11th.Feb 2015
The weather is odd but better than the UK and the rest of Spain. The days are sunny and even hot between 12-4pm but the nights and mornings are much colder than usual, necessitating uncalled for expenditure on heating. Normally we would spend €1 a day on electricity but the last month was €2 a day and a trip to Jerez to fill the LPG as well. The Med coast has similar patterns but the overnight temperature is at 0° or worse. The Spaniards say they have never known such a prolonged cold spell or such snow GH further north...... But with the € rate at 1.32 as opposed to 1.16 this time last year who's complaining ?
Last week saw the knockout boules competition. We drew for partners and I got Pat who's normally good, and the GF drew John. Pat and I played like s**t and ignominiously lost 13-0 in the first round whilst the GF stormed through to the semi finals. After a liquid lunch she narrowly lost to the Liverpudlian who was beaten in the final by Bryan and Jacqueline so the honours were split between the uk and france.
We followed that with another 3rd place in the quiz.....the usual suspects again taking the first 3 spots. I did redeem the Bowdidge honour by winning the whist drive.
On Friday night the restaurant put on a BBQ before the England-Wales game and with the healthy French contingent here it was a fairly riotous night, the game not starting till 9pm here.( have I mentioned that there are more French than usual because they are avoiding Morocco for fear of Islamic trouble). On Saturday a good crowd gathered for the France-Scotland game, made very raucous by the French.
On Monday we took the van out for the day to Jerez, filled the LPG and walked round the town and had a light lunch.......Jerez is a v.nice city, many beautiful buildings (mostly concerned with sherry of course) and we never tire of meandering round the elegant streets.
On Wednesday it was our turn to win the quiz, with our rivals tying for 2/3 places. The best turn out yet so a very healthy 40€ prize.
I keep trying to have the odd dry day but without any significant success. The more wine I buy the more people drop by and vice-versa but the supermarket has an offer on Pata Negra Valdepenas 2006 at 4 bottles for 10 € which appears to be the tipple of taste for most.
We have some new card partners, Charles & Gill, with whom we play an excellent game of Nomination Whist when the wind is blowing or the sun goes in.
Ken & Jacky emailed to say they are going to Bonterra Park at Benicassim and as that would fit in with our return travel plans we are trying, without success at the moment to get a booking there for 21feb onwards. As Chris & Malc will also be there it would be a good place to stop for a week but the signs are not good so far. I rang the C&CC to see if we could join the rally only to be told that a rally only booking was £75 admin cost !!!!!! There is another site close by so we might try that.
