A nice surprise - and other things.

I think I've mentioned before about the walks people do along the GR 7 footpath....baggage taken on ahead while you walk and enjoy the scenery, followed by a day to yourselves to explore or relax. We quite often meet people who have walked down to Montenegro on their day off in Yegen, and a few weeks ago I met a couple from Rye who - on their day off - were walking down to Yator. We got chatting (over a cup of tea on their way down and a cold drink on their way back up) about life and such, the differences in things and at some point I mentioned oxos as Spanish stock cubes just don't have the same oomph.

Went to check the mailbox this afternoon to get the much delayed post and there was a small padded envelope, very unexpected as birthdays are done and dusted, return address not something I recognised, and inside was a box of oxos and a note from the couple from Rye saying thanks for the refreshments and hospitality! So thanks to Dee and Chris, if you want a mention for your shop, add a comment here!

On a different subject, we went on an errand day yesterday, the Polo had to be taken in for it's tyre to be looked at, we discovered it had a nail in it and it had damaged the inside as it went flat so we need a new one. Bit annoying as it's only just over 2 years since all 4 were replaced and with our mileage it should have done about 10 more! Still, that's life as they say. Then off to the builders merchant to pay our bill from May - and we still got a discount for cash! Then to the ayuntamiento (council) to get our permit to have bonfires - you can only have fires from November to the end of May and to have a fire without a permit is very serious and expensive in fines. Only 1 form to fill in, no cost, and the Medio Ambiente guy (environment) said do you speak English because my mother is English and I don't speak it well enough....and there we were trying to improve our Spanish! Then off to Ugijar for a bit of shopping, bocadillas and beer for lunch and home.

It's been really warm lately, warmer than we think is normal and I have been in the pool later this year than ever. I was in on the 30th and 31st October and 1st November as well. But this afternoon there was a cooler breeze, the leaves are dropping fast so maybe autumn is coming. We composted 2 barrow loads of leaves from the mulberry tree a couple of days ago and there are many many more to fall yet. Forget the mulberry bush of the nursery rhyme, this tree is about 10 or more metres high!