Murcia Museum Day

Having done a little research before we left home, I discovered a Bull Fighting Museum in Murcia and thought it would be nice to go and see the display of costumes. We set off with the map I had printed out, the Sat Nav did not seem to have the address for us to follow! Arriving in down town Murcia Chris spotted a parking place outside a museum that seemed to be in the right area. It turned out the museum was The City Museum so we went in to just use the toilets and then decided we would look around. The ground floor was full of ancient artefacts including a skeleton and impressive pottery. The first civilisations, the Argaric and Iberian cultures settled along the slopes of the Segura Valley. On the 25th June 825 Mursiyya was born owing its foundation to Abd al-Rahman 11.

We then took the lift to the first floor, which displayed the change from Muslim to Christianity in the 13th century and information through to the 18thC.

Finally we took the lift to the 2nd floor, and wow... just my cup of tea... it was full of Nativities. I asked if I could take photos and was allowed to even though there was a notice saying ‘no photography’.

It was more like a shop than a museum display.

Box upon box for nativity items

Nativities from around the World

Baby Jesus in both black and white

A tiny nativity from Peru.

Considering this was a museum visit by mistake we really enjoyed it, and on the way out took a photo of my favourite piece, a stained glass door.

We then wandered through the gardens looking for the Bull Fighting Museum... next blog

The Bulgarian Resturant

Having had a day of recovery after the quad biking, we met our friend Pat for lunch at a local Bulgarian Resturant. The place was decked out in Bulgarian needlework, which I really liked seeing, colourful curtains and table cloths with hyacinths on every table.

Although the kitchen seemed smaller than mine at home the chef produced very nice meals.

Our waitress

Outside seating for large groups. It was a little too cold to sit out the temperature having dropped from 29+ yesterday to 16 degrees today.

Quad Bike hire

On a whim I asked Chris how he fancied quad biking, and that is where the story began..

We booked a one hour quad bike hire from Hotel La Mariposa that included a free four course lunch for 39 Euros each.

Having never done anything like this before we had no idea what we were letting ourselves in for.

It turned out to be just the best day every.

About an hour from where we are staying, firstly on a motorway and then a road that was little more than a track!

Decked out in crash helmets we are introduced to our quad bikes, yikes what are we doing?

Brad our leader stops to take a photo of us next to the beautiful almond and cherry tree blossom.

Having gripped the handlebars so tight I doubt I can let go!

Next ‘stop’ is at the Mirador, just the most peaceful scenic place I think I have ever been to.

We are still smiling.

Views to die for, somehow they seem unreal. The lake at the bottom is actually dammed with rocks.

Just look at the tracks we are using!

Brad our leader is excellent with all the information on the area and keeps us safe.

Back at the Hotel, which looks such a delightful place to stay.

We wait to order our four course Menu del dia which was extremely good.

Just a brilliant day from 11.30am when we arrived until 3.30pm when we left. 

Tired and happy we both collapsed on the sofa when we got back to the villa.

The secret probably everyone knows!

For a long time I have wanted to find somewhere to download audiobooks. Amazon seemed rather expensive and I kept putting off subscribing. I am definitely not a reader of books and have been enjoying my knitting while Chris sunbathes and decided to do some research.

Bingo... by signing up on line to my local library I can download audiobooks for free, why has no one told me about this?

I loaded the Borrow Box app and picked a book at random to try out the service. 

The Homestead River by Rosie Mackenzie.

I was hooked and could not stop listening, loved the story.

Since my first trial I find I can ‘loan’ 5 audiobooks at a time, sending back when I have read them or do not like the story.

Popular books have a waiting time, but that’s OK, I have 500+ to choose from.

Now to find my headphones  then it’s out into the very hot sunshine [22 degrees plus] to find a shady spot and work on my knitting.

Quesada for fish and chip Friday

Friday we met Pauline and Brian at Quesada in Villa Martin for fish and chips, which were again delicious. 

The weather has turned very hot 22.5 degrees so a quick walk to the sea before sunbathing back at the villa.

Blue sky, turquoise water and golden sand, the perfect scene.

Mason de Prado

Wednesday we invited the adult missionaries from church to join us for a meal at Mason de Prado, one of our favourite places to eat.

We were lucky we had booked as the place was packed. It is very popular with the locals and very Spanish.

Elder and Sister Brady enjoying the menu of the day in th conservatory.

My starter, followed by Pork escalopes [too busy eating for a photo]

Lemon tart for dessert, yummy

It was a lovely chatty time with great company.

1917

Another trip to the cinema yesterday to see the film 1917.

Everyone should see this movie, it is so moving and has you on the edge of your seats most of the time.

First World War in all its gory detail.

The duck has a new outfit

Mr/Mrs Duck has a new outfit.

To swim or not to swim that is the question!

Maybe I’ll just relax under this palm tree..

Catch up Tuesday

Sunday after church we ate again at The Dog House, traditional roast pork Sunday dinner... yummy.

We wanted to check out a place that has been advertising Menu of the Day and have decided it’s not for us! Although there were a lot of English cars in the car park. On the way back to Roda we passed the Los Alcázares sign,  so welcoming.

It would be nice if all roundabouts were as pretty as this.

Today we visited The Pretty Shop, I love this warehouse so full of crafty things and everything you could possibly want for the home.

On  arriving back at the Villa this had mysteriously happened to one of the very large patio doors.

Luckily for us it is just the inside pane of the double glazing so we are Ok until it can be fixed.

The sun is out, but there is a nip to the wind.

Lunch at Quesada and the movies

Friday we met friends Pauline and Brian at Quesada Fish and Chip resturant. It was a great visit and catch up as I did not remember to take any photos, plus the fish and chips were really good as usual.

My usual FitBit steps are around the 2000 mark since having both knees replaced but I have been trying to ‘up’ that number since arriving here in Spain where the weather is warm and the scenery so much nicer to enjoy. In the two weeks since leaving home, except for one day, I have managed over 3000 steps a day. During the terrible storm ‘Gloria’ when it was too wet and windy to do anything I visited a local shopping warehouse and walked the aisles !

Plus we visit the bins everyday.

Chris doing the recycling at the underground bins.

Saturday was, movie day and we visited the local cinema which shows movies in English twice a week. We choose to see Bad Boys for Life, both being fans of Will Smith and Martin Lawrence. 

It was a great movie with Spanish sub titles, only hiccup there is a gang of Spanish speaking baddies from Mexico 

and because the English was subtitled in Spanish the Spanish was not sub titled in English! We really enjoyed the film.

Quackery

Did you guess what I was knitting?

Mr or is it Mrs Duck?  Guess it depends on the clothes I knit for him/her.

Sitting in the sun, waiting for some new clothes.

Opps anther workman here... the boiler suddenly stopped working, so no hot water or central heating!

A call to Mike who looks after the property and within a couple of hours an engineer was here changing parts and we are back to full power.

Busy mending the boiler.

Nails

My nails have been dreadful for some time, I think the antibiotics and steroids I had to take in December played havoc with my body and my nails suffered. I came out to Spain with nothing on my nails, but after two weeks cannot stand them so made an appointment with Donna to have them Shellacked. I am so pleased with them and feel normal [whatever that is] again.

It has to be RED!

Weather back to normal

Weather back to normal, well almost. There are clean up crews everywhere and some streets still cordoned off.

It was car wash time, as it looked like a sand storm had hit it. 

We tried a new car wash to us, near Dos Mares and it worked a treat 3 euros

Next stop the shopping Mall at Dos Mares that was closed all day yesterday because of the floods. The clean up crew were shovelling mud and pumping out water from the car park.

In need of a quick lunch we went to the KFC for their special offer again... yummy but the ice cream machine broke so we had to have a strange yoghurt drink instead!

After all this excitement a walk was needed in the bright sunshine.

Salt mountains in the distance

Sun glorious sunshine.

3500 steps later back home for a cuppa.

What is it?

As the storm raged on and the building shook with the thunder overhead I continued  knitting!

All the parts of my latest animal are now completed, can you guess what it will be?

We had planned a visit to the local Velos Cinema this afternoon, on Tuesday and Saturday they show films in English but it was not to be. The owners could not get to the cinema to open up as all the roads are under water and many are closed again for the third time in 3 months.

Emergency services are in the area, but we have escaped the flooding, however the paths and road are like shallow rivers on the complex.

Spain just does not have the infrastructure to cope with rain.

Better settle in for the afternoon and sew up my animal... watch this space..

A noisy night

Yesterday the rain that is suppose to ‘stay on the plain’ poured down and this was followed by a hail storm, thunder and lightening.

Many of the roads around here are under water and some are closed.

Sleeping was difficult with the thunder and dramatic lightening.

Just sitting having breakfast and again thunder and lightening with torrential rain, roll on Thursday when the sun is due to appear again.

Sunday lunch

Sunday lunch at The Dog House in Dolores was all and more than we expected.

The Dog House

Sunday lunch, Beef for him, pork for me...yummy

Church of Latter Day Saints, Los Alcázares

Went to church this morning, and although all in Spanish I understood some of it. Sister and Elder Brady from Utah made me most welcome and invited us for lunch one day while we are here. 

While I was here last year I met a man that lives on the Golf Complex and he warned me this evening there will be a bad storm and not to park in an underground car park! A couple of months ago when a storm hit the area [called a Gota Fria, spelling?]  his car was in his garage and it filled with six feet of water and ruined all the cars parked in it.

We are going out for Sunday lunch and then will batten down the hatches for the evening.

Pate de Aceituna Negra

We had one request from Abigail before we left home for a jar/tin of Black Olive Pate, sounds horrible to me who dislikes anything with Olives.

On the way through Spain we stopped at a shopping mall to stretch our legs and saw a jar we thought was what she wanted so took a photo to ask her. Yes came the reply exactly the pate she loves.

Arriving at our home for the next 6 weeks we tried 5 different shops and drew a blank each time. Today is a little overcast so ventured into Cammmpillo [yes there are 3 Ms!] an up market food shop and BINGO having shown an assistant the photo I took she showed me where it was on the shelf. They only had 4 tins so I bought them all... hope this will make one granddaughter very happy.

An interesting start to the day

The past few days have been filled with sunbathing and generally doing nothing! Although I have managed to up my regular step count, mostly with walks around the complex.

This morning we went for an early walk ‘around the block’ as we were expecting the Telecom people to come and instal a new internet system.

I love the topiary everywhere, and although chilly at 9.30am a cardigan is all that is needed.

Wonder how long it takes to make a topiary swirl ?

10 o’clock-ish the Telecom men arrived, all three of them and after a wander around the house to find out about the old system, set to wiring from outside to inside, keeping my Telecom husband entertained with their fibre optics etc...  [like I know what I am talking about!]

Finding an incoming socket was quite a treasure hunt.

Putting things back in place and checking it all works, Chris signed about a dozen papers and we have super fast broadband.

Now to cook lunch and then sun sun sun.