Eve

Hi Everyone,
Well that is my summer over , boo hoo. I am back to school on Monday , but no children until Wednesday, so a relatively quiet start.
Summer in Competa was brilliant, it always is, it is home from home but with a lot more things going for it, undoubtedly the weather. I always know it is going to be hot but you forget just how hot, it is very hard to describe heat and boy was it hot!
I love the sun but even I had to relent to 4 sunbroll ies on my terrace, it was like living under a toadstool, just too hot to lay out comfortably after 9 in the morning until 6 in the evening, but the pool at the balcon de competa ( we have a new municipal one now too, although only open for August as not enough money to finish it yet!) was brilliant and the warmest sea I have known, no oooooh!! factor at all.
The moment I arrived my social life kicked off, a party the first night, a spanish wedding the second. Oh and after OH being out a month before to rewire the ground floor the dust etc had had time to settle even though he had cleaned, so I spent a whole day blitzing the house, in that heat I was knackered but well worth it once it was done. I seem to recall an extremely large bacardi and coke followed! Once house was clean, flowers nurtured , my neighbour gives them tlc when I am not there, I was ready to holiday.It is so different to holidays before Competa as it is now like living , not holidaying. I never feel as if I have been away , but isn't it strange as soon as you meet up with someone the first thing they ask is " how long are you here for"? or " when are you going home?" are they trying to tell me something!! Anyway time was taken up with the normal, never going to bed on the same day you get up, unless for a siesta of course, many of those due to extreme heat, often around 40 when having meal on terrace about 8 in evening. I have never spent so many nights sleeping on the terrace as I did this year. Brilliant, to lay there and see such fantastic stars filling the sky. Sorry guys if this is a long one but as requested am sharing my spanish life, if only for a few months a year. I have to mention the bullfight, I know a dodgy area with some, but I had the chance to go , it was in the next village, Canillas, Bigbudda, you may well have been to the feria, anyway, decided to go, wanted to see for myself, I don't feel you can make judgements unless you see for yourself, as in foxhunting, but I won't go there, because spent a lot of my younger years doing just that! It was an wonderful experience, not what I had in mind, and I kept myself very detached from saying, aaarrrgh poor bully etc, anyway they got their own back a few times. So an experience, and I have my views others have theirs. Noche del vino in competa was a day and night of the usual, free wine, culture, Migas, free food, but have had that a few times now, that I go to the local stalls and get chorizo and morcilla baguettes, far more tasty!
The nightime is always a bit of older ladies and wailing music, but there was a slight difference this year, a younger fella, well not that young, but the singing was passable, and a really good flamenco dancer, who danced with a jazz style, very good and different. So once that was over, it wasn't long before Malaga started its 10 day festivities, so a day In Malaga it had to be, again brilliant, the spanish certaily know how to party. I really can't go into details of everything but this summer was turning out again to be wonderful. OH was out by this time, he arrived a week before Noche del Vino so he had the longest time in Competa that he has had. So with the trips to Casa la mina, hotel in mountains, alway extremely quiet with views to die for, swimming and lunching there with friends, taking in the atmosphere of Competa and surroundings and not forgetting the opening of the new night club of Pepe from Museo , great night, late night and drink flowing. .
We visited friends who live in Fuente de Piedra, near Antequerra, funny little town but they love it. That is how I have got to know the donkey sanctuary there over the years and have adopted donkeys and so have half the family, even if they are not as lucky as me to get to see them, if any of you have the chance do go for a visit, you will fall in love with them, and give Monty a hug from me if you go!. www.elrefugiodelburrito.com if you want to visit site. There are many donkey sanctuaries but this one is run so well and if anyone is from Mijas, these are the people that began the donkey taxi liscencing. There is a santuary in Nerja but they have slightly different values like allowing all and sundry to feed them, I don't like that idea, as I grew up and my children did with ponies around we know only too well what these animals get like if they expect food and you do not have some for them, a bit like naughty children so a nip here and there is what many a visitor may well get, not seriousluy I hope. Anyway my donks, are relly well loved, some very sad cases, funny ones too like getting arrested for smuggling , by the british army in Bosnia, so that was how one arrivesd, I could go on but I am sure you are all loosing the will to live so I will shut up in a mo.
All I can say is that my summer in Competa has been brilliant, it is home from home, the people are lovely , I have many firends and aquaintances and the the spanish put up with me using my spanish on them, one day I shall manage it, I feel confident until I talk to a true competano and then it all goes to pot! So you can see that I am passionate about the place and am now counting down the 6 weeks until I go back, only 47 sleeps!!
Thank you for reading this if you have managed to get to the end, I am not looking through rose tinted specs as I know there are negative things to spainish life, like the new mayor who as nice as he is has made his stamp on the town and some very strange things he has implemented too , but thats life, sure good will come of it.
So on that note I shall leave you all to resuscitate yourselves and say ta ta for now. and I look forward to Hugo winning the doggy votes,!!!!!!
Luv Eve
xxxwww.elrefugiodelburrito.com

Eve

A few photos of my summer.
Luv Eve
xx

Bigbhudda69

Eve,
Nice post !...love to read all the news about your visit, bet it was real tough leaving..I have not been to the ferria in Canillas yet, seem to spend all my time looking for tiles....seems like it was a bit warm as well , has OH got any more work to do on the house or can you finally relax now? what's the mayor up to now ?, any new restaurants in town ? I noticed when I was last over the nice little deli at the bottom of the slope had closed, was this holidays or has it gone ? used to get some nice pastries from there.
47 nights will soon go......

Bigbhudda69

I recognise the guy in the first picture, that's young Salva...has his athlete's foot healed up yet ...
Are you on your way to El Pilon in the second one ?
Is your house in the third piccy ?
Come on more info....

Rosemary

Lovely to read about your summer in Spain and the photo's look absolutely wonderful, thank you so much for sharing.

Surely this should not be in siesta time though as not everyone visits and it would be a shame if there are only a limited number of people seeing your thread.

Rosemary

Eve

oh didn't give that a thought, how do I change it.
xx
xx

Eve

Oooh yuk!! Yes Pilon is ahead of me, and no house is not in piccy.
The deli you are talking about must be Borriquitos, bakers and bits below , lovely bistro type restaurant upstairs, run by English lady and german fella, lovely peole, she is a great friend and unfortuanately, he is no longer on this earth, reversed his car one night over the side of mountain!! Borriquitos is closed, downstairs is yet another property agent and upstairs still empty. Teresa has gone on to other things but is still in village and busy, a lovely person.
The mayor wants everyone to have a licence just to pick up a paintbrush, but I think he is just making a stand to try and bring back to sense to all the things and lack of mainey left from the previous one, who knows if he will be any netter. He did a ot of good for the village when he was th epriest, but who knows, seems a strange change in job direction! Who is going to be Jesus for Semana santa now!

We still have work to do but getting there slowly but surely, more rewiring and eventually a new bathroom, more mess but manana manana!
How is your place coming along?

Luv Eve

Rosemary

Ask a mod to do it because us lesser mortals cannot.

Rosemary

brisca

Hi Eve

What a brilliant post
I've just given you karma for it, so I won't repeat the same comments here.

It's so lovely to read about your life in Competa; and I'm sure it's particularly encouraging for people who are hoping to make it out here.
I think the more that people share their experiences of what life can be like here, the better the picture will be for others.

I love the way you've written it; your enthusiasm for the place just oozes through your words - you sound like you have a great time and a very solid base there.
Good for you

Unfortunately, I can't get the photos to open yet
I've tried twice, but my PC seems to be on a go slow today (!) so I'll try again later.

Hope you have a great first day back at school tomorrow

Love Sam x

brisca

Hello lovely Mods!

If you do move Eve's thread to the main Spanish forum, would you please be kind enough to do the same with the "I've just got in" thread?
A few people suggested it should be moved out of Siesta time..............what do you think?

Cheers!
Sam.

orange blossom

Hi Eve,
I like your piece very much not to lenghty at all.
I have a fond memory of Competa. At the beginning of the year Julian and I spent a month exploring the South coast of Spain between Vera and Nerja. An estate agent recommended that we looked at the valley leading up to Compete. On the way there we stopped on a winding mountain road to look at the houses on the opposite side of the valley, as we stood there bathed in warm sunlight Julian said “This is all very well but what is it like in winter? I bet it’s really cold up here.” I replied “Have you forgotten it’s January the coldest month of the year in Europe, it is winter” “Oh! I had forgotten I thought it was July” A month of sunshine had made him think it was summer.

jandy44

Hi Eve I have just read your brilliant post,thanks, you will know how to live life to the full whilst you are there.It all sounds wonderful ,I cannot wait to visit very shortly,and thanks for the link to El Refugio del Burrito,I have bookmarked it and will most certainly be paying a visit at some point,I have had a quick look at the site the donkeys look gorgeous
I loved your photo's also ,it certainly gives a insight into the area and what a beautiful part of Spain it is.
Well the time will soon pass and you will be returning before you know it,at least you will have a quiet couple of days back at school to ease you in

Eve

Thanks guys, so glad you enjoyed reading it, yes I am very passionate about it, I realise the pitfalls and try to avoid them, so all in all, it is living up to expectations at the moment. I think life is alot of what you make it, so keep up the positive thinking! Also so glad there has not been any (YET) moans and groans about the length!
Speak soon, take care everyone,
Luv Eve
xx
PS just did the trivia quiz and know that my brain hasn't been fried with all the sun!

jdr

Moved this one, looked for yours to move but can`t find it ?

Eve

Just realised I had been moved, thank you for whoever did it. Ta mucho,
Luv Eve
xx