Mijas today! Wall to wall blue skies... cool in the breeze and there was one helluva wind up there!  We started off at the Market at La Trocha in Coín... had coffee with friends and a good look around each and every aisle... Then around the artisan food hall and back in the car... Quite a breeze in there, I was glad of having my coat on!

Such a nice day we decided on carrying onto Mijas pueblo and lunch at our favourite opposite a little church near the museum... the road is up there at the moment, the road is up all over Mijas just now!  But works have to be done before summer... so no complaints from us!

We shared a plate of fried whitebait and nice fresh bread, and I had a glass of wine, the only one since I have been home, after coming back with a cold which might quite possibly have been the flu, followed by a jaw thing doing on, probably related the the virus I had had... still coughing now, but so much better!  This is the first time I fancied a glass of vino!  Mind you, I then fancied a cigarette... Franco said no! lol I don't smoke, but really just wanted one!

 Coming to the end of this month back home, feels like two months not one, so been a great visit home... and I am looking forward to getting back to work next Tuesday, working with a lovely lady, in a lovely location, which makes a huge difference with wanting to be at work and not!

We've met up with friends, we've travelled to Ronda, and all over the place, its been lovely...

I am packed, I am taking the minimum amount with me this time, I had taken a few extras as it was Christmas with me last trip back to work... This case is holding, four tops, one pair of trousers, one on... no travel bags with my shower/cosmetics etc etc... a plastic bag will suffice!  One pair outside shoes on, a pair of house shoes, [fewest undies!], pj's... that is it!  Well and lap top, kindle, phones with chargers and camera of course!!

I do not intend to carry a heavy case on and off planes... [well, you know what I mean!], on and off trains at least!

In the house, we have improved, by painting, moving, and clearing...  flowers blooming and all good!  We have one of worlds smallest bedrooms, because I brought the living room up into what was the big bedroom... we had a tiny cupboard on one side of the bed and an old bedside cabinet on the other, we got four Ikea Billy bookcases, of the small narrow variety, doubled them up, and they now reside by the bed sides!  sideways on, second shelves are for bedside stuff, and the other five shelves for storage... having the white side face on they actually make the tiny room seem bigger???

Plans afoot for next trip home, so the time will fly, I start on Wednesday 10th and finish on 10th March...

TTFN
Marian

Road....

The road is open!  It opened when I working away, typical!  But Franco waited for me and down it we went when we went to the lakes last week... Can't believe it!  It has appeared to be there on the maps since about seven years ago!  Now this road takes you, or me, or anyone, directly up from the coast, at the junction of La Cañada and the wonderful road takes us all to the A357, the Malaga to Campillos road...

It was about a quarter of an hour quicker... Doesn't maybe sound a lot does it?  But it means for us we can go straight to the new road to the A357, bypassing Alhaurín and Cártama...

Today we visited a local government office, as per the norm we came out more confused than when we went in!  I think we nodded and agreed when we should have said we didn't understand!

So I spent a while on here... filled out a rather long and annoying form which got lost in the ether, and I had to repeat it and print while I tried to keep my temper and not throw printer and lap top out of the window and onto the heads of any unsuspecting passers-by!

We had no rockets or celebrations in our town yesterday, which was strange, it was the Immaculate Conception, which usually brings about a nervous Pippa from the rockets and streets full of people and statues!?!  Even lots of shops were open... Whats happening?? And Christmas is everywhere!  All over the TV, adverts and promotions... In every store, its a bit like Halloween... Its grown out of proportion here in this area now... Christmas trees, Christmas decs.... the lights and baubles and tinsel... Santa's hanging precariously from balcon railings, flashing lights in windows and on terraces!  LOL... well, you see, if you know Spain, its the 3 Kings that bring the presents and that's not until the 12th day... So seeing the more western idea of Christmas seems strange... I blame a particular food shop advert! LOL they did it with Halloween and now they're bringing the Christmas theme in early here in Spain.... Not that I am bar hum bug... This Christmas I shall be arriving on a strangers door step, in a strange place... I shall come bearing gifts! Well, not really, maybe a bar of Turron de Navidad!

TTFN
Marian

Down at the garage this morning where we bought our car was this little chap!  He caught my eye as I waited for news of our documents... so I caught him on my phone!

First from one side then the other!!

We went to have a coffee at La Trocha first before shopping trip for food at Mercadona... and we used the lakes road... This road was started, and finished at least by 2009... On Google maps it has shown this road which starts down at La Cañada on the main road near Marbella and comes as far as Alhaurín El Grande and Coín... it terminates at a roundabout... with the tarmacked road unfinished disappearing into the distance, over the hills and faraway!  The dual carriageway narrows into a regular road where no one has gone!  But today!!!

A man waving a flag moved us over and under the bridges of the roundabout above....

On towards the lakes road... Where once finished one will reach the A357 from Malaga; Cártama to the right and Campillos to the left...  It will bring Ardales El Chorro etc, a good fifteen or twenty minutes nearer!!

Fabtastic!!!

After a coffee in the fairly new bar on the outside of La Trocha we went to get our weeks shopping, we still haven't visited a Lidl shop yet, strangely as it was where we shopped back in Neath all the time, mainly due to the fact that that's where we shopped before we left here!

Maybe next week eh!

By the by... Our car documents not as yet ready... and we missed the post man delivering my new sim, so a trip to the post office in the morning is a welcome thought ahead of time!  Pippa as usual had brought the notification into the house for us to find easier than right near the door where we might have missed it!

TTFN
Marian