Malaga

 After getting over Covid and working hard on the house, we are having a few days' holidays in Malaga, staying with friends Karen and Malcolm.

We arrive in the early evening on the 17th of November 2022, Karen has cooked and we spend a few hours chatting and catching up.

On Friday, the plan is to go for a walk, a game of Paddel on the seafront, a meal out in the evening and then Open Mic, the rain stopped the Paddel game but we managed a long walk instead, had a nap in the afternoon before going out.

We started with pre-drinks in a sherry bar at 1 euro each then went on for a vegetarian meal at a restaurant owned by a friend of Karen and Malcolm. The night concluded with an Open Mic event, a mixture of Spanish, and English and a very loud Scotsman kept us entertained until midnight. It was a late night,as we then had to walk to the tube station.

On Saturday, after a bit of a lazy morning, we wandered into Malaga to explore the city, we walked 10km and saw the cathedral and the castle, sampled churros and saw the sea. After a busy day, we went back for another home-cooked dinner and played cards until the wee hours.

On Sunday, we decided we needed to rest, so we only planned a short walk into the Botanical gardens which were lovely but a little neglected in places. Christmas had arrived here, as the staff were busy putting up Christmas decorations. Home again for more rest, yoga and meditation.

Leaving Monday morning for Ronda, an hour or so down the road.

Painting and a delivery

 All the holes in the living room are filled, the floorboards are sanded, and the woodwork has been sanded, so the living room is ready to paint.

We have decided to paint the ceiling white and the walls magnolia and have timed it so that Ikea delivers the bed whilst we are there.

8 hrs later, we have 2 coats of paint on the ceiling, walls, and almost every bit of my skin that was uncovered is also covered and Ikea has delivered.......twice

The first delivery driver was shocked to see that he had brought one delivery and that there was another one scheduled for the same day apparently from a different warehouse, a few hours later he turned up again with the second delivery, he had gone back to the same warehouse twice for 2 deliveries to the same house. Bizarre system.

Shopping trip

 We headed off today to a retail park that seems to focus on furniture and home products. We picked up several items including mugs, plates, cooking utensils, recycling bins and a kitchen trolley in the first shop. After trawling around another couple of shops and wasting half an hour in a bed shop that couldn't deliver before we left, we returned to the first shop to order a sofa and decide to try ordering a bed from Ikea when we got back.

A very successful day.

Work begins

 We have decided to concentrate on the living room, so that we have a nice place to relax in, in the evening.

Work that needs doing

• sand the door frames
• sand the doors
• treat the woodworm
• sand the floorboards
• cut off the old hinges from the old doors and shutters
• fill in the holes and cracks
• paint the ceiling
• paint the walls
• replace the skirting boards
• mend the broken floorboard
• buy furniture

Work is underway, but we have to decide about the interior doors, they are riddled with woodworm so they may need repainting which is a shame as they look much better stripped. The holes and cracks look good, all filled, however, it is taking a while to dry as the cottage is quite damp.

The big clean

 Buoyed up by our successful shopping trip to buy a broom, mop etc, we decided to clean the house.

It took all day as the cottage hasn't been lived in for 10 years, 10 years of cobwebs, spiders, flies, dust and mouse droppings, gross but necessary. It feels much better after we finish and we can see what needs doing. When the rain stops, the first job is to replace some of the tiles on the roof to prevent the water damage from worsening. 

We have lost a week

 A whole week of Covid has put things back, we haven't done anything much, just survived.

A week after we arrived, we donned masks and went to Coimbra to get essential supplies including a duvet, hot water bottle, slippers and warm pyjamas, thank goodness Primark is in Europe too.

We also picked up oil-filled heaters, a letterbox and a washing airer, all absolute essentials.

Very tired after our trip out, but glad to be warmer and slightly more comfortable. 

COVID strikes

 Covid has hit me too!

Alternating between a runny nose, coughing, vertigo and chills is no fun especially when all the furniture you have is two donated garden chairs, a garden table and a mattress with a duvet cover (no duvet) and a weighted blanket! I'm craving home comforts!

Luckily, we have very kind neighbours, who are popping down whilst keeping their distance and bringing home-cooked food, foraged mushrooms and supplies.

Unluckily, we have an appointment for our electricity to be turned on today that we cannot cancel as having no electricity is adding to the pain! As there is no need to isolate here with Covid, we opened all the doors and windows and stayed outside as much as possible whilst he was here. Approximately, one hour later, we have light and can plug the hot water boiler in, so hot showers - hallelujah!

Apart from that 1 hr, I have stayed in my pyjamas all day.