First Weekend in Spain!

Well it felt fantastic to be here safe and sound with a bike that had caused no problems and I wasn´t aching like I thought I might.
My first breakfast in Spain and I had it in the back veranda! I could get used to this, breakfast in the SUN. My Mum & Dennis had thought about what I may need to be seeing and doing in my first few days and it was great to relax and go along with everything they suggested.
The plan was that I had the week in which I would get my bearings see my new Boss mid week.
So the first day we just went down into the Port of Mazarron and I did the tourist thing of just looking around and taking in all the sights. I was very pleased with what I saw. This is not the place where we are planning on living because the workshop that I´ll be working in is 70miles away but I thought if this is a average Spanish town then this would do myself and my family very well.
We had coffee in one of the many bars and I was very impressed with what my Mum and Dennis had picked up in there 2 years here. I don´t just mean ordering coffee, they seemed confident going anywhere and trying to ask for what they wanted. They have picked up an awful lot just by being her and trying.
That night they took me to one of the many activities that they take part in . We went to play Pétanque the French game of bowls! It was great, there are about 30 to 40 people attend and they all draw numbers to see who is playing who. This way it is one big socializing event and it´s great fun!!! So whilst you are having fun playing a game you are talking to different people and hearing of different experiences.
As you can imagine after all this I was pretty tired again! It´s hard work you know.
On the Saturday we up to Catral to were I would be working to see the town and what it was like. I don´t know what I was expecting but it was better than that!
Now over the next few weeks I will have to look around the town and surrounding areas to see where best I think will suit my family but on first impressions, I liked it.
We spent the whole day out and about looking around. It was all good and I had a really good feeling that we had made the right choice to try this new life (even though it has only been 2 days!! Don´t get carried away I hear you say!).
The thing I was shown at the evening time is there is different choices to make as you can go into the Spanish towns and bars or if you really wanted to there are so many English here that you can go to areas that are full of English people living like they are on holiday. It´s Spanish all the way for me!
Now during the afternoon I received a text explaining that it was not necessary to go and see my new Boss and that I would be starting to work on the Monday rather than in a weeks time! That wasn´t the plan! I was going to have a week off. But then I thought it was loads better because I would know what the job was rather than thinking about it for a week and I would start earning sooner! I am here to work not to holiday! So Cool on Monday I would start work.
Now though was Sunday the day of rest. Not here it isn´t. Loads to see and do.
We went to a village Fiesta in the afternoon/evening. These Fiestas go on in the towns and villages all the time. They are for religious celebrations/ Saints days and Wow do they put on a show. The whole town turns out!! When we arrived they had just shut the main road and people were just putting out chairs and tables. What seemed like 5mins but was probably about half an hour and the streets were full. Everybody from little babies to Grandmas and Grandads and all in between were out. Everybody seems really happy and cheerful. We ordered a drink and sat down and wait for the precession to start.
UNBELIEVABLE! When it started the first float/group of people arrived and I thought I better get the camera out because this is amazing and I wanted people to see the effort they put in. Then the next act came in to view and again I thought wow, camera again. Believe me the whole precession was like it.!!!!!!!
It must have been at least an hour for them all to go by. the floats were big and truly spectacular, there were dancing girls in full costumes doing routines all the way down the streets, there were people in amazing costumes. (if I ever get this phone to connect to this PC I upload some of the pics for you to see!). What I didn´t expect was that the whole thing had gone round the town and now they were coming past us again!!! All of them still dancing and performing as if they had just started. Who´s ever heard of this in England, you see a carnival and then it comes around in full again with as much passion as the first time?!!
Now it was starting to get late and the party atmosphere was really getting going! There was a big stage, a market down the market and performers getting ready. It was about 11.00 and the main stage was not going to start till midnight!! They sure know how to party!
Unfortunately I was starting work in the morning, so that was the end for us. Party pooper!
But I had been here just 3 days and if this was anything to go by I could see that me, my wife and girls would be more than happy with this.
Let me get to work and see if the dream carries on in this same positive way!