¡Bienvenidos!…Welcome…Fàilte…

It´s hard to talk about the weather when you are on the mainland, but here goes.

We spent a lazy day with the boys in one of the national parks near our home.  We ended up at the river most of the day for swimming and exploring.

The end of the afernoon we were back home for ´merienda´.  Afternoon tea in the summer can be many cool  options.  Today was chilled pineapple slush and FARTONS. The wonderfully named long iced buns from Valencia.  They are usually served with a wonderful icy slushed root drink called ¨HORCHATA¨, but it is hard to get an authentic tasting one out of Valencia.

 Asier and Gabriel weren´t complaining and they disappeared along with the pineapple drinks in minutes!

´Yes, I think it IS time, Edgar.  I think HE ( our faithful old car never did get a name, it just was never a girl car), has given us his best.

Over these months you have responded so generously to our car fund.  Thanks especially to a dear church fellowship in Scotland, we now have the exciting task of looking for a new car.  As my dad said, the car is not just for ourselves, it is a gift to be used to serve the church we are serving here in Spain.

So now where do we start…all that talk of HORSE POWER is confusing for starters. We started looking at different models to our current car, on a day´s visit to Warwick castle, at the end of our Home Assignment…..Like the look of this beast, just not so sure about the lack of side protection bars and space for rear child seats. 

Mmmm, quite nice model, not sure about the yellow though!

After being back in lovely sunny Spain for a few days, I was perusing our summer HA holiday snaps. 

These are just a tiny FEW things amazing about our beautiful homeland we left behind.

 AMAZING SKIES.  Check out these amazing fairweather clouds on a summer day driving back home after a great day out.  FANTASTIC. Also spot the sheep, safe drivers and quiet roads. YOu would never see this in Spain and it was really spectacular this afternoon.

MORAY PARK, DOUNE.  Check out the shade of green grass and not a sprinkler system in sight. My local. (park that is) ,( I know direct daily watering from up there keeps it this way.) I spent my first 17 years of life playing in this fantastic village( or town as it now prefers to be called) park. Spain boasts 3000km of beachline, but burnt out brown grass or straw is the price for getting so much sun.

Can you imagine our boys delight, playing cricket with their cousins, running around in socks, with SO MUCH grass this green on their granny´s birthday?  Absolutely fantastic. A very happy extended family went home for a second round of birthday cake and tea after the Spanish batsmen were bowled out. .

STIRLING CASTLE - amazingly in Stirling! -: Don´t get me started on castles. we can boast more than Spain has Km of beaches!

Homecoming for me: I was born near here and this area, driving infront of Stirling Castle, on the Carse of Stirling with its spectacular sheep and cow filled fields and spectuacular views, always makes me feel I´m coming home.  Never tire of this stretch of road.  We passed it many times this summer, and it is just about this spot where I immediately am filled with a feeling of coming home, quickly followed by a feeling of being so proud to be Scottish.

We all give thanks to God for what was probably our best ever family summer in Scotland. 2009. A very special time.

Having only been back in Madrid I day, I was delighted to meet a mum from Gabriel’s old school while shopping for basics.  As I stepped closer to greet her with the customary Spanish friendly style kiss on both cheeks, she stepped back abruptly, and quite frankly, left me feeling a bit silly and surprised.

"We are not supposed to kiss people, because of the risk of catching Gripe A," she explained. Aparently that is one of the pieces of advice the  Spanish health minister has just issued, to try to avoid the ongoing spread of Swine flu.  My curiosity got the better of me, and the front headline of today’s national paper did indeed inform, that using a hanky,  and washing hands regularly were also part of cautions to take with your friends. 

It will be interesting to see if the health advice given over these coming weeks and months, is as confusing and contradictory as the advice in GB seems to be this summer, between the government and the press. Whatever, we may be seeing a lot more air kisses in Spain for a while at least.

P.S. Does it count, your child trying to lick you or your camera?!

Aren’t they just brilliant.  Not the drums, but a little piece of technology, made in china, of course, and missing from my ‘must have’ list up until today. THE SATNAV!

Borrowing one from a friend to get from Birmingham to Northampton for our ECM debriefing at the end of our Home assignment, brought an unknown matrimonial harmony and peace in our car on arriving at the office.

Arriving early due to good navigation, and the sun shining all day, made it a happy one. I LOVE BEING IN BRITAIN on days like today.