One virgen and lots of fireworks

Our visitors finaly got here at about 11 on sunday night, it took us ages to get to the airport because of queues and John had got trapped out of the airport when he went for a ciggerette, so we missed top gear and ended up eating very late.

I was working most of the week exept friday but michael had thursday off too, so we went down to fuengirola because i wanted to see the festival of virgen del carmen, the saint of fishermen. Apparently they parade a statue of her around for hours, then take her down to the see and have loads of fireworks.

I only just managed to catch the fireworks but they were spectacular! I was right at the front of the beach near the water with a totally unobstructed view of the peir where fireworks were being set off down the whole length. The sky was totally filled and the were so loud i could feel it right through my body. Its a shame the pictures don't do it justice.

Everyone (exept me as i had work) was hungover on thursday so we just went out and played mini golf in the evening, but friday we went out to Malaga, had a look around and spent a fair amount of time eating and drinking. They have put big sun shades up in the mainstreet. There was also some excavaition going on, and a big ampitheatre being uncovered.

Their holiday wes finished of with a big steak at an argentinian restaurant in fuengirola. We have spent the rest of the weekend tidying up, resting and being hot!

ergh...

That was the sound i made when i woke up this morning and remembered how much beer i had drunk last night! If thats the sound i made god knows what sort of sound michael made, he slept on the sofa all night!

Acctually we had a good day yesterday, we went to a bbq in the afternoon and then went to a reggae night on the beach in la cala. There were loads of people there, all smoking reggae related substances and chillin to some Bob Marley. Anyways the only choice of beer size was small or a litre, so you an guess which we ended up with. It was fun.

Friday night we played mini golf, i was really bad, but i got in some much needed spanish practice.

Today we have spent ages sorting the house out (with hangovers) ready for friends to come over. We had tv intervals just to make it more bearable, and ate junk food. What else are sundays for?!

As promised here are some birthday kew pictures. I would have put some reggae night pictures on but the battery in michaels camera ran out before i could take one!

Last night i was mostly...

Being sick. It seems me and scallops arn't friends. Never mind, ill stick to prawnies.

So today im feeling rather delicate, and as its soo hot ive done pretty much nothing, a bit of reading, watching telly, sleeping on the sofa. Its so hot i couldn't even be bothered to go to the pool, yet again this year im going to be the whitest english person living here.

Yesterday was michaels birthday, i think he had a good time, he liked his presents and we went out for tapas in the evening (hence the scallops). I stupidly left everything to the last minuit and spend most of yesterday rushing around getting a card and wrapping paper and making a big chocolate cake. I didn't quite get time to put the chocolate topping on the cake and couldn't quite face doing it this morning . Michael said he didn't mind, we could just save the '30' candle for my birthday!

Last week was ok, my spanish teacher has set me up with her sister for language exchange conversation which should help, and Bill had a moan about me to Paul, apparently imunhelpfull and we only ever refer him patients that don't pay, haha.

The plants on my small balcony are doing well, my runner beans are growing really fast and the sunflowers are getting there too. Ive also got some lettuce ready to eat.

Unfortionatly on the big balcony the catterpillars are getting to eat more than we are!

Its not quite Kew gardens yet but im getting there! I'll put some birthday kew pictures on some other time.