Alarmed and dangerous

Well....the week has been busy with sorting out the house, gardening, building the shed base, signing legal papers, walks and shopping. Decided to go for a cycle ride but the back tyre exploded on contact with the pump. Trying to source an inner tube in Ribadesella is not easy. The weekend passed without much of a do......(50 years old arghhhh!) and we just had a quiet time enjoying the sunshine and new surroundings. Alarmed......the house has been fitted with a new system .......I can even talk with the control centre in Madrid (how do you say....intruder, help I'm being attacked?) anyway we feel safer leaving the house for long periods now. Off now for lunch ..........speak soon.

Una buena cosecha

Settling in to our new life here in Toriello. The house is looking more and more like a home and the garden continues to challenge us. Luis euthanased a family of field mice after I accidentaly caught them with the brush cutter on the strimmer.....oops. Making the most of the opportunity to go walking on a daily basis - always come home with an armful of goodies from our villagers - eggs, oranges, plants, seedlings and herbs. We have met some very nice people and all seem very friendly and welcoming. Still awaiting the telephone. Don´t forget it is my Birthday - better get cards or else.........Adios

Onions......and yet more onions

Well.........200 onions later the vegetable plot is looking good. Lettuce, peppers, cabbages, tomatoes and beans planted and growing well. Luis on the look out for slugs and armed with an array of slug weapons. We have had a garden shed delivered but now need to build the base, this week we hope. The grass is growing at lightening rate but with a strimmer it is soon chopped and burnt.
Toriello had a fiesta on Saturday, a parade from the local fish restaurant of women and men in traditional dress, dancing and playing tamborines, bagpipes and drums. They walked to the church in the next willage to collect the Statue of our Virgin Fatima - to return her to our local church.......the whole event was great and pictures will be published on our site as soon as we get up and running with broadband. It was a bit like the parade at the carnival in Barnsley but here in Toriello, we do have a virgin..........
Introduced to the Lady Mayoress and had a few drinks as the two bands played traditional music until 4am in the morning.
Went walking for the day on Sunday, saw lots of wild flowers and orchids along the meadows. Spent a few hours on the beach watching the surf. This is the life eh.........

Slow, Sloe, quick quick - toad

Well, where do I begin? Luis has now joined me in Toriello and we have begun to get to grips with the garden (football field). Luis had an encounter with a slow worm, we tried to buy a sloe tree, we have numerous lizards and crickets and the toads keep us company throughout the night. All in all we are very happy and are looking forward to developing the land and getting the house sorted. With a bit of luck we will be on the telephone and internet by next week........read manana.....hope to get an adsl connection but if not a telephone connection will suffice. We will let you all know the new number. Until then, hope you are all well.........keep in touch.