While you were away...

Whenever we go away, we completely immerse ourselves in "holiday mood" - doing absolutely nothing becomes an art-form. No British newspapers or TV, no internet, no contact with anything that doesn't involve the Costa del Sol. Bliss. But now we are back, have we missed anything?

There appears to have been bugger all in the way of "big" news: storms battered the UK (gloat, gloat); the Independent newspaper announced it is to close its print edition; there's still a war in Syria; Pinewood Studios may be put up for sale; US political something-or-others involving a man with horrid hair and a woman who dresses like a lesbian continue on and on (yawn); Fergie the Duchess of York has applied for Swiss citizenship; and a rogue elephant rampaged through a town in Bengal.

Meanwhile,in Spain, the big news was that our fave histrionic Spanish diva Isabel Pantoja was released from prison (on conditional parole) at last...

We missed celebrating the birthdays of (among others) Carmen Miranda, Lana Turner, Judith Anderson, Mary Quant, Kathryn Grayson, Joyce Grenfell, Dora Bryan, Holly Johnson, Leontyne Price, Kim Novak and Zsa Zsa Gabor (still with us, just, at 99!); we also missed Rick Astley's 50th, Burt Reynolds' 80th, and Mamie Van Doren's and Rip Torn's 85th. Hey ho.

We missed Pancake Day in the UK, but, of course, Mardi Gras is a big celebration in Spain. Indeed, while outside Codigo Bar in La Nogilera a week ago, we watched a whole flurry of "feathers, foof and faff" doing the rounds, as revellers and participants from Torremolinos' own carnival celebrations paraded around from bar to bar - a jolly way to start our holiday!

Finally, we missed Chinese New Year. Kung Hei Fat Choi! 2016 is Year of the Monkey - so, to celebrate that fact, and in keeping with our "holiday come-down", here (once again) is Melody y los Vivancos and El Baile de los Gorilas:

El Baile de los Gorilas Muscle Monkey Dance

Hola Guapos!