IT'S BEEN 3 WEEKS

The GF is doing pilates twice a week and sticking to it; I started Spanish lessons but fell by the wayside......homework is a bugger when you could be off enjoying yourself.
The initial flush of winning the quiz faded and we came third the next week and then fourth. Our main rivals have reorganised into 2 strong teams and are snaffling the prize money. The whist nights are spectacularly supported and the competition is fierce for the €10 or so on offer to the winning lady and man.
The main event has been the Japanese lucky charm ceremony at which Joan's dragon was the star- 20ft long with 5 ladies underneath and made entirely of rubbish and gaffer tape. There are a couple of videos on YouTube with 2 more waiting to be uploaded.....I'll put a link in later. We found fireworks in a firework shop in San Fernando thanks to Laurent & Jacqueline whose son has a bike shop there (its complicated) and they very kindly took me over there. The dragon has been adopted by Martina and Jeanmarie who run LaRosaleda as they aim to use it in the summer.
The post ceremony party consumed much rioja and went on well into the night having transferred to the bar at some stage as the sun went down......it has been very chilly in the evenings and early mornings. After a glorious first week we had a few days of wind and rain but the sun returned last weekend and after the wind dropped it is most pleasant with spectacular sunsets.
We've walked on the beach and around the town; cycled to fruit farm for oranges and the bee farm for honey ( I've branched out from honey made from bees feeding on the orange trees to lavender honey and something labeled Extra Virgin which sounded intriguing).
Larry & Pat invited hired the camp car and invited us to join them on a trip to Jerez where we made the obligatory visit to the Terry's Bodega for a dozen litres of brandy (6 for me and 6 for Harry) .......its only at the bodega that you can buy the 36° instead of the 30° available in the supermarkets to combat drunkenness. At €8.10 a ltr. bottle  its extraordinarily drinkable . We had an excellent lunch an pottered around.
So all in  all, life is exceedingly pleasant at the moment, and with 5 evenings a week taken up with something the time just flies...........