Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A week of kitchen upgrades, office work, long swims, family tree research, Amazon deliveries, summer heat, and the excitement of booking a Mediterranean cruise.
Monday, 6th June
Kitchen clearing, office work and garlic‑powered chicken
I woke around 07:00, checked my email and waited for Martin to arrive to help move the old dishwasher, oven and cupboard from my hallway down to the garage. He arrived at about 09:30 and between us we carried everything into the underground garage. The oven and dishwasher will wait for Urbaser to collect and hopefully recycle them, and the cupboard went into my storage room, which is an Aladdin’s cave of empty cardboard boxes I keep in case anything needs returning.
After the heavy lifting we went to the chiringuito next door for a coffee. When Martin left, I returned to my apartment to publish last week’s diary page on my website. Soon it was time to head to the office for a few hours of work.
The office was quiet today. Martin was unusually slow, clearly daydreaming about his date with Kate tonight. He will be warned, but no action taken, as his work record is normally very good. On the way home I stopped at D’Pollo and bought a powerful garlic chicken. It tasted fantastic, but even I could smell the garlic vapours coming out of my skin afterwards. I will be safe from vampires for a while.
I watched television in the evening and went to bed early.
Tuesday, 7th June
A long swim, Amazon returns and England scrape a draw
I woke around 07:00, checked my email and went for my morning swim. I swam out to the rocks, did some water aerobics, swam back, then repeated the whole thing because I felt good. I bumped into a couple of jellyfish, but there was no sting or slime, just a surprise when my hand brushed them. I expect they felt the same about me.
There were quite a few school groups out on canoes. They were very careful around swimmers, and the motor boat escorting them always slowed down so its wake didn’t cause problems. I’ll get my kayak out again soon, but I’ll avoid their times, I don’t want to show them up with my raw power as I cut through the water.
After my swim I showered and went to Euronics to return an Amazon package. It was painless, they scanned it and within seconds my phone beeped with confirmation and a refund. I then went to the ATM near the Post Room to see Eddy, who is organising transport for the Madness concert later this month. Everything is going ahead as planned.
I headed to the office and did a lot of serious work today, even with the boss leaving early. He did come back briefly to check on me and David though. After work I went home, fell asleep in front of the TV and woke just in time to watch England vs Germany. The match finished 1–1, but England were lucky, Germany deserved more.
Wednesday, 8th June
Fish feeding, catching up with Vince and a hot restless night
I woke at silly o’clock, around 06:00. I worked on my website, then went across to the beach to feed the fish with stale rolls. Afterwards I went to Economy Cash for fresh bread, then home for coffee before heading out to see my friend Vince, who arrived from the UK on Monday.
There was no answer at his apartment, so I messaged the guy who picked him up from the airport. He confirmed Vince was staying there, so he must have already gone out. I went home and continued working until Vince messaged to say he was at the bank. I met him at J. Navarro café and we caught up before he headed home to organise help for cleaning his apartment.
For lunch I used my new air fryer oven to make a cheeseburger. It worked well and tasted lovely. The afternoon was spent watching films. It’s getting very hot at night now, and sleeping is becoming difficult. I used the ceiling fan on a timer tonight. Soon I’ll need the air conditioning.
Thursday, 9th June
A windy swim, low battery panic and hypnosis for sleep
I woke around 07:00, checked my messages, updated my website and headed to the Mar Menor for a swim. The wind was strong and the waves choppy, so I only did 0.5 km today. By the end I was out of breath and tired.
After my shower I set off on the Sharky Mobile to buy tomatoes for a tostada. Halfway there I realised the battery wouldn’t get me to the store and back, so I changed direction and went to Plaza de Dia instead. I bought tomatoes and Baileys ice cream, both very healthy choices.
I spent the rest of the day working on my website and doing family tree research. At bedtime I listened to a hypnosis recording meant to help with sleep. I fell asleep before it finished, so I suppose it worked.
Friday, 10th June
A strong swim, photo backups and booking a Mediterranean cruise
I slept until 08:15, maybe the hypnosis helped. I went swimming and had extra energy, managing a full 1 km plus water aerobics. The water was clear, warm and invigorating.
After breakfast I began moving photos from Flickr to Google Drive. Flickr doesn’t allow raw files, so I bought a large Google Drive plan. Because I have so many images, it took around seven hours to download and upload everything. At least it’s done now, and Google Drive will make managing them easier.
While the files were transferring, I ordered a bracket from Amazon to mount my microwave on the wall. Moments later David messaged to say he would come tomorrow to finish the new power point in the kitchen. If the bracket arrives early, he can fit the microwave too.
I haven’t been on holiday in years, apart from Florida trips connected to selling my apartments. With travel restrictions lifted, lots of trips are being advertised. This morning I saw a Mediterranean cruise on the Costa Toscana. After some back and forth with the organisers, I booked it. I’ll be picked up in Los Alcázares, taken to Valencia, then sail to France, Italy and Mallorca before returning. I even upgraded to an outside cabin with a balcony and all inclusive food and drink. I’ll need to lose weight before I go, because I’ll definitely put it back on.
In the evening I watched a TV series called Outer Range. It starts slowly but is strangely compelling. I finished it and went to bed around 23:00.
Saturday, 11th June
Kitchen electrics, Amazon timing and cruise excitement
I woke early but didn’t swim in case my Amazon delivery arrived. David also came today to finish the electrical work in the kitchen. He replaced the dodgy wiring with a proper double socket so the hob is wired correctly and I have a spare plug.
After he left I cleaned the kitchen and worked on my website. The Amazon driver eventually arrived with the bracket, too late for David to fit it today. It will be done soon enough.
In the evening I received confirmation for my cruise in October. I’m officially excited. To calm down I watched England vs Italy. England were poor again. They have no hope in the World Cup if they keep playing like this.
Sunday, 12th June
A beautiful swim, Sunday lunch and a great evening out
I woke later than usual but went swimming around 09:00. The water was flat and clear, full of hermit crabs and fish. I swam 1 km before getting out. As I sat on the wall catching my breath, Vince arrived on his bike. We went to the chiringuito for coffee, and he said he wanted to join me for Sunday lunch at Campbell’s.
After showering I let Campbell’s know he would be joining me and put his order in. At 13:00 Vince arrived at my apartment and we set off in convoy, him on his bike and me on the Sharky Mobile. On the way we passed a car accident, a silver Mercedes that had taken out two lamp posts. The driver was still in the car and people were gathered around.
Lunch at Campbell’s was lovely. I had roast pork and Vince had roast lamb. After a good chat we returned to Los Alcázares, passing the crash site again where police were still dealing with the lamp posts.
In the evening we met at La Playa bar to listen to Diana sing. Later we joined Bob and Connie outside. It was a great evening and nice to get out of the apartment.
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