Last day of 2016 New Years eve... all roads lead to here each year...

Screenshot of our travels on Christmas day... We went out on the dark blue line and came home along the paler blue!  Love these phones, written in history our every move, for good or for bad...

It was a bit cloudy at home, but much better once we got further inland, sky opened up for miles on end... although I did get some great shots of the wind turbines, their bases firmly fixed upon the earth and their blades hidden in the clouds...

We went first to have a coffee in the Kiosko at the lakes, we booked a table for two in the restaurant there for one pm... la una!  We finished our coffees and walked around to the dam... not as much water as we thought there would be, expected it to be full to bursting with all the rain we've had recently, but it wasn't even over the steps near the dam at all!!

At one we were back to the Kiosko for lunch, upstairs, by the roaring fire... No starters, Franco had piglet, and I had kid!  Sorry my friends who don't eat meat, we really went the whole 9 yards didn't we with our food!  It was wonderful, both with roast potatoes and veggies, I had a small glass of house red, which actually was very nice, and cremé brulés for us both for desert!

We took our time and chatted with a neighbouring table, three people from Wales!!  Bridgend and Porthcawl! Bizarre bizarre!!  But live here in Spain too, Álora.

After lunch we took to the car and took to the road, up past Bobastro and to our secret place up a narrow road, I took a fair few photographs from up there, [more to follow].

We came home via Álora as it happens and then followed the road all the way to Cartáma Estacion, the long route we call it, and have only done it once before!!  So a way bigger distance that we thought we were going to do!  But no matter, a beautiful day, making beautiful memories...

Franco is doing great!  Eating like a horse! [sorry!!], we had x-ray results which we had had taken because of bad pain in his neck and back, they showed there is nothing wrong with his spine or joints, although of course it did mean the pain is because of the tumour, Franco and I are out and about! Day before yesterday we went to Calahonda and had coffee with a friend, used to be our neighbour down in the duplex when we lived down there.  It was an emotional cup of coffee, for all three of us. Difficult.

We also bought cannelloni, we had been looking everywhere for it and found it eventually in Super Sol down at El Zoco in Calahonda!

I had overdone things on the lap top and compressed something in my neck, which is starting to ache again now, so not looking at the screen at all while I am typing now, to avoid a repeat of it!  I had vertigo!! Thought it was my ear problem come back, but no earache, just neck ache! Stupid stupid me, I panicked, couldn't think how I can go to work like this! Idiot!  Then toothache yesterday, also getting better, I am having trouble coping, period, don't need all this on top, I have to be okay to... be okay...  Franco needs me to be okay!

TTFN
Marian

Nearly Christmas 2016

Sunrise Alhaurín El Grande

Well, what haven't we done since last posting... We had Francos first phsio session, some good ideas to help with his back and shoulder pain, and also an appointment with the nurse from our local clinico, two full hours with him, amazing length of time, an interpreter on the phone too, the doctor wrote notes while we were answering his questions, so I know he does understand much of what we say, exactly as we understand much of what he says, but to make sure, and no mistakes... better to be safe.

He also made an appointment immediately for more x-rays, the date was for about two weeks time, but he got it changed and we had the x-rays two days ago already!  He called in the morning to say he had brought it forward and to collect paperwork from clinico and then go up to Coín to have them done, we did, and they were!

Sunset Alhaurín El Grande

I can't think where we have been!! To Mijas Pueblo the other day, Monday it was... photographs below, not sure what had happened over the past weekend, there were these statues down in the new Plaza, miniature versions of Paris' Eiffel Tower, Londons Big Ben [St Stevens Tower] and Rio's Jesus the Redeemer...

We've been to Fuengirola, Miramar.... The Sunday car boot sale at La Trocha...

Christmas cards coming though the post, thank you.... I'm sorry only the boys and our grand daughter have cards this years, and my lateness in sending them, via Moonpig means they probably won't make it before Christmas at all!

We got one card yesterday, no, yes or the day before?  It had no envelope, Franco said maybe they delivered it by hand!  Although not sure if my cousin and his 102 year old dad popped over from UK to do so without knocking on the door!!!  The idea was nice!

My confusion is because I had a migraine yesterday, a bad one, it started int he middle of the night, been having a lot of nighttime headaches recently but they faded with the day, this one didn't.  And I got up in the hope, fed Pippa and had to get back to bed, I got up another time in search of the meds I shouldn't take to cure the pain, couldn't find the one I knew I still had left... that was I don't know what time, but I got up again early evening and found it, took it and went back to bed, so two hours later I more myself and got up, watched a movie with Franco which stated about ten pm and then went back to bed until six thirty this morning.  I am lucky, not had a bad one like this for such a long time now, maybe once this year before it? Franco and I can't remember, it used to be we couldn't remember a week when I hadn't had one!! Hate missing days.

Have a good Christmas everyone, make it a good one, make everyone the best one...

TTFN
Marian

Orange blossom...

Today we had a short visit at Cudeca to meet Francos physiotherapist, all went well, and we have another appointment for Friday for Franco to have some physio!  Before I forget, we also popped in to see the nurse here in Alhaurín, the doctor gave us his name and number and told us to, so we did, no appointment necessary, no call, just popped in on our way home, he called a translator and he and Franco via the translator had a good conversation and we have an appointment tomorrow, no hanging about, really great..

We popped into Torremolinos to pick up a few things on our list, picked up a few things, not on our list, because what was, wasn't it store!!

We then went to Plaza Mayor for a bite to eat, and wandering around afterwards I could smell the wonderful orange blossom aroma in the small square there...

Yesterday, we ate lunch out too, this has to stop... for obvious reasons!  €€€€€€€ LOL... but anyway, we enjoyed lunch at Los Morenos near the BP garage, I had my favorite of lamb chops, while I ate the whole lot, minus one [which Franco ate], Franco told me how unhealthy they are because of the amount of fat... but dang... thats the whole reason I eat them!! LOL

Night before I made myself a small pizza! the whole thing!!! It tasted okay, I wasn't ill afterwards, always a bonus, and as you can see Pippa wanted some, although it could have tasted fowl and Pippa would still have wanted some!!  We should have named her gannet!!

And you'll never guess what this is a photograph of!!

Ah... Okay, well a few nights ago I was finishing off my glass of milk and reading my Kindle and I saw through the glass this beautiful spectrum... grabbed my phone and voilá!

It started to rain, just a few drops as we came home earlier, about half four I guess, now, at 7:30pm its chucking it down again! Terrrrrrific!!!

Today when we were out and Franco and I were walking down the long haul of steps to get us back down to the paseo maritimo, Franco kept saying 'is this the restaurant we usually cut through?'.... and I had to keep saying no, not this one either!!  And I said to him... You know Franco your sense of direction is terrible and if there really is a promised land, and if you go there first, you'll have to wait for me so I can get us there together...

TTFN
Marian

No reality here folks! Please...

Feliz Navidad... Christmas last night in Málaga city for Franco and I.... had a wonderful time, making wonderful memories, although I had to stop him from time to time to just stop and hold him... while I tried to stop time and reality from breaking into my perfect little world...

The small church down at the marina still seems a strange sight amongst all the shops and the hundreds of people filing past taking almost no notice of it... a place of calm surrounded by bedlam.

The main street in the city, Calle Larios.... before the lights and music began!

I will try to get one of videos on here, but my camera on phone, didn't do well, and I am having trouble loading the vids from Francos camera... blah!!

At the end of the street in the main square, after the first 'lightening up', the huge old building there had its own display with music and lights, took way too many photographs of this!!

It was packed down there, the street... waiting for the start of the festivities, and I must have got bashed several times!!!

We had doctors appointment today down at the Cudeca Hospice, visit went well, it was for Franco and I was also included... We chatted about how things were left when we left the hospital, and that Franco will be having some complementary therapies, and some x-rays to check his shoulder pain, also some different pain meds and she said we can change them until we fix the pain problem... very nice visit, no hurrying, no rushing about, and the centre is calm and relaxed, I think Franco was expecting something else, so he was pleasantly surprised, if one can be pleasantly surprised in a hospice, or in this situation.

I know one thing forsure, everyone there seems very surprised at just how fit Franco is; driving, walking, shopping, you know, all the usual things!! We said about having spent hours in Málaga city last evening enjoying the lights and music... We are just living normal lives, doing what normal people do, and in my little world all is rosy and happy... and if I don't stop and think too much...

TTFN
Marian

Jamón Jamón

Jamón Jamón!

We bought the Jamón today, Franco couldn't wait to get it home and get stuck in!! And when we brought it into the house Pippa thought all her Christmas' had come at once!  And the small Kings Cake we bought locally from a new supermarket here in Alhaurín, its another Coviran and with its own underground car park with direct entrance into the store, no steps! and its huge!  First time we had been in, we think it must have opened when Franco was in hospital because it wasn't there before I went to work last, and Franco hadn't seen it before either!  It has everything, the meat and cheese counters were heaving, the staff friendly and fair prices!

And last night some friends of ours from around the corner knocked the door and passed us in a huge box of oranges and lemons from their campo... muchas gracias amigos...

Oranges and Lemons say the bells of St Clements...

Isn't it stupid for a couple who talk all the time, we seem to be finding it hard to speak sometimes; I know from my side of thinking, I keep going to say things that I now have to think twice about, and if I think twice, I leave it because I worry that it... whatever I am thinking of saying won't make sense now, or won't happen, or will upset Franco...

Today when we were out, having a coffee and cake in the still quite new Carrefour in Las Lagunas, after seeing friends down on the coast... Franco was saying about the great in-store bar where we were sitting and I said to him had he come down here without me?  Did he go to the places 'we' go when I am away working...

[I know Franco does go out and about, but the question was leading you see].

He said 'no, not really, just our local bars or somewhere to get something, and home again.'  And I said 'well that's going to be me then isn't it? How will I want to go to somewhere like this on my own... or drive everywhere 'we' go, without you?'...

TTFN
Marian

Worse weather since 1989 Malaga Spain

Photographs of devastation from this morning on our journey down to the coast...  The main river we drive down from the mountain beside was full, at its worse it must have been close to the road in some places because by the golf courses at Las Lagunas dead wood and rubble has piled up near the barriers on the river side... large old trees brought down who knows how many miles...

At the garden centre and other businesses down near Aldi everyone was out hosing down the drives and parking and forecourts... Washing the streets helping the councilmen clean up...

One of the gold courses had lost its stone wall, its fences and the course was flooded out...

We didn't intend to go down today, but friends needed us to give them a hand and we did, all sorted soon we hope!

We also went for lunch at the now very famous La Cala BP restaurant, yes BP as in petrol station!  And very good it is too, they do rush about a bit though and you feel, well from where we were sitting that as they rushed past we rushed to eat... next time sitting at a table rather than a bar would be more beneficial!!

Very large plastic container in the cave is catching drips we have from a leak in there, its only the second time we have had water come in there, so that's not too bad really is it?  And water coming in the kitchen too from around the door frame, which is odd, never had that before, but also never had this much water coming into the little back patio either, hope it stops raining soon, the paintwork is bubbling a little and I don't want it getting damp...

When we got home from our trip water in the planters out on the front balcon was drowning the poor plants there and on the terrace, it had been raining for six days by then, and was about two inches deep or just overflowing in some of the pots! So I stuck a screwdriver down into the still tightly packed earth and the water drained in and then out the bottom of the planters... That is why our whole area here is flooding!!  So dry, so hard packed earth that none of this water can actually penetrate and soak in, its just surfing the top soil and causing floods!  So, yes, we need to get out there and stick sharp things into the ground to let the water in!! LOL, yes okay, crazy talk!

TTFN
Marian

View from Ibis Swansea

Tried to Blog from our trip on my phone, didn't work, although the above photograph was there, that was it! I couldn't adjust back to left-hand margin, so abandoned Blog!

Last Saturday, we left here, home and flew to Nottingham, to stay with Barry and family... We went to town for lunch...

Franco has been avoiding a lot of different foods this past year, things he thought, read about... that would cause him more tummy problems, so he is now eating lots of everything he has avoided for a year!  Barry's choice of a pie restaurant was definitely right up Francos street!  Great restaurant, very atmospheric!  Franco loves the trams, he loves Nottingham, me too, even my phone knows it!  Sending me random articles about whats on, for instance an Alice in Wonderland café opened this week, and a place you can go to smash the hell out of stuff if you have anger issues... you know, I really do have some anger issues right now, and I really wish there was somewhere like that here!!!  We went back to Barrys and relaxed with the babe!  She grows so much in between visits!  Her hair is so curly!!! We were shattered too, been up since middle-of-the-night-o'clock, poor Baz had to have an early night, seeing as we were sleeping in the living room... and England was blooming freezing!!! lol...

[I am having terrible trouble spelling!  Not the greatest at the best of times, but the simplest words seem to be eluding me, thank goodness for spell check!] 

Sunday morning we went to Asda, bought a few bits and had a coffee there with the family... and home, a bit of lunch and suddenly the time had gone, far too quickly, it was a wave and we were off, followed by our cases! We had to collect the car from the airport, no car-hire on a Sunday, that in my fast paced booking of everything the other day that I could find..We got the tram from nearby, tickets which included tram and sky coach... but got to the end of the tram line and found that there were no coaches to the airport, because the airport was closed!  Yes, yes, I know we should have known this, but surely with todays technology no tickets should have been able to be purchased!!!  We had to get a taxi to collect the car, which cost twenty pounds!  So close from there, and yet... so far!

At the car rental place it turned out I should have had a visa to rent the car! Er, no a visa debit only!  So we were charged an extra thirty pounds a day on top of original costs, the guy did call the 'agency' I booked the car with, so I could ask for a fully comp. payment to be paid back to me!  After all, that is what we were now paying an extra thirty a day for!!!  The man on the phone asked me, as per the norm after he had very pleasantly repaid our money "Is there anything else I can help you with today?"   Yes!!! I told him, yes, how about changing the system when you book on line that you cannot use a visa debit to book, if you can't use a visa debit to take the car!  He said he had heard that before!!  Well, than fix it!!!!!

By the by.... I would not have booked a car through an agency, if I had known it was an agency!!!  More transparency there please!  As in, name of booking company and the words 'This is an agency, and not the actual car rental company peeps!'

So it was a bit later we left than we thought it would be, it was dark, and it was the M1 so busy busy busy.. and an hour or more later by the time we got started down to Tonys.... But we got there okay, although the maps took us to the road adjacent to Tonys, there was a fence preventing us actually going into his road!! So we had to turn about and go the other way!!! Oh Google maps!!! Que pasa!!

We relaxed once we got to Tonys, we went out for dinner at a nearby restaurant, six of us... took a while to get a table, no bookings, and disorganised chaos all round! But a good evening...  

Tony got us to use his Oculus! OMG, what an amazing experience, Franco loved it, he said afterwards that he wasn't going to have a go, he thought I was being dramatic, as usual[!!!] but he did, and he realised I was just reacting normally! as did he!!  Bless him, holding his feet up out of the water! I'll let you check out the link to Oculus here....  

I have spoken to people who may have used the cardboard, or even plastic VR units... #sorrynotsorry they may be okay, but once you have used the real thing, there is no comparison, there are no black edges, there are in fact no edges, its real, its all around you and it is completely amazing, and I am so glad Franco got to have a go using it!  

It is a whole new reality, lol... reality, I think if I had this I would just live in it, although it would be easy to forget the outside world and not even eat or drink! Sounds like a movie...

So, enough about the Oculus!!

Early enough next morning we were off again!  Headed down to Wales, we went via Aylesbury to visit a friend then on with the maps again!  We headed off after a brief and unsettling visit to the Tesco there! Whats with the posh nosh!  What happened to the 'normal' coffee and food counter to get a good filling breakfast etc?  All gone, all changed...

The maps took us off towards Oxford and I suspected the route I have taken before down to the M4 Swindon direction, I think it took of us at the normal place, we were on a dual carriageway, headed in the right direction... then it said to take slip road, I did, I wasn't happy, but took it anyway, and as soon as we did I said to Franco, this isn't right!  We were on a side street, by side street I mean country road, and before long we were in the sticks!! We even went through a toll road!!! Toll road??? Bizarre with a capitol B!!! There was a guy in a small box taking money from both directions, price for car? 5p... yes you read that correctly 5p! WTF!!!

Sorry I am swearing a great deal these days and you what? I really don't give a dam!

So we carried on, well what else really could we do?  and by the by we ended up along a road which seemed vaguely familiar... and time passed by I knew we were headed towards Cheltenham instead... now this is also a route I have taken to/from Ayeslbury from Wales, but never one which included a trip towards Swindon too!

It also took us past a Little Chef Franco and I stopped at on our way home from Tony and Kates wedding, a Little Chef we vowed we would never stop at again, ever!  Until last Monday, when we did, because we really needed a break, unbelievable!  and it hadn't changed, it still smelt like an old B&B [sorry B&B'ers], it still looked like something from a nightmare!  people in there who like us must have taken a wrong road, people who really just wanted to pay and go as quick as possible... and never come back again!

We skirted through Cheltenham too!  Even that delight wasn't to be missed, and then we were on the M5, really? yes really! What a journey, we think we did almost a hundred miles more than we needed to... Then it was down to the M4 at last, a £6.60 at the toll booth... another toll!! and into Welsh Wales...

We got into the Ibis in Swansea okay from there, all good, room okay, hotel great actually, the reception was a very pleasant!

Looked recently done up!  We arrived, check in, went up to our room and about ten minutes later one of Francos friends arrived and we were down in the reception with him, within a couple of hours we had about 35 friends there!  About thirty from Amazon, friends Franco made while working there, a really good group of friends, and also another friend of ours we have known for years, one of my 'angels without wings' and a group of girls I used to work with, so good to see everyone...

Tuesday Franco and I went over to his brothers, the four of us went out to lunch in Swansea, a favourite restaurant of ours down one of the little arcades there...

Franco also wanted to see another mate of his who works in Swansea market...  We got back to the hotel, had about an hour to chill and then it was back down into the reception and about 20 friends of Francos came from Amazon, some the same at the night before, some new ones, and four different friends of mine! A neighbour who we used to live next door to, and two girls from somewhere else I worked!

Another good evening, and again Franco talked and laughed and told his stories, made his mates sad and happy, and sad all over again... Franco is a bit of a legend around Swansea and Neath... Everyone knows him, everyone loves him, everyone has the best memories of Franco, the guys are so overwhelmed by Francos pragmatic and realistic stance...

We did visit McDonalds a couple of times, well, it was next door to the Ibis!

View from Ibis Swansea

Wednesday we visited Francos mom, this was the saddest for us, heartbreaking...

On our way beforehand we had breakfast from Gregs! We used to have a coffee and a caramel toffee choux pastry thingy, probably once a week when we were both off work, so we had to do the same on our visit over, we think the pastry has shrunk since last year? Could be wrong, could be we are remembering it differently, but either way, it tasted lovely, tasted just the same, we ate in the car as we always do...

... and relaxed a little while in the afternoon before heading out early for dinner with friends... we had to travel a bit, first choice was packed, and forty minute wait, Wednesday... but maybe it was Christmas celebrations already... The second place was crowded, and we grabbed almost the last table, sat and ate and talked, about nothing... because its easier isn't it...

We all had a drink, coffee or hot chocolate, back in the hotel on our return was a good evening with Francos best mate... then we said our goodbyes' and headed off to our room to pack.

We were up early, earlier than we would have, Francos watch has been on 'home time' since we had arrived, so instead of up at 4am we were both up and dressed and ready to go by 4am!!! We checked out, and got on the road, it always feels like your escaping somewhere leaving early, or is that just me?

We had to drop the rental car off at a hotel near Cardiff airport, the rentals office was not open, no surprise there really, but the hotel staff were so nice, guys told us where to drop the key, and even took us to the airport!  5* for them! 0* for car rental company!

We were in the airport, carry-on bags only, went straight through, and boarded on time, more or less, walking through the plane, Franco and I were sat next to each other this time, the web site caught me and I fell... but its cheap with Vueling, so no probs!  Just remembered the trip over!!!

Boarded in Malaga, we were not next to each other, same row, Franco on the aisle, me in the middle further over, as I approached I said to the man in the aisle seat that 'I need to sit in the middle please' he said "at least your slim!"  What!!! Bloody idiot!  Then the woman to my left was in a chatty mood, which was okay, but the man did not like it one bit, he was swearing and talking to himself about us talking!  He went on and on, and he was a pig!!!  I had to share some of my seat with some of him! his leg couldn't make it under the seat in front of him it had to spread itself into my foot well!!  And it was impossible for me to even get close to the arm rest!  it was covered by him and more of him!!! OMG!!  He was so rude and nasty and stuff!!!

So! Back home, got our car, picked up the Pipster and we were home!  oh and it was raining! and it has rained and rained and rained, apparently not this much rain since the 1980's, today its floods everywhere! Cartáma, Marbella, Málaga.... people stranded in cars, on roofs [of houses!], cars floating about... nightmare!

We are lucky really I guess, we only have a paddling pool in the small back patio, due in the main to the new skylight, we had to fit it in the rain, it didn't have time for the sealer to go off... so we have water by the bucket load, down the walls, I had to take off the wall cupboard there, I don't want it to rot, we picked it up years ago and did a makeover on it, long before anyone else was doing to chalk paint thing!  Also all the things on it were getting soaked! Water coming in the kitchen the cave... the only its not coming in is in the toilet down there! Ironically that was the only place it used to come in!

So we are lucky, I have heard of a lot worse for some of our friends here... and we got to go out earlier for a walk to the top of the high street and back, when it left off pouring that is... some of the streets are looking rough!  Lots of brickwork paving we have has lifted, where the sand has washed away, some of the manhole covers have lifted too! Franco is tired though, and I worried it was too far, but he is stubborn.

Okay this is enough now, I feel like I have been writing for years, just today...

Oh got the tree up yesterday, do not remotely feel like having a Christmas tree...

Its just our tree from the last few years, think we got it at B&Q our first Christmas in Wales, its a pop-up tree, all the baubles and lights are on it from when it comes out of the box, its on a stick which just pops together and there it is!  We have a few special things hanging from it, four individual things I have bought the last four years, including this one, a bell from Mijas pueblo last week.

Also just a few other bits about the house, but nothing much, I don't do the big Christmas dangling thing... less is more for me, just special things, with special memories... like a Christmas tree that used to sing and shake from every year on my desk at reception for Mercedes...

Yesterday I took this, today we couldn't even see this far!

TTFN

Marian

Lots of E&OE because I'm not re-reading this, sorry amigos.

Well amigos, you've travelled with me far and wide across the lands and seas, and to the depths of my sadness at losing my mom and later having to move from the country which holds my heart... You've also stayed with me during the hights of my happiness... With wonderful memories...

You've maybe laughed with me? Cried with me? Been exasperated with me... or at me!!

Now another long journey is ahead of me, one we, Franco and I, should not be traveling, not for twenty or thirty years... Yet here we are, and again I will have to vent here, write while I cry, write while my heart bleeds tears and my very being is smashed and torn ripped and I will be left, if there is anything left... Empty and small and... What? I don't know...

As you must have gleaned from previous posts, Franco has been living with the demon cancer... Pancreatic, yes, the one that they still cannot fathom, the little weird shaped blighter hides purposely behind the stomach where it pretty much gets on and does its thing and bides its time...

... until it's too late, apparently...
CT MRI colonoscopy and endoscopy tests later, the dark truth is told and our lives changed forever...

Franco is being so strong, very calm and talking like it's a done deal and things need sorting, and what can't be, won't be something he has to worry about any more...

I can't imagine what he is really thinking, feeling, he's starting to write it down, hopefully it will help him, it's good to talk/write, therapeutic...  He tells me to be strong, to be less emotional, less worried, less everything I am, I can't, I'm in pieces... I can't even imagine things not being like they are, it would be different if we didn't talk day and night, or had our own separate interests, or didn't go and do everything together...

Today I had an appointment with Cudeca, the cancer hospice down at Arroyo de Miel, we drove through the not so new tunnel from De la Torre to Torremolinos, been open a couple of years now I think... So we been through it from both directions!

We're also off to UK, leaving a friend to house sit at short notice! We're seeing my boys and families.... Then down to Wales seeing friends and work friends... Then home.

My appointment, I went off track didn't I... Wasn't easy, wasn't nice or real... I so seem to be most, no scratch that, some of the time I am living a reality that just isn't real anymore, I'm living a reality that I would have been living for many many years to come... Then it's slap bang punch to the guts this isn't real anymore, nothing will ever be the same...

I found myself apologising to a good friend the other day, I didn't realise, I never understood how she felt when she lost her husband, I just had no idea... She said, no one can know, you have to live it, to know it...

I don't want to live it, I don't want to know it...

I've never felt so small...