A new day, a new week, a new month and a new year.

Well it is Monday and I am writing this much later in the day than I had anticipated, but still, better late than never.

Today is not only a new day, a new week or a new month but it is also a new year for the OH and I as today we start our eleventh year here in Spain. I seriously cannot believe that it has been that long already.

We went out yesterday lunch time to treat ourselves to a meal at our now favourite restaurant / bar at El Nino de Mula, Antigua Venta. The food never disappoints. In addition to the food and the service being excellent I was also made to smile when a complete stranger stopped me and made me realise how lucky we are.

The morning had already started off with a smile as I noticed that my red heart hibiscus was finally coming into bloom, and this morning she brightly delivered her first flowers.

Anyway, I digress. On leaving the restaurant the OH and I decided to take a little amble to walk off one too many tapas. So we strolled down to the end of the very short pine walkway nearby and took a seat under the trees to cool off a little and just sit, something we very rarely do.

On heading back to the car a lady stopped me and started talking to me asking me in Spanish if I lived in Mula, no I replied I live in Pliego. She was in a very happy chatty mood (possibly the effects of the jug of Sangria) and she proceeded to tell me how not only do Murcian’s talk with a very different accent (which we had already knew), but that also people from Mula and Pliego talk with an even more distinct accent. Though apparently in Bullas, they speak a much “finer” language apparently.

Her parting words to me were the full directions to her home in Mula, and that if I ever needed anything I should just drop in. Now somehow I can’t see a complete stranger being offered such hospitality in the UK. It really made me smile, possibly because I also felt rather chuffed that I had been able to converse more than adequately with my Spanish, which in truth is nowhere near the best. It did make me smile.

Today on the other hand has not quite been the day I had hoped for. It is now 9.15p.m., and I haven’t stopped since 8.00 a.m. this morning, until now.

So, I am going to sign off for today and hope that tomorrow I can catch up on the things I wanted to try to achieve today. A little research, a little writing, a little drawing maybe, a little crafting, writing a list of my list of things to do, oh and the ironing!

Any volunteers for the ironing?