Monday 22 June 2015

Festival Aéreo de Motril

We were outside on Friday morning, when  7 planes in formation went past, shattering the peace and quiet.  John is the plane person - he knows where to look to find out what they are and where they're going.....it turns out there is an airshow in Motril every year and we didn't know about it.   Actually it is over the beach as the nearest airports are Malaga and Almeria although we think they came in and out of Malaga yesterday.

So down to the beach yesterday,  not very busy at 11am.



The flying takes place over Playa Poniente, at the centre of which is Chiringuito Sumo,  a beachside bar and restaurant.





Flying started at midday,  and at 1pm all eyes were looking up following  a French Military aerobatic display when a Guardia Civil helicopter came in to land on the beach!!  A dusty dry beach....

You can see people beginning to turn away from the dust.

One of the  stars of the show which got the biggest build up from the commentator was SoloTurk,  an F16 from Turkey which came in from the mountains behind us and roared low overhead and out to sea,  climbing as he went.  Sends shivers down your spine.


But the biggest stars were Patrulla Aguila  Eagle Patrol,  who are the Spanish equivalent of the Red Arrows.

A last drink while we wait for the crowds and cars to go..

My new sunshade, I don't like hats but this is brilliant.
And all this,  except for the drinks of course,  was free.  No car parking charges, no entry fee,  nothing.

The restaurants were all too busy afterwards so we stopped on the way home at a place we've been to before,  it's on the old road from Motril to Granada.  Menu del dia,  €15 each (£10 at todays rate)  for  starters, salad,  main course, dessert and a drink.

Salmorejo, a rich thick version of gazpacho topped with chopped egg and jamón

Sopa de marisco (shellfish soup) and our salad


beef in almond sauce

pollo a la brasa - chicken cooked over hot coals

Of course bread,  and a beer each,  then triple choc cornettos for dessert.  Plus what I couldn't eat in a doggy bag for P and M.

The road the restaurant is on follows the river and winds through a rocky gorge.  The restaurant is built almost under huge crags...










Monday 8 June 2015

Tonsillitus!

Well, who'd have thunk such a thing! Pip has been struggling recently when we've been out for a walk,  breathing noisily and sluggish.  Last Wednesday she stopped eating properly - no dog biscuits, only soft food,  by Saturday she was eating less and yesterday she couldn't eat anything.  We'd both felt her all over for lumps and bumps and found she had a swollen neck hence no food.  Worryingly though was her lack of water intake,  she wanted to drink, sat and looked at her bowl for ages,  but it didn't magically pour down her throat.

We were outside the vets surgery when he opened up this morning at 10am,  described her problem to him,  he felt her neck and said " tonsillitus".  Well actually he said  "amigdalitis" followed rapidly by an antibiotic jab and an anti-inflammatory jab.   We've to go back tomorrow for another antibiotic jab and as soon as she is able to swallow she can have antibiotic tablets.

Off now to make a small bowl of porridge for her with water not milk,  but maybe a bit honey for flavour and energy.

One thing that puzzles me is how did she get tonsillitus because

a) neither of us are ill

b) neither of us have tonsils!  We both had them out longer ago then we care to remember!

Strange,  don't you think?

Monty - touch wood - is ok.