Some photos I took the week the Caminito Del Rey opened it's new walk... Can't remember when now, off hand, if you're on the desktop page of my Blog use the search bar, top left-hand corner to find it.. if you want! Of course! 

Was amazing, and definitely safer than the old broken and dangerous walk for mountain climbers, and those of us who could only get close and look across! Or risk life and limb as we did and walk over the narrow path over the Ravine, below.. we walked from the left-hand side to the right, at that time, maybe 20 years ago? There was nothing much to stand on on the right! 

Been a stressful week, and been on a non fibre diet for last three days, white bread, white rice blah blah blah..

And today at 7pm I start the awful drink, a litre to be drunk over an hour, then lots of water, two litres or so... Try to sleep later, then about 3am, the second drink, repeat process, no more liquids from 7am.. into hospital for 9am and .. well, there we go! 3 to 4 hours surgery and hopefully all well afterwards.

Got my head in a bad place, being positive is only something I can be for others...

M.

 

Spent two hours on my terrace  this morning before the sun touched down on it!

A pallet flower planter wasn't doing too well, so have taken it from the wall and added it to the table, makes it higher and maybe more of a table...

I've replanted a type of yucca? Lol question mark because I've forgotten what it is, and frankly my dears... Dammit!! Lol I had to check didn't I! It says it's an agave!! Wonder if it's the blue variety? I can make tequila!!

Sunset last evening...

Terrace is now swept, all rubbish cleared up and in trash bags downstairs... Some old bricks and pipes... I did scream once! When a little lizard I wasn't expecting darted out and made me jump! Poor little thing! Him, not me!

Honied eggplant! Yummy!

Had a friend stay last week, was good to have company, someone to laugh and cry with! Spent some of the week away, went to the lakes, of course! La Cala beach a few times, Mijas Pueblo... Not much more, but was really nice, and helped for a while to ease my loss of Pippa...

The lakes are exceedingly low considering the huge amount of rain we had this year! January, February, March... It didn't really settle until June! Crazy weather!

So to see the reservoir so low was a shock!

Had to park beneath the gardens at Mijas Pueblo, and walk up from there it was so busy, a beautiful doorway above, leads down towards the path, so a new vista for me, somewhere I love so much.

I have some friends visiting again this week, at their place, so I'll be busy with them, and others who live here...

I don't like this keeping busy thing! I actually, just want to relax when I'm not working; yes go out and about and adventure around, but I feel I am having to force myself to keep my head from filling with things I can't change.

I have found out I don't talk to myself though now, I thought maybe I did, but I really actually was just talking to Pippa afterall.

The Changing Road

This morning I walked the Pipster, we came home... then we went to the lakes! Los embalses! The road trip there great as usual, regular amount of traffic... turned off just past Ardales... up to the lakes... traffic starting to build...

My secret location...

I drove to the El Kiosko first, thought we park up, wander around the bridge, then back to the bar, have a cup of coffee for me, water for the Pipster... sit at a roadside table and relax in the September warmth... instead... it was a slow haul drive as far as the '60's church and turned around and came away again, sad and angry in equal measures...

I know many many more people come here now, to appreciate that which we have all appreciated for years unobstructed by coaches, buses, millions of tourists!! LOL....

Yes, yes I know! Once a tourist! I get it, but, us normal folks can't even go to love place the place we loved... its not the same now, nowhere to park for us anymore! No coffee for us!! LOL... can you see me? stamping my feet like a petulant child!

When I drove back through the crowds by the bar, waiting to start the walk... I saw their happy and expectant faces and felt bad for my anger... They were already loving what we love, already looking forward to the Kings Walk... Will take the happy memories back to their many countries with them... and only when somewhere they love is unavailable to them might they think about our beloved El Chorro and the lakes...

So I also thought about the commercialised places I have been to, how they have changed for those who, like me, loved them for what they were, not how they became..

This was the final disaster zone...

At the junction El Chorro/Embalses, a big giant car park.... miles of it... I am seriously hoping they will say if you want the coach to the Kings Walk you have to park and get it from there... so the possibility of parking to walk, or have a coffee, or eat... will return to the lakes themselves...

This above is an eyesore! The awfulness of it, just concrete instead of beauty...

I drove left here, away from the lakes... and told myself to look up! To look at the mountains, the 'why' that people were here to see, the reason I was there, the stunning countryside, the mountains and valleys, the bridges, the rivers, the eagles... [Bonelli eagles], look up look up! LOL

Driving back to Alhaurín I put on my Time playlist from my phone, I hadn't realised how many songs mentioned the word Time on the list!! Well, maybe only three or four, but still strange...

Time changes things, places, people...  I am certainly not the girl I was even one year ago... There is actually even more of me than there was before! That's what life does, fill us up with things that make us who we are, until maybe we reach our fill...

Time... Tom Waits...

Over the years, many it feels now, I have completed the journeys through Blooming Human and Gratitude, on-line groups, 40 days usually of emails filled with positivity and thoughts on life... They have helped me through many parts of my life since, but along with the Inspirational quotes I have, had, been posting daily from my email box to my Facebook page... these things seem rather fruitless, empty words... I am a positive person by nature, always finding the good out of the bad, always happy and laughing, always a smile... I find myself now just with nothing much on my face at all... a real bad screensaver face permanently etched there, here... People who I would normally see are having to call to me, or come across the street, or shout at me.. period!

Three mountain shots taken up at El Chorro

I usually see everything, things people wouldn't even normally see, as so many of my photographs prove to the point!

Today I spoke with a friend on the phone on my way into town, I was in the Plaza Legion, I must have looked strange from anyone watching me! pacing about, holding the rail, stepping from ledge to ledge like a big kid!  Talking, crying, talking... then she wouldn't leave me until I stopped crying so I recalled a moment from long ago, and we laughed and we hung up the line...

Next a stopover in friends shop in town, cup of tea and chat and some strength gathered along the way, and in the street stopped to talk to a friend, we normally see each dog walking, and I know, now she is reading this! LOL! Welcome!!

I do some of the people who read my Blog, but going by the mail I receive the majority I do not... You guys have been with me some time now... This one has been going ten years... no eleven now!!!  and I blogged before that on Blogspirit, but I think its gone now, which is sad, also a Blog I wrote on behalf of my step dad was on Blogspirit and I cannot gain access to that one either... I am guessing I started back in 2003 then...

Flowers by the Kiosko

Eucalyptus tree

We came out of the bar before lunch and my camera was free to live and possess what my eye came upon.. so the flowers and the eucalyptus, I love eucalyptus trees, the height of them, the bark, the smell... and the memories of them... lining the road near my uncles Charlies in Yonkers...

Roaring fire in Kiosko

 This was the fire crackling and spitting throughout our lunch... should have actually recorded it shouldn't I?  Would have been more effective maybe!

Wind turbines in the clouds

and the aforementioned wind turbines in the clouds....

This taken from my secret location!!  lol

Well, what have we been doing since last posting? was new years eve... and today is the 3rd!  I sadly still feel the memories strongly at this time seven years ago... and it was exactly seven years ago on Friday when I am travelling to Bristol airport that I flew to Luton from Malaga, to get to my mom urgently, I thought it was today, the 3rd, but just reading back to then, it was the 6th January 2010... I can't believe its seven years, I wish I could fly over there now, get to Watford hospital and find my mom still there, boy would she be annoyed with me!! lol... but just to talk to her, get comfort from her...  Seven years...

Anyways, yesterday Franco woke up with the need for [more] suckling pig!  So off to the coast we went and after many stores we found 'him' in Eroski! Eroski is closing did I mention that? Yes, I think so!  And today after getting home from town Franco had already got him roasting in the oven, he had named him!!! Really!! Enrique!! So we had to eat something with a name!! Arrrhh!!  He also, in the photo Franco put on Facebook bore a strong resemblance to Pippa when she is sleeping!!

Down town I needed to get a few last things to take with me to work on Friday, allowed ten 100ml bottles, which is fine, just enough for three weeks hopefully, because there are no shops anywhere near where I am going!!  I thought I would go into the perfumaria instead for the few things, what a mistake!! Apart from the cost being higher I forgot Christmas present buying is in full swing and all packages are wrapped here... so stood in the line for about twenty minutes!!

A positive note though, our gorgeous baby granddaughter is now two years old! Already! Impossible I know!  We spent time on Facebook cam which was lovely, no substitute I know, but a million times better than past generations had the benefit of... photographs below taken in late November when we were visiting, Cassie and Franco relaxing and chatting on the sofa...

Cassy at Christmas keeping warm :-) 

Todays weather has been beautiful, a bit misty over the Guadalhorce valley from out of the window just now, but the sun is shining and the flies are out!!! Whats with those flies?? Could it be the piglet!!

TTFN

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

Birthday Travels

Álora castle

MMMMM..... time to breathe...

Yesterday, above sign photographed, from our seats outside a bar in Campillos!  Also had coffee outside on the Alozaina road in a bar my mom and I always had coffee in, on our way to Ronda...

We would have had a coffee at La Mesa, but oddly it was closed, so having passed up an opportunity of coffee, outside, at the El Chorro train station we waited for La Mesa... and it was closed....
[haha, okay not letting it go yet am I!]

View from the road towards Ronda from Ardales

We went to my secret birthday spot by way of Álora and Pizarra actually, wondered if the market was on in Pizarra but it wasn't... We could almost see us at our stall, we did enjoy those days... and think now that was what we had a bill for back then, and had to pay in Álora, probably a fine for not holding a sellers license at one of the occasions in Pizarra...!  That day we paid it, we drove in the pouring rain to Álora, a bug had settled onto my window in the car when we left the house, he hung on throughout our journey... and back again! Strong tough little fella!

The Kings Walk at El Chorro

We stopped in my secret place for a while... sat on the stone, well I sat on the small cool box, and squished it a bit... we drank some water and as always there, amazed ourselves at the natural beauty, the outstanding stunning country... looked at the teeny tiny country houses way down the mountain we were perched on... I remembered as always being there the most on my first birthday without my mom... I had made a massive picnic, all homemade, from the gazpacho to the sauces.... yesterday I had made nothing, was going to but didn't... we'll come back another day for longer before I head off back to work again in August...

It was breezy yesterday, and the wind whipped our faces and blew over the water bottles... but it was a hot heat, I love the serenity of that place, I think there would be a good place to end... Not my Blog... but personally, sorry, not meaning to sound depressed, I'm not, its just that there is peace and tranquillity and natural silence...

Cough, ahem.... okay... Sorry peeps!

So, we decided to head further up the road from Ardales and went to Campillos, we had been there before, maybe a few times but the last time was in the rain... This time not so!  We had a tapa there and then headed off back down the road towards home, but turned a right for Teba and Ronda...

It was a long drive for Franco, but a good one, lots to see, lots to admire along the way...

On the road from El Chorro to Ardales

 We stopped finally at that bar I mentioned earlier, just before the right hand turn for Guaro...

On the road from El Chorro to Ardales

And we were home...

Before I go... Yesterday morning, I awoke in the very early hours, from a dream I cannot remember now, I didn't remember it when I woke up, only that as I did so I shouted, really loud... I shouted "mom"...

I stayed awake for ages then, and when I woke up later I was sad... It really doesn't get any easier, I know I don't look on Google maps everyday, or even every month anymore... Remember I used to look at the windows of her flat... the curtains closed against the sunlight on the day the Google van went past... So I knew she was in her home, sat there watching TV, she had pulled the curtains to stop the suns glare on her TV... if she hadn't I wouldn't have known for sure she was there, behind them... But I do.

And one day that dam Google van will go by her home again and it will be a new view I see when I look, and it will break my heart, again.
[So don't look!] yeah right!

TTFN
Marian

More from last Mondays trip to Ronda...

                  

Taken from the train...

No further earthquakes have hit the northern Moroccan coast... There was one further up in Spain, actually in Spain, but not a bad or deep one, I feel I have now become a bit of an expert on earthquakes, found a great site explaining them and listing every dam one of them!!  There are hundreds every year in Spain... a biggy took down Malaga two or three hundred years ago!!

                 

Taken from the train... another view of El Chorro and the Kings walk! Even the green bridge above!

We've had met up with friends who are over for a few weeks, they stay down at Calahonda where we used to live and are meeting up with them again tomorrow...  Also tomorrow I might be collecting my new gafas!  Can't wait, went to a new shop in La Cala and the owners are so helpful, so knowledgeable, I actually learnt more about frames than I have ever learnt from any other opticians... ever!!

                

The Kings Walk, Caminito Del Rey...

Yesterday morning up in the car park were two stray dogs... a scruffy black and white long haired one and a younger looking tan dog, might only be a big puppy, its feet seem to large for its body and the way it lumbers about, blue eyes... a lovely pair of dogs, and they are definitely forever friends, because when we came through the car park later in the evening one was laying on the other, we had Pip with us that time and they were all over her... too nervous to come too us, but friendly enough, like they wanted to, but were unsure of us... Well, an hour later I was back up in the car park, handing out food and water, and they were soon my friends too, knowing they could trust me, which was okay, but they wouldn't leave me as I walked back down, and as I followed a couple down the driveway, I explained, as best as I could that these dogs were strays, lost? abandoned?  and could they put them on Facebook for me, I had already but only covering mostly Brits, I wanted the whole of Alhaurín to know about them!  So they took some photos!! Of me and the dogs!!! And the poor things followed me home, and I had to leave them outside... I worried of course... and of course Franco said I couldn't do anymore...

and this morning.... there they were not far from our house again, and unfortunately me with the Pipster, she does not like lots of dogs, even two together, she had already snapped at a little dog earlier in the day, she is getting very grumpy!!  They remembered me and were licking me and jumping up at me, and round and round Pip, she was starting to pull out of her harness, so the only thing I could do to avoid her running off was to pick her up, and I had to carry her home like that! The two dogs at my feet, and as we turned into our street they ran straight up to our front door, and it was a case of who was getting in first!! lol oh heck!  Now before I go to town this morning to join Franco after his Spanish lessons I am wondering if I can risk going the way I normally go, because I know forsure they will follow me down into town, and I can't risk that!

I have put a photo and all the information on a web site for missing dogs here in Spain... and just hope the owners find them... Only worse case scenario is that were dumped there... in the car park, because that seems to be where they are staying, just like that dog a couple of months ago at La Trocha...  It breaks my heart....

            

From the train, I have, shall we say, enhanced these two... made them pop!!

Yesterday we went to La Canada, such a beautiful day!  Really can't believe this weather, its been truly gorgeous, the same today!  But we are thinking ahead and looking into getting a burner, we had though a wood burner but the amount of work it would entail to get the flue up through two floors, Spanish floors remember, we're talking concrete and tiles!  And yesterday saw a different idea we hadn't considered, pellet burner!  It only needs a vent to go outside, so can easily go outside the front of the house downstairs, it will easily heat the dining and den downstairs, and we think the heat would come up the stairs and heat the lounge and bedroom too! So watch this space!

TTFN
Marian

DC - Abundance

I have a whole bunch of photos to place here lol.... I loaded them into my Picasso photos on my lap top, and they usually scoot over into my cloud thingy without a bye or leave!  I am guessing its not reached the cloud, and seeing as I have switched off the lap top... they are not here yet!!

Veronica Drawing challenge for last weekend was... is! Abundance! And as I was at work I had trouble really with it, but I did want to be 'there'... my abundance really is a feeling of having my life so full, for me now... Full of being at home at last back in Spain, full of work, here, or there, back home for two weeks now... full of wonderful family and friends... an abundance of fullness!

The photos are one taken in an amazing church where I have been placed for a few weeks, medieval roots, such a pretty town, and everyone so friendly, it was a like a walk down the movie set of The Truman show! lol... Smiley happy people, very welcoming... I took far too many photos inside the church, and spent far too long chatting to a lady about it!  Although, in all seriousness she didn't want to stop telling me!!

Photos to follow here soon.... bare with amigos!

Just edited to add these photos.... these are Abundance of amazing cakes and ice cream... and dearly wish these were within my grasp right now! lol

Other photos in next Blog!

I am going back for just over a week then moving on elsewhere for Christmas and New Years before coming home for a month.... I'll need it by then too!

Coming back home via Stansted airport I was very impressed with the airport, we flew into and out of it last about ten years ago going to Sardinia... it has changed considerably since then, bag check was amazing, I just walked up to a machine, put my case on the scale, held my QR coded check in under the reader, the tag was printed and came out for me to tape to the handle of my case.... I walked to conveyor, a lady there said it would be the last time a human would check my passport, and my case went off on its merry way into the abyss of the suitcase system!

Amazing!  Going through the passport control bit was a bit more harrowing, but only four people at a time filling our boxes with belongings, no pushing and shoving therefore... and through!  More shops than the average town centre, and food hall massive!

I got a bit lost going to the gate, misread the directions, thats the only point I would mention to the great Stansted airport people, of course now I know that you head down one corridor, then following the left right and straight ahead signs, and not before!!!!

Tuesday morning, after Franco finished his Spanish lesson we went off to the lakes, trying hard not to take photos I have taken a million times before... bit difficult now, seeings as I have been going there for nearly 30 years!!!  We followed up the lakes by of course having our second coffee break at El Chorro railway station, sat under a blue sky... amazing mountains and eagles circling high above... Bonelli eagles so the sign says, amongst others...

                                


And today we went down to Fuengirola's paseo maritimo, after shopping for a washing machine, still some good bargains going in this week of bargains!!

We had a McDonalds... I know, I know, shame on us eh!  But we had never been in this newly opened restaurant, it looks great, and has the new machines... you know the ones yet?  You order your food on the computer screens, pressing all the correct bits, pay... and collect when your number is up! So to speak!

On our way back to the car we took a side road, it runs parallel to the paseo maritimo, and here we came across this restaurant, The Old Swiss House its called, you know I have seen the sign for this restaurant since 1989, when I first came to Fuengirola... always seen it, there, by the side of the road, always thought it must be the house by the sign, tried to see the restaurant now and again in the first few years, then just stopped thinking about it!  As we do sadly, we get used to seeing something and stop seeing it all...  Then here it is! Hiding about a hundred yards at least from the main road where the sign is!  I nearly fell over and then crossed over the road to just stand and stare up at at it!! And of course, take a photo!

Franco bought some beautiful colorful poinsettias plants, standing in out plant boxes from the front balcon... and the streets look extra bright and white, our little Andalucian village is being painted white for the forthcoming celebrations of December 8th The Immaculate Conception....

TTFN
Marian