The sun is out, the wind has dropped, the sea is tranquil and the early morning golfers are out on the golf course. It is still a little wet so I reckon it may have rained again in the night. Internet and telephone service is back up and running. The cats are playing on the roof, and as soon as I have posted this I am going to go up and have my breakfast on the roof with them - so everything is back to normal!

I came across this video review from Alan Hill on ireport.com which I thought you may enjoy.

It was taken about a month ago and he gives the hotel good coverage. I think it is a very good hotel, with a very nice foyer, restaurant and bar, but the rooms are not the best that I have stayed in for hotels of a comparable rating.

Had a good chat and drink last night in the D Bar with a few of the boys - funny how we all bonded so quickly!!!

Richard Dixon was voted captain and John Hamill vice captain (although I am not sure he knows that yet!!! We are planning a bot of a kick around tomorrow morning to see what we can (and can’t do) - the mind is willing but I think the body may be past it!!!

A combination of the weather - yes that is a brown sea that you can see caused by the strong current stirring up the sand, plus the lack of phones line and internet in our apartment block (thankfully can get access using the Nokia 95 as a external 3G modem) means I am fulfilling one of my wishes while Sands is away - to watch a lot of movies.

Thanks to Richard for sending this information through regarding pensions for Expats in Spain

As promised here is the second of the Views of BOF. If there is something that you would like BOF to comment on, or you take exception to what they say then you can email them or of course leave a comment on the individual posts.

Seems like in all the excitement of last week we missed a big anniversary - 10 years since the agreement on the Euro was reached!

When the euro was launched there were plenty of people who thought it would crash and burn.

Ten years on, its role as a global currency is secure, even if it hasn’t achieved everything its founders hoped.

Following on from my earlier post regards the Almerimar Football Tournament I have now got the details off Roberto.

The event will be split over the 2 days 31 May and 1 June, with the finals on the 1st June (no danger of us reaching those then!! It looks like they should have 10 teams, with a BBQ on both the Saturday and Sunday that all are welcome to attend.

Received this email from reader Alan Andrews:

Can anybody assist me in determining the name and address of the driver of a red Citroen Saxo 1.5D, Matricula: AL-7734-Z.Distinguished by a large flower transfer on the driver\’s side of the boot? This vehicle was sold by me to a resident of Almerimar last February and the details of the purchaser have been lost, no re-registration has been initiated

We are going through one of the very infrequent, but somewhat welcome rainy periods at the moment. It seems to have been raining ever since I dropped Sands off at the airport yesterday morning. It has certainly rained all through the night and and I write this the visibility outside is very poor indeed.