The kids woke up seriously late today – we had to winkle them out of their beds at 2pm local time! Then it was a debate about “pool or beach” and after a bit of to’ing and fro’ing the beach won, and as it was by then about 3pm, we tried Sabinillas but it being a Sunday, no parking nearby.

So we drove to, and through Puerto De La DuQuesa, where we used to live incidentally (long time readers of my ezine will remember) and found the little beach with the chiringuito that I remembered from before. Lots of sardines drying on washing lines!

It was a bit windy and the sea was a teensy bit colder than usual, but the girls promptly lay flat to catch the sun and catch up on some snoozes while Sarah and I read. The boys just mucked about as boys do, burying their towels in the gritty sand, filling up the girls’ bikini bottoms with the gritty sand….not a good look OR a pleasant feel apparently.

We came back to the house to find the water has gone cold – the gas boiler is run off a big gas bottle apparently, and eight of us showering means that it ran out more quickly than it would normally. They cost about 10 euros, according to Roger, who popped over this morning to change the bottle over. The difficult bit must be getting the new bottle up the stair. Roger also filled us in on the days for recycling – you just leave certain stuff outside your house on certain days before 10am and the lads on dumper trucks take it away! How civilised is that? Unlike Shoreham By Sea where the recycling peeps often don’t take it, even if it’s in the right bin, on the right day!

So, cold bracing showers over, Sarah and I went out, having cooked for the kids, and went up and explored the Castillo, taking loads of photos of the castle, the view, various doorways, and anything else we could see.

Sarah and I ate out tonight for the first time, at the Terrace Restaurant at La Bodeguita De Enmedio and the food was very good. We promptly booked for eight for Chloe’s 15th birthday tomorrow, as they do a nice breaded chicken and chips that we thought they will enjoy. A whole english family were up there tucking in, and this is the first time we have really heard english accents at all.

Excellent gazpacho (cold tomato soup) and tortilla, with a charcuterie platter and a tomato salad, a bottle and a half of rose, a couple of bruchetta type things (which we didn’t order but which might have been part of the platter) came to around 65 euros, quite expensive for the town apparently, but a great location overlooking the square.

Home and in bed by midnight, kids all watching a movie in one of the bedrooms. Had trouble sleeping even though it was quite cool last night, waking up a couple of times for no reason that I could work out. Here’s a couple of dog pics for Heather!