Life in 2021
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Pandemic life continued . For the first month or so we were still allowed to eat outside in restaurants. Then the Valencia Government, senor Puig, brought in its own draconian measures, and, almost overnight, all retaurants had to close completely; this lasted for 5/6 weeks. During this time we enjoyed a takeaway from Bites and Bubbels- which lasted us for 3 meals! ; went on several walks in the Campo and revisited the beach below Cumbre del sol . Also drove up to Bernia and Jalon to see the annual february almond blossom
Mid January saw the arrival - many weeks later- of our Smart TV. Then a month later we were able to obtain Fibreoptic broadband, from a firm called Closeness: and with this came a mobile package, for a new Samsung mobile = hours of fun and headaches!!. Whatsapp too!! And meant that playing on RealBridge became feasible for me too
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| Battling through some local campo, deserted terraces . Almond blossom inland: up to Bernia and then down to Jalon |
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The Cumbre del Sol beach that had been ravaged by winter storms and a walk along the cliffs from there |
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Fibreoptica arrives and a Bites & Bubbels takeaway is brought in. Building works restart along Benirrama |
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Then we were allowed to eat out again at lunchtimes. I was doing the Waterford Fitzgerald genealogy at this time for Nick, so we met him for breakfast one day at Bites and Bubbels, then a few weeks later at La Siesta in Javea. Meanwhile I was playing social bridge on BBO Casual three times a week with Carol, Daniel, Nick, Bill and Maria; serious bridge twice a week with Maria and with Jane on Montrose BBO tournaments, and a Montrose social on Realbridge with Bill. The serious Montrose ones ended before Easter for the 'summer'!
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Eating out at Amante once the restaurants were allowed to open again . And several more visits to the Dauphin |
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The Roseman reappeared - one day he sold all he had to just one table. Down at the port one day, all else shut |
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Nick and David at La Siesta |
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| Met some fellow Brits at the Dauphin who lived atVilles devent, above Cansalades. He plied us with wine |
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A long awaited, Covid rescheduled visit to Tulas |
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I continued playing with the Montrose Bridge Club on BBO in their Tuesday evening Pairs with Maria and on a Friday afternoon Ladies Pairs with Jane Guthrie. Maria and I won the Match Pointed Pairs with 63.88% and Jane and I came top of the Ladies B with 63.69%: for some reason there was no prize for the latter
Maria and I also did well -4th- in the CD pairs & Aggregate and had the 3rd highest average
JBC organised Real Bridge on wednesday and Thursday afternoons, but take-up was only 3 and a half to 4 tables- somewhat discouraging and very unrewarding!!. Played in this occasionally with Bill and Nick, but reverted to Montrose Real Bridge on a Thursday with Bill, where there were a competitive 8/9 tables usually!! Also continued with Bernard Magee membership and a weekly look at Paul Mendelson
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Then on April 17th we received our first jab of the Pfizer Covid vaccine at the Salud in Teulada: the second jab to be provided on the 8th of May
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. . . .
2 weeks after having the 2nd jab Ted came round to dinner. We also enjoyed chatting to Marian, a fellow Media Luns resident, around the pool-I had a need to chat after all the Lockdown isolation!
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Swam from the start of April, but needed Hippo to keep me warm once out! Lunch with Bill and Brenda at the Food Bar . Also an outing to the ´Chicken Shack´ in Ondara with Carol and Paul
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Breakfast at La Siesta with Marcela & Nick |
Then we were on the first flight of the year to Malta out of Valencia on June 1st
Back in Moraira for a week from June 26th, we had our Morning Bridgers Barbecue at Calle Medina, Carol´s old house
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The ´Fab Four´Morning Bridgers, Carol, Daniel, Nick & Chris with their long suffering other halves. Carol provided yummy Yorkshire puddings and barbecued pork with amazing crackling, |
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| whilst I supplied a remarkably tasty Summer Pudding. |
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We then headed north on July 3rd for another 10 days of Spanish Immersion in Asturias
Mid July the Silver Shadow sailed past out balcony en route from Marseilles to Reyjavik: we should be on it late November!!
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On July 21st we had a Belgian National Day dinner at Le Dauphin
Wandered down to Moraira one Tuesday lunchtime and found it quite safe - from Covid contagion - & uncrowded, so had lunch at Vespas
August 1st and we had a very good lunch with Brenda, Bill and Edward Bear at Castell D´Ínes in Castell de Castells
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| A very pleasant 5 course meal that their bear Edward also enjoyed alongside the Boyzz |
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August 3rd and a breakfast/lunch with Nick and Marcela, Daniel and Genevieve, at Nick´s in Javea Then we bunkered down until August 26th when we set off for our annual visit to France
Several trips out for lunch , including visiting the Dauphin with Brenda and Bill
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Boyzz hardly ever miss a trip to Berts ! And certainly not a chance to be spoilt by Brenda . . Chris sporting her new french little number! . The chocs as perfect as ever!. . Nearer home odd goings on filling in hole sdug many years ago on a building site |
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Then returned to Malta on Sep 23rd to sign a legal document concerning the sale of St Julian´s airspace. Strained my back moving a flower pot just before we left, so was unable to swim much, just using the in door pool Jacuzzi for massaging. Had lots of local walks and a good lunch at in Valletta . Returned in under 2 weeks... as we had left rubbish in the house in Moraira!!! .
So, back to Morning Bridging and SBU competitions, also a couple of trips up to the Vallees club, some swimming ( but more jet massaging of the still sore back!).
Then on October 20th 2 of the Morning Bridgers, Carol & Nick, plus spouses, came to Media Luna for lunch ( Daniel still being in Paris)
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A hot day and not enough shade! but a good time was had by all, and we toasted our absent fourth player, Daniel . . . . . . . . . . 3 of the 4 Morning Bridgers |
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| Paul looking very relaxed . . . . . . . . Paul, Marcela & David . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . Chris . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. Paul & Nick |
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October 28th saw us heading off on the long driveto Venice, last visited in 1966
November 17th saw us queueing, happily!, at Teulada Salud for our booster (coronavirus vaccine 3rd shot) and flu jabs
We had a day in Valencia, meeting Manuelita off the Silver Shadow on November 22nd
Then on November 25th we went to a special dinner, with wines provided by the Eguren Ugate / Sierra Cantabrica Winery, at Amante
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We thoroughly enjoyed it, but I drank a tad too much! |
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A long overdue hairchop and the urbanizationboardwalk receiving some overdue TLC |
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Early December we had lunch with Brenda and Bill at Puerto Blanco, Calpe
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We had problems finding the restaurant, and then the camera was on the wrong setting!. But we had a very pleasant time |
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And there was a Vallees Bridge Club Christmas lunch at Jaleo´s
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Then we flew to Malta on December 15th. We had to fly from Madrid, as, with the effects of the pandemic, RyanAir had stopped flying from Valencia for the winter
Photos from Jo
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