San Valentin.

Yesterday as well as being San Valentin,  was also the day that our Polo was due for it's annual ITV inspection - like the MOT but instead of leaving it for some unnamed mechanic to look at,   you drive it yourself through the testing station while the tester tells you what to do.  First is the emissions test,  then amongst others...  indicators left then right.  Engage reverse gear so she can check the lights,  she also got into the car to check the horn, wipers, seatbelts, mileage etc  then you drive onto the rolling road for foot and hand brake tests,  then over an inspection hatch when she disappears down the stairs and from under the car can see whatever it is she needs to see.  It involves lots of turning the steering wheel left and right and left again.

Normally we go down to the testing station at Motril, then out for lunch, pick a bit of shopping from Al Campo or Lidl and home.  But  a new centre has opened just outside Orgiva,  much closer to home so we booked to go there.  Arrived early but called at the right time - 11.02 - and were all done by 11.30, and most importantly with the sticker for the windscreen giving us a further year.  Just over 33 euros.

Then up to Granada.  Unfortunately the printer copier scanner has just this week died a death and won't do anything.  Horrible graunching noise from inside,  the scanner won't scan and  so it shuts down and won't let us copy or print either.  John took it apart,  found a 'mend my printer.com' website with similar problems but no answers.   It's 2 1/2 years old,  doesn't seem long enough to be obsolete but hey ho,  off for a new one.

But we decided to get a laser printer instead,  the last printer we had was also a scanner/copier/printer and a similar thing happened to that.  Also we seem to waste lots of ink cleaning the inkjets before printing and a laser printer wasn't any more expensive but works in a different way so fingers crossed it'll last much longer.  Haven't bought a scanner yet,  will see if we really need one. 

We also had lunch out at Pan and Co,  I had a very tasty baguette filled with tuna, mayo, tomato, red peppers and green olives.  And chips.  And a coke.  John had something called a beef stick, looked like a rectangular burger  to me, but he said it was tasty.  And chips.  And coke.  A quick trip into Carrefour to buy some steaks for dinner then we set off for home.

The view of the Sierra Nevada from the autovia coming out of Granada was spectacular,  it had been a beautiful sunny day,  temperature of 18°  - same again today - so I tried to get some pictures - most have cars on them,  or streetlights, or crash barriers, but this isn't too bad.

 

Coming through Torvizcon we had to slow for the pastor taking his flock across the road,  

 

Arrived home in plenty of time for a glass of wine in the evening sunshine, followed by a dinner of prawns, salad, steak and vegetables.  And a nice bottle of red wine.                  

      

Glorious day again today,  just off to enjoy the last of the sun before it goes down behind the hill - another hour or so I think.