All the news (good or bad) from Summerhill Stables

Are the Chinese really ready for the Olympics? Part 9

In case you didn’t look at the link we put in last week you really should – it’s at the bottom of this paragraph.

Further background. In 1901 it was obvious that the workers of the Chorro Falls and Gaitanejeo Falls needed a walkway to cross between the falls, to provide transport of materials, vigilance and maintenance of the channel. Construction of the walkway took four years; it was finished in 1905.

In 1921 the King of Spain, Alfonso XIII crossed the walkway for the inauguration of the dam Conde del Guadalhorce and it became known by its present name. King Alfonso XIII – full title - Alfonso León Fernando Maria Jaime Isidro Pascual Antonio de Borbon y Austria-Lorena.

The walkway has now gone many years without maintenance, and is in a highly deteriorated and dangerous state. It is one metre (3 feet and 3 inches) in width, and is over 200 metres (700 feet) above the river. Nearly all of the path has no handrail. Some parts of the concrete walkway have completely collapsed and all that is remaining is the steel beam originally in place to hold it up and the wire that follows most the path. One can latch onto the wire to keep from falling. Several people have lost their lives on the walkway in recent years; after four people died in two accidents in 1999 and 2000, the local government closed the entrances. However, adventurous tourists still find their way onto the walkway to explore it. The regional government of Andalusia budgeted in 2006 for a restoration plan estimated at 7 million euros.

The link is www.brightcove.tv/title.jsp?title=1438490562

King Alfonso XIII
If somebody as weedy looking as this could do it, why couldn’t you?

Are some habits inherited or is it a congenital condition of the Holland family?

Left to right Robyn aged three-ish. Annie aged two-ish. Hugo aged just under two.

We went to see the haematologist on Wednesday and all the results are still good. Considering it is ten and a half years since Pikey was diagnosed and told she had five years she feels she’s doing quite well. Of course, as soon as one treatment ceases to be effective the pace of medical research throws up another drug which controls her multiple myeloma – there are two more in the pipeline at the moment. She was told that, in about two months time, she could have a rest from the main chemo which makes her feel so nauseous for the two days after taking it. Then she will only be taking 37 pills and one self injection a day.

If you want to know how Elinor and Phil are getting on on the GR5 look at the comments on last week’s blog.

Loads of ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ Robert and Pikey.