Malaga - Christmas and Picasso

Sunday 3 December

We awoke early to a beautiful sunrise, with the air quiet and still. We were rewarded by seeing 3 falcons soaring near the house, and watched them for about 10 minutes before they disappeared..

Packed up the car and drove to the house to find another flood, and the rich neighbour had returned their Christmas and envelope ……obviously still not happy with wall !!.

Dropped off the car at Ricardo’s and walked back to town to catch the bus to Malaga, and walked to our hostel. We walked to the old city and got caught with an expensive tourist lunch of bacalao and boqueron with rancion portions, amounting to 25 € . Took lots of pictures of Christmas decorations and giant Picasso giant posters. We then walked the blue tourist trail in reverse, taking in the Christmas markets.

We then visited the Picasso exhibition marking the 125^th anniversary of his birth. Back to the Hostel to wrap up warm, and then went out about 7 pm to walk the Malaga Navidad (Christmas) decorations, and had another expensive tourist meal out. .

Preparing to leave

Saturday 2 December

We awoke early to a very misty morning, blanketing the whole valley. After breakfast, drove to house, and gave out remaining presents and cards……much appreciated, but most asked porque ?........why ? Went up for a coffee and bocadillo mixto before tackling the house……getting rid of as much dust as possible from the front bedroom, which took nearly 3 hours. The cheap hoover we had bought a few days ago for this task was excellent.

Brought in all the lights and decided where the kitchen light should go, as no electric channels drilled out, and agreed the position of the terracotta lights.

Drove back home and took a load more pics of the Rio Grande Vivo protest banners, arriving home about 5 pm and had tea, and dried out after getting drenched.

Went to our favourite bar, and had fried boqueronnes and bocalao. Nice fire going and J dried out her coat. A customer left with J’s favourite umbrella from the rack…..only 2 there , the other being a battered black one. The daughter shouted after him, and phoned him when he didn’t appear. He came back sheepishly and apologised profusely ……..a simple mistake……. but there was no way the 2 unbrellas could have been mixed up.

Last working day

Friday 1 December

Weather overcast this morning and no sunrise. After breakfast, drove down camino to the house, and Ricardo was there delivering bricks. J had a list of issues, and we went up on first floor terrace to discuss. She explained that we had tried to discuss the wall issue with our next door neighbour, but she had’nt understood.

He just shouted down into her patio, and she appeared in her dressing gown, and Ricardo explained the situation. She was not keen on a wall built on her wall, as she might wish to build up in the future. However, she was not against a wall built up on our side, or railings.

Agreed to do nothing, as Ricardo is still of the opinion that there is no need to build a wall, and he was not prepared to go looking for the other neighbour…….that it was up to him to speak to him about the problem. He confirmed the bathroom was “illegal”, but that now it was complete, that we could’nt be told to pull it down.

Ricardo wanted to know what sort of door she wanted onto the patio…….thought it had been ordered ages ago, but apparently not. Also queried the tile bill, as it should’nt have been as much as 1034 €……..nearer 700 € according to our worst case calculations, not knowing all the prices.

Ricardo phoned them up and they would prepare a fecha (bill). Also discussed the ceiling and plaster board, and spot lights ……Tommy had apparently not heard of the Spanish placa carton-yeso (plasterboard), but Ricardo understood, and of course we could have a ceiling and 3 spotlights inserted in it. We showed him the rustic tile we had bought in Marbella day before, and also the garden edge brick. Should be ok……not sure if can get rustic tiles here.

Drove over to get a copy of the tile bill, and it was indeed much lower than Ricardo had been told at 632 €, so a refund of 400 € due.

Walked up to town to have a coffee and bocadillo mixto, and draw out the new bathroom lighting on the plans, and then photocopied all the plans to be left for reference for them whilst we are away. Apparently, they will be having a 2 week Christmas break, so not expecting a huge amount of progress, but hoping for a working upstairs bathroom on our return on 10^th January.