December 16th - 31st 2005
Written by Geoff Forster
A lovely day. Jane has been cleaning the inside of the car.
I've been pruning and pulling out dead plants from our pots.
We're off to Ronda tonight to do some Christmas shopping and to see the lights and tree.
We are going to go to Da Vinci's Restaurante for one of their fantastic Pizza's.
We got to Ronda at about 16:00h.
We did some shopping in Plus. Then we parked the car and walked to the town centre.
Jane went to the high street and did some shopping.
I headed to the Puente Nuevo and the gorge to do some bird watching.
I'd been watching some Crag Martins catching flies and performing some incredible aerial acrobatics. A couple of Chough's we're flying around.
Suddenly over 500 Chough's unexpectedly appeared from behind and they flew beneath me through the central arch of Ronda's famous bridge..
It was one of those moments that you say 'Wow', before you've realised that you've said it.
The gorge was full of Chough's. They spend the day in the fields. Olives are a major part of their diet.
The Cholesterol levels of Chough's must be very low!
They roost on the sides of the gorge.
The gorge in Ronda is very beautiful. It is one of Spain's major tourist attractions. It also allows bird watchers to get a birds eye view of the birds!
The light was beginning to fail at around 18:00h although the sun hadn't quite set.
I walked to meet Jane at Da Vinci's for a pizza.
Unfortunately they don't open until 20;00h on a Friday, so we walked to Bodega la Verdad, part of the Hotel Macias in Calle Pedro Romero.
We also had a coffee in Café Capri near the bridge to kill time before we went for a pizza.
We got to Da Vinci's, we had our pizza's which we had really been looking forward to. We understand that Jesus the manager has been ill, so the level of service wasn't as good as usual, the pizza's that we had weren't as good as usual either. We hope that Jesus makes a full recovery and is back soon.
The streets were decked with lights and Spanish Christmas songs were being broadcast in the High Street.
Some premises were just putting up their lights and the tree wasn't up yet in the main plaza. No rush it's only on the 25th! Mañana ...
Although the 5/6th January is the traditional day to exchange gifts in Spain. Los Reyes Majos. Benarrabá is the place to be on the 5th January at 22:00h. If you can get here it is well worth it!
As usual shopping in Ronda at Christmas was stress free. There was no rushing around, the shop assistants wrap your presents in beautiful paper for you. The atmosphere was relaxed and everyone enjoyed the festive shopping and looked very happy.
If Christmas is getting too much for you ... try booking our apartment next Christmas and New Year and see the difference for yourself.
The Parador near the Puente Nuevo.
We walked up towards the car. Jane spotted this large tree on a roundabout at the East of Ronda. The light above the star is a near Full Moon.
We drove home. The A369 was very quiet.
We'd had a good night. The pizza was a little disappointing.
A stunning day for December.
The sky is blue from horizon to horizon. The sun is blazing down it must be over 70F/19C in the sun. We sat on the sun terrace for a couple of hours. My skin was burning under my T-shirt.
Newcastle are away to West Ham United, I've been listening to the match. We're winning 2-3 it is now injury time. We have four minutes to hang on. A Michael Owen hat trick and we win 2-4! He only touched the ball 3 times in 94 minutes!!! Class.
I watched Star Wars in the apartment. Jane watched 'Shirley Valentine' and a Julia Roberts film downstairs.
Later I assembled our large reflecting telescope.
I was looking at the moon on the sun terrace? That sounds wrong ...
When the lady we bought our house off came up the road with her sister in law , whom we also knew. We invited them in. They hadn't seen the apartment since it was completed. They both thought it was beautiful.
They told us some really bad news. That Sebastián, a really friendly man that we used to bump into in the bars had died a few days earlier.
He'd been taken into hospital and died the next day.
He appeared in the blog a few times. We'll miss him.
Another beautiful day. Jane's parents Bob and Esther arrive tomorrow. Jane is cleaning! I'm trying to keep out of the way but Jane isn't having it ...
I've just read the blog from our Ronda trip and noticed that the spell checker had changed all the Chough's to Cough's. So there were hundreds of Cough's flying around Ronda gorge!
It's too nice a day to be inside. I'm going to call a break to the cleaning ... that I've done well to avoid. So we can sit on the sun terrace for an hour or two.
Temperatures in the sun were around 77F. Jane got too hot and had to sit in the shade. I took my T-shirt off and took full advantage of the December sunshine to improve my tan. winter and spring are great times to get a tan. The sun isn't too fierce and you can some natural protection before the summer heat of July and August.
We finished the apartment and had a quiet night watching TV.
We're both up early, well before the dawn which was beautiful.
We drove to Málaga airport and met Esther and Bob. Who arrived safely.
We're got back to Benarrabá around 13:00h.
We're having a glass of wine and I'm about to cook a curry. I'm under instructions to make it a mild one.
The curry went down well. A night in catching up and reminiscing ...
A windy day. A lot of high clouds blowing over very quickly. A few patches of blue where the sun is streaming through.
We've all been out shopping, we've bought mushrooms and vegetables for a red wine and beef stew that I'm going to cook later.
We called in Bar Andrés Sánchez for a coffee. Then we walked up to Café Bar Guayacán. Esther and Bob saw it twice as it was being built but have never been inside since it opened.
They were very impressed, it is a lovely bar.
We saw a solitary Griffon Vulture, high in the sky playing on the wind.
Cristóbal, Carmen and Adrian knocked on the door to welcome Esther and Bob back to Benarrabá. They brought some Chumbo's the fruit of the Prickly Pear Cactus. We thought that Chumbo's were a summer fruit but Cristóbal knew of a patch with a few ripe fruits on. They also brought us the first Tacarninas' of the year. This is the Spanish Thistle, you can eat the stems if you strip the prickly leaves off.
We cooked and ate the beef in red wine stew which was excellent.
We watched a DVD 'Romeo's Bleeding' starring Gary Oldman.
We're all up early. We went to the large outdoor market at La Linea.
Jane wants new curtains for the newly painted lounge downstairs.
We bought some lovely curtains. Then we had a coffee in a Café on the Spanish side of the border before heading to Gibraltar.
We got the No 10 bus to Morrisons. Did a lot of Christmas food shopping and then got a taxi back to the border.
Regular readers of the blog will know how much I love shopping. I was dreading today. I hate markets. I hate busy supermarkets.
Morrisons' was very busy.
We put the groceries in the car and went back to the Café for lunch.
We all had a good meal for 5 euros each!
We got all the shopping in Gibraltar so cancelled a planned visit to Carrefours and drove home.
It was around 14C/58F but very windy especially on the coast.
Our neighbour Juan invited us to his house for a drink.
We're going to go upstairs to have dinner with Esther and Bob.
We watched a DVD 'The Client' starring Susan Sarandon and Tommy Lee Jones.
A strong Easterly wind is still blowing. Fortunately it is a warm wind. There are a few patches of blue sky, but there are some very large cumulus flying across.
Jane and Esther have been to Algatocín and Gaucín shopping.
I chopped up some wood and got the wood burning stove going in the apartment.
We're spending the afternoon in the apartment, we might watch another DVD. Esther brought quite a few out with her.
Our neighbour Juan has had seven turkeys since the beginning of June. They are being killed today. He's kindly letting us have one.
A bit of excitement in the village. Five lads we're going around saying that they were doing five year checks on gas equipment and issuing certificates. One knocked on our door. He had cards with his photograph on a clipboard and a company uniform of sorts. I showed him the new water boiler and the gas stove upstairs which are less than a year old. He said both regulators needed renewing which I thought was strange. I was stalling saying I didn't understand why he was here when some neighbours knocked on the door. One of his mates had been paid for over 100 euros worth of regulators, piping and a certificate. The neighbours had phoned up our bottled gas suppliers and been told they were tricking people into having work done that was sometimes unnecessary.
I phoned the same supplier in Algatocín and was told not to pay them.
By now the apartment was full of neighbours shouting at two of the lads, who were adamant they were genuine. They weren't going to refund our neighbours. Fifteen minutes later the neighbours went outside, they'd phoned the Guardia Civil. I threw out the two lads who had changed the two regulators, they wanted to change the old ones back if I wasn't paying. I shrugged and asked them to leave.
The Guardia Civil turned up. By now the other three lads were outside. We stayed inside and kept out of it!
Everyone was very animated, all talking at once with flamboyant arm gestures. When the Spanish lose it they can be very entertaining.
The lads were interviewed, credentials checked and everyone told their story. After an hour the crowd dispersed and everyone went home.
Whether they were genuine or not I'm not sure. I think they were probably con men so beware!
I got two free regulators! I'm not sure if the neighbours got their money back. I'll try to find out.
After the excitement we watched TV. 'Doc Martin' starring Martin Clunes which is very funny.
Here's Esther and Bob Armit. Jane's parents near our Christmas tree.
Jane was up early and has been for the bread.
The wind has dropped and it looks like it is going to be a lovely December day.
We're all off out for a drive to the Alcornocales forest.
We drove slowly down to Estación de Gaucín/ El Colmenar.
We saw the usual selection of hedgerow birds. Lots of Robins, Stonechat's, Redstarts, Black Redstarts, Linnets, Chaffinches, Goldfinches, Serin's, White Wagtails, Meadow Pipits.
We crossed the Rio Guadiaro and saw a Grey Heron and a Cormorant.
We went for a coffee at the Mesón las Flores.
Then we drove slowly through the forest.
We saw cows, goats and horses but no deer.
We had a couple of walks and gathered some pinecones which we use as fire lighters.
We then drove to Cortes de la Frontera, did some shopping and had some tapas.
We got home at around 14:0h. Jane is preparing some food for a small Christmas party which we're having for our neighbours and good friends Cristóbal, Carmen and their family.
The party went very well. We introduced Christmas crackers, party poppers, sausage rolls and trifle to Benarrabá.
We were just having a bite to eat when we some of the village children called to sing for us.
They sang four songs and played their assorted percussion instruments that always accompany Navidad songs.
Jane, Esther and Bob went around the village shops and had a coffee in Bar Andrés Sánchez.
I prepared the turkey. We watched films all afternoon whilst it cooked.
It makes things a lot easier on Christmas Day if the turkey is already cooked. It is a big bird and couldn't be more local!
Cristóbal our neighbour called and cut some logs up for us with his chain saw.
We think we're invited to their house tonight for a Tacarnina revuelta.
Which is Spanish Thistle stems and scrambled eggs. It sounds awful but tastes fantastic.
Merry Christmas. Feliz Navidad. To everyone.
We're having a great time.
Lots to eat and drink. We've had our turkey and been for a walk around the village.
We ate too much and had a really good day.
We watched a couple of DVD's until the small hours.
A quiet day in ... until Chris Scotford called and invited us to their house in Gaucín for drinks.
We had a fantastic afternoon with Chris and Carol. (Except for the football result from Anfield.)
Here's Carol Scotford. We all had a really great time. Carol had made some fantastic food.
Here's Chris Scotford. He was a great barman. As soon as my glass was empty, it was refilled ...
This evening Jane cooked 'bubble and squeak' and we're going to watch a film.
Jane, Esther and Bob made a quick trip to Algatocín for some vegetables. I got the fire going. We watched 'Babe' about the pig who thinks it is a Border Collie. Funny and sad.
Jane and I went to the spring for water. We then changed the water in the Olives.
Later we made a Tacarnina tortilla.
This is a photograph of the chopped Spanish Thistle stems.
We'll put the recipe in the Spanish Life section when time allows.
We watched the first part of the 'Cleopatra' dramatisation.
We ate a home made curry. Then we watched an old episode of Taggart.
We have a few photographs which we have taken over Christmas to sort out and put on to the blog. I'll try to make time tomorrow.
We've been eating, drinking and watching TV. No time for the computer!
We're up early. it looks as if it could be a good day. It has been very mild, temperatures around 54F/12C.
We're going to have a drive to Benadalid.
We spent a couple of hours in Benadalid. Then we drove across the Valle del Guadiaro to Montejaque. We bought some cakes in the excellent Pandería there and then drove to Grazalema.
The plaza was covered in decorations.
An attempt to make the star appear to be on the top of the Pinsapo pine in the plaza?
Another of Grazalema's churches.
The view from the mirador. It was a lovely afternoon.
We saw a few Almond trees in blossom near Grazalema but none near Benadalid in the Valle del Genal, although there is a small tree in Gaucín in flower.
Jane took this photograph of a tree with a face?
Here's Esther and Bob Armit in Grazalema.
We had some lovely tapas in a self service restaurante in the plaza.
We've eaten here before. You can try lots of different dishes for a fixed price. It is excellent value for money.
We drove to Ubrique then to the Alcornocales where we took the Pista Forestal to Estación Gaucín.
Esther spotted a young deer in a clearing. I took this photograph of an older deer that was nearby, possibly the youngsters mother. They are very timid and difficult to photograph.
We saw these to calves posed for us just as the sun was starting to set.
We had a drink in the Mesón las Flores in Estación de Gaucín then headed up to Gaucín.
On the way I took these of the view to the coast as the sun was setting.
You can just make out Gibraltar on the horizon.
We got safely home after a long but enjoyable day.
We watched the second part of 'Cleopatra'. Then we watched Poirot.
A beautiful sunny day.
We drove to the coast and the lagoon at Torre Guadiaro. We had a walk along the through the reed beds and watched Little Egrets, Purple Gallinules, Monk Parakeets from the hide.
We heard a rustling close to the hide and noticed what we thought was a birds tail sticking up out of the reeds it kept twitching every few seconds. I couldn't understand why a bird would have its head under the reeds for so long. After looking through the binoculars for a while Jane suddenly realised it was the end of a baguette someone had thrown for the ducks. The reason it was moving ...
We all had a good laugh. The bird watching stopped and we mouse watched for a while.
We drove to Los Barrios. Had a McDonalds. Then bought curtain poles in Leroy Merlin's and shopped in Carrefours.
We got home just as the sun was setting.
We cooked a steak fry up and watched a DVD. 'Runaway Jury' starring John Cusack, Dustin Hoffman and Gene Hackman.
It was a lovely sunny day. Jane Esther and Bob went to the market in the plaza. There was one stall! They went for coffee in Bar Andrés Sánchez.
We watched a Robert Redford film on TV and had a lazy afternoon.
We finished off the steak and watched Miss Marple, Sherlock Holmes and Midsomer Murders. A whodunnit feast.
Jane was up early this morning to get the bread from the pandería.
She took this excellent photograph of the sunrise over Benarrabá.
Jane, Esther and Bob have gone to the coast at San Luis de Sabinillas.
I've been working on the website.
I have three curtain poles to put up. I also have a few cans of beer and Newcastle United are playing Tottenham Hotspurs, this could be a tough decision ... no contest. Howay the Lads!
Sometimes life just sucks. We lost 2-0.
Michael Owen has broken his toe.
Shay Given has broken his thumb.
Souness is still manager.
Jane's curtain poles are still in their plastic wrapping!
Roll on 2006.
We went for a walk around the pueblo.
We called into the Restaurante Kábilas to wish friends there a Feliz Año Nuevo. We also called into Pub Bar Dami and Bar Barroso before going home. Jane and I cooked a beef stew. Which we ate at 23:30h.
Just before midnight we went on the sun terrace with twelve grapes each and on the each stroke of the town clock we put one into our partners mouth.
Jane forgot to chew so like last year created quite a mess!
We had a bottle of Cava toast the New Year in.
Notice the Angel of the North on my shoulder!
Feliz Año Nuevo everybody!
