All change including a fire

...Well 2009 has so far been a pain. I have spent most of it in the UK, but I now enter a period of stability, subject to a test I had which suggests I am leaking protein from my Kidneys, so yet another tablet looms. My wife Angela is going to the UK in May so hopefully she can liaise about my medication rather than me having to go.

...So what's new in La Cala? Well! Laurence and Tony have moved their Yacht closer to Benidorm, the travelling to Denia was interfering with valuable drinking time. And so far they have many excursions. Each trip is one of discovery, discovering which of their friends are sea sick. I am told that sales of 'Sea legs' and other proprietry medicines for 'Mal de mer' have increased around and about Benidorm. The last trip stunned everyone, with the old salty sea dog Graham doing a technicolour yawn! There is hope for us all yet.

..So more updates, Andrea 'Madonna, Cher & Just a girl' singer has changed venues, she no longer sings in the Marina, but sings three nights a week next door at La Cala Cala bar. Since she moved many of us from the Marina go in to see her and have made friends with more people, both Spanish and British ex-pats.

...The Amancio building is still standing, well teetering is more appropriate. It has been in a state of delapidation for 25 years, but bits are falling off it now, and still Finestrat council do nothing about it. They say it will cost two million euros to fell it. Well me and a few friends will do it for 500,000 and as much beer as we can drink, with a couple of sledge hammers, but I guess the Health and Safety fraternity wouldn't allow that.

..Colin and Jeremy are cureently back in the UK, and Dave and Pete are planning to go home on Tuesday.

We now have an Indian restaurant in the Bay and a new 'chippy', yes a 'chippy'! And after consuming a few yesterday me Jonathan and Duncan went to dine there, just like being in Bolton...! Just need a good donna Kebab place and we have cracked it.

...The Monika Hotel is back open, however, there was a slight snag when some of the Easter guests booked in, they had no running water. So I guess thats a few customers they have lost. And the erection called the Gran Magic Atrium (pictured above), is still idle and has been since last August. It is an eyesore, and must be costing Finestrat and Villajoyosa millions in lost revenue through people visiting elsewhere where they do not have to constantly look at a building site.

..That's the update done. Two new characters are soon to feature in my blog, meet John and Bob. They moved here 6 weeks ago. They have brought quite a lot of furniture with them but have had to buy bits and pieces, like kitchen furniture and cabinets etc. I got involved with the buying of a gas fire. I offered to drive them to Carrefour where they sell such fires, the fire is a stand alone one, fuelled by a calor gas tank. We went to get it and I drove them back home and left them to sort it out. A few minutes after I got home the phone rang. "Bob its John, I think we bought the wrong thing", "Why I said" he said "It says the fuel has to be Petroleum gas". "OK John we will take it back". So off we went up to carrefour. After a significant wait the two assistants tried to tell us it was for ordinary gas, but John insisted on getting his money back and we went to Ardy's , another 'Do it yourself' outlet. We bought the right thing and a valve for the tank. We already had a gas cannister so once again I dropped them off at home and went back to my apartment. The phone rang again. "Bob its John, I thonk this one is broken!" "I'll come round John and have a look" I replied. I went to their apartment, and I got the guided tour. It is a nice apartment overlooking the sea, and Benidorm Island quaintly known by locals as 'Bird s**t Island' because all there is on it is one cafe and millions of birds. Anyway back to the fire. I looked at the fire got the valve fitted it to the bottle turned the knob and fired it up. 'What was wrong then." said John. "Nothing much, you had put the gas bottle 'on' switch to off, the fire switch in the wrong position and the gas pipe wasn't locked"...... I am waiting to hear how the self assembly cupboard is coming along........