Ahhhh the smell of clean clothes wafting in the wind, I haven’t been able to say that for a while. Yes the washing machine arrived yesterday morning and is up and running. Carrefour came bang on time, well they said between 11am and 1pm and they came within their allotted time period, which is quite something I can tell you.

"Right ...where do you want this washing machine?"

Two sweaty Spanish blokes installed the new one and better still they took the old one away, and 5 minutes later I was doing my first wash. The clothes couldn’t wait to get in I can tell you, almost felt like getting in myself.  Soon the machine was whirring away at 1000 rpm getting rid of the grime and dirt.

"OI.. You!, Pants, get back in the basket and wait your turn"

As England were playing Sweden later in the day I thought a trip to Ikea was in order so Christine and I headed down to Area Sur and Ikea. The question I was asking myself was, is the €1 Meatballs and Mash offer still on?

“The offer finishes on the 27^th of June” I was told.Good news, I had to ask though, I wasn’t going to get to the pay counter and then hear them say…”That’s €2 please” Imagine the embarrassment of having to leave the meatballs and Mash there.

€1 later and I did end up wandering back through Ikea and bought some cheap cooking pots for the flat, so Ikea’s promotion is not so stupid after all. I had to buy three new pots as I burned the last two after cooking Hotdogs late at night when I got home from the pub. And where did I get the hotdogs…Ikea. They have a good thing going those Swedish blokes. 

No meatballs there

As I made my way back home the phone rang and it was Rafa my Landlord/solicitor. I have been pestering him for a month or two to show me my utility bills and tell me how much I owe for the time I have been here. I moved in on February 25^th and I still haven’t seen any bills yet and had the worrying feeling that I was going to get ripped off…again.. They all get posted to him, he pays and then asks me for the money. As I have been there for almost 4 months I didn’t want to get them all in one go, hence the phone calls to him.

Well he told me how much and if I include the gas bottle that I bought which is only half empty it works out that for 4 Months of Gas, Electricity and Water and local rates everything basically £28 per month!!!! Result.

£28 per month and he doesn't even charge me for the Swimming pool - Bargain

My next port of Call was La Bodeguita Indiana to watch the football. I thought I might be the only one there watching but I soon roped Juan Ma, the owner, in and decided to spice things up. He leant over to me and said

“You know I want Sweden to win”

“Really!?!” I replied “OK then, how about this…if England score, you buy the shots of tequila and if Sweden score I will buy the shots” I said

“Right, you are on” came the reply

Norman

How were we supposed to know it was going to be the highest scoring game of the tournament,but what a game. Roy Hodgson what an inspired substitution to bring on Walcott, and what a shame he had to go off injured. The best game Walcott has ever played for England by far.

Well by the end we were all cheering for football. Can’t wait to read what the press have to say. I did hear during the game the Spanish commentators saying that even ‘they’ found it incredible that Soldado (Valencia centre forward who was the highest scorer this season in the Spanish league after Messi and Ronaldo) wasn’t picked for the Spanish team. Thats what I have been saying all along (ed....Soldado , Soldado, Soldado)

After the footy had finished, Juan Ma decided that a game of darts was in order and he said why not play for a shot. Candy from a baby sprung to mind. Little did they know that I was on a roll and the last time I had played darts was at 10:34pm on Sunday January the 1^st 2012, at Cassidy’s in Tunbridge Wells. Why do I remember that so well? I threw my first 180!! With witness’s.

La Bodeguita Indiana Darts Team

Needless to say I was in form and sure enough it wasn’t long before I had another Tequila in my hand.

“Aiiiiiiiiii Carrummba”

Funnily enough I lost the next game, yup, I had peaked and it was time to go back home and burn some pans.