April 16th....April 21
Very exciting to meet M&M at the square for a coffee; the sun was shining it was a beautiful day and we sat in the sun for a couple of hours catching up. We then came back to drop of luggage had some lunch .Matthew then went to properly park the car. Then we all met for more coffee.
The after a wee had bit of rest we all went to El Trenet for drinks and more blethering then back to Castlenel for Lyonnaise potatoes Salads cold meats...the potatoes were the star. We had quite a late night although M&M intended going to bed early as they had had a long day.
April 18th Friday, "what a day."
M&M slept late. I am happy they could ,as yesterday was a long day.
I made them tea served in their special cups I bought for this visit.
They did not want any breakfast here they wanted to go out for Coffee and Tostada.
After lots of chatter and laughter more coffee , and pastries. We went for a walk round town.
It was difficult for Marie as she has a sore knee, but she thought she could do it.
Matthew said when we got back to Avenue de Onil that he wanted to check the car was ok...that was the start of a very long nightmare for him...all of us really.
We looked at all the places that he might have parked it and it was not there. In the end he was sure he had parked in on the street where Kuups , a wee supermarket is.
We then remembered that as we were having morning coffee Matthew got a call from a Spanish number which he ignored as they did not know anyone here...then the remembered that Greg and family were on holiday over here somewhere. he phoned them and everything was Ok they call was nothing to do with them.
In the mean time there were calls back and forth to Brussels as young Matthew D had a terrible fall when he was with Jean Barnard and his front teeth all came out; it was very traumatic for " the wee man" the treatment later was even more traumatic when JB, Matthew and Jeanne had to hold him down , screaming while a doctor gave him a very painful injection.
Marie managed to find a place online where she got SpiderMan to send him a message, very sweet.
In the end Matthew knew that the car was gone...he realised he had not noticed the yellow line on the pavement outside Kuups. He went to the local police and they said it was not them who toed the car away.
Matthew came back and called the Spanish number he had not taken earlier in case it was something to do with the car. It turned out it was Avis; It is a long story and because of the language barrier we could not really understand why they had called, the person who had called Matthew was off duty.
Luckily Pilar was coming over for drinks and to say hi to M&M . While we waited for her to come back from the Vet..Matthew worked out that the store might have called a private group to toe the car..
He could not tell Avis it had been stolen in case that was not the case.He was dying for a beer but could not have one in case he had to collect the car.
Pilar finally arrived, We had wine and nibbles out in LA for her visit, we all finally had some wine.
Pilar understood all that had happened immediately She was sure it was the police who had taken the car...she phoned them and ,she was right, another police man said yes it was with them.
They said we had to go up to the police station to fill out some forms in order to collect the car.
Marie had had enough walking and was happy to stay in the LA with wine and nibbles. Matthew, Pilar and I went up to the police station.As we arrived Matthew said that's the one who told me it was not here.
Pilar said you don't have to be very bright to be in the Police Local.
When she asked why he had told Matthew they did not have the car ,he gave a very lame reason which made him sound glaakit, very handsome but glaakit.
Matthew had lots of questions to answer and forms to sign.They asked for ID Matthew gave is Drivers Licence; but they wanted a passport, he was going to go back for it , but in the end the police said a photo of it would do, Marie sent over a picture and that was acceptable.
Matthew had to pay 100 euro , I was glad I thought it might be a lot more.
We then had to go from the top of town to a place near the eco park and the bottom of town.
We were told a police man would follow us down but could not take us in the police car.
We finally found the place and we met a very cheery guy who said " I was the one who toed your car." We waited about an hour. outside the pound. The sun was down and it was quite chilly.
Eventually the police car arrived and we got the car, Matthew was given some forms to keep and off we went ; we knew the following day was the day of fires around town. Pilar showed us a safe place to park
We then headed to Puhuen for a drink and to unwind; Marie was happy to stay home. We had one drink to decompress, then we all headed home; Pilar did not come in with us.Alberto was arriving in the morning.
We had no idea how to thank her, we could never have got it done ourselves, at least not in that amount of time; she was very relaxed about it all.She said she enjoyed her evening with us.
Matthew and I came in and Marie said she did not want to eat, she was tired and went to bed; Matthew and I went up to the kitchen and has some food with wine ; then we both had two glasses of whiskey.
All was well that ended well....but is was a tough long day.
18th April.
This morning we felt relief that we were not going to face the day we had yesterday.
It was a beautiful Saturday Market Day.
I wanted to get some compost while Matthew was here as I can only get small packets to take up to the house,M&M wanted market nuts.
We had coffee first at La Bassetta I got four lovely plants, they got the nuts and some fruit, including a custard apple; I had only ever seen them in North Queensland.
We then went to the Chinese shop Hong Da for the compost and Marie bought some gifts for the grand children.
We had more coffee, than back to Castlenel for lunch Carrot and Coriander Soup, various cold meats cheese and Barra de pan. ( integral )
Marie went to her room to rest Matthew went to sun bathe on the balcony.
I cleared up the kitchen ; then laid the table with my lovely new place mats and my good crockery and cutlery as it was their last night.
I made a lovely green salad with radishes sprinkled over the top, chill onions, tomato salad, pickled veggies, and beetroot salad.
A Pipperade to go with pasta.
I washed market strawberries and had some lovely ice cream.
The table looked lovely , the kitchen too with candles and fairy lights. all ready for our return from
" parking the car " and seeing all the fires around Castalla.
We went out a little earlier as M&M wanted to have a relatively early night as they had and early start in the morning.
In the end at EL Trenet, after a good few glasses of wine and beer, Marie thought we should eat there.
Which we did, and it was all very tasty. We left and walked around Castalla enjoying all the fires and folk sitting round the eating and drinking, and young folk throwing "bangers down" great stuff.
So my last night meal and lovely kitchen was not used.
Marie went straight to bed...Matthew and I had a last glass of wine together in
LA. Which is always special to have time just the two of us.I made him take a picture of the kitchen table :)
He went off to bed and I put all my nice china away and cling filmed and froze some food..
19th April.
Very early start....I took two cups of tea and a bowl of peeled oranges on a tray and left it out side their door ( RoR) as they said they would not have anything here they would eat at the airport.
Matthew and I went to collect the car, thankfully it was still there.He brought it up near the house which was easier for Marie to reach.
We all walked down to the car in beautiful Sunday morning sunshine as the bells were ringing out.
I waved them off and walked through the square past the churros van which only comes on a Sunday.
When I came in I felt both exhausted and bereft. As I often do when folk leave
.
I stripped the bed put on a wash and made a cup of tea and sat on the balcony.I felt so utterly shattered.
I waited till the first load was finished pegged it out put a second load in and collapsed into bed.....I wakened three hours later still very tired.
I had a wonderful bubble bath in our beautiful bathroom
It was a beautiful day but I just did not have the energy to go out again.
I did however have an early meal of the food we did not have on Saturday evening.it was delicious.
I watched an episode of ER but had to go to bed very early...I slept for a very long time.
20 April.
It is a beautiful day but I am happy to say home and have tea on the balcony and rest rest rest.
PM
I found the energy to plant the plants I bought with M&M at the market this afternoon.
I watched a documentary about 7/7 . I am afraid to say I had not heard of 7/7 till a few years after it happened . We must have been in Ireland or here in Spain.
Having watched the programme I am shocked about 7/7 and the aftermath of it...21/7 and the death of an innocent young man who was mistaken for a terorrits.
Watching this confirms my decision not to watch or listen to the news of what is happening in the world.
Because there is nothing I can do except, depending on what it is,
write a cheque, light a candle , say a prayer.
Feeling desolate ,angry, grief stricken helps no one....so for now I listen to as little as possible ,mainly
The Rest is Politics
Happily Philip sent me a link to the Guardian ( good news site)
I am so happy pottering around Castlenel, sitting on the balcony and Sofia's terrace.
I have no intentions of going out today...I may go to the market tomorrow...for a coffee mainly as I have so much food left over from M&Ms visit.
I want to get back to my morning Jane and my morning writings. I did almost none of that while M&M were here.
I am listening to Anne of Green Gables which I love even if it is a children's book;
Love's Executioner Irvin D Yalom
and I have the new Sally Vickers Dancing Backwards can't wait to start.
"Books are the plane, and the train, and the road. They are the destination, and the journey. They are home." — Anna Quindlen
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