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24-26th December 2006 Andalucia Spain Blog

noreply@blogspirit.com (Geoff.and.Jane FORSTER) — Sun, 04 Feb 2007 12:05:00 +0100

Christmas Eve December 24th 2006

Busy times ... lots of good food and drink so no different to the rest of the year!

Jane and I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

We're having a few computer free days, it does tend to take up lots of my time so a bit of a break is needed.

Our cat 'Mota de Oro' was last seen on Christmas Eve at 09:00h. She didn't come home all day and night. Lots of searching ...

This is Daisy. She's 14. We brought her with us from the UK.

Our female donkey Rosie. Enjoying the Christmas sunshine in the orange and lemon grove.

We went out on Christmas Eve. The bars close early for a big family meal.
They then reopen for a late night party.
We were home before midnight and wished each other Merry Christmas.

Christmas Day December 25th 2006

Christmas day and no sign of Mota de Oro.
I searched all morning. Including the road. I was dreading to find her up there.

We had a lovely Christmas lunch.
Later we went out. There was a great atmosphere in the village. People singing and partying.

We were in Guayacan until late. Then Flora invited us to her house for a bottle of wine and tapas.

We got home around 04:00h. I took the dogs out for a long walk around the village, keeping my eye out for 'Motty'. No sign of her. We're really worried now. It's not like her to be out this long.

Boxing Day December 26th 2006

Still no sign of Mota de Oro. We're up late, but we're soon out looking for her.
Jane and I go out up onto the road again, fearing the worst. I go down onto the small track where we walk the dogs. We meet back at the house. Jane decided to go around the back of the house. I've checked here about five times in the last two days. No sign of the cat.

I was looking for Jane coming up the street to see if she'd had any luck.
She called into our neighbours hay shed. Out pops the cat from on top of some straw bales.
Had she been asleep next door for three days and two nights?

Here she is safely home. The cat who spoilt Christmas. A good title for a kids book?

We went down to Guayacan to see Yolanda. To tell her the good news about the cat.

We've been asked if Rosie can be used in the Three Kings procession. A TV crew from Andalucia's Canal Sur are coming to the village tomorrow to film a special dress rehearsal. They'll air the programme on the 5th/6th January 2007.

We'll have to put a star on her stable door.

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23rd December 2006 Andalucia Spain Blog

noreply@blogspirit.com (Geoff.and.Jane FORSTER) — Sun, 04 Feb 2007 09:00:00 +0100

Saturday December 23rd 2006

Another lovely day. I took the dogs out for a walk into the campo.
I listened to Newcastle United cruise passed Tottenham Hotspurs to take all 3 points.
A good start to the day.

Jane's been trying on most of her wardrobe for tonight's fiesta in Café Bar Guayacán.

Our Border Collie Jake.

We went to Bar Barroso to start off the night.
Then on to Bar Andrés Sánchez.
This photograph is for Andrés girlfriend Verónica, who lives in Peru.
Good news is that she will very shortly be coming to live in Benarrabá.
Everyone is looking forward to meeting her.

On to Pub Bar Dami.
Dami was on good form and getting into the spirit of the festive season.

Dami had his nativity scene set up.

Onwards and upwards to Guayacán where the party is about to start.

This is Juan Jesús and Ivan. They are 'Malacai'.
(A Reverend Malacai contacted us last week about our El Gastor visit. He liked the photo's.)
Hope he likes having a band sharing his name.

Yolanda has gone for the Brylcream look with a quiff.

Flora and Jane start off the dancing. Malacai are only doing a sound check ... it's going to be a good night!

The bar was beginning to fill.

Ivan and Juan Jesús.

Diego and Yolanda. Diego was helping out behind the bar.

Cristina and Diego.

Flora and Bernardo.

A shameless plug.

Me and Platero.

Eva and Platero.

Our neighbours Cristóbal and Carmen's son, Adrian.

Mercedes and Javier's daughter, Carmen.

Flora and her English daughter.

They learn to party young in Spain. No need for baby sitters. Everyone will have fun but there'll be no bad behaviour so children are welcome. Besides her dad is Juan Jesús half of 'Malacai'.

Yolanda, Jane, Adelia and her youngest son Antonio.

Adelia's eldest son Francisco.

These girls partied hard. They danced all night.

This girl partied hard as well! Here she is going up for a prize from one of the JB Nightology girls.

The JB Nightology girls.

Jane and I both won T-shirts. Jane won a London shirt and I won an Amsterdam shirt.
Malacai played all night.

I'm not sure what this thumb kissing pose is all about but ... Feliz Navidad.

We got home ... I'm not sure at what time but at least we got home ...

Yolanda said people came in all night. The music was still playing at eight in the morning.

More photo's soon on www.benarraba.com

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Andalucia Blog by Geoff Forster and Jane Forster - Low cost web design by Spanish Spider. This Blog, Photo Journal,is just one of many Photography Journals, it's a Diary,about Love, about our love of Art, hopefully it will be Fun, an insight into Life in Andalucia Spain , Sometimes we write about Food, we love listening to Music,we love Writing our blog,I love Sports,especially Football and my beloved Newcastle United.

22nd December 2006 Andalucia Spain Blog

noreply@blogspirit.com (Geoff.and.Jane FORSTER) — Sat, 03 Feb 2007 23:55:00 +0100

Friday December 22nd 2006

Another lovely day. again quite fresh.
We spent the day around the house.
We had a roast dinner mid-afternoon, as we're going out tonight. A trip down to San Luis de Sabinillas to look at the Christmas lights.

We set off at 17:50h. so we'd catch the sunset over the Valle de Guadiaro.

A minute later and the sun is dropping to the horizon very quickly. Zoomed and under exposed.

We watched the sun set then drove through Gaucín and down towards the coast. We stopped near the Sierra de Crestellina to take this photograph of the after glow of the sunset over Jimena de la Frontera.

We drove passed Manilva. There's a beautifully decorated roundabout on the southern edge of the pueblo. Unfortunately they must be having power problemas as it wasn't lit up.

In San Luis de Sabinillas we paid a quick visit to Lidl's before walking around looking at the lights.

We parked near the children's play area and walked back towards the Police Station.
This lovely display was in a designer clothes shop window we passed.

The church has lights all over. Accentuating the shape of the tower, roof and arches. Really beautiful.
The palm trees are covered in lights. An area in front of the church has trumpeting angels and reindeer in a white wire frame covered in lights.

I'm afraid that the Poinsettias aren't faring too well. All over Andalucía, thousands are planted and they don't seem to survive for more than a few days. Either they are inadequately watered after planting or the shock being transplanted from a greenhouse to the open air kills them off.

On the main roundabout, the three Kings were represented, again in the white wire frame models, which are very effective.

From road level you can see the message in lights on the roundabout.

We drove to Casares.
Casares has lots of purple lights.

The tree could have done with more lights.

We stopped in Gaucín on the way home to photograph their tree.

I'm afraid Benarrabá doesn't have a tree ... yet. There are lights up across the streets and some new ones have been strung between some pines on the way down into the pueblo. Also a star has been placed on a pole high above the village but isn't working yet. We'll save this light show extravaganza for another blog.

Jane took her camera. Here are a few of her photographs from San Luis de Sabinillas.

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Andalucia Blog by Geoff Forster and Jane Forster - Low cost web design by Spanish Spider. This Blog, Photo Journal,is just one of many Photography Journals, it's a Diary,about Love, about our love of Art, hopefully it will be Fun, an insight into Life in Andalucia Spain , Sometimes we write about Food, we love listening to Music,we love Writing our blog,I love Sports,especially Football and my beloved Newcastle United.

21st December 2006 Andalucia Spain Blog

noreply@blogspirit.com (Geoff.and.Jane FORSTER) — Sat, 03 Feb 2007 23:45:00 +0100

Thursday December 21st 2006

More good weather, a few clouds floating across blue skies.
The air still feels fresh, so we're wrapping up well for a trip to Gaucín.

First Jane made an early morning visit to the Benarrabá Post Office (Vincente's House). It opens half an hour a day, Monday to Friday 09:10 to 09:40h.
We got some Christmas parcels from family in the UK and some special liquid 'Eclipse' and 'Sensor Swabs' for cleaning the sensor chip in the DSLR camera.

In Gaucín we saw friends Chris and Carol with some other hardy hikers. They'd been out for a regular Thursday morning walk into the campo.

An Andalucian Christmas scene? Red Berries and a Yucca.
The view from Gaucín across the Valle de Guadiaro towards Cortes de la Frontera.

We called into Manolo's bar and later Venta El Socorro to put on our Euromillions lottery ticket.
We put up some posters for the Guayacán Fiesta.

In Venta El Socorro we met John and Evelyn from Ilkley West Yorkshire. They've been reading the blog prior to their visit. We were delighted to meet them. Especially as it was Evelyn's birthday. So Feliz Cumpleaños to Evelyn.

In Gaucín a large Christmas tree was being erected. We drove to Algatocín to the Super Genal. Then we went down to the plaza to put up more posters.
In Algatocín they've taken advantage of having a living pine growing in the plaza. It's covered in tinsel and packages.

In Benarrabá we fed the dogs and donkeys.
Our Border Collie, Jake.

A couple of our cutest Border Collie Sally, Jake's mother.

We went for a walk around the village and put up two more posters in strategic spots.

Jane's been watching a lot of cookery programmes lately, especially the Gordon Ramsay series ... We've noticed that none of the staff in these kitchens wear hats. (They also mess around with your food a lot with their fingers and wipe plates with dodgy looking cloths, all for good presentation!)
Yolanda on the other hand, as well as keeping a spotless kitchen, wears a hat when preparing food, which we caught her in when we called into Café Bar Guayacán. Guapa.

Val Forster.

Jane insisted she took one of me and my mother.

We enjoyed a quick chat with Yolanda. We hope that the posters bring in a few people from neighbouring villages to Saturday night's fiesta.

Back home we cooked two roast chickens, roast potatoes, carrots and parsnips. I also made a gravy using a finely chopped leek, celery and some of the above veg. It was cooked with some of the chicken juices and then mashed through a sieve. Not your traditional brown gravy but it was very tasty.

We watched 'Bruce Almighty' starring Jim Carrey, Jennifer Aniston and Morgan Freeman as God.
A very silly comedy.
Later we left Val, who's not into movies, to read her 'Wilbur Smith'.
Jane and I watched 'Serendipity' starring John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale. One of Jane's favourite 'soppy' movies.

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Andalucia Blog by Geoff Forster and Jane Forster - Low cost web design by Spanish Spider. This Blog, Photo Journal,is just one of many Photography Journals, it's a Diary,about Love, about our love of Art, hopefully it will be Fun, an insight into Life in Andalucia Spain , Sometimes we write about Food, we love listening to Music,we love Writing our blog,I love Sports,especially Football and my beloved Newcastle United.

20th December 2006 Andalucia Spain Blog

noreply@blogspirit.com (Geoff.and.Jane FORSTER) — Sat, 03 Feb 2007 23:27:42 +0100

Wednesday December 20th 2006

The good weather continues ...
We're off shopping to Carrefours at Los Barrios.
On the way we saw lots of Common Buzzards, White Storks, Griffon Vultures, Cattle Egrets, Spotless Starlings, Crested Larks, a lone Kestrel and lots of Spanish Sparrows.

The Common Buzzards teased me by either being on the wrong side of the road, flying off as we slowed down or sitting posing when it was impossible for us to stop.

This is the best I could do from a moving car ..

We got a lot of shopping in Carrefours including a fresh turkey at a very reasonable price.
We'll have the Benarrabá pork at New Year.

On the way home I was going to photograph the White Storks, but all the nests that were overflowing with Storks an hour before were now empty.

We called into Venta Carrasco a favourite bar just before Jimena de la Frontera.
There was a silver donkey on the hillside. I was about to take a photograph when a construction wagon drove down a nearby track and kicked a ton of dust into the air which refuse to clear.

So not a very successful day with the camera.

Back home we sorted out the shopping and cooked an interesting stir fry with a tandoori flavour.
I listened to the Newcastle United v Chelsea, Carling Cup Quarter Final. Unfortunately we lost 0-1. We played well for parts of the game, but it wasn't to be.

We watched 'Resident Evil' starring Milla Jovovich. We'd both seen it before but had forgotten most of the plot. The zombie Dobermans are great, the film is worth watching just for that scene.
Later we watched 'Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels' Guy Ritchie's great movie starring Vinnie Jones.

These were taken on Tuesday evening, I forgot to put them on yesterday's blog.

Sandra and Auxi.

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Andalucia Blog by Geoff Forster and Jane Forster - Low cost web design by Spanish Spider. This Blog, Photo Journal,is just one of many Photography Journals, it's a Diary,about Love, about our love of Art, hopefully it will be Fun, an insight into Life in Andalucia Spain , Sometimes we write about Food, we love listening to Music,we love Writing our blog,I love Sports,especially Football and my beloved Newcastle United.

19th December 2006 Andalucia Spain Blog

noreply@blogspirit.com (Geoff.and.Jane FORSTER) — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 15:35:00 +0100

Tuesday December 19th 2006

Another beautiful day, although the air feels a little fresher.
We went to Bar Andrés Sánchez for tapas. Salmorejo de Carne, which is pork pieces cooked in white wine with roast garlic and onions. Beautiful.
We walked to the lower part of the village where there is a house for sale.

Benarrabá Town House For Sale

We walked up to Café Bar Guayacán. Caty had cooked a lovely pork dish in a different style to Salmorejo de Carne. We had some of that as well.

The Christmas decorations look good.

Jane, Flora and Val.

José joins them ...

Salud.

Guayacán do cakes as well!
Yolanda seems to enjoy them.

José, Jane, Eva, Platero and Carmen.

A tomato delivery arrived for the kitchen ...

We went home. I designed the poster for the JBNightology Fiesta in Guayacán on Saturday night.
Entry is free. Malacai are playing. If you live locally you should try to get here. Taxi's are only a few euros ... a great way to start your Christmas festivities.

We went back to Café Bar Guayacán to get some of the posters printed off. We'll put them up around the villages.

We had a good evening. Eating lots of good tapas. I'm quite looking forward to Christmas this year. I'm not usually a big fan. Christmas in Spain is more laid back and more fun than in the UK.

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18th December 2006 Andalucia Spain Blog

noreply@blogspirit.com (Geoff.and.Jane FORSTER) — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 13:30:00 +0100

Monday December 18th 2006

We're up early. We introduced Val to Rosie and Domingo.
Out in he street our neighbour Francisco's daughter Zulema had some tiny rabbits she was feeding with milk. The mother had died and she's hand rearing them.

They were very small, we hope that they all survive.

Oxalis Pes-Caprae in flower along the wall near the apartment.

We went to the carnicería to order some pork for Christmas.
Then we went to Pub Bar Dami for a coffee.

Later we walked to the bank and then on to the plaza.

We watched some Griffon vultures perched on a crag. There were thirty more wheeling high in the blue sky. (It really is this blue!)

We went to Algatocín to do some shopping in the extended Super Genal.
This is Algatocín.

Back in Benarraba we called in to see Yolanda. We enjoyed some fantastic tapas.
There's a fiesta in the bar on Saturday night. It starts around 23:00h.
The group 'Malacai' are performing live.
There is also a promotion as part of the JBNightology weekend.
JB Whisky are giving away 365 trips for 3 people to different European cities.
You could win one of these prizes if not 300 more prizes will be given away in the bar.
It should be a really great evening.
Come to Benarraba on Saturday night and start the Christmas fiesta with a bang!

17th December 2006 Andalucia Spain Blog

noreply@blogspirit.com (Geoff.and.Jane FORSTER) — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 11:28:34 +0100

Sunday December 17th 2006

We're up early. Cleaning out the donkeys, walking dogs etc.
Next we set about cleaning the apartment for my mother, Val.

It's her third visit to Benarrabá and we're looking forward to spending Christmas and New Year together.

I'll never get tired of the views from the sun terrace of the apartment.

This is 'Mota de Oro' our beautiful little Spanish cat. She loves being outside in the campo, climbing trees and chasing bugs.

The clock tower in Benarrabá.
The clock has been half an hour fast for most of 2006.
It also doesn't strike properly. I'm not sure how we're going to eat our 'New Years' grapes if it's not repaired in time ...

We set off to Málaga airport at 18:00h. The flight was delayed by an hour. We checked online that it was air bourne before setting off to the airport.

The roads were busier than we'd expected. So was the airport. In fact I've never seen so many people waiting to meet arrivals.
The plane landed safely. We had a coffee whilst we waited.
Lots of hugs and kisses, then we're in the car heading back to Benarrabá.

The roads were quieter on the way back.
We called in to Café Bar Guayacán for tapas. I ate a huge plateful of Montaditos, I was really hungry.
We got home in the early hours. My mother's only been here a few hours and she's already leading us astray ...

16th December 2006 Andalucia Spain Blog

noreply@blogspirit.com (Geoff.and.Jane FORSTER) — Wed, 27 Dec 2006 14:48:47 +0100

Saturday December 16th 2006

A late start ... but another beautiful day.
I listened to Newcastle United beat Watford.

The donkeys were enjoying the sunshine.
Here's Domingo.

Rosie and Domingo.

Later we watched the 'X Factor' final. Leona won it would have been a travesty if she hadn't.
Then we watched Ashes to Ashes about a ritual serial killer.

An early start tomorrow. We're cleaning the apartment, then driving to Málaga airport to pick up my mother.

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Andalucia Blog by Geoff Forster and Jane Forster - Low cost web design by Spanish Spider. This Blog, Photo Journal,is just one of many Photography Journals, it's a Diary,about Love, about our love of Art, hopefully it will be Fun, an insight into Life in Andalucia Spain , Sometimes we write about Food, we love listening to Music,we love Writing our blog,I love Sports,especially Football and my beloved Newcastle United.

15th December 2006 Andalucia Spain Blog

noreply@blogspirit.com (Geoff.and.Jane FORSTER) — Wed, 20 Dec 2006 20:04:19 +0100

Friday December 15th 2006

Another beautiful day in Andalucía! We're having an excellent spell of mild sunny days.

Yesterday we got a text message saying we were going to get a broadband modem delivered by a courier for Telefonica. We waited in all day. They deliver until 20:00h. so we had to be close to the house up until then. Nada ... "mañana" said the girl on their 'Help Line'.

So today we're stuck in again waiting for the delivery.

I took the opportunity to put a couple of coats of really high quality flexible paint on the back of the house. I also got on the roof and painted the mortar between the pot tiles along the ridges. It looks good.

We waited in until 20:00h. No sign of Zeleris Distribución ...

Bored and a little stir crazy we went for a walk around the village. There are a lot more Christmas lights in the village this year. Father Christmas is becoming more visible. Hopefully the Three Kings tradition won't be eroded.

In Bar Andrés Sánchez there's a Christmas tree and lights.

An early Christmas present. This lovely puppy has gone to a good home. This girl is a real animal lover.

The Star of Bethlehem is a popular symbol. This one is outside the Ayuntamiento.

We went to Pub Bar Dami. The bar was well decorated.
This is Dami with Alphonso. Alphonso is visiting the village and has family ties. He now lives in Germany. He visits our websites regularly to look at the photographs of the people and the area.

Our friends Ibrahim, Juan and Francisco. Juan and Francisco are close neighbours.
Ibrahim is Moroccan and has invited me to go there with him. His village is somewhere in the South of Morocco. He's said that I can stay with his family in his house. I'm looking forward to it.

Jane enjoying a San Miguel.

Everyone was having a good time.

We got home at 03:00h.
Walked the dogs and fed the donkeys ... by torchlight.

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Andalucia Blog by Geoff Forster and Jane Forster - Low cost web design by Spanish Spider. This Blog, Photo Journal,is just one of many Photography Journals, it's a Diary,about Love, about our love of Art, hopefully it will be Fun, an insight into Life in Andalucia Spain , Sometimes we write about Food, we love listening to Music,we love Writing our blog,I love Sports,especially Football and my beloved Newcastle United.