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Published: December 21st 2007
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Paseo Martime
This is Sunday lunchtime on the promonade. Ola Bo & Dud,
Thank you so much for forwarding our Tax Disc - it has arrived safely. What a time we’ve had without it. In France and Portugal not having a tax disc in date does not seem to be too much of a problem; we thought that the same applied to Spain - how many times have I said to you “never make assumptions”? We never gave it a second thought knowing that the new Tax Disc was bought paid for and in your safe keeping awaiting your visit in January. That was until Pete got pulled over at a roundabout in Nerja by the local constabulary and they checked his Tax Disc. Robert then told us that recently the Police have been checking English cars and if the Tax is out of date, an instant fine is imposed - quite hefty too, €300. We had only been using the care for the supermarket run - imagine then how we felt 4 days after the new disc arrived when we were stopped by the local plod and the tax checked - phew!
I’m sorry that my letters have slowed down but this stage of our journey has become
Paseo Martime
This is Monday lunchtime on the promonade. an experience of day to day living in southern Spain. We had visions of days out, mid week bargain breaks and all manor of places to go. The reality is that we’ve been absorbed into a community of like minded people. Howard describes the camp site as a cross between a UN refugee camp and a motor-home park. The pitches are tight for big caravans and motor homes and we are living cheek by jowl with our neighbours - but it doesn’t matter. Many of the Old Age Travellers (OATs) on site are here from the beginning of October to the end of March - hardly surprising as the price gets cheaper every month. I think it’s costing us about £50 a month plus what we use in electricity and gas.
We don’t feel as though we are on holiday - it’s just day to day living. Daylight is about 8 am and we always start the day with a cup of tea and a look at the BBC news. We can also get the Look North local news so it’s interesting to see the traffic reports; queuing on the Parkway, accident at junction 34 Meadowhall and the weather
High Seas
... and there were a great flood! forecast - how we laugh!! After breakfast there are jobs to do, one of the main ones in sweeping - the ground is very dry and dusty, so we all have a sort of green matting nailed down on the parcella. There are trees everywhere and the leaves are still falling so they have to be swept and put into piles for Manolo to come around and collect. I love the site dumper truck by the way - especially it’s registration, it’s called Mave. Then the ‘good morning’s’ start in several different languages and by 11 am we’ve chatted with the majority of the site on route to the shower block or going for bread. Then the next thing you know it’s 4 p.m. and where did the day go? 6 p.m. and its going dark and time for aperitifs and thinking about dinner. As our fellow OATs keep telling us - you can’t explain where the days go or why there’s never time to do anything. I suppose it’s something you have to live to experience - and we just love every single day.
This week we had an outing with the local branch of the British Legion
Traffic Island
It began to look more like treasure island. - a day out to the ‘rock’, Gibraltar for €12 (a strategic and extremely well run operation). Overall an excellent day out - it’s only a few years since we were last there but we couldn’t believe the changes. We were dropped off, of all places, in Morrison’s car park! We had gone for several items, Howard was hoping to update his camera but it turns out that it is cheaper back in U.K. as was the ipod that Geoff wanted. I was able to get Sheila’s tins of stewing steak from M&S and Jackie’s Sudacream. Perfume and some rather lovely earrings for me were a must. We had borrowed an OAP type shopping trolley and by the time I’d finished in Morrison’s Howard was pleased that we’d agreed to take it with us. We were however reminded of one of the reasons for over wintering here - Christmas!!
The 6th & 8th December are Bank Holidays here - the shops were closed on the Thursday 6th, open Friday 7th and closed again Saturday 8th - this is to allow the Spanish population a break before the run up to Christmas (would that we had this in U.K.). After
Optomism
The sun beds and umbrellas have now been put into safe storage. this the Christmas decorations go up, lights go on and things start to become quite festive - the shops also open on a Sunday for the 3 weeks before Christmas. Jolly tunes are played in the supermarket at a reasonable volume and I’ve not heard Slade singing ‘Merry Christmas Everyone’ one single time - how civilized is that. Some of the OATs are reluctantly catching flights back to the U.K. for the festive holiday; some are going to neighbouring resorts to spend a few days in hotels. Howard & I will be spending the holiday quietly, we hope, but you can never tell with this place.
We are seriously excited about you coming to visit for the New Year - do try to get plenty of rest before you arrive or you will be exhausted by the time you go home.
Love + Hugs + Kisses
H & H x
P.S. Today’s Smile - a few festive children’s interpretations of Christmas Carol lyrics
• Deck the halls with Buddy Holly . . . . .
• We three kinds of porridge and tar . . . . .
• On the first day of Christmas
Dam on the Velez
This beautiful dam is just inland from Torre del Mar my tulip gave to me . . . . .
• Later on we’ll perspire, as we dream by the fire . . . . .
• He’s makin’ a list, with chicken and rice . . . . .
• Noel, Noel, Barney’s the king of Israel . . . . .
• With the jelly toast proclaim . . . . .
• Sleep in heavenly peas . . . . .
• O come, froggy faithful . . . . .
• You’ll tell Carol, be a skunk I require . . . . .
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