Fuert - Advent - ura!

Festive decoration at the marina

 Greyrocks has been busy through the month of December! The weather was mostly dreadful until the offspring arrived on 26th, and there then followed three days without discernible wind and with very hot afternoons. Just what she (and we) needed. Now as Greyrocks works on a last-minute panic posting to round off the month (and year) the wind is howling and no-one wants to go to the shops! Not the best November and December on record!

Nonetheless decoration of various sorts has taken place throughout the municipio, and a few jolly japes have been slotted in between storms! This includes an afternoon at Pescaditos for a RNLI fundraiser. Local hero David had been an award-winning bosun of the Port Isaac crew and had asked that after his death in January his possessions be sold to raise money, so the Sandies spearheaded the project, and it was a huge financial and social success. Greyrocks cleared out stuff for the sale, but came back with nearly as much clutter from the raffle.






El Cotillo artwork of the Milky Way

And then there was the bus trip to El Cotillo on a windy Saturday. The good news is that the village has had a new lease of life since the last visit - probably two years ago! Several new restaurants have opened near the old harbour and Greyrocks had a fine (and remarkably cheap) tapas lunch in one of them. The bad news is that the Greyrocks knees were having a bad day so the rest of the village remained largely unexplored. Bob did however make a short tour and came back to report on a beautiful work of art:- a "mural" on textile taking up all of one side of a building. We have since been told it is one of a series, but have no first-hand knowledge. There is developing there a relaxed and bohemian vibe that is very appealing!

Warm yer cockles at Blue Rock!

"Who is that (wo)man?"

As Greyrocks has remarked previously the festive decorations in Corralejo can be installed absurdly early and always before the puente Bank Holiday (6th to 8th). This year Claire at the Blue Rock organised her helpers for a launch by the 1st. When the theme was revealed it was clear why! Along with the "blazing fire", lights and trees were 25 numbered windows in the style of an advent calendar and each evening at 6pm the appropriate one was opened to reveal a bar punter. Some folk were tastefully captured and then there were the silly ones:- most notably Ruth (number 5) shown (pre-weight loss and in Carneval costume from 2011) just between the two toilet doors!

Very silly then, and worse now!

Christmas afternoon has never seen really bad weather in Greyrocks' experience, and to everyone's delight this year was also a corker! Down at the Rock there were the traditional roast rolls and potatoes. Greyrocks went down there after brunch chez Eileen and Chris and met up with the whole gang. There was no rush to be back for the evening as we had done the Spanish thing and consumed goose the night before. This was a bird that had made a surprise late appearance courtesy of Eileen and Lidl after orders had already been placed locally for pheasant and duck. With meals at home for just two and then three this has been a challenge Greyrocks is still facing and the freezer heaves. We assuaged guilt with a donation to Fare Share!
Our low key festivities continue tonight with dinner at Caracoles and for the first time we will be joined for this by Chloë, who has made a late change to her return flight following a hiccup in the start of her new West Country job. Watch out for details of Carlos' surprise menu in the next post.

A HAPPY AND PEACEFUL 2015 TO OUR SMALL BAND OF READERS!