early but just wanted to get this on my blog.... this is near where i am at work folks....

ETA bomb blast....

TTFN
Marian

well the heat is really settling in now, reports in Seville during the week that temperatures not lower than 39º at night! and now, 7pm it is 44º in the shade on our roof terrace!!

i forget to tell you something funny the other week... a couple came in remarking on the price of tobacco quote "here on this island"... has something happened i don't know about? have we separated from the rest of the continent?

one morning driving along the beach road the police in front of the car in front of me, the driver started waving him past although we were already doing over the 30k, then he started waggling his hand for me to over take him! i indicated and started to move out, but saw on coming traffic and pulled back in, then he suddenly put up his hand to stop me!? i can just imagine police in the UK actually making people go over the speed limit, never mind them not obeying the limit them selves in this situation. but then the traffic police here see people doing things on the road all the time they shouldn't and take no notice at all...

well school is out for sure now, but things are still quiet down on the coast for all the stores, even the sales starting at 70% off isn't drawing the crowds it should, we went to Ikea today getting a couple of things for Maria, the restaurant was packed but the rest of the store was fairly quiet, lots of room for manoeuvre for our little cart... then in the Estanco i cant believe how much tobacco some people buy, some buy the norm of 16 cartons and 3kilo of rolling tobacco, others for instance Tuesday a couple of girls left with 80, yes eighty packets of golden Virginia rolling tobacco! that's not 80 single packs, but 80 x 10 - 50gram packets! coming in with two giant suitcases and wheeling them off after, and then Thursday another couple of gals did the same with 78 packets of the same! although the most i have seen spent since i have been doing this promo this time is nearly 3000€ in one purchase.... yes more than our car cost!

this morning i went first into town and had coffee with Val who used to run Papeleria Cristina's, not seen her for months and was great to catch up on all the news we both had, maybe see her again this side of Christmas if we lucky, bit like the rest of my mates... this job does not lead to much of a life out side it, social or otherwise!

i wish my little Nintendo DS Lite were in black now, not silly girly pink which i wanted, well still like actually, but i could be using it during work and doing my Spanish word coach with it during moments of quiet, it would look more work related... but in pink? probable not!

Good and Evil have the same face;
it all depends on when they cross the path
of each individual human being.
The Devil and Miss Prym

TTFN
Marian

We're a 100 years old!!!

above the lake at the top of the mountain near Bobastro and the bar mesa... this is at a huge distance above the dam at El Chorro, and from the bar you look down at the restaurant Garganta and the railway station where we often stop for a coffee and watch the trains and the nesting birds inside the bar area! i was poised with my camera down at what looks like something from a model village its such a long way down, and the mountain side we climbed when tony and Steph were visiting and we went to bridge (Von Ryan), is way way down from this mountain top! but didn't take a photo? not sure why... el otro día i guess.

in case your wondering at the strange header up there? well now i have had my birthday when Franco and i put our ages together we are now a 100! WOW!

today we went to Ikea, meatballs frys and sauce of course.... and a little look round, then we picked up some groceries at Mercadona... and home which was nearly 3.30pm! another day gone...

another week gone, a third of the way through my contract now already, another week of getting to know a few of the visitors on their way through their holiday here... the part that includes purchasing large quantities of cigarettes and tobacco! but some always come in just to say good bye to me which is nice, strangers who become friends eh...

Sometimes it is impossible to stop the river of life.
The Alchemist

TTFN
Marian




oooops! forgot this photo was here.... doh! this was near to the old church at Bobastro and is a wall... was going to say 'just' a wall, but i think anything that has been around as long as this has cant be a 'just' anything!

Bobastro

well here was our first sight of Bobastro above, surrounded by the wire fencing and the sign explaining it!


this above church is over 1100 years old... read attached link....


and above, i think i found a fossil don't you? i wonder what it is....


this place did not have what i would call a good feel about it, very creepy...

i am here again by the by because my boss who came a visiting from Valencia again to us promoters let me come home early, at six, because its my birthday.... bless her, now after yesterday leaving early i really do feel i am skipping school... well ok work!

as i read my book and drank my coffee before going into the Estanco i had lots of text messages and then later, in work, lots of calls which was really nice, and i kept going from feeling really happy to then feeling really sad as nearly everyone is so far away.... had lots of wishes of felizidades, happiness, from everyone at work, and i took in chocolate cake and special biscuits to celebrate!

Every human being has inside them
something more important than him or herself
- his or her gift
Brida

TTFN
Marian

photo above taken near bar la mesa, the large reservoir is behind me, and this photo does not show really what i wanted it too, it looked like we were above the clouds and could see the sea, but i don't think it was, just blue blue oceans of sky...

now i know... steady now, here i am mid week, whats going on!!! well its sort of my saints day today, Carmela, my middle name is Carmen in Spanish... which answers a lot of questions! and also why i am not at work, although by now i would be driving home, its 21.16 at the moment, but i left work at 2pm when the Estanco closed for the day as its a big saints day down in Torremolinos...


here we were at the bar la mesa... looks like something from an old western movie eh!!


the bar-b-que area, and on either sides there were little chicken coops?!? bit worrying eh, right next to the cooker there! and hot too!


and Pippa, of course, looking anxiously for Franco to come back out of the bar with the cafe con leche!

news so far this week.... another customer complaining of being mugged, him and his wife both in their late 60's i think arrived off the coach Sunday evening and awaiting their luggage a woman looking to be waiting for her bags stole his wallet, opened two buttons on his shorts and removed the wallet! he caught her as she turned to go and got her to the ground! good 'ol boy eh! although he said he felt awful knocking a woman to the floor and it really shook him and his wife up, he came in early in the day, then brought his wife in later to meet me! hope they are being safe now, expect them back in later this week for their smokes! not for them but for family and neighbors!

top gear on Sunday evening, an English TV program about cars.... Jeremy test drove a car the week before and during the course of the test drive he went over a solid white line in the middle of the road and a viewer called the show to complain and notified the police!

on another TV program Little Britain there is this awful 'women' (well bloke really), who walks about making an awful noise and then a mess, cant, well wont go into further details.... well in this Estanco, a woman comes in every day similar big baggy dress and makes this "huh huh haaaah" noise.... just don't want the follow through business!

and another lady asked me if i would teach English to her daughter yesterday?!? well tonight typing if i just left it and didn't correct as i go would read like some as yet translated or even unknown language!

this afternoon was lovely.... got home had a coffee, and a nap... well i am in the habit now! who am i to break it! then Franco and i headed down town for a little walk and bought some nice biscuits to go with cake i am taking into work tomorrow....

Those who never take risks can
only see other peoples failures.
Eleven Minutes

TTFN
Marian

this morning we didn't make the market... again! was so nice getting up a bit later, well 8am, cant sleep in or i will get that neck ache as usual, but then we three were up and outta here, went to say hello to the people at the market in Pizarra, so they didn't think we had gone anywhere else.... above and below pics taken from the town centre, first time for me walking around there, Franco usually pops into the village to get our ices or cakes or Chorros!



this one above is the palace!


here is on our way up to the lakes at El Chorro, Ardales, and some more wind turbines going up, must check later if we can see these also from our terrace, we can see the other two groups above Carratraca.


we took first the turn for El Chorro, then took the next right turn for Bobastro and drove all the way up to the top of the mountain, past the huge reservoir there and upwards to the restaurante Bar Mesa, and it is like a table top up there!

on the way back down we made it at last to the ruins of Bobastro.... photos maybe tomorrow, see how i am doing....

Wagers and pacts are made with angels - or with devils.
The Valkyries

TTFN
Marian

Happy Birthday Franco.....


the photo above i took the week before... from Bajondillo paseo maritimo... this bar on the beach has lots of plants and a pirate climbing up the wall on the other side!?!


here just another beautiful shot taken from our terraza one evening this week....


and here the beach Thursday at 2pm!!! one of the girls in the Estanco said it would be bad all afternoon, but I said no it will be fine... and crossed my fingers... and within half hour it was all blue sky and sun shine! where the mist is thickest there is the street this Estanco is on, on c/playamar, and all morning the white cloudy mist stuff was blowing up the street as if a fire were burning down on the beach, really spooky!

one morning there was a little light rain, could have been Thursday, actually I think it was, lasted a few seconds then it was gone....

also on Thursday a group of guys were in the store, bought some tobacco and left, arranged to come back in later to collect what they had already paid for and get more... when they came back they said one of them had been sort of mugged... it was those 'rose' girls, again, they give out roses with one hand and steal from you with the other, only someone noticed her take his wallet, as he didn't, too much drink! so they caught her, and called the police, she had got a 600€ haul from him! and yesterday, Friday they were in court, but not sure what happened to her, she pleaded guilty and is probably back out with her roses/carnations, again as i write!

i am sorry to say i have taken on board another superstition this week, a woman put her handbag down on the floor and caused a commotion in the store.... apparently it is very bad to do this, it means all your money will leave you!

today i got to go into town! not just drive through it at dawn and dusk! was good to walk in, sit and have coffee and chats to my friends... been over a month since i have seen some of them! on the way home i nearly didn't make it! the narrow street has no proper kerbs so if someone is parked or pausing... and you need to get round by car you can... so the man who was fiddling with someone inside his car got to within a foot of me before he noticed he was on the path!! would have been great me squished between his car and a shop front! not!!!

this afternoon the birthday boy and i went down to see maria and her friends who are here at the moment, all those women in one place... watch out calahonda this evening is all i can say!

.... then we did our usual trip to Día and the 'other' store...nescafe nearly 9€... oh come on please we had just bought the same size for 4.91, and thought that expensive... stop ripping people off!

ok... tired now...

The warrior of light perseveres in this desire,
but knows he must wait for the best moment.
Manual of the Warrior of Light

TTFN
Marian

Saturday... no Sunday i mean, so tired cant get my days straight! and i am only on here now because the signal has gone after a split second power cut!

but first, Friday before Sunday! after i left the Estanco i walked along to the car... i crossed over the road and saw a hefty scratch and lots of paint missing!!! couldn't believe it! then as i straighted up from rubbing the surface with my hand i noticed two things at the same time as a man asked if i was leaving the space free.... first thing, not our car, second thing, not even the same model/make, anything! LOL... so i replied i wasn't leaving the space free just yet!

so Sunday.... friends and us went down to maria's apartment, we left our things there and went for a long walk along to Cabopino, had a cool drink in a bar and walked back! saw a friend on the beach, our office administrator from the apartment down at El Zoco, Maria!

we paused for moment then walked the other way to the Thau bar just round the corner, and sat inside, bit cooler and had a lovely lunch, Geoff and i shared a paella, sue and Franco had two chicken dishes, lots to eat and and several cool drinks... non alcoholic! and it was only just 50€ so not bad!

do you remember the walkway at calypso coming down when i was away more than three years ago? a big dumpster drove under it without lowering its skip, well a similar thing happened again yesterday.... see link here to sur in english.... to the exact same bridge!

although i have been a promoter before, i have been negligent in my responses to others that do the same job, usually just a thank you, but no thank you, not the greatest of answers i know, i could do better! but so many people just blank you when you speak to them... yesterday a 'husband' said to his wife the girl said do we need any help, and she said 'no'! maybe i am just talking Spanish now without realising it?! ok, no maybe not that, but please where have all our manners gone, the please's and thank you's, the smiles etc? still at the airport eh!

they are having a great thing down in Torremolinos this year, the six time i think, its de Cine en la playa! from 8 July to the 28 August, films on the beach on a huge screen! most of the movies start about 22.30 as they have to finish by midnight, you know, the NO noise after 12 policy here.... tonight is 'the six signs of the light'....

ok tv back, rest now.... good to pop in and say hello amigos....

By changing the way you do routine things
you allow a new person to grow inside you.
The Pilgrimage

TTFN
Marian

its July!

wow July already now... no blueberry muffins at work i am afraid i was totally unprepared! i remember the years i used to take them into Pentagon (Mercedes) not the Pentagon... of course, and year after year, Chris our DP thought i had made them, until i had to come clean and tell him i had always used a packet mix... well they tasted yummy, wish i had had some this week too...

this week now, blog notes where are you, buried away in my little note book i use at work, thought i had lost it one day this week, i was gone for five minutes and couldn't find it when i came back, almost had a black out!?!

this was different, usual Monday morning go slow but this one flew by.. it was only the afternoon when time stood still, probably because i was standing still! rest of the week went quite quickly, must have because its Saturday evening now...

today we had a bit of a mission, my boss, of the tobacco company came down from Valencia came down to visit us promotors and said she would like us to wear black shorts! not short shorts, but knee length, well you try at this time of the year, sales in full swing, locals and holiday makers abound and find an exact item, also i needed shoes, i have worn out the ones i was wearing, and a part for Maria's washing machine! we tried to source all three as we went round Fuengirola, also first stop picking up my second pair of glasses from spec savers... the sun glasses pair... the washing machine parts shop had disappeared, i remembered the only other time i had been to it and had spent hours walking round the town, only to turn the card over in my hand and see a map on it! doh!

this time went straight to it, but it, had gone... we asked at a couple of other shops, but no one knew where to get parts (?) but then we found a lovely helpful girl in another place who gave us a card, with a map on the map, of where we could find one, by now, we decided it would wait for Franco to go check it out on Monday!

then got the shoes, and the shorts...was exhausted and had woken with a head ache and neck ache and back ache, which by now you can guess had turned into a migrane, so stopped and took an imigran tablet, with a bottle of coke and some tarta de manzana, apple pie!

then off to meet Simon and Clare back to wales now as we speak who had been staying in maria's beatiful reformed apartment on the beach... i had to lay down for a while for the tablet to work, typical, still losing parts of my life to the dreaded migraine, i know i am getting less now, touch wood, but... even so eh, enough is enough already.

ok, market last weekend in Pizarra, very very good, lots of people and friends there, was a good day, and would you believe all these afternoons on the beach and i get burnt shoulders at the market!

i am suffering the worse road rage on my way into work, not so bad coming home for some reason, although for the life of me i cant understand the speed bump thing near churriana, you know there is 9 times out of 10 just the one person in the car in front and he drives so far over to the right so that the near side wheel dose'nt go over the bump, well he is the only person in the vehicle so he still gets to go over it!?! and some people do try to avoid the bumps by going over so far to the left they go over the solid white line (high way code = do not cross a single solid white line) and risk running into on coming traffic who have to swerve over to not hit them! every body slows down and we are all going over them in 2nd gear speed so just go over the bumps amigos....

and as per usual round abouts so many near misses every day, because no one uses correct road positioning and no one indicates, or so it seems, i guess some people do, its just the ones that don't stick out so much more clearly... but people cant pull out if they don't know which exit people are taking, and then nine times out of ten, again, people on your right are taking the left hand turn just like you! i know i go on about this, i know i took my drivers exam just like everyone else in england, but i also took an advanced police course in a local college, i did'nt expect it to make me even more aware of others people driving 'skills' .... ok, sorry folks, got that off my chest! and i would like to promise that i wont go on about it again, but if i have to bear this 80 minutes of driving for the next four months, you mi amigos will have to bear it with me! so i will only mention extremes ok, for instance yesterday when on my way to work i approached a truck, leaving plenty of distance between us, so if i was able i would be able to see beyond it for any on coming traffic or not, and over take, but this 'lady' came up behind me, over took me right up to his bumper and when he slowed down, she bobbed out quick, saw nothing and over took.... she had a bit of trouble getting back in front of him - because if she had been in my position she would have seen the car he was immediately behind! truck had to brake hard to let her in before the on coming car hit her!

ok, enough already...

Claire Simon and Franco came down to meet me one lunch time this week, i think it was Wednesday? so we had lunch next door to the Estanco and then an hour later i had to excuse myself so i could go take my nap, on the beach! could'nt have made it through the afternoon without that! but nice to see them, getting home just before ten pm dose'nt lead to much of a social life, although Franco and i do tend to down hatches and up draw bridge anyway... Pippa included of course!

and i suppose this is the reality of living the life in Spain, these hours i am doing are the hours here, people don't realise it, also why our neighbors are up so late too i guess, and why people live near where they work, if they can!

no market for us tomorrow, tomorrow we are going to relax with friends and i will blog later with photos, i promise, every day i have my camera with me, but you know, girl (ah hem) on beach alone taking photos?? cant seem to pick up my camera and feel ok about that...

Just before a dream is fulfilled,
the Soul of the World decides to test everything
that was learned on the journey.
The Alchemist

TTFN
Marian