Monday already, and I got through the weekend, sounds bad, I'm sorry, it wasn't it was a truly memorable weekend thanks to Franco...

With my birthday on Saturday and knowing how I was feeling we were busy almost from dawn to dusk on both days!

I did shed tears while walking Pippa as aforementioned i think on the early blog I did that day...

I packed our picnic and we were off about 10am mas ó menos....

We got up to the Ardales lakes and pulled up right out side the Kiosk restaurant/bar...

Not too busy yet! We couldn't see anywhere to sit for the day, the water was up beyond the trees, in places the trees were well under the water! amazing considering the heat we have, but then considering the amount of water that fell, four years worth, I expect these reservoirs will be full for some considerable time!


After a coffee at the bar, we drove to the other side of the lake, where the photo below was taken, lots of fish!

The barrier there would be high to climb over, but the water was up to it anyway, so a big NO to parking ourselves there!

We then drove on... over the other reservoir and well on our way to the flamingo lakes! We tried a couple of places near the water, but with no trees we would have baked along with the ground there!

So we turned about, back past everything and took the El Chorro road, then the Bobastro road and climbed that, in the car, that is! We went up past the huge reservoir near the top of that mountain! And we pulled off the road in a place we have done so before, I had an idea...

Around the corner from where we parked was the perfect place to spend our day... its right on the edge of the mountain, with the most fantastic vista before us...

The mountain had a hang over to give us shade, and as long as we didn't get too close to the edge.... we would be fine... and we were!

I hung a rubbish bag from a rock, we opened up our chairs, we had the food in the shade, the radio on another ledge... we found a great local station but it was playing hits from the 80's and 90's, perfecto!

I was like some hippy, dancing and singing along, on the edge! we rolled up our shorts, and I had my nicbini [that's bikini to everyone else, nearly!] top on...

A couple of cars pulled up and people were taking photos of the vista, then saw us! Don't know what they thought! Probably that we were living there!

We didn't leave until 530pm, I nearly finished reading a Earnest Hemingway book, very appropriate don't you think! The Sun Also Rises....

Our food.... all home made, even the mayonnaise... I made some meatballs I had seen made of TV the other day, normal to the point of adding a rue sauce, and rolled in bread crumbs before deep frying... potato salad, cole slaw, tomato salad with mozzarella, gazpacho! And a whole load of crisps and nibbles bits! A few different cold drinks as well... No wonder I was so exhausted making this lot of Friday afternoon!

oh I forgot some fruit pies as well, I made four little mini pies! fruit with crumble on top!

Needless to say, we didn't eat half of it, and had picnic at home for dinner last night too! With the home made mayo I have thrown away every with that in it today, just in case!

So we left about 530... On our way home we drove in Casarabonela, a village I had always wanted to visit, it's on a sign post to and fro the lakes and, well being Bonelli, and it being bonela... you can see my fascination!???

We managed, at last to park! And we had a wander about, came to the town hall and we could see the view of Alhaurín el Grande, and at last, I was where I look over to every day from our terrace!

We sat just off the square and had a drink, I ventured a glass of vino tinto, and was drunk after half a glass, as usual, cheap date that I am! I then got a bit melancholy, so we were off outta there... before I could take a turn for the worse!

The day wasn't over yet! We stopped off in Cartama for ice cream at the ice cream parlour on the way out of town!

Can't remember what time we got home, nearly 9pm i think! I picked up Pippa's bowl, emptied the dried food out onto the counter to fill bowl with her dog food, and then, and only then did I notice the ants! Considering they were half way up both my arms, all over the counter and then in the new dog food... I guess I was a little slow to say the least! I threw the new food straight into the bin, the bowl into the sink and ran water, grabbed a load of paper towel wet it and cleaned up the ever spreading army of ants that were running like crazy across the counter and up two walls to escape the strange new place!!!!

I cleared it all up screaming as I went, it only took a few minutes for all of this, Franco walked in, What's going on? What ants? Arh... look in the bin!

Then... Sunday.... Franco had more plans, we were off early back to Cartama and we climbed the mountain to the chapel there... Virgen de los Remedios Chapel, then continued up higher to the ruins of the castle, phew, what a climb!

We came down, and stopped off in a garden centre on the Coín road, we had coffee's and little bacon and cheese baguettes... We bought ice creams and wandered around the garden centre...

Then..... On our way to check on friends house we popped into the El Dorado [El Cine], and we had another coffee! and wandered around by the newly refurbish lake, for fishing, and the wonderfully refurbished two swimming pools! Well worth visiting there, if you live here, or to take visitors! Then it was a few shots of the old film studio houses etc, and off....

Then we went home!

phew... so we were very busy all weekend which was good...

Today, Monday, friend and I got the bus, as arranged to Alhaurín de la Torre, we just fancied a different view... er yes I know I had already had plenty of those over the weekend, but we planned this a couple of weeks ago!

We had a cold drink, a wander around and waited an hour for the bus back!

And now I am tired out from all this writing, its late and I need to eat!

Was wondering how I could show you all the photos I took over the weekend, I have put them on Flickr.com, my name on there is Manisavane, so if you can look there, you should be able to, try it and see, good luck!!! And I will paste more on here, if I see no one has been to visit there!

Ok so above makes no sense because I have added it to my blog up there on the top on the right!!

TTFN
Marian