A recap.
We decided to live in a house in the countryside 1,000 metres up a mountain. It gets cold in the winter, there is snow in the winter which is deep enough to stop us getting the car out for days at a time. We decided we would put gas central heating in running on propane from a tank as we are way too far away from any mains supply of gas. Natural piped gas is not common in this part of Spain although highly populated areas are beginning to get piped supply.
We only knew of one supplier of bottled gas, Repsol, and so spoke with them about the supply. Their tanks were massive so we would need to run off the tall bottles and were recommended to have 8 bottles and run 4 on/4 off. We weren't keen as this would look unattractive at the back of the house but, any less would mean the bottles needed changing too often and if the track was difficult to access because of snow we could run out of gas and have no heating or cooking.
In conversation with Manolo at the plumbers merchant he told us about another supplier Cespa, who did a smaller tank than Repsol, suitable for domestic use. 1,000 litres which should last for months and certainly see us through the winter months without difficulty. The tank is quite cute, if a fuel tank can be cute and it seemed perfect for our needs. Refills would be 3-4 days from order, which is a simple phone call. While we were waiting for the tank we could run the system with 4 small bottles, 2 on/2 off.
We started the process in mid-November and we received the signed contract from Cespa dated 26th November. We were given a timescale of 3 weeks for the tank to be delivered and a further 3-4 days for it to be filled up. With any luck it would all be set-up by Christmas and we wouldn't have to worry about fuel throughout the winter.
But, this is Spain. Timescales can stretch out quite a while.
The timescale for our tank has stetched way beyond expectations. In Spain you learn to be patient but this has certanly tested our patience to the limit.
The tank is manufactured in Portugal as it is cheaper than if it was made in Spain. At Christmas when we asked,it was only just in production, should be shipped early January. We had one fall of snow where we were snowed in for 3 days and on day 4 we had no choice but to dig our way out as our bottles were empty. The bottles only lasted for 4 days in really cold weather when we needed the heating on 24/7. When you run on LPG there is always a residual amount left in the bottles, normally 10% but in cold weather it can be as much as 15% - this means when you need the most get you get the least! The outside temperature affects the amount of usable gas. It also means you are paying for gas you can't actually use. Each change of bottle was costing us €10 so it is not a cost effective way of running a heating system, but it was meant to only be for a 4-5 weeks!
But this is Spain. Finally, after almost 10 weeks the tank arrived. We were told it would take about a week for the first fill and after that it would be 3-4 days for a refill from when we telephoned an order through. We were so excited.
The excitement didn't last long.
We waited for it to be filled. In the meantime we had more snow, we couldn't get out for 3 days. This time we ran out of gas on day 4, but we stayed warm through the snow. A week passed and then a second. We started calling into the shop every week for an update. Every week was the same, the paperwork is stuck in the system. We cannot get the tank filled until the paperwork is sorted.
Last Friday we finally had a call to say the tanker was coming to fill us up. We knew better than to get excited this time.
It didn't arrive.
I rang to ask why and it seems they sent the big tanker (like you see deliver fuel to petrol stations) and he was worried that the slope on our track was too much and, having got down to the house, he wouldn't be able to get back up to the tarmac road.
They needed to send the smaller tanker which has to come from further away, so doesn't come to the area every day. It would be here Tuesday or Wednesday.
It didn't come.
This morning we got a phone call. The little tanker was coming.
AND IT DID!!!!!!!!!
We now have a full tank of LPG,well 85% full - that's the maximum they can fill it. It should last us several months. We don't have to change bottles anymore.
Now, we are very excited. We're going out to celebrate tonight.
We're going to town for a PIzza!
Thursday, 25 February 2010
Wednesday, 24 February 2010
The Winds of Change
It's howling around the house tonight, gales of 45km an hour. It's been howling for several hours and is expected to continue for many more.
It's great for drying the bedding although I make sure everything is double pegged or it will end up dry but halfway down the Rambla.
As I walk round the corner of the house I am stopped in my tracks by the wind. The occasional lull allows me to continue. Even the dogs, as small as they are, struggle to walk far.
I remember last year we had strong winds in February, there were several times we didn't get to play golf because it was too windy.
It seemed to blow away winter and blow in summer, maybe this is what happens here and, once again, summer is just around the corner.
If only the wind would drop enough to let me walk around the corner!
It's great for drying the bedding although I make sure everything is double pegged or it will end up dry but halfway down the Rambla.
As I walk round the corner of the house I am stopped in my tracks by the wind. The occasional lull allows me to continue. Even the dogs, as small as they are, struggle to walk far.
I remember last year we had strong winds in February, there were several times we didn't get to play golf because it was too windy.
It seemed to blow away winter and blow in summer, maybe this is what happens here and, once again, summer is just around the corner.
If only the wind would drop enough to let me walk around the corner!
Monday, 22 February 2010
A banquet.
Having just spent 4 hours walking over the hills with her goats and sheep, I think Maria was probably looking forward to 5 minutes by the fire with a hot mug of coffee. Instead she was met by a house full of visitors and went straight into hostess mode. Soon, added to the bread & cheese, we had a plate full of sliced Chorizo sausage and another of Serano ham from the recent Metanza. More drinks were poured and more food added to the table.
On the wall we suddenly noticed that there were 4 large calendars, all in a row next to each other - and a 5th on another wall by the door. All were local calendars which can be picked up free in the village, but it seemed odd to have so many. As it began to get dark we found out what these were for. Bernardo brought in the Quails for the night, and he has four of them in seperate cages. Each one hangs on the big nail holding the calendars to the wall, and it stops any dirt from the birds marking the walls. When a page in the calendar gets too marked Maria simply tears it off for a new month! Simple really!
Maria brought through some photos of her family and she told us her sons had all gone through to Aguilas for the Carnival, which is why none of them were around when we called. I asked her about the kid goats that we had seen as I wondered when they would be old enough to go out with the herd, walking the hills. Maria explained that they wouldn't go walking as they would soon be sold for meat. If you visit Spain and see cabra, cabrito or choto on the menu, that's young goat.
We spent about an hour chatting in our best Spanish, and managing to be understood. Sometimes it's necessary to re-think how to say something or ask something and then we all struggle to understand the answers, sometimes because of the accent but it was great fun trying and the time passed quite quickly. The bottle of wine was empty and Bernardo went to fetch more. He topped up all the glasses and then took a sip of his own, at which point he declared it 'not good'. It was too vinegary and he took all our glasses back and poured the wine back into the bottle. I asked him whether this wine would be used for cooking and he said it would be. The next bottle he tried himself first and after announcing it fit for drinking he topped up all our glasses once again.
Maria then brought out some fruit, some home grown cherries which had been soaked in sugared water and were delicious. Nnormally I don't like cherries but these were sweet and had the texture more of a grape. There was also something none of us recognised. It was like a fruit jelly with a really nice, sweet flavour that we couldn't pinpoint. Maria told us the name but it still meant nothing to us. It was like an apple, but not an apple and not pear either, but was really nice. I have learnt not to ask anyone to write things down for me, as much as it would help, as some of the older farming generation cannot always write, and I don't want to cause any embarassing moments, so we just have to struggle on in ignorance sometimes.
Janet & I were suddenly aware how long we had left our dogs and started to make noises that we should be leaving but Bernardo pointed out that Maria had water on the boil for coffee. Along with the coffee there was a plate piled high with crisps and Maria also brought out 3 bottles of liqueurs. It is traditional in Spain to finish your meal with a small liqueur and often these are served free in restaurants with your bill. Very often you don't have a choice of what liqueur you have, they serve it ready poured. Today we had chupito de hierbas, a popular drink made from grapes and supposed to be good for your digestion .
Finally, we said we had to leave and as we all began to move Maria gave Janet and I a litre of the drinking wine each to take home, tested and approved by Bernardo of course, and Bernardo also gave me a bottle of the wine deemed fit for cooking purposes as well. Outside it had become dark and we now saw the sense in parking the car on arrival in a manner ready for departure - reversing around a farm yard in the dark is not easy. Fortunately, most of the animals were inside and only a couple of dogs were showing any interest in making sure we left the premises. A couple of hours had passed incredibly quickly, Maria and Bernardo are such lovely people and seem really pleased to have us visit their home.
As we left I wondered whether Maria would now get her 'sit down by the fire with a cup of coffee moment'.
On the wall we suddenly noticed that there were 4 large calendars, all in a row next to each other - and a 5th on another wall by the door. All were local calendars which can be picked up free in the village, but it seemed odd to have so many. As it began to get dark we found out what these were for. Bernardo brought in the Quails for the night, and he has four of them in seperate cages. Each one hangs on the big nail holding the calendars to the wall, and it stops any dirt from the birds marking the walls. When a page in the calendar gets too marked Maria simply tears it off for a new month! Simple really!
Maria brought through some photos of her family and she told us her sons had all gone through to Aguilas for the Carnival, which is why none of them were around when we called. I asked her about the kid goats that we had seen as I wondered when they would be old enough to go out with the herd, walking the hills. Maria explained that they wouldn't go walking as they would soon be sold for meat. If you visit Spain and see cabra, cabrito or choto on the menu, that's young goat.
We spent about an hour chatting in our best Spanish, and managing to be understood. Sometimes it's necessary to re-think how to say something or ask something and then we all struggle to understand the answers, sometimes because of the accent but it was great fun trying and the time passed quite quickly. The bottle of wine was empty and Bernardo went to fetch more. He topped up all the glasses and then took a sip of his own, at which point he declared it 'not good'. It was too vinegary and he took all our glasses back and poured the wine back into the bottle. I asked him whether this wine would be used for cooking and he said it would be. The next bottle he tried himself first and after announcing it fit for drinking he topped up all our glasses once again.
Maria then brought out some fruit, some home grown cherries which had been soaked in sugared water and were delicious. Nnormally I don't like cherries but these were sweet and had the texture more of a grape. There was also something none of us recognised. It was like a fruit jelly with a really nice, sweet flavour that we couldn't pinpoint. Maria told us the name but it still meant nothing to us. It was like an apple, but not an apple and not pear either, but was really nice. I have learnt not to ask anyone to write things down for me, as much as it would help, as some of the older farming generation cannot always write, and I don't want to cause any embarassing moments, so we just have to struggle on in ignorance sometimes.
Janet & I were suddenly aware how long we had left our dogs and started to make noises that we should be leaving but Bernardo pointed out that Maria had water on the boil for coffee. Along with the coffee there was a plate piled high with crisps and Maria also brought out 3 bottles of liqueurs. It is traditional in Spain to finish your meal with a small liqueur and often these are served free in restaurants with your bill. Very often you don't have a choice of what liqueur you have, they serve it ready poured. Today we had chupito de hierbas, a popular drink made from grapes and supposed to be good for your digestion .
Finally, we said we had to leave and as we all began to move Maria gave Janet and I a litre of the drinking wine each to take home, tested and approved by Bernardo of course, and Bernardo also gave me a bottle of the wine deemed fit for cooking purposes as well. Outside it had become dark and we now saw the sense in parking the car on arrival in a manner ready for departure - reversing around a farm yard in the dark is not easy. Fortunately, most of the animals were inside and only a couple of dogs were showing any interest in making sure we left the premises. A couple of hours had passed incredibly quickly, Maria and Bernardo are such lovely people and seem really pleased to have us visit their home.
As we left I wondered whether Maria would now get her 'sit down by the fire with a cup of coffee moment'.
Sunday, 21 February 2010
A home visit.
For a couple of weeks our neighbour on the hill has been promising to make a cake to take to Maria & Bernardo, who have the goats & sheep and live on the farm at km 5.
We've never been down to their farm so yesterday, cake made, we all set off for a visit.
As we appraoched the yard we were met by 2 dogs and 3 rather large turkeys, 1 black & 2 white. There was no sign of either Maria or Bernardo so, after checking around the front of the house we concluded that Maria, who we had passed with her sheep up near km 8 some 3 hours earlier was still out and Bernardo may be out with her.
In one of the pens at the side of the house were about a dozen small goats, kids that were only a few months old. Now I understood the comment Maria made when I asked her if she kept the goats for the milk to make cheese and she had said that they weren't old enough. What she had meant was that the kids weren't old enough and were still feeding from their mums. If we managed to see Maria and Bernardo we would be able to ask them about the kids in the pen.
We decided to pop down to town for petrol, as we were almost running on empty, and that we would call on our way back to see if either of them had returned. Our return found us once more greeted by dogs and turkeys and now, a couple of cats - but no Maria or Bernardo.
As we started to drive back up the track towards the road we had to drive round the shed where his tractor is stored and as we did, we spotted Bernardo walking down the track towards us. As we got closer he looked reminiscent of Clint Eastwood in a Fist full of Dollars but without the horse and a few years older.
He had a striped blanket around his shoulders and a rifle under his arm, but unlike Eastwood, he had a large hump on his back, more in line with Quasimodo.
We stopped and explained we had called to bring him & Maria some cake and he told us to turn the car around and meet him at the house.
Once at the farmhouse the nature of the hump was revealed, under the blanket was a Quail in a cage. Remember this is a rural farming area, remember this is real life where the area has been farmed for its natural resources for many years and hunting is part of every day life.
Bernardo explained that he had been hunting for Quail and this bird was the bait. It is set down on the floor and begins to sing enticing others to join it. Only, the others will end up in a pot for dinner, whereas the 'bait' Quail will go back in his cage for another day. Today had been cold and had not been a good day for Bernardo, the only Quail he returned home with was his 'bait' Quail. I was a little relieved, but didn't say so out loud.
We all went into the small kitchen and Bernardo started to sort us out. Tiny wicker chairs were placed around the table next to the now cold, log fire. Both he and Maria had been out so long the logs had burned out. He went outside to fetch more wood and kindling and within a couple of minutes there were flames leaping high up the chimney and the small room took on an strange, orange glow by which I could see how basic their living was.
Having taken so much time over our house, our kitchen, our lounge - it is a real step back in time to see how the true Spanish farmer and his family still live. A tiny sink in the corner next to the large fire. A small 2 ring cooker with a tiny oven along the next wall and a cabinet were all that was in the kitchen. In the next room was a couple of settee's either side of a family dining table and a large wall unit on which sat their one and only tv, a small 14inch portable - that was many years old.
Over the tables were large tablecloths that hung down to the floor and as the door opened again, in shot 2 kittens who bolted under the safety of the table cloths and were never seen again.
It is difficult to guess the age of Bernardo, his face is weathered and he has bad arthritis making his hands crooked and difficult for him to hold things, but he is such a gentleman. He put glasses on the table and poured each of us a drop of his home made wine from his home grown grapes. The first sip was a little rough but I soon got the taste for it and as we sat round his table, enjoying the heat of the open log fire Bernardo started to put a few plates on the table - bread, homemade by Maria, cheese and olives, homegrown and soaked over many days until they were soft and tasty.
Just then we heard the dull clanging of the goatbells as Maria returned home after a long day walking with the goats and sheep.
Our quick 'pop in' with a cake was set to be a couple of hours of unbelievable hospitality from a very generous couple who have little in way of possessions but are incredibly rich in life.
Come back for more later.............
We've never been down to their farm so yesterday, cake made, we all set off for a visit.
As we appraoched the yard we were met by 2 dogs and 3 rather large turkeys, 1 black & 2 white. There was no sign of either Maria or Bernardo so, after checking around the front of the house we concluded that Maria, who we had passed with her sheep up near km 8 some 3 hours earlier was still out and Bernardo may be out with her.
In one of the pens at the side of the house were about a dozen small goats, kids that were only a few months old. Now I understood the comment Maria made when I asked her if she kept the goats for the milk to make cheese and she had said that they weren't old enough. What she had meant was that the kids weren't old enough and were still feeding from their mums. If we managed to see Maria and Bernardo we would be able to ask them about the kids in the pen.
We decided to pop down to town for petrol, as we were almost running on empty, and that we would call on our way back to see if either of them had returned. Our return found us once more greeted by dogs and turkeys and now, a couple of cats - but no Maria or Bernardo.
As we started to drive back up the track towards the road we had to drive round the shed where his tractor is stored and as we did, we spotted Bernardo walking down the track towards us. As we got closer he looked reminiscent of Clint Eastwood in a Fist full of Dollars but without the horse and a few years older.
He had a striped blanket around his shoulders and a rifle under his arm, but unlike Eastwood, he had a large hump on his back, more in line with Quasimodo.
We stopped and explained we had called to bring him & Maria some cake and he told us to turn the car around and meet him at the house.
Once at the farmhouse the nature of the hump was revealed, under the blanket was a Quail in a cage. Remember this is a rural farming area, remember this is real life where the area has been farmed for its natural resources for many years and hunting is part of every day life.
Bernardo explained that he had been hunting for Quail and this bird was the bait. It is set down on the floor and begins to sing enticing others to join it. Only, the others will end up in a pot for dinner, whereas the 'bait' Quail will go back in his cage for another day. Today had been cold and had not been a good day for Bernardo, the only Quail he returned home with was his 'bait' Quail. I was a little relieved, but didn't say so out loud.
We all went into the small kitchen and Bernardo started to sort us out. Tiny wicker chairs were placed around the table next to the now cold, log fire. Both he and Maria had been out so long the logs had burned out. He went outside to fetch more wood and kindling and within a couple of minutes there were flames leaping high up the chimney and the small room took on an strange, orange glow by which I could see how basic their living was.
Having taken so much time over our house, our kitchen, our lounge - it is a real step back in time to see how the true Spanish farmer and his family still live. A tiny sink in the corner next to the large fire. A small 2 ring cooker with a tiny oven along the next wall and a cabinet were all that was in the kitchen. In the next room was a couple of settee's either side of a family dining table and a large wall unit on which sat their one and only tv, a small 14inch portable - that was many years old.
Over the tables were large tablecloths that hung down to the floor and as the door opened again, in shot 2 kittens who bolted under the safety of the table cloths and were never seen again.
It is difficult to guess the age of Bernardo, his face is weathered and he has bad arthritis making his hands crooked and difficult for him to hold things, but he is such a gentleman. He put glasses on the table and poured each of us a drop of his home made wine from his home grown grapes. The first sip was a little rough but I soon got the taste for it and as we sat round his table, enjoying the heat of the open log fire Bernardo started to put a few plates on the table - bread, homemade by Maria, cheese and olives, homegrown and soaked over many days until they were soft and tasty.
Just then we heard the dull clanging of the goatbells as Maria returned home after a long day walking with the goats and sheep.
Our quick 'pop in' with a cake was set to be a couple of hours of unbelievable hospitality from a very generous couple who have little in way of possessions but are incredibly rich in life.
Come back for more later.............
Tuesday, 16 February 2010
All in a days shopping!
Last Thursday was supermarket shopping day. My neighbour and I go down to Huercal Overa about once a fortnight and do all the supermarkets, Lidl, Mercadona and Inter Marche. We knew that snow was forecast so we decided it would be worth getting stocked up ready for being snowed in, and it was a wise choice.
We decided to take Brian for a run and he seemed to enjoy the drive down the windy road. The sun was out and the roads were good. We parked in the underground carpark at Mercadona and left the car there while we go for a coffee and tostada con tomate y queso (cheese and tomato toastie). Last time Janet had gone down with her husband she had wanted to try a new bar, but Graeme had wanted to try a bar called El Jabilí (the wildboar). By all accounts, it's a real Spanish, blokes bar and not one Janet wants to re-visit. So, we decided we would try the bar on her wish list. It's at the roundabout neat Mercadona and is really, really nice and does great coffee and tostada -so, definitely one we will re-visit.
Shopping and breakfast over,we returned to the carpark for Brian. The carpark is very badly lit and being underground, it can be difficult to see properly. Our big car isn't a problem because it opens on the key fob, but Brian is a lot older and needs the door opening with the key. I often get confused because there are 2 keys, one for the door and the other for the ignition, but they look very similar.
When we got back to the carpark, I realised I had forgotten to get my parking ticket validated so, back into Mercadona for it stamping and then, we have a silly situation, we have to take the stamped ticket to a man in a kiosk, who then scans the ticket and then we have to drive to the barrier to put the ticket into the machine in order to get out of the car park. Seems a few too many steps for such a simple procedure especially as the Mercadona in Aguilas has a bar code on the bottom of the till receipt and you just wave it at the machine and out you go, but not to worry, if that's what we have to do, we just get on with it.
Back at the car, ticket stamped and validated, I tried to open Brian but couldn't get the key in the lock. A big, black car had parked at the side of me which was blocking what little light there was on the driver's side of the car and making it really difficult to see what was going on. I tried both keys, bent down really, really close to the lock to see if that would help but still, I couldn't get the key in the lock.
I was beginning to think I needed to call the breakdown people out, as something had gone wrong with the lock when it occurred to me, this little white car had 4 doors - Brian only has 2. This little white car had a Peugeot lion on the front - Brian is a Citroen. This little white car didn't have any shopping on the back seat - Brian's back seat was full of shopping bags.
Penny dropped! This little white car wasn't Brian!
Fortunately, the car park was empty of other people as Janet and I were doubled up in hysterics. For whatever reason, we both found it so funny that we had spent 5 minutes trying to get into a car that wasn't ours and hadn't noticed we were trying to break into someone elses car.
On the other side of the big, black car was Brian!
We made our escape before anyone noticed what we'd been doing.
Shopping can be such fun!
We decided to take Brian for a run and he seemed to enjoy the drive down the windy road. The sun was out and the roads were good. We parked in the underground carpark at Mercadona and left the car there while we go for a coffee and tostada con tomate y queso (cheese and tomato toastie). Last time Janet had gone down with her husband she had wanted to try a new bar, but Graeme had wanted to try a bar called El Jabilí (the wildboar). By all accounts, it's a real Spanish, blokes bar and not one Janet wants to re-visit. So, we decided we would try the bar on her wish list. It's at the roundabout neat Mercadona and is really, really nice and does great coffee and tostada -so, definitely one we will re-visit.
Shopping and breakfast over,we returned to the carpark for Brian. The carpark is very badly lit and being underground, it can be difficult to see properly. Our big car isn't a problem because it opens on the key fob, but Brian is a lot older and needs the door opening with the key. I often get confused because there are 2 keys, one for the door and the other for the ignition, but they look very similar.
When we got back to the carpark, I realised I had forgotten to get my parking ticket validated so, back into Mercadona for it stamping and then, we have a silly situation, we have to take the stamped ticket to a man in a kiosk, who then scans the ticket and then we have to drive to the barrier to put the ticket into the machine in order to get out of the car park. Seems a few too many steps for such a simple procedure especially as the Mercadona in Aguilas has a bar code on the bottom of the till receipt and you just wave it at the machine and out you go, but not to worry, if that's what we have to do, we just get on with it.
Back at the car, ticket stamped and validated, I tried to open Brian but couldn't get the key in the lock. A big, black car had parked at the side of me which was blocking what little light there was on the driver's side of the car and making it really difficult to see what was going on. I tried both keys, bent down really, really close to the lock to see if that would help but still, I couldn't get the key in the lock.
I was beginning to think I needed to call the breakdown people out, as something had gone wrong with the lock when it occurred to me, this little white car had 4 doors - Brian only has 2. This little white car had a Peugeot lion on the front - Brian is a Citroen. This little white car didn't have any shopping on the back seat - Brian's back seat was full of shopping bags.
Penny dropped! This little white car wasn't Brian!
Fortunately, the car park was empty of other people as Janet and I were doubled up in hysterics. For whatever reason, we both found it so funny that we had spent 5 minutes trying to get into a car that wasn't ours and hadn't noticed we were trying to break into someone elses car.
On the other side of the big, black car was Brian!
We made our escape before anyone noticed what we'd been doing.
Shopping can be such fun!
Monday, 15 February 2010
The snow arrived on Saturday as predicted and although we managed to get down to town in the morning to change over the gas bottles, it was way too bad to even think of trying it later on. We assume the Carnival was cancelled, although I've not heard anything official, as we haven't been able to leave the house.
We did manage a lovely, long walk the dogs yesterday, although the struggled at times where the snow had drifted, but it's not been possible to get the car out yet.
This week sees a major change in the weather forecast. From temperatures barely making a move above freezing on the thermometer during the day, we are forecast to be back to +12c by mid-week. If this marks then end of winter, as we hope it does, we will have survived our first winter in the mountains and looks forward to Spring.
On that note, I took this photo yesterday of the Almond blossom, so desperately trying to break out all over the hillsides - yet, still having to battle the elements. Hopefully, in about a week I will be able to post some Spring photos showing the blossom in all it's glory. The area is so well known for the spectacular blossom's that people travel long distances to see it.
Friday, 12 February 2010
As snug as a bug in a rug!
It gets quite cool at night and we tend to leave the heating set to 16c overnight which is warm enough when you're sleeping. Often I wake up in the middle of the night and tend to get up and make a mug of hot chocolate and sit in the study browsing around the internet and taking my turn at online Scrabble. We have an internet system which has a 'Fair Usage' policy and some sites won't load on the lower speed, that I have, during the day when there are a lot of users online. It's fine for e-mail, Skype and my blog but sites that have loads of photos, embedded videos and the rest, it struggles with. I could pay more and get quicker access but I choose not to as I don't need it for the majority of what I use the internet for. However, at 3am it whizzes along quite nicely.
I never know how long I'm going to be up so I normally don't bother lighting the heater but, although my dressing gown is quite warm, after a while I do start to feel the chill.
Then, last week whilst out shopping a I saw a TV fleece. Only €7.99 and basically it's a huge blanket,sewn up to have sleeves and a couple of big buttons to keep it fastened around you. It's long enough to wrap your feet up in and so I thought it might be OK for my mid-night wanders around the internet. Some have pockets in for remote controls, others have foot pockets and I've even seen some that have built in pillows. Prices vary enormously, but mine is a very simple, not pocket, no pillow just a blanket, in deep plum.
Tonight is the first time I've been up and felt cool enough to think about unwrapping it. You'll probably be surprised that it's a 'one-size fits all' garment, and I use the term 'garment' in it's extreme sense of the word.
It has 2 buttons on it that, in my opinion, do no good whatsoever, as they are in completely the wrong places, it's probably the most unflattering item I've ever worn and somebody, please shoot me if I ever contemplate answering the door whilst wearing in it.
BUT.....
It has great long, wide sleeves that come over the end of my hands so I can happily type away without my fingers getting cold. It's longer than I am so I can wrap my feet in it. It's actually very snug without being heavy and after about half an hour I had to unwrap myself as I was over-heating.
So I'm quite happy with my €7.99 TV fleece which has one final unexpected purpose. As I walk from the study to the kitchen to make my mug of ColaCao (hot chocolate).....
Now, you didn't really think I would put a photo of me in my TV fleece on the internet, did you?
Interestingly, in looking for a photo to use, I have discovered I am, sorry - was, wearing it wrong. You wear it like a hospital gown with the opening at the back. This way the buttons, whilst a little tricky to fasten, actually do make more sense being where they are AND you don't get any gaps down the front.
I'm liking it even more!
Now I'm off to make a mug of ColaCoa and get a head start on tomorrow's housework by cleaning the floors.
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