Wed 28th December
I have come through to Colegio Maravillas this morning to hand in my evaluation form. Having arrived at 0930h, nobody was here except the cleaner! Having said "good moring" to her every day last week during my course, she knew me and let me in. So here I am with the school to myself, no teachers and no office staff, just the cleaner and the computers!
Looking back on the couse from last week, I really enjoyed the four days that I studied here. For me the best thing was the time spent in the vocabulary/conversation class. Having to speak on a topic for 5 to 10 minutes without much preparation has given my confidence a boost. In the grammar class is was interesting to do tests from the DELE Intermediate and Superior levels.
All in all, I would give the week a 9/10.

This afternoon we have a doubles match at Club del Sol Tennis Club, so hopefully we can progress futher in the tournament.

Tomorrow, I have arranged to meet up with Madridman Board Member "Arturo" in Fuengirola. This will be a mini-Madridman get-together. If any other board member is in the area, we are meeting at the Estación RENFE in Fuengirola at 0930h, please join us. We intend to head up to the Campo de Tenis Lew Hoad for a coffee.

Yesterday moring, I went through to the Pueblo Blanco of Mijas on a couple of errands. I tok the opportunity to take some pics:








The village looked very pretty in the early morning sun.

Sorry to hear about your robbery Rob. Spanish people tell me that unfortunately crime rates are higher the closer you get to the Med resorts. They do claim at the same time that crime is virtually non-existent in the north. So perhaps it's Asturias for your next jaunt?
You've had a lot of Spanish language spells this last year or so. Do you intend to take the DELE exams?

Hi Filbert - thanks for the support regarding the robbery. I got a phone call from the tennis club this morning to say the the administration office in the area where I am staying contacted them to some that some of my possesions had been found. The will have contacted the tennis club because my membership card was in my wallet. I will go to the administration office tomorrow to see what has been recovered and I will update on this thread. On the positive side, my Spanish bank card arrived yesterday, so at least I can now access funds easily.

Yesterday was a disaster at the tennis. In the doubles match, we won the first set easily by 6 -1 and then my partner totally "lost it" in the second set which we lost. We also lost the deciding tiebreak 10-8.
Now I hear that my partner has flu and may withdraw from the competition!

Today I met with board member Arturo and we took my car and went to the Campo de Tenis Lew Hoad for a coffee then we both headed to Coin. Neither of us had been there before. After another coffee, we found the tourist information office and got ourselves some maps and "did" the sights, all five of them!
Coin was interesting and after that we had some lunch of mixed salad and gambas al pil pil at a venta on the back to Mijas.
Here are some of the photos from Coin:

Plaza de la Villa:


Side Street:


Small Fountains:


Some local girls in fancy dress who went round the town handing hout sweets and singing Xmas carols:


The church of San Juan:


The fountain at the side of the church:


The square inside the Convento:


The exterior of the Convento:

Right now I have been helping an ex-pat fellow Scot sort out his computer.

Here are some more images of the visit to Coin:

The bandstand in one of the Plazas - they were setting up in preparation for New Year's Eve:


The old tower, which has been refurbished:




The Ayuntamiento:


A view from the edge of town:




Other pics:




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Saturday 31st December

update on robbery:
i went to the administration office and a security guard had found my wallet. In it were my bank cards and credit cards, alng with a photocopy of my passport and driver´´s licence and EU health card. Still missing are my actual driver´s licence and mobile phone and digital camera. I have givenup hope of recovering these.
I boughy myself a new moble phone last week. It was not tied to any company ("libre") and coast about 54 Euros. It is a Motorola and I am very happy with it.
I had canceled my Spanish SIM card and Vodaphone gave me a free replacement with the same tel number. The best thing about the phone it that it is in Spanish.
Friday was uneventful, with some shopping and chores in the moring and some tennis n the afternoon. It was a beautiful day and today is shaping up to be the same.
The end of year celebrations are almost upon us do a very Feliz Año Nuevo to all board members and guests.
Tonight, then of us are going to a Chinese restaurant (the same on as last year) and then going down to the squate in Fuengirola for the bells at midnight. the food was excellent last year and the price was right!

Tennis update
Can yo believe this: after our surprising defeat on Wednesday, my tennis partner felt unwell, so without consultaton with me, he scratched from all events and change his ticket an flew homw with his wife yesterday! They were meant to be staying until Monday 2nd January. maybe he should be my ex tennis partner!

Spanish update
I have been using a lot of spoken Spansh, more than ever so I feel that some progression has been made. As usual, the problem is, that wen I get home, the sponken Spansh drops off dramatically.

Well that the last of the blok for 2005.
All the best to everyone for 2006.

RobbieRoy

It was good to meet you on Thursday. I had a great time and enjoyed the trip to Coin. The gambas were very good that day and they are always my favorite in Spain. I am sorry to hear about your tennis partner. Unfortunately, I do not play tennis and can´t fill in for him.

The weather has been just great since I arrived on Tuesday. Yesterday I went to Marbella and today we walked to the castle in Fuengirola. On the way back we stopped for gambas at a chiringuita on the beach.

Tonight for New Year´s Eve we are having dinner at our frieds home in Los Boliches. We will then walk back to Fuengirola for the midnight celebration. We bought our grapes this afternoon. I will look for you in the crowd.

Feliz Año Nueve MadridMan and all of the board members.

Arturo

Here are some more images of Coin:







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Sunday 1st Jan 2006

The New Year's Eve festivities were very enjoyable. A group of 8 of us went to a Chineese restaurant in the cnetre of Fuengirola and ordered one of these meals for 8 people. The food just kept arriving at the table! Some of the dishes included:
Selection of rice, noodles, chicken, prawns, duck etcetera. With drinks beforehand and wine during the meal and of course a sweet and coffees, the price was incredible - 15 Euros per person.
Following the meal we went down to the Plaza de la Constitución, the main square in Fuengirola. This is where the town council put on a free party to see in the New Year. There square was crowded, with Spanish families and groups of friends enjoying the live band and the free Cava and Uvas de Suerte. I has organised some grapes and cava for our group to avoid possible queuing and disappointment. These were duely consumed on the strokes of the bells.

Today I did a few things around the house and played a little tennis. The weather was superb.

I also spent a little time getting thinks organised for my return to Scotland on Tuesday 3rd January.

Monday 2nd January
I decided to look at the diary in my PDA to see if I had any work-related appointments later in the week. On looking at the entry for Tuesday 3rd Jan, I noticed that there was no entry giving details of my flight back home (I usually keep the ref no of the booking in my PDA, just in case. However, there was an entry for Wednesday 4th Jan. I quickly checked my printout of the booling to discover that indeed, I was flying back on the 4th and not the 3rd - what a boost - and extra day in the sun!
I took the car to Marbella to visit a friend who was in hospital and then played a little more tennis.
In the evening a group of us went to a very up-market restaurnat - Partick Bausier in the Pueblo Lopez area of Fuengirola. Fantastic food but a price tag to match!

Tuesday 3rd January

I took advantage of this "bonus" day in Spain to go to the Tueday market in the Recinto Ferial in Fuengirola. There is a Tuesday market and a Saturday market. The Tuesday market is the best in terms of quality products at reasonable prices, whereas the Saturday market tends to be second-hand goods.

I bought 3 CDs for 24 Euros - two by El Barrio and one by Cameron de la Isla.

I have been to the Recinto Ferial several times befor but had never noticed the sculptures on the main pathway between the casetas. Here are some photos of them:









In the afternoon, I played more tennis and then collected a frien from hospital in Marbella.

Arturo - how did your trip go to the village near Ronda? I look forward to seeing some of the photos.

Rob

I also was in the market on Tuesday. They closed the market last year for repairs and the statues are new. I also bought 2 CDs of Spanish Guitar music.

Your pictures came out well. I have taken lots of photos and will send some to you when I return home. I have lots of photos of the lights in all of the towns.

Our trip to Campillos, Olvera and Setenil was very good. Setenil is a white village with the houses set into the cliffs. It was very interesting. After ten days of sun, this morning it is raining. My friends return home to NY tomorrow and I leave for Jaen, Ubeda and Baeza. I return home on Wednesday.

Feliz Dia de Los Reyes to all....

Arturo

Hi Rob,
Thanks for the diary and the photos, very enjoyable. El Barrio is in concert in Madrid the first weekend in April, I'm going, can't wait.