Busy Times Ahead

August is notorious for being quiet in the bars despite the fact that Spain is on holiday throughout the month and everybody descends on The Costas. The trouble is that the Spanish are renowned for not spending any money. September is always better because the Spanish go home (to Madrid etc.) leaving room for the rest of the world to enjoy a holiday here. Last night, for me and Teresa, it started; the first of our Irish friends arrived for their annual September jaunt and filled the bar and the till. The evening was also bolstered by David celebrating his birthday in the company of a "long time not seen" friend whom he bumped into a few days ago. His friend was so enamoured with his evening with us that he left a 20€ tip behind! David and some of the other Irish clients engaged in a wee singsong that was still going on when Ana-Mary arrived and she took the opportunity to join in as well, even singing a song for all on her own. The four of us (Favio, Ana-Mary, me and Teresa) are in the process of brainstorming ideas to improve the bar for all and after last night I think that I'll ask David, Christy et al for a list of singsongy songs that I can then search for the words to on the internet and eventually produce some song-sheets via my printer so that everybody can join in when these (always) impromptu things happen.

Last night, for no other reason than I just simply decided to, I wore my waistcoat with a white shirt and black trousers, which was fortuitous because Irene and Deidre arrived from Ireland (they are the ladies who had me line up with them outside the bar for a photo last May as they left to go back home) and Irene professes to "like me in white" to the point that she actually bought me a white shirt as a present on that last visit. Unfortunately, the shirt I wore last night was given to me by Larisa but tonight I'm going to do the same and wear Irene's gift and, hopefully, the appreciative comments that I received over the bar about being "properly" dressed will continue because that aspect of the evening was extremely pleasing to me.

Make up a cup-a-soup mushroom sachet adding a smidgen of cream, some cold roast chicken breast, a pinch of Tarragon, some Pepper and a few frozen peas to heat through then pour over a portion of spaghetti tossed in a little Tomato purée and that's me done for my evening meal.