Christmas Cheer?

It's cold here at the moment. Overnight lows down to 4ºC and daytime highs not much more than 15ºC so we are all wearing woolly jumpers and stuff to keep the chills away. But at least the rains have gone away at last, we've had a good few heavy downpours in the last 2 weeks keeping my babies out on the balcony well satisfied but now, because of the sunshine, I'm having to keep a wary eye on their welfare.

My photo of one of the Xmas decoration pieces set out in the town centre does nothing to uplift my spirit this Christmas time because the annual disaster occurred last Friday while I was visiting Ann & Bill for a chat.......Larisa sent a message to say that she was leaving for Russia on Saturday night. I knew that she had been waiting for a visa to go to The Crimea with Viktor to meet his family etc. but I hadn't been expecting it to arrive before Christmas. My reply some 3 hours later (after I'd left Ann & Bill) let her know that the Saturday was my day off and that I had been hoping to see her as normal and was disappointed that that could not now happen. "I'm busy until 6pm" she replied, "come then and go to the airport with us, we have to be there at 10pm". I did one better; I dared to ask Ann if I could borrow the car so that I could take her to the airport. And that is what happened on a "filthy" night weatherwise. I've not seen so much rain in a long time but, after a meal together indoors at Calahonda, we made it safe-and-sound to the airport with time to spare. Whilst she hadn't interfered with, or tried to influence, my holiday arrangements (for Aaron & Shellies' sake as well as the fact that she hadn't known when her papers would arrive) she let me know that she had been hoping that I would have been able to go with her for a couple of weeks. "But you've got my email address?". I quoted it off the top of my head right there-and-then in the middle of the airport departure hall and judging by her face on hearing it, that pleased her very much. She's back on March 11th.

Folk are beginning to arrive for their Xmas break here in Torre, including a lady from Germany, who visits every year at this time, who told me last night on her first sortie into the bar that she had printed my paella recipe off the website and made it for herself back home in Kiel. Fame at last!! Ann & Bill have invited me to Christmas Dinner and I've managed to persuade Favio to allow me to open a little later than normal so that I don't have to rush the Brandies! Teresa is away for the Christmas week so I'll be running the place on my own, no doubt without a day off (again), and then she returns in time for New Year's Eve when we are planning to throw a little bash with some grub 'n stuff on the bar, having opened at 11pm or so. It'll be a busy day for me prepping food etc., and without Larisa here to give me a hand it won't be the same, previous years we've always been together at this time. ¡Esa es la vida!

A Souper End

All good things come to an end they say. It's true, my holiday finished yesterday and later today I pick up where I left off 2 weeks ago. Aaron's visit was too short of course but despite some dull weather he and Shellie enjoyed their stay on the Costa del Sol. They went home last Monday and then Larisa called me early on Wednesday to say that Viktor had arrived and that I should come to see him etc. I stayed for 3 days and got told off about keep asking if I can do things (such as make a cup of tea) with the words, from her, "esta casa, tu casa". During my stay we went for a walk down to the nearby Calahonda Beach where I took this shot of the sun descending towards setting for the day before going to a local Chinese for a meal but the real highlight for me was a bowl of the soup that she was making when I first arrived. A Ukrainian recipe, she told me, involving Chicken pieces, cabbage, carrot, onion, beetroot and potato which I am having a go at myself this very afternoon. Mine's not as pink as hers was so next time....more beetroot, but I think that I have got it nearly right.

I'm going to have to brush-up on my dancing; Thursday evening the living-room floor was turned into a dance-floor whereupon I found myself required to lead her in a Viennese Waltz to the strains of a suitable Russian tune. There not being enough space for such a dance in the average living-room with the carpet lifted we soon had to give that idea up which was a shame but she keeps taking (or getting me) to dance and I'm rusty. It's well over 35 years since I last danced regularly and it is time to go back to "school" I think.

You did not meet Viktor while you were here simply because he wasn't but he has asked after you and I'm to pass on his regards....in fact this last photo here is a wave to you from both of them which they wanted me to take especially, while I was there, so that they could do just that.

OK, I think my soup is cooked and I have to bash on and get ready for work which means that I cannot serve it like she did with cloves of raw garlic on the side to nibble between spoonfuls. Never mind, maybe for supper later on when I get back home.

In Conjunction

I've just noticed that across the internet there are thousands of photos posted of the conjunction between the Crescent Moon, Jupiter and Venus. As it happens here is one more taken from Larisa's terrace on Sunday after I'd noticed the event for myself in the evening sky. I tried a dozen times to take a decent shot but my hand wasn't steady enough so I have to thank Shellie for coming to my rescue, taking my camera and photographing the phenomenon for me with such clarity that the whole orb of the moon can be seen in the imageCalahonda, MARBELLA, España, 30/11/08, 18:44

¡¿Por que no me dices antes?!

An early start this morning saw Aaron and Shellie arrive on-time for their check-in and later he sent a txt to say that they had safely arrived in Manchester. Although the weather was chilly throughout their stay at least the rain stayed away during the daylight hours allowing them to enjoy themselves in the wintry sun.

Yesterday we went to Calahonda. Paella was on the menu, paella mixta to be precise, full of seafood. And the starters? Amongst all there was Sardinas (Sardines), Pulpo (Octopus) and Gulas (Baby eels). Upon seeing all this being prepared in the kitchen I took a deep breath and quietly kind of mentioned in passing that Aaron was not all that fond of seafood. "Why didn't you tell me before??" to which I unsuccessfully explained that there hadn't been an opportunity before what with Bill's Thanksgiving do and stuff. As it happened Aaron and Shellie coped admirably with all that was offered, including the very worm-like eels!

They had to pack ready for their trip home so the evening came to a close earlier than normal with a walk down to the bus-stop and the dreaded 220. Once back in Torre they decided that they still had enough time to pop into the bar with me to say cheerio to Teresa and anyone else who happened to be there and while we were there Larisa rang to make sure that we had arrived back in one piece (so to speak). Unusual, that; she normally trusts the bus and train to do their job without incident....anyway, the last two photos of their visit to see me are posted here. First, at the bus-stop bidding Larisa goodbye and second, taken by Teresa in the bar minutes before they went back to the hotel to pack.

¡Fabuloso!

Tonight, as I write, the rain is back with a vengeance but that cannot take away the fact that tonight has also been, probably, the best I have ever spent. A photo is worth a thousand words they say....well, I have to tell you that that is not true; I need more than a thousand words to recount this evening's events but I do have a few photos to augment the saga. Bill's menu was built around a "Standing Rib Roast" (and, yes, American is probably more difficult to learn than Chinese) and a bottle of Port. Awesome it was too. No mint sauce but I can excuse that in all honesty, the horseradish was a damn good substitute!! Aaron and Shellie had arrived safe & sound 17mins early yesterday lunchtime and whilst the first planned sortie with Larisa into town in the evening did not happen (with her) here is a shot or two of all of us enjoying Bill & Ann's hospitality, and as she and I don't often "get together" there is one that puts that to rights!! Because she couldn't get to Torre yesterday I worried that she might not be able to come tonight and told Ann that there may be one guest missing. But at 2 o'clock she called to say that she would be in Torre by 1440 and where should we meet. I was hellishly busy doing a couple of starters for the meal and Aaron was due here at 3pm so I told her to come straight here, which she did, and, running late due to my cookery efforts, we eventually got to the party at 3-30 or so where, after a surprised "oh! She's here after all!" from Ann, an extra place setting was quickly laid. Over the aperitifs Lary quietly explained why she had had to disappoint me last night and her worry about that touched me somewhat but nothing stopped her rolling sleeves up in Ann's kitchen to help me finish my dishes. Erm, help? Not a bit of it; I was shooed firmly out the way while she dressed my 16 steamed asparagus spears in smoked salmon and laid them out on two platters. Bill's Roast was expertly cooked and carved, satisfying everbody's needs from my well done (jokingly labeled "cremated" by all and sundry) to the medium rare of others' choice. A trip along to the bar for an after-dinner get together followed by 179 steps up to the station with her brought a fabulous evening to an end...........

........It's Saturday and Aaron, Shellie and I have spent the day in Málaga doing the sights etc. and tomorrow we go to Calahonda. Larisa had invited Ann & Bill as well, in keeping with her habit of always returning an invitation just as soon as she possibly can. Unfortunately they have other commitments but I know that she will not forget their hospitality towards her and will not rest until the compliment has been returned. Walking around the city today really took its toll on my poor legs and I opted to "leave them to it" this evening, returning home for a rest and a homemade Chicken Pie. Tomorrow we have to travel by buses all the way because there is not a train station handy to their hotel and it's my turn to walk the paseo to them (they are 30mins away on foot) rather than them come here as they have done so far. I'm going to lug my paellera over as well, as I don't like the one that Viktor has bought, because I believe that we are going to have a paella and that raises one issue: Aaron is not keen on seafood or fish and I haven't told her that.

Typical !

It's Wednesday and it is raining and judging by the grey skies above it is set to rain for a while yet. We've even had thunder as well today so it's drawbridge up, heater on and stay indoors. Whilst Wednesday is normally my day off, today, of course, I am on my holidays which is no doubt why it is chucking it down and the forecast is bad throughout the weekend while Aaron is here. I sent an SMS earlier this morning advising him to bring wet-weather gear and a jumper or two because it is also cold.

There has been a damp patch forming on the outside wall next to my front door and yesterday Cristina called me to tell me that someone would be coming this morning to investigate and, hopefully, fix it. Awakened by loud knocking on the door at 1030am today I opened it to her and her odd-job man who duly set about with cold-chisel and 'ammer. A leaking pipe joint within the wall was eventually found and replaced leaving me with an untidy, untiled wall in my kitchen which has to stay that way for 2 or 3 days while it dries out. Just my luck....Aarons coming, Larisa may well want to stay tomorrow night and I've got bare brick and cement in the kitchen area. The photo doesn't show the attendant mess on the floor or in the doorway which, when the job was over Cristina meticulously cleared up for me. Now all that is left to do is mop over to remove any last vestige of brickdust off the floor. But first I will have to clean the stairs outside the apartment otherwise I'll be treading in more which, with wet shoes from the rain, will be otherwise be a muddy mess.

Holidays!!

Yep! My holiday started yesterday morning at about 3am in great style with 6 crumpets going down the hatch courtesy of a "care package" from Bill & Ann bought during one of their recent trips to the shops. Yesterday evening I spent back in the bar in answer to a "please Derek" plea by Teresa, staying until about 1am I think. Tonight......home alone and resting.

Out and about earlier I took a couple of shots of the Paseo Maritimo (the Prom) to show a) the mess at the bottom of Calle Peligro due to sewer pipe trenches having been dug etc., and b) the revamped paseo itself, slowly being improved all the way along The Front; well, certainly from La Roca north towards Málaga. Calle Peligro is shut to cars and a good few of the businesses in the locality have closed as well while the works are done. Others, desperate to maintain their trade levels, have resorted to strategically placed ads as the picture shows. Walking in the area is dodgy as well, I've have seen one broken nose sustained after a trip over a raised board-edge like that in the same photo (an incident to which the Police were summoned and now I have noted that the offending bridge over the trench has been properly leveled).

Saw me coming didn't it. The weather that is. All set to get wet over the next few days including heavy stuff on Sunday...just right for a holiday in Torremolinos and I've waited 15 months for the privilige!

Let's hope that things don't get too bad for Aaron's sake. Bad weather added to the miserable exchange rate won't make for a good time but things are falling into place this end in preparation for him and Shellie....dinner in Torre Centro with Larisa Thursday evening, then all of us at Ann & Bills' thanksgiving celebration on Friday (postponed, due the forecast rain, by a day) and then on Saturday or Sunday a tapa lunch in La Cariheula with Teresa, who, if she doesn't get to meet them will give me so much stick....she wasn't too happy about not having met you. Anyway, there you have it and I think that I have met his brief of "some good eateries".

Talking of Larisa (which I wasn't but am now), she led me right royal dance yesterday by SMS, feigning misunderstanding and confusion while I was trying to explain what I wanted to happen during Aaron's visit. Over 2 hours we were at it until she finally admitted that "hoy quiero bromear", today I want to joke. Eventually though I got what I wanted......"Vale, hasta jueves a las 1900", just in time to cook my meal and then get down to the bar for 6pm to be on hand for Teresa's first solo night of my holiday cover as I mentioned earlier. Una bromista she may be but inadvertantly she brought my spanish on a little more, chucking many words at me that I didn't know and had to look up.

Yesterday Ann sent me a couple of pictures taken at the dinner party she held some months back and, despite me hating my own image, I've posted one below for you to see (you'll recognize her terrace now of course). David is missing so I think he's on the button. But, then, so is Ann so maybe she is. Or was she getting the port? I can't remember.