Long live the president

Before I actually bought an apartment in Mijas-Golf, I never had much time for presidents of communities, whose self-importance seemed to far exceed any good they might do. But I was wrong. Having lived here two years, I feel lucky that our president lives only two doors away, and keeps things running smoothly within the complex. The gardens are beautifully maintained, the pool is always clean, the fountains work and the security is good. He puts himself on the line in the interests of all the residents, and he regularly admonishes trouble-makers, noisy neighbours and inconsiderate visitors who, without being spoken to, could make life a misery for the rest of us. Don´t get me wrong - I am by now means a nosy neighbour or a habitual complainer - and prefer a quiet life than any conflict, but I feel secure knowing that if I have any problems within the complex, then the president will sort it out quickly and without fuss. And after all, who else would want the job? I don´t believe in over-officious individuals in any walk of life, but I do think it´s necessary to keep certain standards and to make sure basic rules are adhered to when you have over 200 people living in one complex - othewise chaos would ensue. So just to say once again, after a busy summer at Mijas-Golf, congratuations Mr President!

September Morn

Well tomorrow is the first of September and I can hardly contain my joy and delight. (A like minded friend has just called to play Neil Diamond´s September Morn down the phone to me - sad but true!) I know thousands of people enjoy the summer in Spain and where would we be without the tourists? But I for one am embracing the cooler months ahead. No doubt I will be moaning about the rain as soon as it starts - but hey - complaining about the weather is a British thing after all. September is a beautiful month - still warm enough to sunbathe but cool enough to walk on the beach or to trek inland to one of the beautiful inland nature reserves such as the Sierra de las Nieves at Ojen, which boasts some of the most stunning scenery and wildlife in Andalucia. And all just 20 minutes from Marbella centre. September is a time for catching up with friends who return after summer, and to reclaim the pool and the beaches after the majority of tourists have gone home. There´s not one person in the pool today - which is a first for August at my complex, and most people seem to have started their journeys home this weekend. It even feels cooler today (but that is probably my imagination), and there is a good sea breeze whipping in from the coast. So to celebrate the end of silly season, we are going for lunch today at Finca la Mota, just outside Alhaurin el Grande, which is one of my family´s favourite Sunday lunch venues. Quirky and well priced, we normally order a selection of tapas and salads to begin with and the mixed grill with some fab. marinated ribs as a main course. They also serve some great rolls and sandwiches including fillet steak with mustard and onions, and a range of salads including thai prawn and fresh tuna. There´s also a pool in the grounds and plenty to keep the kids entertained. If you enjoy a change from the usual beach bars and restaurants, and now that the weather is cooling down, venture a little bit inland, and you´ll find some great places to eat and drink at a fraction of the price you pay on the coast.

Sporting heroics in Summer, 2008

I have just watched Boris Johnson, Mayor of London, receiving the handover of the Olympic Flag in Beijing. I like Boris Johnson as he has that certain air of scruffiness about him, and his unkempt appearance and slight eccentricity blends well with his public schoolboy accent and haystack hair. He is likeable, terribly English and proud to be so and I think he will prove to be a brilliant Mayor. After Spain´s fabulous defeat of Germany in the European Football Championships, followed up by Rafael Nadal´s historic Wimbledon win against Roger Federer and Team GB´s outstanding performance at the Olympics, this summer has been a dream for sports fans. So here´s looking forward to 2012 and I am confident Britain will live up to all Olympic expectations. Oh and the 2010 World Cup Finals are nicely wedged in the middle in South Africa, which England will definitely win under the excellent guidance of Fabio Capello.

Summer nights at the Triana

To celebrate my aunt´s birthday, ten of us went out for dinner at the Triana Beach Restaurant, at Carib-Playa on Friday night. Prices at many of Marbella´s beach bars have shot up recently, and the quality of the food in some of them is not as good as it should be. The Triana is an exception, and although it is by no means a luxurious restaurant, the food, the location and prices are hard to beat. Try the fresh mussels mariniere, or the tuna with white wine, lemon and sautéed onions - both favourites of mine. The scenic terrace enjoys an elevated position over the beach and the open views to the Mediterranean are stunning. Live music is played during the summer times on Friday evenings, and the Spanish guitarist who performed last week was brilliant. I love the informality of the Triana and it´s everything that a chiringuito should be - fresh food, reasonable prices and 50 metres from the sea. Oh and also plenty of parking right next door. With starters, main courses and plenty (and I mean plenty) of cava, wine and soft drinks thrown in, the bill worked out at €35.00 per head -not bad for Marbella. We use this beach bar a lot, as I used to live closeby, and it´s definitely one of the best in the area. Also it´s a great place to take the kids, as there is plenty of room to play on the sand in front of the terrace.

Telephone:-952 933 833. To get there from Marbella, take the coast road East in direction of Calahonda/Fuengirola. After the sign for Elviria, exit the road at Las Chapas sign. Go straight up slip road parallel to N-340. At roundabout 1st exit and at next roundabout head down right to the beach. When you get to beach front turn left and the Triana is 100 metres on your right hand side.

Arroyo Hondo Casares

I have sampled food at many restaurants along the Costa del Sol, but not many compare to the fab fare at Arroyo Hondo near Casares. Take the N-340 from Estepona, direction Sabanillas, and turn inland at the sign for Casares. The restaurant is situated in a great countryside location just 2km from Casares village and 10km from the coast. Admittedly, the last time I went here with friends, I was suffering some quite severe hangover symptoms after a late night birthday party on the Saturday. But the fantastic food and ambience at this restaurant soon perked me up (or was that the wine??). The menu is completely different to anything you will find on the coast, and although I love the beach bars in and around Marbella, their menus are all very similar, and offer little in the way of creative food. Sunday lunch is the best time to go to Arroyo Hondo in my opinion, as they are open all afternoon and you can relax and enjoy the views aswell as the great food. Dishes include:-sweet onion and manchego cheese tart; vietnamese spring rolls with lime, chilli and basil mayonnaise and gravadlax tartare with poached quail´s egg and wasabi créme fraiche (my absolute favourite). Main courses include such favourites as:-slow roast belly of pork with sage and onion mash and haricot vert wrapped in bacon; pan-fried sea bass with saffron cream and prawns, served on a bed of roasted thyme potatoes and seared duck breast marinated in 5 spices with wok-fried pak choi and green tea noodles. Desserts are home-made and delicious and include vanilla créme brulée, and warm wild berry frangipane tart. Oooh I shouldn´t write about this when it´s nearly lunchtime and all I have to look forward to is a soggy sandwich. Arroyo Hondo´s food is different and totally delicious - even with a hangover! If you are planning a trip here, it is best to book. Tel: 95289 5152.

Calypso Calypso

It may not be the most salubrious resort on the Costa del Sol and probably puts up with more negative publicity than it deserves, but I went along to Calypso last night, close to Riviera del Sol, to meet my dad for a meal. He is renting a house just behind the main road into the urbanisation, and we decided to eat locally. I remember Calypso from the late 80´s when I first started to holiday in southern Spain, and back then it was the closest place to Cabopino with a supermarket - how times have changed. Calahonda and Calypso are now sprawling resorts with more supermarkets, pubs, bars and restaurants than you could shake a stick it. My taste in restaurants and bars, like my taste in music is pretty diverse, and I have no firm favourites (apart from maybe the Beach House at Elviria but hey, I can´t afford to eat there every weekend). Sometimes I fancy a bit of Englishness, and Calypso is the ideal place for pool, pies and pints - although I do draw the line at watching the soaps on pub telly - as is the rage in Benalmadena-Costa! Well last night we caught the highlights of team GB amassing even more gold medals at the Olympics, while we enjoyed a few aperitifs in the aptly named Sports Bar. It was a good place to be to revel in Britain´s sporting glory before heading off to Millikins. Now I had walked past this bar/restaurant at least 50 times and never even looked at the menu - probably because it looks like any other Brit bar - quite unappealing and uninteresting from the outside. We were in for a real treat. We enjoyed a fantastic sirloin steak with chunky chips and mixed fresh vegetables (pepper sauce on the side), and then shared a delicious home made créme brulee with raspberries and fresh mint. The service was good and the welcome was friendly. They also offer a set menu including three courses and a bottle of wine for €20.50 per person. Dishes include - sautéed wild mushrooms topped with poached egg, beef stroganoff, pork fillet stuffed with roquefort cheese and some delicious vegetarian dishes. This is the best choice of dishes on a set menu I have seen for a long time. Oh and the puds are superb - melt in the middle chocolate pudding and St.Clement´s cheesecake to name but a few. So next time you are down Calahonda/Calypso way, give Millikins a try - we will be going back for sure. It is situated next to the Barclays Bank - exit road at Calypso petrol station.

Dogs on the beach

I have been taking my mutt, Barney for regular Sunday walks along Cabopino beach for about 4 years, as I used to live there and it was his favourite place. Now I understand as well as the next woman that nobody wants dogs doing their business on the beach - and I always take him for a mini-walk on the wasteground near home before venturing out to Cabopino, plus take plenty of poop bags with us just in case. Today the police came along in a 4-wheel drive vehicle and said ´no dogs on beach now´. So Barney hid behind a sand dune, with visions of being hand-cuffed and carted off in the meat wagon to the nearest doggie prison, while I apologised profusely as I didn´t know the new rules about walking dogs on the beach. The rozzers were quick to move on so they could berate other dog walkers, so I don´t know if this ban just for the summer months, or all year round? Local rules and regulations in southern Spain can be quite grey areas, depending on the local police, the town hall and even, on occasion the security guards on the beaches. Does anyone know if there is a hard and fast rule regarding dog-walking on the beaches? Although Barney is none the worse for his brush with the law, he was kicking his legs and yipping and yapping during his afternoon siesta - he must have been dreaming about doggie borstal again.

Olympic Mania

I´m never quite sure if I love or hate watching the Olympics. I think the love bit comes from my teenage years watching Sebastian Coe (before he reinvented himself as Seb) and Steve Ovett who used to smash world records and collected a host of golds in the 800 and 1500m (Showing my age now). I also remember, strangely that whenever Steve Ovett used to win a race he would trace out the letters I.L.Y with his finger and point at his girlfriend, Rachel. (Despite this dodgy behaviour, I still regarded as something of a hero). But where have our middle-distance runners gone since the golden era of Ovett and Coe? Perhaps everyone else just got too fast for us? Having said that, I have become slightly addicted to the goings on in Beijing, especially since Becky Adlington won two golds in the swimming pool. I am from Mansfield and it is the first time we have ever produced a famous person (many infamous ones maybe). Oh and Alvin Stardust was from our neck of the woods but we don´t brag about it. So way to go Becky girl - and I hope she gets many many more. Apparently she has been given the ´freedom of Mansfield´ by the town´s mayor, Tony Eggington. My dad did remark wryly ´didn´t you have that when you were a teenager?´ Not sure where he was coming from there so I chose to ignore him. As I type I am watching the girls receive a silver medal in the skulls (and crying because it wasn´t a gold) and Team GB has just celebrated a fantastic gold in the double skulls (well it was two men in a light boat so I am assuming it was called double skulls). The pursuit cycling has been fantastic - not sure about that sprints thing where they all seem to start and stop about 20 times during the race -but I still enjoy it. I even found myself getting addicted to the table tennis yesterday to the horror of the family. Now normally I am a big footie fan, and Liverpool are my team - but after watching their diabolical performance midweek against Standard Liege, I decided to switch on to the Olympics - and what a brilliant decision it was. So, as I tackle a pile of ironing, watching yet another pursuit ride all I can say is COME ON GREAT BRITAIN - at this rate we´ll even win the ping pong.

Mamma Mia what a movie!

If you haven´t been to see Mamma Mia the movie yet - GO - it´s fantastic! My dad called me from the UK yesterday morning and after I told him I was going to the flicks in the afternoon he grunted ´it´s a bit bloody hot to go to the cinema isn´t it?´ ´It´s a bit bloody hot not to go to the cinema´ I replied, thinking of the air conditioning and comfy chairs. Joined by 6 of my girlie friends we were ready for a good giggle and that´s exactly what we got. You will laugh at this film and laugh along with it, and it´s the perfect anecdote for those summer time blues. Meryl Streep was her usual amazing self - how does that woman look better now than she did ten years ago - bitch! Julie Walters continues to be one of the funniest women on the big screen, and she brings so much to this film. All in all it´s a jolly good jape - and the fab Abba songs including all the favourites such as Mamma Mia, Super Trouper and Money Money Money - are guaranteed to keep you dancing in the aisles. Not the finest acting, and some dubious solo singing performances by Pierce Brosnan, but I had a big smile on my face the whole way through - and Mamma Mia is one of the most upbeat movies I have seen for months. So if you are looking for another excuse not to go to the beach and scorch, take the kids to see Mamma Mia. We saw it a Myramar Cine Centre, Fuengirola - showing at 12.10 pm, 4pm, 6pm, 8pm etc.,

Is it hot or is it just me?

Now I know I may have mentioned this a few times before, but is this summer hotter than any other summer in the past ten years? Well it certainly feels like it to me! I work in the offices of a removals company, and the poor guys who have to lug the furniture around are literally praying for rain. I have seen a good few summers on the Costa del Sol, and I have to keep confirming with friends that it really is this hot, and I´m not just entering some premature menopausal stage, but they all agree - this summer is a killer. When my friends and family from England call and ask me what I have planned for the weekend, they are amazed and disgusted to learn I am doing ´nothing much - it´s too hot to go out.´ ´Bloody hell´ they retort ´you ought to be here in the pouring rain´. ´Yes´ I think ´I really ought to be´. And the good news is, super high temperatures of 40 degrees are forecast for the weekend so take care out there. But you know how it is - the Brits always moan about the weather. It´s either too hot, too cold, too rainy or too cloudy. But ooo what I wouldn´t give for a bit of snow right now!

The Secret

Has anyone read the book, The Secret, by Rhoda Byrne. Now don´t get me wrong, when I first looked at it, as it was given to me as a gift last summer, I thought it might be a lot of mumbo jumbo. Being somewhat sceptical, my first impressions were that The Secret would not change anything about my life, and that the universe would carry on throwing back as many problems as I had before reading it. BUT I WAS WRONG. The book makes sense. It is all about the power of positive thought, and the way that whenever you wish for something positive to happen - it will. It teaches the readers about the famous academics, scientists and inventors such as Einstein and Alexander Graham Bell, and that how, from giving out positive thoughts to the universe, they received a whole lot more in return. I found that once you read the book, and teach yourself not to keep sending out negative thoughts such as:- ´I will never have any money´, ´I will never have a nice house or a nice car,´ and instead, sending positive messages to the universe believing that your every wish will come true - then it will. It is difficult to explain how much this book has helped me and thousands of others. It has changed my whole way of thinking. Try it and see the difference it makes to your life.

Eating the Andalucian way

Being such a cosmopolitan area, we are lucky enough on the Costa del Sol to have a wide range of fabulous restaurants to suit all tastes. English fish and chip bars sit alongside fine dining restaurants and Chinese takeaways, and every type of food is served in the resort towns along the coast.
As good as most of these restaurants are, I always find it a shame that visitors to the south of Spain are not more adventurous when it comes to food, and many Andalucian delicacies go largely untried.
Traditional Spanish food, like Italian food, is unpretentious and simple. It is the subtlety of flavourings and combinations of fresh ingredients which make it so tasty and easy to prepare.Traditional cooking in Spain today is still very much as it has always been, and only the utensils and methods of buying ingredients have changed. I have eaten some of the best Spanish meals in the homes of friends and family who have lived here for generations.
Once provisions arrived by donkey or mule from nearby fields and fishing ports, now they arrive by refrigerated truck from all over Spain and from across the world. A fusion of flavours is nothing new in Spain, and it goes back at least as far as the days of the Phonecians who landed on Spain's Mediterranean coast and brought with them Mojama - an air cured type of tuna. This is still widely popular along the Costa de la Luz, and the aptly named Cabo de los Atunes.
The Romans are thought to have introduced olives, figs, grapes and wine, and the Moors and the Arabs contributed greatly by introducing rice and sugar cane plus a host of previously unseen fruits and vegetables, and also by creating complex irrigation systems enabling previously hot barren land to grow crops. The discovery of the Americas brought potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, chillis, beans, avocado and chocolate. Gazpacho - the Moorish cold vegetable soup - didn't become so well known until tomatoes came from the New World.As superb as Spanish tapas are, there is much more to Spain´s cuisine than these tasty offerings. Many recipes make full use of Spain´s superb olive oil, home-grown vegetables and locally-caught fish.

Aguamania - well worth a visit

Aguamania is a country bar - restaurant, just 20 kilometers from the coast, located by the A355 in the campo outside Cartama. If you fancy a run out in the country, it will only take you 25 minutes from Fuengirola. I love the location of Aguamania and the excellent food.
And if you fancy a few days away from the summer madness on the Costa, villa accommodation for up to 12 people is available , with it's own private pool. Wre were first taken to the restaurant last winter, and enjoyed the best Sunday lunch we have ever had in Spain - and believe me we´ve tried a few. It may be a bit warm for roast beef and all the trimmings in August, but we will definitely be going back next month. Not only is the food great, and the welcome warm and friendly, but its the perfect place to take the kids. There is plenty fo them to do, and the restaurant also hosts club nights, karaoke evenings and kid´s activities. From September, the Farmer´s market will resume on Fridays. This is the perfect ´get away from it all´ restaurant and the food and prices are unbeatable. See link for website or call - 95 242 0028. You won´t be disappointed.

Off to Arabia

I work Monday to Friday for a busy shipping, removals and storage company close to Mijas-Golf. I am amazed how many people are moving to Dubai, Oman and Kuwait now that Spain, is apparently, in recession. I understand that people need to earn money and those who have fallen on hard times here due to the downturn in the property market, probably see Dubai as an easy option. But I would never go. Imagine Las Vegas without the gambling - a huge plastic, tinseltown existence with no substance - that to me is what Dubai represents. Soulless and artificial. Yes I know the restaurants are fabulous, the apartments are luxurious and the hotels are among the best in the world. But I think it is pitiful to travel all the way to Dubai and not experience any Arabic culture, traditions or heritage - just a non-stop party town to keep the affluent ex-pats entertained. 85% of the population here is made up of ex-pats who contribute very little to the country but take a lot. Having worked in Bahrain and Kuwait, on a more serious note, I have seen at first hand the appalling conditions that the workers from the poorest nations on earth have to endure. The thousands of Bangladeshis, Indians and Filipinos are shipped in to these countries like cattle, and expected to work in sub-human conditions, often on building sites in temperatures of up to 50 degrees, for a pittance, with very little hope of ever having enough money to go home. Modern day slavery is very much alive and kicking in the Middle East and it´s time people´s eyes were opened to it. Scratch the surface of Dubai, and you will be disgusted at what you find. The Costa del Sol, in comparison, is a healthy piece of European paradise that I, for one would not swap for the world.

Doggone vet´s bills

A couple of weeks ago I went away for a weekend to Seville and my good friend came to look after Barney the mutt. He is Heinz 57 variety (the dog, not the friend), and I found him 6 years ago by the lakes on the way to Ardales. I didn´t steal him (contrary to rumour), and as he was padding along a country lane, tick-ridden and starving, I decided to take him home and make him better. A few medical bills along the way, including an intricate op on his back to remove a disc, I could not have made a better decision that day at Villafranco - he is a beautiful dog and has a great nature (ok you non-doggie lovers out there - stop yawning). Anyway, I digress......... After returning from Seville said mutt was scratching a patch of skin near his tail for hours and eventually made it bleed from all his gnawing. I took him to my vet in Calahonda (who is brilliant) and he told me it was an insect bite (not the dreaded sand fly thank God) and he said I would need to buy a cone to attach to his collar, a flea collar, some anti-biotics and some betadine and gauze to dab the affected area. Then he gave him an anti-inflammatory injection for good measure and the bill was €80. Now don´t get me wrong, he is worth €80 and much much more, but why are vet´s bills so steep? I have decided in my next life I am going to come back as a vet or a dentist! Watch this space.

A great horse show at El Ranchito

My horsey relatives (horse-loving not horse-looking) were over to visit recently and were eager to go to one of Andalucia´s horse shows which take place along the coast.Opened in the 1960´s as a riding school, El Ranchito at Torremolinos, now hosts the most spectacular shows on the Costa Del Sol. José Gonzalez bought the ranch in 1975, and continued running it as a school until the 1990´s when he decided to create a family horse show with animals trained by him.
This amazing show is performed every Wednesday evening, and brings together some of Andalucia´s finest riders and horses. Split into six sections, with a short break in the middle, the show includes equestrian ballet, Spanish dressage and the most incredible skills by the horsemen.Lasting one and a half hours, the show regularly attracts crowds of over 500 in the summer months, and advance booking is recommended. Dinner and a flamenco show can also be enjoyed at certain times of the year. This is much more than a show for the tourists, and we were amazed by the skill and horsemanship of the riders. Well worth the money and a great family day out. Adult price is €20 and price for the children is €10.50. Situated at El Pinar, Torremolinos, the phone number for more information is:- 95 238 3140.

Chill out at the ice bar

If, like me the sizzling temperatures are starting to get to you, and you are fed up with getting home from work, showering, getting ready to go out then feeling like another shower after ten minutes, then try a trip to the ice bar in Benalmadena Marina. Boals Ice Bar is the first ice bar on the Costa del Sol, where everything is made of ice, including the bar, the walls and the glasses. Situated in the marina area, visitors are provided with gloves, socks and coats on the way in, and this is the most unusual late night bar you will ever find. Inspired by the Finnish ice hotels, this is a fabulous place to chill out – quite literally. The ice stools and seats are covered to stop you sticking to them, (good to know you won´t rip your skin off on the way out), and the drinks are served cold, very cold. Subtle lighting and lively music add to the unique ambience - try the chilled vodka which is a real treat and made me come over all Russian. The only downside is that if you go in summer, relax for a few hours in the cold, then walk back outside, it feels even bloody hotter! You have been warned.

Budget Airlines - not as cheap as we think

Having decided to go back to the UK for a long weekend in September, after the kids have gone back to school, I decided to scan the budget airline sites to see if there were any bargains. I want to fly into East Midlands, as I will be staying with my dad in Nottingham and his house is only half an hour from the airport. Easyjet and BMI Baby fly into East Mids, but BMI usually have better flight times and slightly more expensive prices. I found an outward flight on at 2pm for €58 from Malaga to East Midlands and a return journey, the following Monday at 10am, for €40. Hmm not bad I thought. I thought wrong. I had calculated that this would probably work out at a total of approx. €150 when taxes and whatever other surcharges were added. Wrong again. After the airline had added €31 - yes €31 - for checking in at the airport with one bag, plus taxes, the total amount came to €194.00. Then to top it off, I was charged €8 for having the audacity to pay by mastercard. So the total came to €202 for flights that were advertised at €98. Not quite cricket is it?? These airlines encourage us to book online, then charge us €8 for the pleasure plus an additional charge for checking in ONE bag. If I had taken their travel insurance too, plus asked for a designated seat number, I would have had to take out a second mortgage. Why oh why can´t the advertise the prices to include something other than parking your bum on the aircraft seat, then we might not feel quite so misled when we see the total price.