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Gran Alacant Market!
This morning I was up at 6.30am; had a lot of housework to do! At 10am I went with Katie to Gran Alacant Thursday Market. First of all Katie had to put a duvet in to be washed at the laundrette. Washed and dried in an hour, for 9€. Since I never go to these places, I have no idea if that was cheap or not.
We then popped into Quick Save to pick up some English staples, that you literally can't get anywhere else; pickled onions, baked beans and some ingredients for a bread pudding I am making later; I've been meaning to get round to making one for a while!
To be honest I have never been to the market, it really isn't my thing. Still we arrived early, and it wasn't too bad. Not as busy as I thought, and the prices were higher than I had expected. The traders were friendly enough and not in your face, as they would be in Britain.
Katie bought all her veg for the week and we were done; time for a coffee at Bar Sioux. Nice to have a chat with the owner, Julie, sat in the winter sun for half an hour!Alicante!
Wow, they sell dogs in pet shops, in Spain. If I remember rightly, you can't sell cats and dogs from a shop in Britain. I thought it was some ridiculous European Directive, that prevented the sale of these animals, although I could be wrong. As is usual in Spain, they would never take any notice of a European law, they are not as stupid as The UK!Doggies!
It's 'Black Friday' tomorrow, so we took a trip into Alicante; Katie wanted to get Lexi a present for her Birthday, as well as some Christmas present shopping. Personally. I don't have to buy anyone anything for Christmas and I doubt I'll get anything also, so for me, the least time I spend in shops, at this time of year the better. Watching other people shop for loved ones, is not my idea of fun. I guess you could say I am a bit jealous, because, I am someone who used to love the festive period. Spending this year on my own, is not something I am looking forward to! Bah Humbug!Alcampo!
We spent a good few hours in Alcampo. The place is huge and sells everything you need in one place; not something I am used to in Spain, certainly not in Gran Alacant. Now I am usually a nightmare in these places and could spend a fortune, but I have been living in Spain for a while now and have learnt a lot. I was reluctant to go in the first place, just in case I blew my budget; to my surprise, I need not have worried.
I decided to buy my weekly shopping in Alcampo, rather than Lidl. Once again I thought I would be spending way over and above what I usually do, but no; I really have learned. I actually spent less money here, than I usually do, during the course of a week. I got far more stuff and had far more choice. Home!
Shopping done, back to Gran Alacant. I suppose it takes about twenty minutes, to drive from our home to Alcampo; It was well worth the trip! Since living in GA, I don't tend to leave there too often, especially with Darrell not being here. I mainly go to Santa Pola or Elche. The last time I had a day in Alicante was back in the summer. It certainly will not be as long before I am back next time!
Dinner!
Brought nearly a kilo of liver in Alcampo, which I love. Cooked it all up to freeze, it will last me ages and is just so cheap. Jamie can't stand the stuff, so as my Mum used to do for my Brother, I had to cook him something else, bloody kids. I think it tasted great, but then I'll eat anything. Tomorrow, I shall be making Bread Pudding, another favourite of mine.
Happy Thursday Y'all!
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It's been a bit wet today. I was woken up in the early hours of the morning, after having a nightmare, about living with Gail Platt on Coronation street. My heart was pounding and I literally thought I was having heart attack. Then the rain, loads of rain, belting down on the solarium.
By the time I had left for school, the inclement weather had stopped, which was lucky for me, because I had no umbrella, just my trusty pork pie hat, Half way through the lesson it started to shower again. All the kids ran over to the window, which I thought was a bit odd, until my Spanish colleague told me, that the children, rarely see rain, so they like to watch it when it pours down. Rather like when the sun comes out, and us Brits make the most of it. It was great to see some rain in Spain, even I had missed it!
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Yesterday was the first meeting of the 'No Wives Club!' All of us out for the day, without our husbands or wives; just a tongue in cheek way of looking at our situation. We all met at Dawn's lovely home, perched on the top of a cliff, overlooking the mediterranean. Even though we are heading towards the end of November, the weather was great; you could see straight across the sea towards Benidorm. The house is in a stunning position, just what Spain is all about!
After a coffee at Dawns, she took us all to lunch at El Hatsikidee, a wonderful Dutch restaurant at the GA Centre. It was the first time, I had ever been there and it was great. The food was delicious, the service was wonderful!
Had a wonderful afternoon and evening back at Dawns. It is good to be around people in similar situations, it does help to cope with the daily problems associated with living apart from one's partner. All of us are able to give each other advice, especially at times, when you may feel lonely. Darrell is away longer than any other partner, but all of us are experiencing the same feelings. If it wasn't for this group of friends, life at the moment would be far more difficult than it is. 
The most important thing to remember, when you are spending long periods apart from your partner, is that you are not alone. There are other people in your position, many of whom suffer far more than you. I have learned after four months to cope with my situation. This is in part due to my own mechanisms, but it is also through following guidance from others.
If I were to give advice to someone living apart from their partner, I can only say how I manage, what works best for me, but of course everyone is different. Firstly have a good network of friends; we are talking quality here, not quantity. So far, so good for me. The people who are close to me are fabulous and make everyday easier. Secondly, do not phone, skype or message your partner everyday; all this does, is make the whole experience more painful. Currently I speak to Darrell, maybe once a week, even less sometimes. With your other half away, you still have your own life to lead and that does not include him or her for a temporary time. Live your life, normally! Thirdly get out, as often as you can. Sitting in four walls, does not help you; it just makes you think about your situation more. Keeping oneself active and occupied also helps to divert attention into other, more productive tasks! Lastly, get a pet. This really does help with the loneliness. I would not be without my two cats.
Everyone does have their own ways of coping in difficult situations. Many of you may disagree with the methods I use. In all honesty, for me they work pretty well. However you manage and survive, the one thing that you should always hold on too, is, the situation you are in, is only temporary. This realisation, makes muddling through, that much easier!
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The key to success!
Yesterday was the first meeting of the 'No Wives Club!' All of us out for the day, without our husbands or wives; just a tongue in cheek way of looking at our situation. We all met at Dawn's lovely home, perched on the top of a cliff, overlooking the mediterranean. Even though we are heading towards the end of November, the weather was great; you could see straight across the sea towards Benidorm. The house is in a stunning position, just what Spain is all about!
After a coffee at Dawns, she took us all to lunch at El Hatsikidee, a wonderful Dutch restaurant at the GA Centre. It was the first time, I had ever been there and it was great. The food was delicious, the service was wonderful!
Had a wonderful afternoon and evening back at Dawns. It is good to be around people in similar situations, it does help to cope with the daily problems associated with living apart from one's partner. All of us are able to give each other advice, especially at times, when you may feel lonely. Darrell is away longer than any other partner, but all of us are experiencing the same feelings. If it wasn't for this group of friends, life at the moment would be far more difficult than it is.
The most important thing to remember, when you are spending long periods apart from your partner, is that you are not alone. There are other people in your position, many of whom suffer far more than you. I have learned after four months to cope with my situation. This is in part due to my own mechanisms, but it is also through following guidance from others.
If I were to give advice to someone living apart from their partner, I can only say how I manage, what works best for me, but of course everyone is different. Firstly have a good network of friends; we are talking quality here, not quantity. So far, so good for me. The people who are close to me are fabulous and make everyday easier. Secondly, do not phone, skype or message your partner everyday; all this does, is make the whole experience more painful. Currently I speak to Darrell, maybe once a week, even less sometimes. With your other half away, you still have your own life to lead and that does not include him or her for a temporary time. Live your life, normally! Thirdly get out, as often as you can. Sitting in four walls, does not help you; it just makes you think about your situation more. Keeping oneself active and occupied also helps to divert attention into other, more productive tasks! Lastly, get a pet. This really does help with the loneliness. I would not be without my two cats.
Everyone does have their own ways of coping in difficult situations. Many of you may disagree with the methods I use. In all honesty, for me they work pretty well. However you manage and survive, the one thing that you should always hold on too, is, the situation you are in, is only temporary. This realisation, makes muddling through, that much easier!
