Where have you seen that the patio door, the curtains and the stair gate were closed ?
Nobody but the group was in the restaurant after the Carpenter left. Many witnesses (like Mrs Webster, Mrs Oldfield and waiters) said it was not possible to see more than the dark top part of the sliding door and even so behind a plastic screen with reflecting lights.
They were quite possibly talking about their own apartments there Anne. The view of each apartment was affected by the lie of the land (hilly land) and by whatever shrubs were in the way.
You have seen this photo many times Anne and it is absolute proof that the apartment patio windows were in view. If the tapas restaurant can be seen as it can in this photo, then the reverse is true. Someone in the Tapas restaurant can see the patio windows.
for newcomers to this photo:
This shot is taken from in front of the main sitting room patio windows of 5A.
In the upper centre of the photo you will see a little of the swimming pool. Immediately behind the pool there are two large picture windows. These are the windows to the Tapas outdoor restaurant where The Mccanns (and we) ate. The Mccanns sat in the RH window just behind what appears to be a tree trunk.
As that place can be seen clearly from outside the patio windows, so the patio windows can be seen from the tapas table.
In the photograph, the bushes were in slight need of cutting. It is my belief that these bushes had actually been cut immediately before the abduction, in which case the view would have been better.
5A was unique, in that it had a street lamp immediately outside. Immediately outside but on the opposite side of the road. The light from this lamp illuminated 5A patio area thru the arched window at the side.
None of the other members of the tapas group had a flat that had a rear elevation that was illuminated as far as i am aware, so their windows would appear very dark. Almost certainly they were talking about their own apartments because before they knew about the abduction, there was no particular reason to look especially at the Mccanns apartment
Anne, you have seen this proof many times. WHY DID you try and make out that things were different? New peeps might have believed you.