Up to date

Hola Blogers,

I haven't really been keeping up to date with this 'ere blog - which is surprising because I have been glued to my new lap top since Christmas. I have been emailing and organising the wedding rather than blogging. I will try and keep up to it more regularly though - I promise.

The wedding plans are coming along really well. Lots of things have been "jobbed off" as my Mum says. There are no flies on me (as I taught Jose last night - he loves learning random English phrases!).

We went to my apartment down in Murcia at the begining of January and met up with the lovely Shameer and Karen. The photo above was taken in an amazing park in Alicante town centre, leading up to the castle. It really was impressive and worth a visit. They have built a very modern pathway from sea level, all the way through the really old little alleyways and houses, up to the castle (which is set pretty high up above the city - as Castles are!). At the foot of the last little mount that houses the castle you will find the park - which really is something special. We were all very impressed. Its very modern and full of features but works so well with the backdrop of the castle.

Other than lots of walking around, we seemed to constantly eat in Murcia/ Alicante. We combined the Spanish and English traditions just as I like to. The Spanish have their main 3 course meal at lunch time, but we Brits have that at night time. So, in a mixed group you can quite easily fall into having two three course meals every day - which I just love!

The week after Murcia I ate in Goudi's old house in the centre of Barcelona. Jose attended a conference which was followed by an industy dinner, which, being for architects, was of course in Goudi's old house. Nice food, ok building (bit too way out for me) not that great an atmosphere. I think English lawyers are much more party animals than Spanish architects (but then it is a fact that solicitors drink the most alcohol out of all of the professions, top that with being British and you end up being very drunk!).

Last week I was back in England for a business trip (get me!). As you know, I have been teaching English to some sisters. Well the youngest one was working towards taking entrance exams for an English boarding school. So, I accompanied her and her family to London to drop her off for the exams. It was nice to go to a typically English school - it reminded me of my school days. I must say that I was quite embarrassed as to how plain and ugly English girls look at the age of 12. Lourdes (my Spanish pupil) just looked gorgeous at the side of the mousey haired, spotty, clumsy looking giants that we encountered. Was I like that? Lourdes is beautiful - as most girls here in Spain are at that age. I'm always looking at them in the streets and imagining what a child of mine might look like with half a set of Spanish genes. Mind you Lourdes' Mum is stunning so Lourdes does have a head start. Actually that was funny as well - how Lourdes' mum looked at the side of the other mums. All the Brits were in the twin set, barber and pearls and Lourdes' mum was like Elizabeth Hurley or somebody equally as elegantly fashionable and beautiful.

I'm sorry if I didn't manage to see you in London but I purposefully didn't announce that I was going to be in town - due to time pressures. As soon as my committment with the Spanish family was over I trained it up North to do some wedding things with my Mum and see my little niece (photo attached - how cute is she!). Speaking of babies, I did get chance to meet Debbie Heywood's second child, Toby, and I must just say how sweet he is. He's so happy and content - he's adorable!

My niece, Isabella, entertained us all with her bath time routine - which is to turn inot a champion back stroke swimmer for ten minutes. Its amzing to see. She goes mental in the bath and just swims up and down the length of the bath with her Dad holding her head out of the water. I've never seen anything like it!

S xx