Spain - Spring 2023 Mar 6-Mar 28 (FC Holiday Conil)

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March 6^th 2023 – 28^thMarch 2023

We arrived back to a rainy Alhaurin about 11.00pm when Howard & Karen came to greet us, and then we had use of their car. Howard drove back to his place and we eventually reached the house about midnight to find that the kitchen (and we found out later – the shower room!) had flooded! So there we were at 00.30am mopping floors and clearing out drains! We think the problem has been caused by next doors untrimmed tree, shedding its leaves. Problemo!! We did see the gecko in the patio though ( he has also been seen in the drainpipe, since!!) so don’t know if he has been washed down from the porch!!

Anyway, apart from that drama it has been the usual round of walking, Menu del dias, catching up with friends and cricket!! Saw an amazing game where Norway, who were the underdogs to Gibraltar, caught a fantastic ball and hence won the game by 1 point – real nail-biting stuff!!

Varnished the table upstairs and painted the front door, that is now gleaming!! Chris has also started painting the walls on the roof as the calima from last year has left quite a mess!! (They needed painting anyway!!) Had quite a few emails and conversations with Holland America about our cruise around Japan next month! Problems with them not having all our details or something, therefore they couldn’t send us tickets!!!

Led a walk for the Field Club from Cerralba in beautiful weather! Blue skies, sunny with a bit of a breeze – it was lovely! Managed to walk the 7km – just!!!

Went to the Field Club meeting at the Manilla Bar (!st and 3^rd Monday – I think!!) the day before the holiday to catch up with friends. It was really nice because Tove was there with her daughter – it was just such a shame that we were away the week she had managed to come to Spain.

Had a Field Club holiday in Conil de la Fontera. It was a holiday that we had done last year but it had rained every day so most of the walks got cancelled. It has been wonderful weather for the last three weeks and the walking holiday was no exception. We met the group on the first day at a Venta just off the A381 and had a really short easy walk to the reservoir and over a wooden bridge, where we met up with the rest of the group who had a slightly harder walk! The next day was a walk along the cliffs to the lighthouse ( and back!!) It was really enjoyable (Painkillers, support and sticks needed!!) and fairly flat, although I cheated and had a pleasant lunch at the harbour with another woman, Liz, that had osteoarthritis, while Chris went back for the car and picked us both up later!! I didn’t do the walk on the third day (Chris did!!) and had a brilliant wine tasting session with Clive (who has done his Achilles Tendon in!!) at the hotel! Didn’t do a lot else!!!

Rushed back early the next day, to go to the finals of the cricket, where we were also having lunch with friends, Frank and Lesley and Franks brother Robert , who had flown in from Jamaica. Went back to cricket for the 5.30 pm match and also met up with Howard, Karen and their son Lawrence who had flown in from the UK that day! Watched the final match ( delayed until 7.50pm due to fasting throughout Ramadan) between France and England under the floodlights!! Couldn’t see the ball (again!!) and France won anyway………

Had our 3^rd Rambling Al walk ( William & Eleanor didn’t need a lift this week!) up to the silver mines near Lauro Golf. Ok going up ( we went up to where the fire was last year) but coming down was more of a problem for me! A really nice walk though, with loads of tall onion weeds and spring flowers! And some of the trees were sprouting at the bottom as well so all is not lost to the fire.

Saw My Fair Lady at the Salon Varietes in Fuengirola, Excellent production as usual but didn’t get back to the house in Alhaurin until 11.30pm so it was quite a long production! I loved the costumes when they were at Ascot! Superb!

Chris took the car to be washed in a Car Wash and after eventually sussing it out (or so he thought!!) the car ended up with bright purple soap all over it!! Fortunately it was washed off though and we had a gleaming white car again to drop back to Howard, who is also taking us to the airport!!

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