Wednesday got the bus down to Fuengirola to meet up with friends who are over for a couple of weeks at their home in Calahonda.  The day was still chilly, well I say chilly it was 10° on the terrace this morning, sitting at the bus stop at the feria ground was getting warm with the sun starting to pour over the Sierra de Mijas… I sat on the right hand side of the bus so I could wave at my friends sitting at Bar Cruz, looked strange seeing them there without me…. This is how it will be soon, without me being on the bus though!  Trip down was good, and quick, best bit going over the mountain toward Mijas pueblo though, the view this morning of the Atlas, and Riff mountains in Africa were truly stunning, what a view, so clear, I wished I could have run over to see them closer all the same though!  And just before we got to the village you could see Gibraltor also!

Friends were waiting by the bus station when I got off and we went to the bar on the corner by the church square, where I have been going now for over 20 years!!  Two of us had churros con chocolate and the other an English breakfast!  Those churros there are fantastic!

Then we went down to the paseo maritimo, I wanted to go past Luizs’ bar, but he still hasn’t opened back up yet??  When Mom and I first arrived here he was open all the way through December, closed for a couple of weeks in January and back open again by now… lots of bars and restaurant’s still closed up!  We walked for some way and sat down in the sun near the port, watching the world and his dog go by!

We were all wrapped up, me especially having come down from the colder in land town, but the tourists that were about were all loving the wonderful weather wearing vest, shorts, sandals… I remember when we used to come out first and second week of February to stay in the timeshare, it was always summer clothes.  I was thinking the other day that holiday makers feel warmer here than we do in the winter because even if it’s only 17 or so here, they have come from 3 or 8 or something in-between.  On the other hand when I go on holidays to England in the winter it never feels too bad when I get there, so little gap between the temperatures, but in the summer leaving a hot 42 and arriving in Luton airport to about 15 is pants!

Am I making any sense at all??? I know what I mean anyways!

They dropped me off at La Cala, where I found my friend waiting for me, at the entrance to the market, we walked up and down, I saw a whole load of things I cannot carry back with me, I have just had a quick run through with my case, too small!!! I had only put a handbag in and it filled it half way!!! Heck!!  After walking the market we walked into the town, down to the beach and went into a chiringuito for some lunch, I had my favourite boquerones, fried whitebait, and rice pudding for desert! With a coke!  Two of my friends were also in there which was nice, I hadn’t seen them for a couple of months and they didn’t know we were leaving; we first met when I did the ‘ladies that lunch’ thing when we first moved up there to Alhaurín el Grande.   So we chatted over the two tables, and it was a hug and a kiss and a cheerio for now…

I am Blogging off line, and cannot remember when I last wrote!  So today is the Wednesday as I have said above, yesterday Tuesday, had some, no sorry the best bread pudding ever, anywhere, friend made some especially as I am leaving, as I write they are making some now on the telly!

Saturday I met up with a couple of mates in the morning in town, and then went home for a while before going back out to meet up with different mates!  Sat at the bar at the top of town at this end, for about 3 hours, had a good chat; they live here and back in Wales, so will see them back there too which is really nice.

So many people are already making plans to come down and see us when we are in Wales, which is lovely and so welcoming, better get a spare bed now!!

Tomorrow I am visiting friends for coffee in the afternoon, Friday a trip to Torremolinos and breakfast with a friend, if he has opened up yet, he said it would February, but… then we are back round to Saturday already, friends up town in the morning, then I want a trip to Mijas pueblo, a walk around the gardens, a glass of wine and a tapa and a tear…

Sunday La Trocha market and hopefully a wonderful piece of apple strudel with cream? Yes, and why not!  Heck I am rushing these days through, it’s just if I don’t get to Blog, you know where I am anyways!

I have to keep telling myself I am not, never going to see all these places and people again, it just feels like it, and as you know I get so attached to places, houses, towns, I just get attached!  I won’t miss the stress Pippa get under with the people here though… maybe a less timid dog, or no dog!!! But people hang over the back railings looking at my Buena vista! Next doors dog starts the red alert, and Pip, like a good soldier dog responds, and responds…. And responds!  People only to have to pause in the front of the house too! And she says “get away, get away”… now those little dogs from the dog the road who live during the day, on the road, cheeky and nicky, they like to actually come up to the front of our house to say hello to Pip! She says “get away, get away”…

Getting back to my small suitcase problem, when I got home I got the case from the top of the wardrobe, while Pip was up on the roof, not wishing to upset her!  Put it in the bathroom and steadily without causing a commotion got everything together in the bathroom, then shut the door to see if I can get it all in the case, as I said, only the hand bag made, I realised nothing else much will get in the case!  So then Pippa watched me strangely as I got all my clothes etc, out of the bathroom and hung them back up, and took everything else back from whence it came!  Then the case too! She put her head from one to side to the other, very confused[dotcom]!

Friday, was it? Yes it was, I was in Cristinas on the internet and it was raining outside, really raining!  On the road coming up in the Laura Golf area it was snowing! A blizzard!  Friends on the bus told us on Saturday the bus had to stop until it passed a little, whimps! Mmmm, maybe I should keep quiet there; I haven’t driven in snow for about ten years… I was always so lucky in England, I never had a rental car and snow, either one or the other!  What I really want is a pair of those things to put on my shoes, anti-skid metal things that clip on! Or skies, going by the amount of snow in South Wales at the moment!

adio amigos...

TTFN

Marian