The children of the three Infant and Primary Schools in Manilva Municipality – Pablo Picasso in Manilva Village, and San Luis and Maicandil in Sabinillas, broke up for the summer today.
The lucky things will have almost 3 months off as they don’t go back to school until the second week in September.
For many parents it is a welcome break from the school runs and the taxi-ing around to all the after school activities and a chance to enjoy the slower pace of life. But I am sure there are others that panic and think what are they going to do with them for 3 months!
Luckily in Manilva there are plenty of options.
For the parents who work (and for those that dont) there are summer schools and sports camps available at very reasonable prices.
Patios de Verano – which is available to children between 3-12 costs just €80 per month for July and August. The children are looked after at Pablo Picasso school in Manilva or Maicandil in Sabinillas between 9 and 16h.
There is also the Unicaja summer camp held at the Colonia Infantiles de Sabinillas where you see hundreds of children enjoying themselves every summer.
There are also various sports camps organised by Manilva Sports department where the children will learn and compete at different beach sports such as volleyball, beach football, beach handball etc
For others it is a time of having fun in the swimming pool, spending the day on the beach or going on river walks.
How would you spend your 3 month summer holiday?
Please leave a comment below or email me at lucy@barringtonhomes.eu
I love living in Manilva but what is it really like as a family holiday destination?
Well, this week I got to see it through fresh eyes as my eldest brother, his wife and their three children aged 8, 6 and 3 1/2 (the half is very important to him) visited us in La Duquesa, Manilva for the first time in 7 years.
The last time they came (Easter 2006) they remember the area being like a building site with cranes everywhere and lots of trucks on the roads.
This time they were very impressed with how the area has been improved and what a beautiful place it is with so many nice things to do.
Here is a brief summary of what they did while staying in Manilva over the last 7 days.
Day 1 A walk along Rio Manilva and a visit to the Roman Baths
The kids loved looking for fishes to catch in their nets and then going for a swim in the Roman Baths.
Day 2 Castellar Zoo followed by lunch in Castellar and an ice cream in Castillo de Castellar.
The kids loved feeding the animals at Castellar Zoo
The adults enjoyed the beautiful scenery in and around Castellar which is only a 30 minute scenic drive from Manilva
Day 3 Horse riding and picnic in Manilva Countryside followed by an afternoon swim in the pool.
Both adults and children loved horse-riding in the beautiful countryside of Manilva.
Day 4 Day trip to Gibraltar
They enjoyed their day in Gibraltar learning about its history, exploring the caves and seeing the monkeys. They also enjoyed shopping along Main Street.
Day 5 Day trip to Selwo
The kids enjoyed their trip to the zoo and even got to ride a camel.
Day 6 Tivoli World in Benalmadena
They had a fun filled evening at Tivoli World which is a great theme park for all ages but particularly the under 12’s
Day 7 Day at the beach at El Castillo de La Duquesa, Manilva
They spent their last day having a relaxing day at the beach at El Castillo de La Duquesa.
They had a lovely time looking around La Duquesa castle and browsing the small exhibitions inside it followed by a couple of hours looking for fish and crabs in the rock pools in front of the castle.
After a delicious lunch of fresh fish, chips and salad at the popular Andres y Maria Chiringuito we all took a short stroll down the recently renovated Paseo Maritimo to Puerto de la Duquesa.
They enjoyed delicious ice creams from Garibaldis whilst enjoying looking at the boats in the beautiful marina of Puerto de La Duquesa.
Like most of the other days they finished the day off with a swim in the pool back at their holiday home for the week.
They told me that they really did have a wonderful time and we had a wonderful time with them.
If you are planning your holidays Manilva really is a fantastic place to stay. If you need accommodation www.barringtonholidays.com have a number of excellent properties available for holiday rentals. Email Jessica at info@barringtonholidays.com and she will be happy to help you.
If you would like to know more about what there is to do around Manilva please email me at lucy@barringtonhomes.eu or leave a comment below.
Alternatively please “like” our facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/barringtonhomesduquesa. as I will be writing about all the wonderful things there are to do here over the coming months.
“I don’t sing because I am happy, I am happy because I sing” William James
This time last year I was preparing myself for one of the most momentos experiences of my life.
I had been given a very,very,very small solo part to sing in an amateur singing group production of Les Miserables in Concert.
Now for those of you that know me well, this was completely out of character for me. I don’t like any type of attention focused on me and will try and avoid all scenarios that may lead to it. However I love singing and have always loved singing, I just don’t like singing in front of people.
Anyway one day at the beginning of last year (2012) my good friend Jo Fraser, who I have shared other life changing experiences with here in Manilva, asked me if I would like to join in and sing in the chorus of the production of Les Miserables in Concert that her family was putting together. I told her that I would be a nervous wreck performing on stage but she reminded me that I make my children go to Stagecoach in Marbella to improve their self esteem and confidence so I should do the same for myself!
She had a point and as my husband was off work on the evenings that they had rehearsals I didn’t have any excuse to say no.
So nearly every Thursday at the beginning of 2012 I would go to rehearsals in Gibraltar. The first couple of times I went with Jo and her family but I soon realized that they had enough on their plate with the organising and managing of other people without having to worry about me. Plus I didn’t need the stress of trying to be on time for them as I had 100 other things to juggle beforehand.
I made friends with some other members of the chorus and soon discovered that singing with other people made me feel really happy – and that was singing the depressing lyrics of the songs of Les Miserables!
One Thursday I arrived at rehearsals half an hour early and for the first time I heard all the principal singers sing “One Day More”. It sounded amazing and brought goosebumps to my skin. It was that moment that I knew I was privileged to be part of something very,very special.
I continued enjoying going to rehearsals and was comfortable being part of the chorus. Then one day my friend Jo dropped a bombshell on me. She told me that we had been chosen to sing two small solo parts as factory girls! Being in the chorus is one thing but having to stand on stage in front of 100’s of people and sing some words on your own is a completely different matter to someone like me. I started worrying that I would get stage fright or that I would forget my words or that I would become a laughing stock as everyone would see me shaking uncontrollably. Half of me wanted to give it all up there and then but the other half wanted to know what would really happen and I would never know unless I gave it a go. People say that the best way to conquer your fears is to face them head on so I agreed to do it and started to learn my words.
My fears were confirmed the first time I had to sing my very small solo part in front of everyone during rehearsals. I didn’t forget the words but I did start to shake uncontrollably. It was a real worry for me. If I was like that during rehearsals what would I be like during the live performances?
Then one day, whilst I was having a pedicure and manicure by the very lovely Lavanya at Bellissima Beauty in Torreguadiaro (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bellissima-Beauty-Torreguadiaro), I started listening to one of her colleagues, Samantha Donbavand http://www.samanthadonbavand.com/, saying that she did hypnotherapy and could help people overcome many things. I asked her whether she would be able to hypnotize me to remember the words and control my nerves. She said she was confident that she could help me so I booked a session with her.
My sessions with Samantha were very interesting in many ways and it opened my eyes to a whole new world of ways to help and heal people. She has a very special gift and I would recommend her to anyone who needs to overcome something whether it be an illness, vice or phobia.
I am pleased to say that my sessions with Samantha paid off and I didn’t get nervous, shake uncontrollably, forget my words or ruin the show.
Instead I had one of the most wonderful and unforgettable months of my life.
We performed 3 sell out shows in St Michaels Cave inside the Rock of Gibraltar to over 1000 people. We even had standing ovations which gave us all an amazing buzz.
It went down so well that we were asked to perform the show again at various venues along the Costa del Sol including Armstrongs in Manilva.
Unfortunately for me so many well wishers told me to “Break a leg” before the shows that the morning after the last show in Gibraltar I did break my leg! However I still managed to perform in the Manilva show thanks to the help of my friends.
Being involved in Les Mis also gave me an insight into how much work goes into putting such a show together . All the planning, preparation, learning the music and lyrics, organising rehearsals, publicity, sound and lighting, photography, filming and editing, tickets, programs, logistics etc and this was all done by a group of people who had day jobs to juggle as well.
What was particularly lovely about being involved in Les Mis was seeing how everyone worked as a team to bring it all together and how it highlighted the incredible talents some people have.
While we were having our dress rehearsal inside the Rock one of the group had invited a friend, Anthony Williams, to take some photographs. We all loved the results and asked him to be the official photographer for the shows. He brought his daughter Chloe along to help and she also took some fantastic shots.
Aside from being very impressed by the beautiful voices of the Principal singers, Phillip Borge, Leroy Woodjetts, Paul Pitaluga, Bettina Cary, Elainne Perez, Kim Soiza, Jim Fraser, Andria Jones, Bethany Fraser, James Fraser and Cindy Ellis and their ability to learn 100s of words, I was particularly impressed by my friend Jo Fraser and her family.
Nicknamed the Von Trapps of Manilva, they all contributed immensely to the success of the show.
In fact if it wasn’t for them it wouldn’t have happened.
Jo’s stepfather Chris Music was the Musical Director, Conductor and Pianist and had an amazing ability on occasions to multitask all three at the same time! Jo’s mother, Jenny Music, made all the clothes as well as being in the band and supporting her husband. Jo’s husband Jim Fraser played the part of Mr Thenadier as well as help organize and co-ordinate the technical side and publicise and video the performances. Their eldest daughter Bethany played the part of Little Cosette and their son James was Gavroche. Jo, as well as looking after her families needs including her two other daughters, organized the printing of the t-shirts at Reklame in Sabinillas and created the program guide. She also played the role of one of the factory girls alongside me and supported me when I needed encouragement.
It just shows what can be done when you have a dream and a great team behind you.
Music Theatre Company’s next project is “Musicals through the ages” . If you would like to be involved please either leave a comment below or email me at lucy@barringtonhomes.eu and I will pass on the details to you.
Something strange happened to me last night. Whether it was a cosmic coincidence or something else I am grateful as whatever it was made me suddenly remember that I needed to take a picture of the moon and the stars for my blog – 100 reasons why I love living in Manilva, reason 3 The Sky at Night.
Sometimes I have a wonderful view of the Moon and Saturn from my front terrace but last night it wasn’t there so I went upstairs to my back terrace and was greeted by the sight of what looked like almost a full moon with the top left-hand corner sliced off.
Disappointed that it wasn’t a full moon I decided to NOT take a photoand went back inside!
A minute later my phone beeped with a text message so I went downstairs to see who it was from. It was from my wonderful friend Katie telling me “Lunar eclipse tonight 22.08” . I looked at my watch and it was about 22.10 so I rushed back upstairs, grabbed my camera and this is what I managed to take.
The Lunar Eclipse from Manilva, Spain on 25th April 2013
The Eclipse of the Moon in Manilva on April 25th 2013
Just a minute later it was gone! So thank you Katie for your text 🙂
The full moon in Manilva, Spain after the lunar eclipse on 25th April 2013
For more information on the Lunar eclipse visit – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_2013_lunar_eclipse
For more information on Manilva, send me an email to lucy@barringtonhomes.eu and I will send you a free copy of my guide to one of the best places in the world to live.
Also if anyone has any tips on how to take a better photo of the stars and moon in the sky at night I would appreciate it as you cant see all the stars in the photos that I could see with my naked eye!
Back in December I set myself the challenge of writing 100 reasons why I love living in Manilva. I will be publishing these reasons over the next few weeks in no particular order but some are more significant than others.
Do you love the area you live in? If so please share with us your reasons by leaving a comment below.
When I was of school age I used to love going to watch some of my friends perform in our school’s plays. I would hear about all the fun they had and backstage antics and see what an adrenalin rush performing gave them. I admired their courage and wished that I was brave enough to do it. I wasn’t brave enough though as I get very nervous and shake like Christopher Maloney from X Factor when any attention is focused on me.
Concerned that my children would be like me I invested in acting, singing and dancing lessons at Stagecoach Theatre and Arts School in Marbella and am so glad I have. It has opened up a whole new world of friends and opportunities for me as well as developing their skills whilst building up their confidence and self esteem.
I think we are particularly lucky that our nearest Stagecoach school is Stagecoach Marbella as all the teachers are excellent and very talented in their own right performing at various events along the Costa del Sol.
Every year since their successful 10th Anniversary celebration concert at Sala Fortuna, Hotel Torrequebrada, Benalmadena with Stagecoach Fuengirola and Stagecoach Gibraltar, they have organized shows at a variety of theatres along the Costa del Sol showcasing what they have learnt. This is not only a fantastic opportunity for the children to perform on a real stage with a real audience but a wonderful opportunity for the proud parents to enjoy seeing their children perform some of the great acts or songs from the popular musicals.
This Sunday 14th April Stagecoach Theatre Arts Schools will be presenting “Stagecoach Showcase 2013” at Marbella Theatre – Teatro Ciudad de Marbella at 19:00 hours. If you are interested in seeing the show, tickets are €8 and can be obtained by contacting Warren Webley at costadelsol@stagecoach.es.
If you are interested in enrolling your child to one of the Stagecoach schools in the area contact Warren Webley at the email address above or visit www.stagecoach.es/Marbella.html
Which activities do you like your children doing and why?
Please leave a comment below or email me at lucy@barringtonhomes.eu
A small community in the La Duquesa Golf area of Manilva is looking for an english speaking expert on gardening in Spain to help make their communal garden look its best.
The community already has Spanish gardeners who do most of the garden maintenance including mowing the lawn, watering the plants and pruning in winter, but are looking for someone to advise them on what plants to put where etc so that the garden is full of colour and variety all year round.
The community has just had their annual meeting and has allocated a considerable budget for buying new plants. In addition they have allocated a monthly allowance to pay for someone to attend to these plants every week to make sure they are looking their best.
If you are interested or know someone that may be interested please email me at lucy@barringtonhomes.eu
It is the first day of spring today and the sun is shining again after a period of rain. The countryside is looking lush and the birds are singing and although its a little windy the temperature is a comfortable 64 degrees Fahrenheit or 18 degrees Centigrade.
Manilva and Casares in Spring
Spring is my favourite time of year as the days get longer, the temperature gets warmer and the prettiest wild flowers appear all over the countryside.
It is a great time of year to do outdoor activities such as horse-riding, cycling, playing tennis or golf and the best time of year to go for walks or “senderismos” in the countryside as you never know what nature or wildlife you may come across here in Manilva.
There are a number of impressive “senderismos” or hiking trails in the Manilva and Casares area of varying degrees of difficulty and I will write about them in more detail in upcoming blogs.
Have you done any of the hiking routes in Manilva and if so what did you think of them?
Please leave a comment or send me your photos of trails to lucy@barringtonhomes.eu
Its Semana Blanca or “white week” in the province of Malaga and so the children have a week off school. Many families who live in Manilva head off to the snowy slopes of Sierra Nevada for a few days of skiing or snowboarding or just to enjoy the snow and scenery.
Just under 3 hours drive from Manilva it is possible to go skiing for a day or several days and the facilities in the Sierra Nevada are superb with the possibility to hire or buy anything that is needed.
The slopes are perfect for beginners and intermediates with a few black runs and moguls to challenge the more experienced.
Having the Sierra Nevada so close is another fantastic reason why Manilva is such a great place to live.
What type of holidays do you like best?
Please leave a comment below or email me at lucy@barringtonhomes.eu if you would like any further information on skiing in the Sierra Nevada
Its carnival day today at Pablo Picasso school in Manilva and many of the children have dressed up and will be parading through the village this morning.
Carnival is a festive period celebrated in Catholic areas in February to give people the chance to let their hair down and party before they have to give everything up for Lent.
The city of Cadiz in Manilva’s neighbouring province of Cadiz hosts Spain’s biggest carnival where they prepare all year for the 2 week celebrations.
Manilva doesnt celebrate it quite as big as Cadiz but there is a parade and party planned for next Saturday 23rd February 2013 from 16:00
