"Do you want visit Castle? Juan is leaving right now if you wish to go".
"Errr yes I will please, are dog's allowed?" The answer from the lady behind the counter in the 'Alhama de Granada' tourist office was affirmative so off I trots behind Juan.
Well the castle was nothing special and it turned out that our Juan only had 20minutes before knocking off time. Also he wished for us to be as fascinated as he obviously was by individual bits of castle wall which revealed to him amazing details of the castle's history. However; his verbal enthusiasm was in Spanish, rapid Spanish, in fact extremely rapid Spanish. This was definitely lost on me and, judging by their faces, on the other two couples on the castle tour with me .
La Manga lay behind me. My impromptu decision to hurtle down the fast A7 to Nerja for my birthday turned out not to be one of of my better decisions. I made it alright all 335 k in just a few hours. I was so pleased that once parked up Tanya and I headed for a favourite restaurant at Buriana beach where we enjoyed a good meal. Tired, full and happy we strolled slowly back to Sadie only to be told by our motorhome neighbours I had left the lights on (lots of tunnels on the A7) equaling flat battery, inner rage and despondency. There was not even enough juice to unlock the doors. Fortunately my contingency plan, ie hidden key, worked and we were thankfully soon safely inside. This was rather necessary as by now I was getting painful and urgent 'urges and surges' from my lower regions. A night of intimacy with my small but functionally adequate toilet followed. Morning arrived and was met by a bleary eyed, bowelled out me. Thankfully as day progressed so stomach improved. Plus a very helpful local gave us a jump start enabling me to charge up my battery. Nerja though, was turning out not to be the place I wished to be for my birthday.
I put my finger on the village of 'Competa' up in the hills behind 'Nerja'. "That's where we're going Tan. We're going to celebrate my birthday in a lovely Spanish mountain village". Turned out to be a good choice. A lively and steep white-painted village reached on twisty mountain roads. The population comprised a mix of Spanish, foreign locals, a large proportion of whom are British (who all spoke highly of the friendly community based atmosphere of 'Competa') and a regular influx of tourists and holidaymakers.
We soon found a good spot to park and I have to say I had a very pleasant Birthday enjoying a good meal out (with no ill effects) at' Restaurant Perico' right in the village square where, over coffee, I enjoyed people watching/listening while Tanya enjoyed tit bits from neighbouring tables. I also nearly bought a new phone from a helpful lady phone shop owner. I wanted dual sim cards so I could use a Spanish sim card to enhance my Internet availability over and above my UK contract. In the end I decided not to being fearful of losing stuff like sat nav maps and passwords during swap over.
Next morning we were on our way cross country, read even-smaller, twisty, mountain road type cross country with fabulous views, to 'Alhama de Granada', which is, if you recall where I left you a few paragraphs ago. On the Castle tour which by now had come to an end but not before we, that is the two rather wealthy looking tall Syrian couples on holiday from Switzerland (not refugees .... That's for sure) and myself were passed over to a portly local gentleman carrying an enormous key who informed us he would now show us around his traditional Spanish, early century house which he was slowly renovating. Two hours later, tired, hungry and gobsmacked at the maze like aladins cave being sensitively and painstakingly restored that we had just seen we emerged back onto the street. We then had a photo shoot with the large key being inserted into the eighteenth century door as the focus.
That is when I dropped my phone. With a sickening 'smack' it hit the pavement. Screen smashed and nothing worked. Now I have to say I give myself quite a bit of credit here. I had a brief moment of stomach churning dread then simply put it in my pocket and muttered to myself; "Ah well, shit happens!" Funny though isn't it; the mischievous games Universe plays. There was me nearly bought a new phone the day before and now here I was one day later the proud owner of a smashed phone. Universal chaotic quantum mischief is what I call it.
I am back in 'Nerja' right now and have just enjoyed a smashing Sunday lunch after a good sea swim, with, I am happy to add, no ill effects from either. I'm killing time until my phone is repaired back up in the hills at 'Competa' where I went back to as I decided to take 'Universe's' hint and buy a new phone. Life, or let's put it another way. Life plus today's fast moving high technology is never simple though. Yes swanky spanky new phone but, as I find always seems to be the case, nothing of importance (like sat nav maps or passwords) ever swaps over to the new phone, or is backed up as you thought it was. Hence me here in Nerja waiting for my trusty old phone to be repaired when hopefully I will be able to access 'other stuff'. No guarantee of course plus I have to work with the Spanish timescale which is very different from the UK. "Ah no, cannot now fix for Friday. I fix next Wednesday.... maybe".
Ho hum eh!
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