Friday Smiles 2024 # Week 32

Another hot one for us. Some days are a few degrees hotter or cooler than the next, but we just have to get on with life. I have been a bit more comfortable this week as Chris bought me not one, but two new fans for my room. The first is a very strong floor level rotary fan, which sits by my chair and always seems to throw out a cool breeze.

The second is a ceiling fan and light. I used to have one in here but although the light still worked, the fan gave up a few years ago. The design of them is changing with new technology, and they are very different from the original ones we had in most of the rooms. This one is all controlled by a hand held remote device. It has a large round light filled with LEDs that can be set to three levels of colour (warmth), and dimmed if needed. Above that there are colourless transparent fins which fold away above the light until the fan is turned on. Then they uncoil and spin at one of six differnt speeds again set on the remote control. So I am actually able to sit at my desk for a bit longer now, which is a real blessing for things like writing this blog for posting tomorrow morning! This is a picture of the new ceiling fixture, but even though I tried taking it with the light on, dimmed and turned off, you can barely see the fan blades turning, and an added bonus is that it is virtually silent!

As is our usual plan when the new housekeeping goes in the bank, we went to do our monthly food shop on Tuesday. We have two routes to choose from to get to our favourite supermarket and this week we chose the wrong one. We both mentioned that the traffic was heavier than usual, and it soon became apparent that we had a long, wide load ahead, travelling with a police escort. As we got closer we could see it was a huge cement 'trough', on a long wheel base, with an articulated engine pulling it at the front, and a second one attached to the back with a brave man sitting on an open seat between them , and steering from the back.

In this photo he has hopped off his seat to oversee it negotiating one of our smallish roundabouts. You can see the long load and the back 'motor unit', but the front one has already moved out of view. I have to admire the skill of the driver and the partnership between the two men. They made it and we followed them on up the road. (The yellow section is attached and the man in a yellow jacket is steering it).

For most of the time we have been here there has been talk of the long awaited AVE (Alto Velocidad España or high speed train). The original work included hiring huge tunnelling equipment to dig through the mountains and line the tunnels with concrete pipes made on site. Then several bridges and ramps were built ready to carry the rails but it has been a stop-go project as money ran out and the next year the European Fund provided some more etc. Now more lines have been prepared and the next task is to build bridges that cross the motorways both here near Vera and several places near Almeria city. The long load we followed was a section for a bridge like this one just recently placed  on our road up to Vera.

The sections are long and strong enough that they don't need a support column in the centre of the motorway. At this site four bridges run parallel with the two inner ones for the AVE and the two outer ones for normal speed trains. We desperately need a new rail system here but I often wonder whether we will still be around to see it completed.

Last night was a special night as part of the village's 'Cultural week' which always follows a couple of weeks after the fiesta. Each night there is an event, a concert, a visiting theatre group, a film for the children, a set of plays by the local drama group etc, but last night it was the Summer Noche Blanco, mainly aimed at promoting local businesses, but also providing a night of fun and enjoyment for everyone. Participating shops have a bunch of white balloons outside, and often set up stalls of discounted wares on the street. There was also a band playing outside one of the shops, two clowns entertaining families on the small plaza at the top of the village, and a fun little train that was always full as it made its way around the streets, stopping at each shop that was involved.

We weren't really up for the shopping but it was nice to join in and enjoy the happy atmosphere. We watched the clowns for a while and then walked down to the large plaza and sat on a bar terrace at the edge. There was a big stage errected in the centre of the plaza and we watched as a group of young men arrived and set up their musical instruments for a 'Rock'n'Roll' concert Spanish style, that was due to start at 11.00. It was actually 11.30 before they got going but they were very good and we enjoyed sitting there sipping our summer wine, and listening to the music for an hour. Then we were ready for bed and made our way home. The music went on for a while but we had the bedroom windows closed and the air-con on so they didn't disturb us. I have made a collage of a few photos I took during the evening.

My kitchen is not too bad in the morning but it does get unbearably hot in the afternoons so I have been trying to do some batch-baking first thing, and getting food packed away in the freezer for another day. Yesterday I cooked a big pot of mince and veg, and made dinner for us, and put three boxes away in the freezer. Then I prepared a big pineapple I bought at the market and open-froze most of it, though we did enjoy some after our lunch and today some went into a smoothy. Then I made a batch of scones and froze most of them away for Sunday teas. 

Today I prepared and cooked what is probably my last set of yellow peaches for this year. One lot will be served with ice-cream and the rest will be frozen. Then I made a batch of Welsh cakes. For anyone who doesn't know, these are similar to scones, but with more butter and less egg and milk, and they are rolled out thinner and cooked on a griddle. I actually prefer them and making them always make me think of my mum who gave me the recipe and bought my griddle, and who loved having some for her tea during her last years when she lived with us. You have to keep a close eye on them as they cook and turn them before they burn. (I also have mum's old fish slice which is paper thin, and perfect for doing this). They are eaten cold, buttered and with jam if you want the extra sweetness. These freeze very well so a few bags will be packed away before I go to bed. So I feel I had quite a few useful days.

I still have to go to the medical centre for the nurse to redress my shoulder wound, every Monday and Thursday, but it is healing, albeit slowly, and I am hopeful that it will be uncovered quite soon.

And with that I will get this ready to publish in the morning. I am a bit delayed because Chris called me to watch a 'Place in the Sun' that was on TV. It was a 2021 show filmed all around here. The couple were shown houses in Vera, Turre, Palomaris, and Los Gallardos, and they ended up buying an apartment here in the village. It was for a holiday home so they are not here all the time but I have probably seen them around without realising it. Anyway, I will  get to see you all over on Annie's Friday Smiles tomorrow I hope.