at the same time the chairs were massage chairs! Could have any number of different massages.. from shiatsu to ... Whatever! Can only remember that one type, but I started fiddling with it and was getting a massage I hadn't prepared for! So switched it off! Hurt my neck!

After Lori and I had finished in the happy feat place! We went for lunch somewhere we'd been earlier in the week, beautiful salad filled with fruit, the freshest bread and amazing chilled tea...

TTFN
Marian

My Birthday!

Bet you're wondering what happened to me! Sorry! Been otherwise occupied!

So! My birthday! Looks like the last post registered as July 17th, guess it was already here, but not for me.. Need to update the date!

On my birthday my sister-in-law and I collected her mom and we went to downtown Disney.

Just the shops and restaurants, lots of Disney around, and right next to you park.

We shopped and walked and ate lunch. I cheekily told the waiter it was my birthday, and he brought out a big dessert cake with three spoons after we'd finished our main course! Even had a lit candle in the middle of it!

I bought a couple of things, only! In a store, came to about $38+ and on leaving the car park the ticket read $49 to pay, the guy asked of we'd purchased anything, I gave him my receipt and he took that value off plus a little more, I think it came down to $7 to pay, not $49... Wow! Thank goodness I bought something! Lols

Beautiful pagoda... So beautiful, near the Disney hotel, large lawns.. of fake grass and no seats!

The Lego shop was outstanding.. from the outside with George and the dragon...

And the islands had Disney designs.. you had to walk around them until they made sense.. different parts of each character positioned just so... And therefore like a live animation...

Everything was pretty expensive.. of course.. but a great place to spend quality time in, and we did have quality time..

Such a lovely day with Lori and her mom...

Oh, and the second cake shown at the start?
At the Italian restaurant in the evening.. The Olive Garden Italian Restaurant.

The brought me out a mini Tiramisu, with candle, and sang to me!

Was a wonderful evening, my brother his wife, her family who have adopted me into theirs...

Thank you.. truly.

TTFN
Marian