Sunday 8th December.
Another busy day!
I had had a message from a friend, Holly, who lives in the UK to say that she was visiting her father in Calpe and could we meet up for a coffee. We met at 10.45 and sat with a coffee at the Chinese cafe opposite the sea in the sunshine for an hour or more. Although we hadn’t seen each other for quite a few years it was good to chat and catch up with each other’s lives.
Back home it was time to get ready to meet Anne and Nigel for lunch. Anne had remembered that it was our wedding anniversary this week, same as theirs. I had forgotten this but agreed with her that we should have a joint celebration. We met at the Royal Budda Tandoori restaurant just a short walk from here. They have an excellent daily menu for €12.95, the food is very good as is the service.
Back home to relax for what remained of the day.
Monday 9th December.
Mid morning had an email from John and Cheryl to say they were in town and were we around. I replied to give them our address and tell them to call in. John and Cheryl live near us in France and have a small villa just out of town. They were soon at the door and we had an enjoyable hour with coffee, Christmas cake and chat. They are going back to France for Christmas so we shall see them again in the new year.. A quick lunch and I was off to spend the afternoon at the Canasta group. I played when I was here a couple of years ago so it was good to see some “old”faces again. The venue had changed and it’s now at the Moonlighters bar, a bit too far to walk so had to drive up there. Anne was there too and we played as a team with Margaret and beat the other team hands down!
At 6 pm N and I went over the road to La Sinieta, the townhall where the U3A show films each fortnight. Tonight’s film was Red Joanhttps://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/apr/17/red-joan-review-judi-dench. The film did not get good reviews but we both enjoyed it, nevertheless.
As you can see from this photo, taken from our balcony, we didn’t have far to go!
Tuesday 10th December.
Today I needed to get a signed copy of my passport. I enquired at an office in town where to get it done and I was told that it had to be done by a notary. The nearest one was in Teulada so we drove up there. The office was above a diy store and it was very plush and efficient. The receptionist spoke English and she took my passport and asked us to wait. 10 minutes later I got my passport back along with a signed, very official looking copy. Back down to Moraira where we called in the international post office, letters r us https://lettersrus.net/, an extremely useful shop which cuts out the interminable wait at the Spanish P.O. Then we called in at Aldi but we’re not impressed so then did a small shop in Mercadona before returning home for a late lunch.
Wednesday and Thursday 11th and 12th December.
First two days with nothing on the agenda! Weather is dry but cloudy and quite chilly in the shade. We walk sometimes together, sometimes separately around the town and park, sit by the sea, watch the world go by and watch the waves. Sybaritic and relaxing. Another of our favourite places is the marsh of Senillar.
_THE MARJAL DEL SENILLAR
Another busy day!
I had had a message from a friend, Holly, who lives in the UK to say that she was visiting her father in Calpe and could we meet up for a coffee. We met at 10.45 and sat with a coffee at the Chinese cafe opposite the sea in the sunshine for an hour or more. Although we hadn’t seen each other for quite a few years it was good to chat and catch up with each other’s lives.
Back home it was time to get ready to meet Anne and Nigel for lunch. Anne had remembered that it was our wedding anniversary this week, same as theirs. I had forgotten this but agreed with her that we should have a joint celebration. We met at the Royal Budda Tandoori restaurant just a short walk from here. They have an excellent daily menu for €12.95, the food is very good as is the service.
Back home to relax for what remained of the day.
Monday 9th December.
Mid morning had an email from John and Cheryl to say they were in town and were we around. I replied to give them our address and tell them to call in. John and Cheryl live near us in France and have a small villa just out of town. They were soon at the door and we had an enjoyable hour with coffee, Christmas cake and chat. They are going back to France for Christmas so we shall see them again in the new year.. A quick lunch and I was off to spend the afternoon at the Canasta group. I played when I was here a couple of years ago so it was good to see some “old”faces again. The venue had changed and it’s now at the Moonlighters bar, a bit too far to walk so had to drive up there. Anne was there too and we played as a team with Margaret and beat the other team hands down!
At 6 pm N and I went over the road to La Sinieta, the townhall where the U3A show films each fortnight. Tonight’s film was Red Joanhttps://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/apr/17/red-joan-review-judi-dench. The film did not get good reviews but we both enjoyed it, nevertheless.
As you can see from this photo, taken from our balcony, we didn’t have far to go!
Today I needed to get a signed copy of my passport. I enquired at an office in town where to get it done and I was told that it had to be done by a notary. The nearest one was in Teulada so we drove up there. The office was above a diy store and it was very plush and efficient. The receptionist spoke English and she took my passport and asked us to wait. 10 minutes later I got my passport back along with a signed, very official looking copy. Back down to Moraira where we called in the international post office, letters r us https://lettersrus.net/, an extremely useful shop which cuts out the interminable wait at the Spanish P.O. Then we called in at Aldi but we’re not impressed so then did a small shop in Mercadona before returning home for a late lunch.
Wednesday and Thursday 11th and 12th December.
First two days with nothing on the agenda! Weather is dry but cloudy and quite chilly in the shade. We walk sometimes together, sometimes separately around the town and park, sit by the sea, watch the world go by and watch the waves. Sybaritic and relaxing. Another of our favourite places is the marsh of Senillar.
_THE MARJAL DEL SENILLAR
Itis a coastal wetland (small lagoon) next to the beach of L’ampolla. Consisting of a series of Lakes separated from the sea by a barrier of sand – beach L’ampolla – and it’s one of the natural outlets of the Barranc de les Sorts. The water that feeds into it flows through some natural Springs – “ullals” – located inside.
The banks of the Marsh are constituted by plant species such as the reeds or “senill” – that give it its name-, the rush, the enea and the taray. In the dunes we find marine thistle, sea fennel, sea Lily and barron.
Fauna species include the Common Moorhen, Mallard and Reed Warbler flea among thebirds; the common frog, common sabo and the viperine snake between amphibians and reptiles; and mullet and eel among the fish and “gambeta” crustacean endemic of the Mediterranean.
It was declared a wildlife reserve in the year 2004, since it houses a population of fish called “fartet”, in danger of extinction.”
Friday 13th December.
Hmm, woke to see the results of the UK election so not a good start to the day! Still, who know perhaps it will be better than we think, we can only hope.
Market day again. N and I set off with Dolly the trolley to browse and purchase. I’m trying to reuse the plastic bags that they give out so freely so I took last weeks that I had saved. Bumped into Anne and Nigel and told them to call in at the apartment a bit later. N and I finished our food shopping and he went back whilst I had a quick browse round the other stalls. Such a tempting array of clothing but I just bought a pair of track suit trousers for relaxing “at home”!!
Got back to find Anne and Nigel there so had a chat and showed them round our abode before they left as Nigel had dental appointment..
I went to the jewellers to pick up my wedding ring that he had made smaller, done a really good job and it’s had a good clean as well.
Then to computer shop where I won’t be going again. I think that the shop has changed hands and although the proprietor seems to know what he is doing he is extremely impolite and unhelpful. I had taken my phone in, last week, as I thought it was beyond repair and just asked them to confirm this. It was the young chap that I spoke with and I thought at the time he seemed pretty clueless.So, I get there and the young chap presents me with my phone in pieces along with a new battery. He said yes the phone was broken and also presented me with a new battery. I said why the new battery if the phone is broken. At this point the older guy who I think is his father said you asked us to order a new battery. Well I hadn’t even spoken to him last week, I said that I hadn’t and what was the point if the phone was broken. Then ensued 10 minutes or so of silence with the older guy tapping his computer. I think he then sent an e mail to the lad who then presented me with a new bill less, the cost of the battery. A most unpleasant man and I shall give them a bad review (when we leave!!).
Saturday 14th December.
Spanish conversation again, only 6 of us there. Quite a few people have gone or are going back to the U.K. for Christmas.
In the afternoon I went for a brisk walk and then sat by the sea where N joined me.
Cooked roast chicken for tea, is this something I need to tell you, well yes it is, read on!
After we had eaten I “dismembered “ the chicken and but the skin and bones along with some water to make some stock.
Tonight was the final of strictly come dancing which I was looking forward to.
At some point N went into the kitchen to make a cuppa and shouted out that something was burning! Oops. I had forgotten all about the pan and the stock. No stock this time just a congealed black mass in the pan and an apartment full of smoke. We’d had the door from the hallway to the sitting room closed so hadn’t smelled the smoke before. We opened windows and doors from balconies. After a short while there was a loud banging on the door. Two police there who had been called out by the neighbours who were standing in the hallway. I brought the police into the kitchen to show them the pan, my Spanish is not up to explain it all!, and they just said that they had needed to check that we were ok. Oof, drama over. Of course I felt mortified, what a stupid thing to do.
Saturday 14th December.
Spanish conversation again, only 6 of us there. Quite a few people have gone or are going back to the U.K. for Christmas.
In the afternoon I went for a brisk walk and then sat by the sea where N joined me.
Cooked roast chicken for tea, is this something I need to tell you, well yes it is, read on!
After we had eaten I “dismembered “ the chicken and but the skin and bones along with some water to make some stock.
Tonight was the final of strictly come dancing which I was looking forward to.
At some point N went into the kitchen to make a cuppa and shouted out that something was burning! Oops. I had forgotten all about the pan and the stock. No stock this time just a congealed black mass in the pan and an apartment full of smoke. We’d had the door from the hallway to the sitting room closed so hadn’t smelled the smoke before. We opened windows and doors from balconies. After a short while there was a loud banging on the door. Two police there who had been called out by the neighbours who were standing in the hallway. I brought the police into the kitchen to show them the pan, my Spanish is not up to explain it all!, and they just said that they had needed to check that we were ok. Oof, drama over. Of course I felt mortified, what a stupid thing to do.
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