Why Wasn’t I Told??

Why didn’t anyone think to tell me that Joe Cocker died? I only found out a couple of days ago, by a casual remark from a neighbour, that he died just before Christmas. I'm still reeling from the shock. My teenage hero – RIP. Really though, it's amazing he lasted this long.

Anyway despite this news we managed to have a fabulous birthday celebration. Turning 59 didn’t seem so bad in my favourite city with the sun shining. Yes, my birthday treat was 2 nights in an apartment in Sevilla and lunch in my favourite restaurant.

 

Lunch Day 1

Birthday Lunch - Day 2

Birthday lunch

Lunch Day 3

We did all our favourite haunts again, and even found a new bar – a very Spanish bar, that hadn’t been redecorated since 1932, approximately. The food was outstanding.

 

Sevilla Alcazar - just to prove we didn't just eat and drink

We really thought this would be our last visit to this gorgeous city, however as fate would have it we are destined to return, not once, but twice! Friends from Texas announced they’d be in the vicinity 2^nd week of Feb, and then friends from Glasgow emailed to say they’d be around for the first few days of Feb. Who are we to say no?

The weather in El P continues to be sunny and warm, but a storm is forecast for the next few days. We’ll just hunker down and wait for the sun to return. It is a really social campsite this year and we have made more new chums, and with friends from previous years about to arrive, it’s going to be a fun last 2 weeks.

 

Nearby Cadiz

Enough of me raving about our lifestyle in sunny Spain. The pics say it all.

PS: Lawrence bought me a new vegetable peeler for my birthday – last of the big spenders. But check it out! This little shop in Sevilla is a treasure trove. They now have an online option - could be dangerous. After all, how could you resist a gadget that will produce square boiled eggs!

Vegetable peeler that slots onto you finger...

Ferreteria/Kitchen Shop
www.bazarvictoria.es

And a Happy New Year ...

Our Christmas lunch was fabulous and we felt so very smug when we learnt that Sydney had the wettest December 25 since 1942. We were in 23 degrees and sunshine.

 

Christmas Lunch in El Rocio

Back in El P we settled into our pitch and prepared for New Year. The campsite this year seems to be mainly Poms, Germans and French. We met a really fun bunch of Brits and decided to celebrate NYE together, starting with a fabulous late lunch in a nearby restaurant.

The speciality of the house is steak and you can choose your meat from the fridge. Lawrence and I both decided to try fighting bull meat. Now, before you rush off to ring PETA, let me explain the philosophy behind this. The bulls are raised in ideal conditions, free range, grass fed and well cared for. OK they do meet a grisly end, and I’m in no way defending the ‘sport’ of bull fighting, but all cattle meet a grisly end and these have had a good life – better than most. Do you really want the meat to be thrown away or put into dog food? It was good, and we took the leftovers home to make a steak sandwich.

 

NYE lunch with the Brits

The aim was to have a very late siesta and head into to town for midnight and see the Spanish New Year in. We arrived about 11.15pm, and were surprised to find that all the bars were closed. The place was deserted, you could have shot a gun off and not hit anything moving. A ghost town. We found a couple of policemen and they said the bars won’t open until 1.00 am. 

 

Deserted El P at 11.30pm on NYE

So, we walked backed to the campsite and partied with the Germans. They were all wandering around with bottles of Cava and having a grand time. We did lots of “Gutes Neue Yahre” and joined in the fun.

The French slept through it all.

We entertained an Australian couple of new year’s day and had prawns on the Barbie for lunch.

 

Prawns on the Barbie

Our weather continues to be amazing and we'll stay here as long we have sunshine.

Celebrating our new windbreak - for when the chilly breeze arrives.