Scuba Diving Marbella
If you are on holiday in Marbella or a resident and fancy scuba diving in the Marbella area then you can take a course that will teach you to scuba dive.
Children as young as 8 years can learn but you need to be at least 10 years to be able to do an open water dive. Conrad is taking the PADI open water dive course this week and next. At the end there is a certificate and it means that anywhere in the world he can dive up to a certain depth. The instructors speak English, Spanish and German so you are tutored in your own language. It was his first day yesterday and he loved it.
Those of you that can already scuba dive may be interested to know that there is a shipwreck just off the shores of San Pedro and if you can dive to a depth of around 30 metres then you can go to it. The Happy Divers organised single dives.
Take the Benahavis turn off and it is on the beach behind the Atalaya Park Hotel. The Happy Divers Club of Marbella. Courses start Monday, Wednesday and Friday throughout the summer and up until November.
Contact Peter on 034-609 57 19 20
London riots blog
I came across a few london riot blogs this morning, first hand experiences of last night at Clapham junction. Very disturbing to read.
Just had a call telling us that a flat we have in London is on the list of possible targets for a firebomb tonight….we have a Tesco’s underneath, which is on a list…. There are all residential buildings above. The police know…but after the scenes from last night I am anything but re-assured. Is there anyone in London that doesn’t want to see the territorial army on the streets sorting this out other than the Home Secretary?
There are plastic bullets on the cards tonight and 16,000 police. Wonder how many law suits there will be this year from people complaining they got hurt by a bullet or a cross word from a police officer and will be awarded X thousand pounds from some silly senile judge.
If I lived in London right now I’d join forces with shop owners, arm in arm and block off all high streets and form my own army, just as they did in Egypt in residential areas. Residents, shop owners standing together in their community to show the mobs that they are in a minority and they will not win.
Come on London. Let’s see you tonight forming your own army, mothers, grandparents, teachers, vicars and the youth and show the mobs that this is London, your London and they won’t have your streets, tonight, tomorrow or ever……..
Tree top climbing Elviria
Opening hopefully in September, it looks at though opposite Opencor in Elviria there will be a tree top climbing experience. Lots of ladders and ropes currently being assembled.
Cheap toy for a dog
an ice -cube……
A cool place to be
Is Mercadona supermarket in Elviria. They have the air con on so high it is the best place to head after a day out at the beach.
Wonder if they would mind if I brought a sleeping bag and pillow on my next visit.
Too hot
You know it’s too hot in August when your puppy opts out of sleeping in your bedroom for outside on the terrace. He wouldn’t even come in when hubby pleaded with him. Well I say pleaded, more ” get in here” No? Fine!” Patio door shut.
Dog slept well, I slept well ( hubby always sleeps well…) so we’ll try again tonight. Possibly the heat has cured him of separation anxiety or he was just too shattered in his fur coat to climb the stairs to bed. Either way, it was nice not having him in the bedroom……have to work on the husband next……
No air conditioning now for over 5 weeks, thank you Landlord…..and it is getting really uncomfortable. Erika feels it the most as she cannot even have her window open as she then gets bitten alive by mosquitoes.
How people in areas such as Madrid and Seville cope in August without any airconditioning at night, in high rise apartments with no air flow, or sea breeze, I have no idea…..
Back to the kitchen for my 8th cup of water and then to the supermarket as I’ve run out of loo roll.
and the benefits
of owning a dog……I’ve given myself a headache trying to be balanced…..
1. You will find your dog will make you new friends out on the streets when you are out walking….usually around 7am.
2. You will get fitter trying to stop your dog from pulling your arms clean out of your sockets.
3. Rather than talking to yourself in the afternoon you’ll find youself talking to “Charlie boy.”
4. A dog never leaves the loo seat up, never leaves you for a younger model and always thinks you look just lovely, even when it is 5.30am and you’ve had only 4.5 hours sleep and your breath smells worse than the dogs.
5. The deep roaring bark they will give out if they think a stranger/intruder is in the house at 1am, will make you feel safe, if you survive the heart attack…..
6. You’ll save a lot of money as most shops don’t allow dogs and if you leave your dog to go to the shops you will come back to a house that looks as though a hurricane has torn clean through it.
7. Am I starting to slip into negativity….?
8. You don’t need to spend hundreds of euros on a dog’s birthday. A Mercadona bacon treat will do.
9. A dog will wipe away any tears that spill much faster than any mans size box of tissues, which let’s face it you never have anyway.
10. When you wake up at 6am and those chocolate brown eyes look at you and the tail begins to swish…….well, all of the post below explodes into nothingness…….and you wouldn’t have it any other way. ( At least that’s what I’m trying to tell myself……)
Woof.
Anyone know
where you can buy sleeping pills for dogs?
When you are woken up before your alarm and it is still dark outside you’ll try anything……..
I will write about the plus side of having a dog when I am feeling inspired….or drunk. But right now, if you are thinking about buying a dog then prepare yourself for…..
1 wake up calls around 6am
2 when you have a bath expect someone hairy to want to join you
3 you know how washing machines swallow socks. Well your dog will too
4 your dog may attempt to eat its own pooh and then lick you all over
5 the hairs that fall from your dog will soon have your marble floor resembling a UK carpet
6 those shiny marble floors you have will soon be full of muddy paw prints
7 you may discover you are allergic to dogs and then have hives, sneezing fits or die from an asthma attack or lack of sleep. Or all of these.
8 your electricity bill will go up from all the extra washing, bedding, your clothes, your clothes, your clothes
9 your shopping bill will go up buying Oust air freshners, not to mention dog food and the kg of chews that you purchase to try to save your fabric or leather sofa
10 you won’t have a fabric or leather sofa, just flappy bits of fabric and lots of foam
11 Marley and me will become your favourite DVD ever and you will insist that all future friends that say they want a dog purchase this dvd and also borrow your dog for a day.
12 You make your friends borrow your dog for 3 years. Make that 10.
13 Chocolate can kill dogs. You will find yourself leaving toblerone bars on the edge of tables.
14 Recommend you buy a huge dog. Huge dogs have shorter life spans than small dogs.
15 A great dane now suddenly seems very attractive compared to the easy portable long living Yorkshire Terrier
16 Lastly…..if you have any garden of any prestige move house……buy something with concrete, more concrete and very high walls.
Woof.
14
Upmarket camping
One of my favourite blogs is www.mycastleinspain.com, the writer takes stunning photography and writes like a poet. She also comes across as one of the nicest people you could ever meet….( apart from my friend Jenny!!)
She has just blogged about an incredible upmarket camping experience in Frontera.
Imagine a white tent with a rustic front door and inside you step into a Harry Potter experience, a vast space complete with a luxury double bed draped in rich jewelled fabrics, Mongolian furniture, ( chests of drawers, cushions, rugs… ) electricity and your own bathroom. There are only a handful of these tents available and prices are around 120 euros per night, no pets. The facilities look heavenly too.
Take a look at their website,
http://www.yurthotel.com/yurts.html
Pet Insurance Spain
If you are looking for pet insurance in Spain then buy it via Protectapet. If you only want dog or cat insurance in Spain then the cost is 165 euros for cats and 196 euros for dogs.
If you want pet insurance throughout Europe as you intend to travel then cat insurance is 196 euros and dog insurance 226 euros.
Cover includes vet bills, an unlimited number and includes home visits, hospitalisation and aftecare medicine. If your dog or cat is stolen they will pay for local advertising and all breeds are accepted over the age of 8 weeks. Older pets cost no more and you can start any claim for illness from 21 days after you have taken out your pet insurance whilst accidents and emergencies are covered immediately.
You can contact Protectapet on their excellent website in English and Spanish or by calling them on 966 462 244.
PLEASE QUOTE AIS WHEN YOU TAKE OUT YOUR PET INSURANCE. I get a small kick back on any policy but your premiums remain unchanged.
Thank you……