WEDNESDAY, 13 December - This morning shortly after I arrived in the bar, a gentleman came into the bar with a big camera. He is French, he explained that he just came from the Juzcar ayuntamiento and that he needs a room for the weekend as he is preparing a story on Juzcar for a magazine called 'Geo'. They are doing eight pages with photos and text about Juzcar and as we are the only restaurant in town, he wanted to take some photos of our dishes that are typical of the area. Unfortunately, we do not really have traditional dishes of this area but we do have a couple of dishes that include chestnuts which do come from this area.
HE had a look around the hotel and wants to take a few photos today. He asked if we had a cleaning woman who he could photograph so we called Maria Jesus to ask her to come along for this and she has declined. She is too shy and or embarrassed to have photos taken of her "cleaning". Perhaps it will be me instead. He will also be taking photos around Juzcar this coming weekend including the old tin factory, the first factory in Spain and others of some of the people. This is very good for us as it is free publicity for the area and hopefully will bring us some business.
THE Jazz Festival meeting did not come off yesterday. I got another answer in the morning from one of the recipients of the email saying he could not make the meeting but wants to know what happens and will attend the next one. Someone else called to ask if the meeting was happening. And the day before, we stopped by the Casa Grande in Alpandeire, another small hotel, whom I invited to the meeting, Jesus said he did not receive the original mail and he could not attend on Tuesday. So I have decided to send another invite for the another meeting in the early days of January.
I received yet another query for a booking over Christmas on Sunday, this one from a doctor based in Detroit! I sent a note saying we are closed for Christmas. We need to have at least one holiday a year with family. Even though Ivan and I are spending this Christmas apart, a least we are spending it with our respective families. I'm off to NY on Saturday, early, and will have some time to have drinks with friends in London as I have an 8 hour layover, provided there are no delays in arrival. Ivan heads north on 22 December for four days with his family. And it turns out his parents can not come to help out for New Year's Eve this year as Ivan's maternal grandmother is not well and his parents are caring for her.
OUR new brochures were ready on Monday so we will collect them this afternoon. Yesterday afternoon, we went pine cone collecting. We got four big sacks full of them. They are great for starting fires in the stoves... much better than fire starters.
AS predicted, it is just about dead here at the moment. The weather has improved today as yesterday was foggy and cold. Today is sunny but still cool, not cold.
WE put up a Christmas tree in front of the hotel on Monday with Christmas lights and the bar is all decorated now, thanks to Dani, our bandolero waiter. He does have a talent for this. Here are a couple of photos...
HE had a look around the hotel and wants to take a few photos today. He asked if we had a cleaning woman who he could photograph so we called Maria Jesus to ask her to come along for this and she has declined. She is too shy and or embarrassed to have photos taken of her "cleaning". Perhaps it will be me instead. He will also be taking photos around Juzcar this coming weekend including the old tin factory, the first factory in Spain and others of some of the people. This is very good for us as it is free publicity for the area and hopefully will bring us some business.
THE Jazz Festival meeting did not come off yesterday. I got another answer in the morning from one of the recipients of the email saying he could not make the meeting but wants to know what happens and will attend the next one. Someone else called to ask if the meeting was happening. And the day before, we stopped by the Casa Grande in Alpandeire, another small hotel, whom I invited to the meeting, Jesus said he did not receive the original mail and he could not attend on Tuesday. So I have decided to send another invite for the another meeting in the early days of January.
I received yet another query for a booking over Christmas on Sunday, this one from a doctor based in Detroit! I sent a note saying we are closed for Christmas. We need to have at least one holiday a year with family. Even though Ivan and I are spending this Christmas apart, a least we are spending it with our respective families. I'm off to NY on Saturday, early, and will have some time to have drinks with friends in London as I have an 8 hour layover, provided there are no delays in arrival. Ivan heads north on 22 December for four days with his family. And it turns out his parents can not come to help out for New Year's Eve this year as Ivan's maternal grandmother is not well and his parents are caring for her.
OUR new brochures were ready on Monday so we will collect them this afternoon. Yesterday afternoon, we went pine cone collecting. We got four big sacks full of them. They are great for starting fires in the stoves... much better than fire starters.
AS predicted, it is just about dead here at the moment. The weather has improved today as yesterday was foggy and cold. Today is sunny but still cool, not cold.
WE put up a Christmas tree in front of the hotel on Monday with Christmas lights and the bar is all decorated now, thanks to Dani, our bandolero waiter. He does have a talent for this. Here are a couple of photos...
WE also have a new employee, Iris, a Belgian woman who lives in Cartajima. She's been with us now for about three weeks and seems to be working out OK although she is going home for the holidays which is a bit inconvenient for us. She helps Ivan in the kitchen which is great for him as this was something seriously lacking. She has problems, however, frying an egg... she always breaks the yolk! It's becoming a joke now. But she is quite pleasant and is helpful.
HERE'S what it looks like here today. See ya.
