Back to Casas Nuevas-with photos!!

Tuesday 18th February 2104

Wild camping in Olvera

Part of my birthday tapas trail

Couldn't resist taking this guy complete with leiderhosen and braces in sunny Spain!!

Blossom and a bit of last year's crop

10k of almond blossom 

Hello again, another week another change. When I last wrote we were near Malaga. We stayed there till Thursday and enjoyed cycling along the coast, although the headwind was pretty strong. We used the local buses to Torres del Mar and I had a long overdue haircut, I was starting to look like a shaggy dog. On Sunday we got the bus to Torres del Mar and had a real treat, a Chinese meal, which maybe sound odd to some of you but “foreign food” is not very prevalent in Spain and it made a nice change.

We got the bus into Malaga, what a light and airy old town, fabulous wide streets and we had an interesting trip to the Picasso Museum, which I enjoyed. Well laid out and interspersed with 12 other artists. We had a very simple but tasty menu del dia for 7 Euros 50 cents. While we were in Malaga on Wednesday Chris got a call from his son to say his ex wife had been re-admitted to hospital and we knew we needed to go straight back to the house in Casas Nuevas. Sadly she died on the evening of Thursday 13th February.

Chris went home on Sunday and is with Adam now, I have spoken to him today and the funeral is next Friday 28th (the crematorium in Carlisle is closed for a week). This was not unexpected and we have been very flexible with our travel plans to ensure he could get home fairly quickly. It is part of the reason we postponed the China trip too.

We drove back to the house on Thursday and they say every cloud has a silver lining and that was certainly the case, the almond blossom is absolutely magnificent and we would have missed it had we not returned. I have stayed at the house as Chris was happy to go home on his own, I think he will be back around 3rd or 4th March and then we can have a bit of time before we head back to the UK with Ruby-who needs an MOT in April.

On Friday we were having a glass of wine in the bar when Fernando mentioned there was a special Valentine’s dinner being held on Saturday at 9pm. We assumed it would be fully booked but no there were spaces –although they were expecting about 70 people. The bar can hold maybe 30 but they were also using the dining room of the other bar in the village, which has not really been open since the untimely death of the young owner in a car accident.

We booked our places and set off about 8.45 to have a drink first, the place looked lovely with red and white table settings etc . However, in true Spanish style, two things struck me, there were not lots of tables for cosy romantic twosomes , tables were set for 20 people and in the main bar the football, La Liga was on!!! Our place was in the upper bar so off we trotted and had a lovely evening, we were the only twosome and all of the other tables were big family groups, with children as well.

It was the usual vibrant and loud night and the food was fresh and simply and beautifully cooked. There were seven starters, three plates ready on the table one with cheese, one with jamon and salami and local almonds and one with smoked salmon. Then we got garlicky baby squid, followed by pulpo al horno (baked octopus), then tiny clams, then a plate of prawn based nibbles and finally a plate of luscious fried prawns. We had a bottle of white and a bottle of red wine. The choice for main course we had been told was meat or fish and when Chris said meat he was then offered chicken, pork or lamb and the same when I said fish-I opted for Hake. By this time we were struggling but I managed half of my chocolate pudding and we even got heart shaped biscuits with the coffee. We declined a glass of fizz and staggered home feeling very well fed, and me with my red carnarion, and the total bill was 50 Euros which at the current exchange rate is £42.. Considering the size of this village it is amazing that they can gather 70 folk together and without any advertising, we would never have known if Fernando had not mentioned it.

As a postscript, on Sunday morning I remembered to put my carnation in water, only to realise on Monday that it was not real!!



I am quite happy here in the village, there are plenty of people around if I need anything, and I have Ruby for transport. Although I could have done with Chris yesterday afternoon when I had to remove the remains of a large bird that one of the local cats was devouring on one of the bedroom window ledges. It had been a bit damp and dull, but is due to improve tomorrow. I am hoping to paint the window grills at the rear of the house , they looked terrible and now that the new windows are in they look even worse. It is a long slow job but worth the effort in the end.