Day 39 Hotel

Thurs 22nd May 2014

Not much to report today. English guests went off to Ronda for the day and David painted another wall in the courtyard. I did the housekeeping duties and then some ironing. Had a lazy afternoon reading and relaxing by the pool at "our house". Dinner with the guests again tonight. Jeremy & Kathy said they visited the Bullring in Ronda and thoroughly enjoyed it!!! Today in Madrid would you believe they had to close the Bullring as 3 Matadors were badly injured - HOORAY!!!!! The weather today was a bit chilly but nice in the late afternoon. Heard from my old boss today (Fiona) and very excited as it's looks like she is coming here with her daughter Lauren after their big Europe tour ends at the start of July.  

The view as we come out of "Our House"

Had goats cheese & apple followed by Alan's cod for dinner. Jeremy & Kathy (English guests) lovely couple. He is a GP and also lectures at Cambridge University, Kathy is a Matron for cancer patients. This is David in the sitting room checking the Australian news. 

David & I trying on hats from the hat stand in the hallway.

Day 38 -Hotel. Goodbye Hope

Wed 21 May 2014

Alan took Hope into Malaga to catch her bus to Granada for her next adventure. We got on really well with her  and will see her again on the 5th June in Granada. Jeremy & Kathy followed in their hire ca,r so as not to get lost, to see Malaga for the day.

Suppose we better get back to work! Did lots of washing/changing beds/cleaning floors etc while David started the last 2 walls that need painting in the courtyard, Very dull today and raining!

Undercover job for David as it was raining.

In the evening we all had dinner together - Hetty's duck with mango sauce and fruity cous cous. Everyone mucked in in the kitchen even the guests as we all wanted to relax and watch a movie in the sitting room. We watched David's favorite again - Into The Wild.  

Day 37 - Hotel - A day trip to Cordoba

Tues 20th May 2014

We all got on so well last night that when the English guests, Jeremy & Kathy, mentioned that they fancied going to Cordoba in the morning, it was decided we would all go together! Jeremy (a Doctor) was very pleased that he didn't have to drive so again we all piled into Alan's car a drove about  2 hours to the beautiful city of Cordoba. David & I have already been there but were glad to go back. This picture was taken at a riding school which Kathy loved as she has her own horse at home (Bury St Edmonds UK).

Just outside the palace. We had been in before so we waited outside while the others went in.

We had drinks and lots of Tapas.

Behind you can see some of The Cathedral of Cordoba. It was amazing inside as the original Mosque was inside the cathedral!!!!!

It was huge - never seen anything like it. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/313/

Tea & cakes in a Moroccan tea house

Cordoba is very pretty and lots of people have their courtyards open to view.

After a long day we arrived back at the hotel and all had dinner together - Alan's cheese/onion & mustard pie with a lovely salad. Hope is leaving tomorrow to go to her next Workaway/HelpX in Granada - David & I are going to meet here there as we have booked tickets for the Alhambra on the 5th June. So saying goodbye to her in the morning won't be too sad. 

Day 36 - Hotel - Walk to dinner in Pastelero

Monday 19th May 2014

Hope & I did the early breakfast for the new English guests. Nice couple a Doctor and his wife. David started repairing holes along the gutters of "our house". See him up the ladder.

Later David Hope & I  walked to Pastelero (the next village) to have dinner. The English guests (Jeremy & Kathy) Hetty & Alan drove and met us there. 

It was lovely to walk in the evening - it is still light at 9pm at the moment.

We had a really good meal and the guests loved joining us. All 7 of us fitted in Alan's car for the drive back to the Hotel.

We were all being a bit silly.

Day 35 -Hotel - Almogia Festival

Sun 18th. May. 2014

The German guests checked out (English guests due to arrive later today). At about 12 noon David Hope & I walked to a local festival for the town of Almogia. The walk took us about an hour.

At the festival there were many horses/floats/women dressed in Flamenco dresses/rides/clay pigeon shooting - lots for all the family.

Watching the clay pigeon shooting and having a few beers!

This was the view looking down onto the Festival. It was very funny as some English people who we had met before had told us to join them as they have more fun than the Spanish! So we went in search for them and found about 20 English people sitting with their BBQ and drinks around a table - No where near the activities - so they couldn't hear or see the fun! Why don't they integrate with the Spanish????!!!!! So as you can imagine we didn't stay long with them and went back to be apart of the Spanish way of life.

The girl looked beautiful.

See the portaloos in the background - could not believe they had cleaners cleaning them all the time! Not like at home!

These horses were all in a competion. They would race down a track holding a small thin piece of wood and try to get it in a hole attached to a ribbon which was hanging under a frame they had to pass through,

After the festival the 3 of us walked on for about another 3/4 hour to find the house of Renee (the English lady who came for coffee the other day who has lived here for 14 years and lost her husband 3 years ago). On the way we passed a farmhouse and a gorgeous puppy followed us all the way to Renee's house! 

Renee lives here in this beautiful rustic house that her and her husband had built. Very remote (don't think I could live alone here!)

On her terrace.

She is a bit of an artist and has done some great pieces. 

The master bedroom with views forever.

Another one of her paintings.

Renee made us tea and a homemade apple pie.

Everywhere was very tastefully done.

Hetty came and picked us up as we didn't want to walk all the back! We dropped the puppy back off at the farmhouse - at one stage I think Renee wanted to keep him!

We had an easy dinner as the English guests had been delayed and didn't arrived until 11pm. We watched a great movie - Prisoners with Hugh Jackman