This morning we, Franco Pipster and I had our walk about the local area, then headed off out in the car, we went to Mijas Pueblo, they have been working on the lower plaza for some time now, seems to be at the stage where it looks like it will never be finished... the stage that comes just before the... Wow! its done por fin!  If I start dropping more Spanish into my sentences its because I seem to be actually understanding people speaking Spanish! lol er yes, long time coming, and maybe after being back in the UK and back to work after a week I

might not again! Feels like I have past a threshold, thats been my problem in learning Spanish really, I remember what I read, what I see, I can spell every word I can speak... I just don't seem to have 'the ear' for it! Like I am deaf to the Spanish language... until this week, just in random passing, hearing people speak amongst themselves I know what their saying! Cool!


Anyway!  We had a coffee down near the 'new' parque, and then

walked up to the upper plaza, where there were a group of Flamenco dancers and singers performing, it was lovely, seemed very impromptu, although there was a wooden floor put down, they were just very relaxed and going with the flow... great to watch and listen too... We sat a while and did so, before walking around the gardens, as we always do, always have and will always...  A fantastic view across the Med to Africa, the mountains over there clearer than my camera has made out!

 You could see miles of the African coastline, all the way along, from Gibraltor to Malaga... Fantastic!  Then in the little pond a great noise of small toads, probably calling for a mate, and this little chap here got more than he bargained for when a dog jumped in!! Not sure who was the more shocked, him, me or the dogs owners!!!  Then Franco saw this wonderful butterfly, it was huge!  Beautiful... there used to be 100's of butterflies in these gardens, and over the years they had gone.

But now they're back! and so wonderful to watch... As was this great locust!  He was huge!  He seemed a bit sluggish!  He was actually walking step by step towards the edge of the wall, when he reached it he tried a jump and landed with a thud, almost!  on the path beneath, and so he didn't get squished Franco picked him up and put him in the grass!

There were beautiful freesia everywhere too, gorgeous, flowers everywhere, spring has sprung and summer has followed on its wing... the swifts, swallows? Whichever, I can't remember again which

is which, but they are visiting here again, by our house sweeping and performing aero-acrobatics!

The car park in Mijas Pueblo is only a Euro now, which is great, brings people into town instead of forcing people out!  So the place was buzzing, I love Mijas... we didn't eat in the town though today, we stopped in a little road-side bar on the road home, we got in just in time we had almost the last table!  and for just over €10 we had four tapas, a

coffee, a glass of white wine and a Pepsi!  The tapas were of good size too, I had paella and meatballs, not together, two separate tapas, both came with bread and there was a spare rib in the paella along with shrimp and chicken...!  Franco had spare ribs and curry tapas!  We sat outside, watching the world go by, which meant only a few cars, bikes and bicycles! a view down over Voltocado...  where Pippa was born and down to the Fuengirola coastline...  Sat in the sun and appreciated how very very lucky we are indeed!

TTFN
Marian