Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A week of intense heat, early swims, website work, karaoke, reading on the balcony and plenty of football, ending with Arsenal sitting proudly at the top of the Premier League.
Monday, 15th August
Saint Bangers and Bands Day, a noisy morning and a busy afternoon
I woke around 07:00, reminded immediately what day it was by the early morning celebrations. Today is Saint Bangers and Bands Day, when the locals set off loud bangers for two hours, mixed with marching bands parading through the back streets. Every dog in Los Alcázares joined in with the noise.
I went for my morning swim while the chaos continued. As I did backstroke out to the rocks, I could hear the bangers, bands and barking, and see plumes of smoke rising near the church. It made me wonder how such a noisy celebration ever became associated with a saint’s day.
On my second lap I bumped into a jellyfish. I wasn’t stung, but I decided not to risk it and ended my swim. After a shower and coffee I sat at my computer listening to the bands outside. When I heard a brief burst of Glenn Miller, I jumped on the Sharky Mobile to catch up with the band and listen properly.
Afterwards I headed to Los Narejos to see my friend Mike at Café Prensa for coffee and a tostada. Then I went to Pizzeria La Sombra to meet Martin for a few beers. At 14:00 he headed home and I continued to Rocco’s bar to catch up with my mate Andy. After a couple more beers I went home and fell asleep almost immediately.
Tuesday, 16th August
A hot day, a delivery and a late-night binge
I woke around 08:00 but didn’t swim as I was expecting an Amazon parcel. While waiting, my friend Pat popped round to look at a job I needed help with. He suggested an easy fix for my water tap and said he would return tomorrow to sort it.
My parcel arrived at 11:30, so I could finally go out, but it was too hot. I sat on my balcony reading my Kindle until the heat became unbearable, then went inside to watch television with the air conditioning on.
I stayed up until around 02:00 finishing The Outlaws. It was very addictive and well worth watching. I just hoped I would wake early enough to let Pat in tomorrow.
Wednesday, 17th August
A repaired tap, endless website work and Peggy on duty
I woke around 07:00, had a coffee and worked on my website until Pat arrived at 08:30. He quickly added a new fitting to my troublesome tap, allowing me to have both the washing machine and garden hose connected at the same time. After a cup of tea and some reminiscing about our gas board days, he headed off.
I returned to my website work. The tasks were monotonous but necessary to improve speed and indexing. Most of the work is behind the scenes, so users won’t notice anything visually different. At least it gave me a reason to stay indoors out of the heat.
In the afternoon I cleaned the kitchen and, with Peggy’s help, vacuumed the apartment. To be accurate, I watched television while Peggy did the vacuuming. She has been performing well recently, and I may even let her mop the floors soon.
Thursday, 18th August
Groceries, a long-delayed postcard and a brilliant cuttlefish lunch
I woke around 08:30, had a coffee and shower, then took my recycling to the bins before heading to Mercadona for groceries. I also picked up vitamins, ointments and various concoctions that may or may not help with my aches. With the number of tablets I take, I rattle when I walk.
When I returned home I couldn’t get into the garage because the car lift was being serviced. I left my scooter outside until the engineer finished fitting new lights. While waiting, I checked my mailbox and found a postcard I had sent myself from Córdoba on 11th May. It had taken 101 days to travel 500 km. It was franked in Madrid eight days after posting, for reasons known only to the Spanish postal system.
At lunchtime I took my Kindle to the chiringuito and ordered battered cuttlefish, which I had never tried before. It was fantastic and I will definitely have it again. My friend Amanda joined me briefly before heading home.
Back inside I watched the final two episodes of Arsenal’s All or Nothing series. I really enjoyed it. Mikel Arteta comes across as passionate, dedicated and surprisingly sweary. I think he is a great manager and hope the team continues their good form.
For supper I had a bacon cheeseburger and went to bed at 23:00, although I didn’t fall asleep straight away.
Friday, 19th August
Website work and karaoke chaos
I didn’t wake until 09:00, probably because I struggled to fall asleep last night. After coffee I worked on my website for a couple of hours, then had scrambled egg on toast.
In the evening I went to La Playa bar to see my old mate Alan Bond doing karaoke. It was a great night and, to the horror of everyone present, I even got up and sang I’ve Got a Brand New Combine Harvester. If you missed it, consider yourself lucky.
Saturday, 20th August
Cheap electricity, a brilliant Arsenal win and Match of the Day
It was the weekend, which means cheap electricity, so I stripped the bed and put the linen in the wash. The rest of the day was spent watching football and films.
The match I was most interested in was Bournemouth vs Arsenal. Arsenal won 0–3 and played brilliantly. The fans sang constantly, including William Saliba’s new song, which echoed around the stadium. Saliba scored a fantastic goal, a screamer into the top corner. Not bad for his third Premier League game.
I stayed up late to watch Match of the Day. It was great to see Arsenal at the top of the table after last year’s bottom‑of‑the‑table start.
Sunday, 21st August
More football, Jesse Stone films and Arsenal still top
Today was another football day. After coffee I watched the Match of the Day highlights again, just to confirm I wasn’t dreaming. Arsenal really are top of the league.
Between matches I watched some of the Jesse Stone TV movies. They are easy to watch and perfect for avoiding the heat and the noisy summer crowds on the beach.
The football produced more surprises. Manchester City drew 3–3 with Newcastle after being 3–1 down. West Ham lost again, this time 0–2 to Brighton, and Leeds hammered Chelsea 3–0. Arsenal remain top of the league.
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