There's not been much to write about over the last few days. We've been sitting in the sun dog minding until yesterday when (1) Barney's human mum came out of hospital and (2) it rained with a vengeance - a real squall! It's still raining this morning.

The German red thingy went yesterday . It took the guy nearly all day to pack up. Klaas, the Dutchman, told us that it had started life as a military radio truck. It was certainly an interesting vehicle with a drop down flap to use for his kitchen and all sorts of other little useful bits.

Klaas also told us that he (himself) makes barrel organs in his spare time? He showed a couple of photos the two that he'd made, they were beautiful.

Mike has made a modification to the van. There was a light in the floor of the drinks cupboard which shone upward and was pretty useless so he's turned it around so that it shines down onto the gas hob - more light for cooking and less power usage than the ones in the cooker hood.

To do this job, he had to go shopping in the Chinese shop. He needed to buy a hole cutter for his drill and a soldering iron (left his at home) but the job's done and the resulting light is good.

Another job he had to do was to break the alarm lock on the bikes!

I needed to move them so he told me the code which I duly used, I did use the right code honest! Of course it wouldn't unlock so I pressed the lock/unlock button in the centre - no joy. Was then told I must have put in the wrong code - NO - and I shouldn't have pressed the lock/unlock button and why didn't I what I was told - I DID! We set the alarm off which sent Barney scurrying into our van to hide and the Dutch neighbours (not them, the other ones) giving us dirty looks. In the end Mike had to get the batteries out and break the lock!

Talking of Dutch neighbours, we had some parked at right-angles to us, they're on a corner pitch, a big A-class Hymer. They were parked front end in and moved after a couple of days of us trying not to look in their goldfish bowl windscreen.

The new Dutch people who came in to replace them did exactly the same but after one day closed their blinds. Why on earth didn't they reverse in? That way they'd be in a position to open their habitation door into day long sunshine instead of sitting in the shade of their own van! Oh well, all folks are different and that's as it should be.

We're going to stay here until Tuesday and then we're going to camp outside Aldi's in Caleta de Vélez just like they do in London (or used to) for the Boxing Day sales because the vacuum flask we've been looking for will be in Aldi on Wednesday and listed only for two days.

If that fails, I have the addresses of four different Aldi stores in and around Malaga - I WILL get the flask by hook or by crook (I hope).

Thought our Dutch neighbours had decided to go home today. They vacated their pitch and we thought they'd gone shopping. When they didn't come back and some Germans took their pitch we thought they must have gone. A bit disappointing that they didn't say goodbye we thought and unlike what we thought we knew of Klaas from our short acquaintance of him.

They came around later to tell us they'd moved pitch to one where there is more sun. So, they hadn't gone after all.

After a day and a half of being shut in the tin can, the rain stopped this evening so on went our rain jackets and off we went for a walk along the seafront.

We both came to the conclusion that though we both love being by the sea neither of us would want to live right on the front. Apart from the possibility of that blinkin' sunami, it's so bloomin' noisy. No waves lapping gently on the shore - it's a relentless crashing and it's even louder at night. No thanks, it'd drive me crazy - worse than the white noise I get from my tinnitus!

We had a lovely walk, a bit faster than strolling but not as fast as those 'intent on getting fit' folks who came charging past us.

SHEILA and PATRICIA the Labrador who lives in the big garden down the hill (the garden where we saw the Hoopoes) is still there. He was sleeping up against the garden wall. It seems that he has to sleep outside.

I think that'll be all for tonight folks, my glass of Baileys, my knitting and my book are calling to me.