We stayed in the “Gato” room, beautiful style with drapes over the bed. We could choose anywhere in the hotel and grounds to have our table for dinner and so chose a nice spot on the terrace, a peaceful area in the dappled shade of the over hanging tree. The food, service and wine could not be faulted - Dinner (wine and G&T’s included), bed and breakfast was just 104 euros!

The next day we followed a walk Graham had read about. It started in the village of Benaoján Estación just a short distance from the hotel and follows the train track and river through the beautiful countryside until you find you are in the sleepy village of Jimera de Libar Estación. We stopped at a venta in a converted train shed for a very welcome bottle of water, then had a walk around the very quiet village until the train came along to take us back to Benaoján Estación. It had taken us 2 and a half hours to walk there and the train got us back in just 10 minutes!!

All in all a wonderful break away - thanks Simon!

Then we quickly had time to sit by the canal at one of the canalside pubs, so that Graham and Simon can enjoy an English beer, then off to meet Keith who had travelled up from Bristol - off to the apartment with just 3/4 hour to spare before we had to go to the VCC Awards Dinner at the Race Course.

Once we arrived we soon relaxed in the fantastic warm evening sun sipping our glasses of bubbly, we caught up with friends Karen and Alan and enjoyed a lovely evening - we didnt win the Self Catering Holiday Award but as we were delighted to have been shortlisted, we just see it as a run up to next years entry - hopefully better luck next time!

Saturday saw a shopping day around Chester for the four of us then off to Grandparents house in Heswall for a family get together - thanks Mum and Dad it was a lovely roast dinner. After a full cooked breakfast it was back to the airport and to our guests in Spain.

Monday morning brought us right back to normal with a check out, clean, check in and two sets of laundry to do!

Look on our facebook page to see all our photos.

The judges will visit the apartment next week on the same day as our annual grading by Quality in Tourism - so hopefully all will go well!

Then both Graham and I, together with our sons Simon and Keith, will be going to the Gala Award dinner in June at the Roodee Racecourse in Chester to have the winner announced.

So fingers and everything else crossed!!

 We had read the paperwork and it said it would take 2 hours to complete the form and yes, that wasnt a bad guide but the folder of supporting information took forever!! We had to analyse all the bookings, where all the guests came from, print out screen shots of the website (Simon had to show us how to make the screenshots look good) and basically blow our own trumpet!

The apartment has been so busy and successful and so many people including other owners and the Chester Tourist Board have complimented the website but it can sound so pushy to say “Hey I’m good!”

 Anyway on Wednesday we took the package containing both submissions and folders of supporting to DHL at Malaga Airport. They happily weighed it and assured us it would arrive in Chester before Friday 11th April (the deadline for submissions) but to our horror they gave us the price of 129 euros!!!!!

So we quickly retreated to the car park and rang Simon to ask him to search for a cheap flight to the UK, it would be cheaper to personally deliver it than to DHL it. Only to find out due to school holidays it was infact expensive to fly it there.

So back in to DHL and part with 129 euros and off it went winging its way to the UK - oh how I hope that at least one of the submissions gets to the short listing! Happily we received an email from Lucy at Chester Tourist Board to say it arrived on Thursday morning - in good time for the Friday deadline. So now we sit back and wait to see if we get short listed and get called to an interview.

How horrified we were to hear, today, that on Friday the deadline was extended for 6 days - this would have meant we could have posted it for just 10 euros! Lets hope we have some success to make it all worthwhile.  

The men decided a meatier option was needed for this week so off to Zeng in Coin. Well from light on meat we went to plenty! The meal started with mini chop suey rolls, then salad, then on to a fantastic main course served in an unusual box type dish - one section had rice, one plum sauce, another had sliced duck and a chicken dish. Then all topped off with a dessert or irish coffee afterwards.

 All that for 13.50 euros a head!!

Anyway its nice to try to out a new restaurant and we are certainly spoilt here in the Alhaurin el Grande!!

Simon is suffering after visiting his friends new kitten - very sweet but its not helped his cat allergy.

Whereas I, despite enjoying the beautiful Spring Andalusian trees and flowers, am allergic to the pollen of the Cork and Encima Oak trees that cover the 15,500 sq metres of land that we own around our own house and the “El Roble Holidays” properties.

7 years ago when we sat on this bare piece of land, watched the butterflies playing and enjoyed the view of the Mijas Mountains, little did I think that each Spring would bring Asthma and sneezing with it!! The only plus point is that in the UK I had hay-fever from Spring to Autumn - here I only get it while the Oak trees are in pollen so hopefully in a month or so it will be over for another year and I can enjoy the Summer hay-fever free.

Tomorrow night we are off to Santiagos Restaurant in Alhaurin el Grande for a Fijian night, so I will let you know how it goes.

The saving grace when we got to the village was the wonderful “Bodega” we found. It was a fantastic setting for the “birthday” lunch - yes you have guessed it, this energetic hike was in fact her birthday treat!!! we enjoyed a plate of mixed sliced meats and a plate of tomatoes with garlic, oregano, sesame seeds, sea salt, pepper and olive oil …….. and a dish of local bread. The meats were all eaten, then the bread was gone leaving tomatoes and the lovely juice in the dish. So…another basket of bread was requested only for the tomatoes then to run out so another dish of toatoes were ordered and this went on and on……………. and soon the aches and pains became a more distant memory and the oooo´s, ahhh´s and mmm´s took over the day.