Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A week of early swims, computer upgrades, football frustrations, a brilliant Bonnie Tyler concert, long walks, stormy skies and the steady rhythm of life between the chiringuito, the Mar Menor and my balcony.
Friday, August 27th
A morning swim, new computer gear, and a quiet evening at home
I started the day with my usual swim out past the rocks and to the nets before heading to Chiringuito El Lobo for a couple of coffees. Back home, I continued setting up my new computer. I realised yesterday that unlike laptops, most PCs need external speakers and don’t come with webcams, so I ordered both for delivery tomorrow.
After placing the order, I went to the doctor’s surgery to collect last week’s blood test results. On the way home I rode along the beachfront and stopped at La Playa bar for a quick pint. Shellie handed me a bag of books to look through, and I picked three to read once I finish my current Kindle series.
In the evening I cooked steak, mushrooms and a fried egg, then started removing software from my old laptop. As usual, I lost track of time, and when I finally looked up it was dark. I stopped working and watched rubbish on TV for the rest of the night.
Saturday, August 28th
A missed protest, a disastrous Arsenal match, and Bonnie Tyler live
I woke early, expecting my computer equipment delivery at some point today. After my swim and shower, I went to the chiringuito for coffee. While swimming, I’d noticed the SOS Mar Menor group setting up for the “Hands Around the Sea” event. A drum band started playing as people gathered.
Naturally, my delivery arrived at 13:20, just after the event finished, so I missed it. Arsenal kicked off against Manchester City at 13:30, and I wasn’t optimistic. Within 15 minutes we were 2-0 down thanks to defensive errors. When my delivery arrived, I abandoned the match and installed the new speakers and webcam. By the time I checked the score again, Arsenal had lost 5-0 and Xhaka had been sent off. Not a great time to be a Gooner.
In the evening I went to see Bonnie Tyler at the local sports centre. A queue had already formed, but I waited until those ahead of me had gone in. I found a seat on the front row and parked my scooter beside it. The warm up acts, a Spanish male group singing English songs in Spanish, and a Spanish girl group singing English songs in English, were both excellent.
Bonnie Tyler was brilliant. It was my first time seeing her live, and I’m glad I went. When she sang “It’s a Heartache,” it summed up being an Arsenal fan perfectly. After the concert I went straight home and to bed, the fresh air and excitement wore me out.
Sunday, August 29th
A peaceful sunrise swim and a full day lost to the computer
I was woken at 06:15 by drunks heading home. Unable to get back to sleep, I stripped the bed and put the linens in the wash. At 07:00 I went for my swim, the sea was quiet and peaceful, with the sun breaking through the clouds beautifully.
After feeding the fish and showering, I had camomile tea, porridge and banana, then spent the day working on videos and updating my website. Time flew, and after only a brief stop for lunch, I realised it was 22:00. I stopped, grabbed my Kindle and went to bed.
Monday, August 30th
A helicopter search, a busy morning of coffees, and a game of Civilization
I swam early, and while treading water at the nets, a helicopter flew slowly overhead, hovering and moving along the beach as if searching for someone. I swam back in just in case they thought I was the one in trouble.
After breakfast at the chiringuito, I went to the bank to withdraw money for bills, but the queue was out the door. The next ATM wasn’t working, so I went to Café Prensa to see Mike and Tess. Afterwards I visited Martin at Pizzeria La Sombra for a chat and a large bottle of water.
On the way home I stopped at Mercadona for ribs, potatoes and ice cream. After lunch I played Civilization on my computer, lost track of time and eventually decided on an early night.
Tuesday, August 31st
Choppy seas, curried salmon, and thousands of photos
I was late going for my swim, and the water was choppy. I used a hybrid backstroke, breaststroke to get out to the nets without swallowing half the Mar Menor. After a rest, I breaststroked back in with the waves behind me.
After breakfast at the chiringuito, I had curried salmon with rice for lunch. In the afternoon I began the long job of cataloguing years of photos. I ran Lightroom’s face recognition tool and spent hours checking who it thought people were. I finally stopped around 22:00 and went to bed.
Wednesday, September 1st
A stormy morning walk and more photo sorting
I woke at 04:30 and immediately sent my sister a “pinch and a punch for the first of the month” message, she loves those. Dark storm clouds and strong winds convinced me not to swim, so I walked along the promenade to the military base and back towards Hotel Encarnación.
Just as I arrived, a few raindrops fell, so I stopped for breakfast. Within minutes the sky opened and it poured. I was glad to be under cover. When the rain stopped, I walked home, luckily the storm was moving the other way.
The 3.6 km walk tired me out more than expected, so I rested before continuing my photo sorting marathon.
Thursday, September 2nd
A clean apartment, new flower pots, and England winning 4-0
I woke later than usual and went to the chiringuito for breakfast before Lesley arrived to clean. While she worked her magic, I sat on the balcony reading my Kindle.
After she left, I went to the Chinese shop for a new flower pot, easier to carry one at a time. Back home, I transplanted one of my lavender plants into it. It looked so much better that I decided to do the second one tomorrow.
In the evening I watched Hungary vs England. The first half was poor, but the second half was much better, and England won 4-0. After the match I read for a while before going to bed.
Add comment