Iīve now changed the date for my return journey to the UK from 11th of February when the rental of this holiday house expires to the 21st of February where until then I will be staying at the house in Mollina, rural Andalucia.
Jane is moving up to her Mollina house lock, stock and barrel next Tuesday as she is really keen to crack on with the furnishing and organising of her new property. I will be going there with her then, but as she will be knee deep in domestic stuff like getting quotes for new boilers and arranging gardeners etc. I think by next weekend I might return to the coast for a few days again to our rental property in order to enjoy the Nerja Carnival "solo".
Itīs great having company on holiday but iīve found that after a while I do like doing my own thing,(I realised that when I went camping at the folk festivals last year).
Today is a bit of a re-run of last Sunday as I have just had lunch at "Ayoīs" beach side restaurant again and will spend the rest of the afternoon in the sun lounger back at the house 
I might have to buy new clothes soon as my waistline is expanding somewhat
We have a family of black squirrels in the garden below here in Nerja and in Mollina Jane has already aquirred a pet, a giant grasshopper/locust called Granville which lives near her lemon tree.
I wonder if he will still be there when we get back?!
Posts archive for: January, 2008
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All change
@ 2008-01-27 – 14:39:26
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Hey up, viva espana
@ 2008-01-26 – 11:28:30
What a fab but busy week iīve had.
Janeīs youngest daughter from London came to visit for a short break on Monday... on Tuesday we went and visited the wonderful Nerja caves...it is the third time iīve been there but it is awesome at this time of year as the hordes from the coach trips are missing and we practically had the cavernous wondours of the stalactites and stalacmites to ourselves
On Wednesday Jane became the proud owner of a rural town house in Mollina, just a short way away from Antequera, the formalities of obtaining the keys to the house went through at a rapid pace but considering the previous disappointment of the purchase of two other properties falling through, it was fair compensation
So off we trotted to Mollina entailing an hours bus ride to Malaga, a ride on the new AVE train and a short taxi ride.
The property is fab, very old but renovated slightly, the walls are at least two feet thick and geared to keep out the scorching heat of the summer sun!!
I could write pages about our time there but time does not permit as I have to be back (we are back in Nerja at the moment) as Janeīs daughter is setting off on her return journey to the UK in about two hours time.
Catch up with you all later.Ps.
Told man has no objections to me extending my trip here by another week or so in order for Jane to sort her house out...so I will be looking into that shortly 
Iīm beginning to think he quite enjoys having me out of the way!!
Isa XX
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Me gusta mi paella!
@ 2008-01-20 – 11:36:52
Usksider asked me what I was doing indoors when the sun is shining outside..well, the internet cafe is in an open fronted cafe on Burriana beach opposite Ayoīs beach side cafe. Ayo was one of the original group of young lads in the 1950īs who discovered the famous Nerja caves.
I would do a write up about this (maybe another time) but I donīt have the time right now as I can smell the open fire that Ayo is making in order to cook a gigantic Paella which is what I will be having for Sunday lunch in around an hourīs time.
Paella with the mediterranean sea lapping close by...bliss
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An overview
@ 2008-01-19 – 11:56:51
Every morning this week, we have looked out from the balcony and sighed wistfully as we peered at just a wispy cloud in the sky and the sun raising itīs smiley head. I know that the weather here can be a little unpredictable at this time of year but so far we have been blessed.
I have known Jane since she was 14 years old as she is the sister of my first husband and the aunt of my eldest daughter.
Although over the following forty years we may have only met up every couple of years as she lives down south we have remained reasonably close. Now, all our children have flown the nests and both our long-standing husbands havenīt objected to us taking this month long sojourn without them (I canīt think why they donīt mind )
Apart from relaxing a while, Jane had another reason for coming over this way right at this moment as she and her husband are in the process of buying a second home over here.In between enjoying the sunshine and eating mucho, Jane has been in constant contact with home as the house they are buying in rural Andalucia which is inland near Antequera, is in the process of being finalised and on Wednesday we hope to go to Malaga for the signing over and collecting the keys.
I donīt know who is the more excited, her or me as we plan to make the journey to the house which will be in complete contrast to the resort where we are staying at the moment....more of an adventure I feel
She has described the house to me which is in a large village and is quite old but in a habitable condition, it has a large garden with lemon and orange trees and looks over an olive grove.
There wonīt be many tourists up tha way, maybe just an odd ex pat or two so perhaps I will be able to practise my spanish language skills more.Anyway, it is all good stuff as her daughters are flying over too during the next three weeks so there will be no chance of getting bored!...as if I would be
Thatīs it for now, catch you later. Xx
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Postcard from Andalusia
@ 2008-01-18 – 18:58:50
Hi everyone,
weve been so busy sunbathing, taking leisurely walks and generally relaxing
No, seriously the weather is fabulous, but we havent had a minute`to spare.
The internet cafe is about to shut up shop so I will try to get on again tomorrow and catch up.Missing you all
Isadora xx
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Rain!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
@ 2008-01-14 – 11:25:06
It's been raining heavy here in Hove, I arrived late yesterday afternoon and my friend duly met me and provided me with a scrumptious supper after my long coach trip down here.
The rain has baited a little now so we are going out pronto for a bracing walk along the sea front. We need to burn up some energy in order so we can go sleep as we need be in bed early tonight as the taxi has been booked to take us to Gatwick airport at 4.15 am!!tomorrow.
waving from a high building to Lonemum hasta luego
Isadora x -
That's better
@ 2008-01-12 – 21:32:11
Last shift over and it was a corker.
Apart from the queues at the Coinstar machine where folk stood with their full jars of loose change ready to convert into a voucher, there was no evidence of a post xmas slump in customers or sales today.
We had another arrest again though, this time a chap had stuffed a bottle of whiskey down each of his trouser legs but an eagle-eyed shop-floor worker espied him enabling the store detectives to spring into action resulting in another sheepish character being took away in handcuffs!
Earlier, another guy got as far as the external doors with a DVD player in his arms, the security alarm was activated and he simply looked at me and said "Sorry love, I've got the wrong one", then he went back in the shop, put the DVD player back on the shelf and walked back out
I had to get a cup of tea for a young woman who had a baby of about nine months old, she had fallen in the car-park with the baby in her arms and went head-long down, fortunately she shielded the baby who was unharmed but she, herself was very shook up. Apparently she didn't trip, her legs just went from under her...very disturbing.
I also had to come to the rescue of another lady, this time a middle-aged one. She seemed disorientated and said she had been for a walk after parking her car in the car park and now she couldn't find it. She was getting extremely anxious and this just compounded things. Members of staff went in search of her car but it was like looking for a needle in a haystack as the car park is huge and she couldn't even remember which area she left it.
Eventually I had to phone her son-in-law who came and rescued her and presumably the car
.Oh well, that's enough to be going on with for now...I clocked out, went back in-store, waved bye to the check-out girls and said
"SEE YOU ON 'GOOD FRIDAY' "
'cos that's when I will next be taking up my duties in the foyer
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A pet for my dotage
@ 2008-01-11 – 14:01:04
In my twilight years I think I would like a pet the same as this Granny
He must be obedient, attentive and above all loyal
I posted these photos once before in March 2006, I took them in Valencia when it was "Las Fallas" fiesta time. I'm hoping to visit again at the end of March this year.
The focus of the fiesta is the creation and destruction by fire of ninots--huge cardboard, wood and plaster statues--that are placed at over 350 key intersections and parks around the city. The ninots are extremely lifelike and usually depict bawdy, satirical scenes and current events (lampooning corrupt politicians and Spanish celebrities is particularly popular).Before I get accused of Sexism...here's a couple of 'Ninots' for the boys
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Just for fun
@ 2008-01-10 – 17:16:15
Dogs Really Do Look Like Their Owners...or so the rumour has it.
I've never been a dog owner so I can't compare but I reckon if I had one it would be a bit of a mongrel
It is said that when people pick a dog, they seek one that at some level resembles themselves, hence the similarity is due to owner selection at time of acquisition...or is it due to convergence, in which case the resemblance should grow with duration of ownership?It does appear that people want a creature like themselves and in this Fernando Botero Painting they've got one
..and just for fun take a look at this video of some kiddies with their doggies
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUFhZCLrjMg -
Well, slap my thigh!!
@ 2008-01-09 – 18:11:58
15th January ..arrive in Nerja
16-17th January... Is the date for the traditional fiestas in honour of Saint Antony which originated from the 17th century and is celebrated in 'Maro' a small village just three miles from Nerja.
The villagers build fires and have fireworks displays, there are brass bands performing in the street.
On the day of Saint Antony (San Anton),17th, a midday mass is held in his honour and a religious procession takes place, then at 10pm in a big marquee the villagers celebrate with a village dance (verbena popular)
which I imagine is something like this.By Fernando-Botero - DANCING
Yes, I know these figures represent more the Latinos, but it is the nearest I could find...and I like it!
I have witnessed the processions and fireworks in Maro twice before but this time I can't wait for the hootenanny
Yee-Har -
text
@ 2008-01-08 – 21:11:37
Text to Bella....hiya, how u settling in2 new digs
Text from Bella..Fine, new laptop's working and i've just cleaned fridge
She's settling in then...good to know she's her father's daughter
...he'd have to have a clean fridge too
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You're a good scrubber...he once said!
@ 2008-01-08 – 10:32:35
My time is not really my own...although I know t'old man doesn't mind me going off for a month (he's probably glad to see me go for a bit of solitude), I still feel guilty, hence I feel under an obligation to leave the house clean so I am scrubbing in corners, cleaning windows etc. so that he can stand and peer through them while he is alone
I'm also cooking and filling up the freezer with stews and shepherd's pies....lots more going on but some of it is creating conflict in my brain and it's giving me a headache
Catch you later..got to get back to my wifely duties
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Only one more to go
@ 2008-01-06 – 17:50:31
Another weekend's work finished and only one more weekend to endure before I take unpaid leave and desert them all until Good Friday
Plenty of shoppers again this weekend.
Since I blogged about the nuisance of kids rollering on those there shoes with wheels on I had noticed a decrease in the amount of children coming in wearing these perilous contraptions; I guess after being requested not to come in to the store rollering most people were heeding the advice....but now!!.. xmas over and I reckon every child over five must have been bought a pair as it seems like it's anarchy in the aisles once more with every other child making an entrance as if they were in competion.
I requested a male parent to advise his child that it was not a good idea to enter the store rollering full pelt into the crowded foyer but the response I got from his 'Da' was "he's a kid!.. what do you want me to do they are attached to his shoes"
The child looked up and said "I can push the wheels in dad" but he ignored him and ushered him into the store ignoramously.
I felt my blood boil and I followed on for a few steps protesting that any-one with any sense knows it is dangerous to go whizzing down the aisles in a busy store.
The child did start to precarously walk on his wheeled shoes so I left things there as this guy was not going to concede.A little while later about 5pm another odd occurence happened.
There I was in the foyer chatting to the young male member of Security staff (about the perils of rollering in-store, as it happens) when a respectable middle-aged man came in and said that in the car park there was about Ģ50,000's worth of Range Rover parked up with the door wide open, the engine running, the keys were in the ignition and a mobile phone and wallet had been left on the passenger seat.
The Security staff went to investigate and sure enough it was exactly as the customer had described, they waited for a few minutes to see if any-one returned (maybe the driver had dashed to use the ATM machines).. but no
One member of staff stood guard whilst the other took down the car number and put a message out through the in-store tannoy system for the owner to go to the Customer Service desk.
A good ten minutes must have past and the porter who had been assigned to stand by the vehicle was getting very disgruntled..."I don't know why we should be bothered" he said "if they can't be careful then why should we care? and besides I want to go and have my tea-break, i'm not standing here for much longer."
Just as I was in the process of finding some-one else to take over Range-Rover watching duties, the Security staff member arrived back and reported that a la-de-da woman had eventually responded to the call and simply said that she wouldn't be long and that as her husband didn't like shopping he had taken the opportunity to have a nap and was asleep in the back seats
We were all bemused by this as it was impossible to see into the back seats as the windows were blacked out and it was difficult for us to see from the front windows too...at that we all walked away and left the car with the keys still in the ignition and the phone and wallet on the seat.
This lady's husband must be a sound sleeper as we made quite a lot of commotion around the car in the pitch blackness, and the car park was heaving with cars coming and going at 5 in the afternoon..but..there hadn't been a movement from within..strangeAh well, as my post title implies 'Only one more to go'(weekend to work that is) I think I might just manage it
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The Lion, the witch and the WHAT?
@ 2008-01-03 – 11:24:16
....is what t'old man said when I told him I was on my way out to meet my sisters in Leeds where we will be theatre going once more, this time to see a lavish production of 'The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.'
The Evening News paper has given it good reviews....but no , dear, it is NOT to everyone's taste Bella is staying the night tonight in order to make an early start to travel to Hull tomorrow...I hope the snow disappears as quickly as it comes!
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Boom Boom!!
@ 2008-01-02 – 15:01:34
1st joke of the new year
Subject: Life planning - new husband @ 80The local news station was interviewing an 80-year-old lady because she
had just gotten married -- for the fourth time.The interviewer asked her questions about her life, about what it felt
like to be marrying again at 80, and then about her new husband's
occupation."He's a funeral director," she answered
"Interesting," the newsman thought.
He then asked her if she wouldn't mind telling him a little about her
first three husbands and what they did for a living.She answered,proudly, explaining that she had first married a banker when she was in
her early 20's, then a circus ringmaster when in her 40's, later on a preacher when in her 60's, and now in her 80's, a funeral director.The interviewer asked her, quite astonished why she had married four men with such diverse careers.
She smiled and explained, "I married one for the money, two for the show, three to get ready and four to go".
BOOM BOOM
