Happy days with Bill

Wednesday 9 January

Life goes on here in Spain and we have become accustomed to a relaxed state of mind enjoying our warm sunny winter days on the south facing terrace. Our day starts off very slowly and we have our first cuppa at about 8.20 to 8.30am. Depending on how we feel, we might even have a second cup. In any case by the time we have had showers etc, it is gone 10am before we have breakfasted and washed up the dishes. By then the sun has warmed up enough to sit on the terrace and we get out the cushions for the sun loungers. Before you know it it’s time for a coffee then lunch and before long it we have been listening to music, reading books, done tapestry and well basically, relaxed all day and what do you know it, it’s time for the G&Ts. At about 5.30pm it is starting to get cool and so we go in and set the fire ablaze warming the house for the evening. It’s hard I know but someone has to do it!

Every couple of days we go for a walk down to the village and get some supplies. Bill has been amazing for 81 he’s there with the rest of us and is happy walking the hills with his thumb stick, even if it is a bit slower than the rest it doesn’t matter as we all get there in the end. He even did one of the walks to the back of the house designated as ‘tough’ so good for him.

On Friday 4th January we took Josie back to the airport. It was a sad day for us and we all miss her very much but happy that she is having such a good life. She has a couple of days in the UK then is off skiing on the 8th and with Paul and his family. Lucky girl, bet she will feel the cold having been here for 3 weeks.

Over the Christmas break Kevin was feeling a bit of sharp edge on one of his back molars and giving it a bit of an investigative poke he was horrified to find the filling (which is about the size of Wales by the way), and which encompassed the whole of the tooth was in his hand. Strangely, it was the sheer weight of the thing that amazed him at first then it dawned on him that we are in Spain and where is he going to get it fixed this time of the year? As the tooth wasn’t in any distress for its dismemberment he stuck the filling in his pocket and thought nothing of it for a couple of days. We did try an English speaking dentist near Velez Malaga but, it was clear that he was on holiday and was not in the least bit interested in helping Kev out. Certainly not without it costing an arm and a leg. Now, at the quiz night on Thursday Viv and Mike told us that there was a dentist in Riogordo and they were open the next day following the holiday. Brilliant, 10am we were there at the door first in and straight in to the chair. Kev showed the man (not sure if he was a dentist!) the filling which he took from him, blew it with his air gun, got out his super glue and whacked the said filling straight into the matching cavity. Once in, there was no smoothing it over and polishing just a cotton wedge to press down on and the advice not to eat or drink for one hour. Well, what do you expect for €20 and besides it hasn’t fallen out and works fine. Problem sorted.

On Saturday 5 January we went to a brilliant party at Sue and Bob’s. They are fellow quiz nighters and we were invitet to their curry night. We love curry....what a night we had. There was about 30 people quite a few we have never met before so it was nice to meet new faces. Sue and Bob have a really lovely house near the centre of the village. Sue and Bob are well travelled and have been to India in the past; Bob apparently doing a cookery course there. I have to say it showed, Bob makes the most amazing curries three or four different types with accompanying rice dishes. I think it is fair to say the food was well up there with the best I have ever had. (Note to self- must invite Sue and Bob around for a pizza before we go- no curry can’t compete with that). Anyway the evening was a blast and how I got Petra and Bill home up the hill is beyond me. All Petra could muster was “Look how beautiful the stars are” whilst the pair of them wondered over the road. It was with great relief that we made it back to base. So a huge thanks to Sue and Bob for the invite we are very grateful indeed and wouldn’t have missed it for all the tea in India.

On Wednesday 9 January we decided it was time to go out for a drive and we wanted to take Bill to the El Torcal, the place we took Jo and Paul to with all the rock formations. Mainly for the drive there as it is truly amazing and the view from the top takes your breath away. Only problem was when we got there the wind was howling a gale. We braved it to the viewing platform and the wing took Kev’s really expensive glasses clean off his face. They flew through the air and landing on the floor split into two (glasses and clip-on sunglasses and that was the last we saw of the sunglasses. They vanished over the side and into oblivion. Kev’s own fault for not taking them off and leaving them in the van. Now we have to find a replacement as he uses them for driving. Tragic.....