Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: This week began slowly as I continued recovering from a cold. I saw a doctor about my tinnitus, spent most days keeping warm indoors, and finished the week by receiving the documents for my upcoming holiday.
Monday, 30th January
I woke up feeling horrible today. I had porridge and a coffee, then swallowed my cocktail of tablets. I went to the local Dia supermarket to get coffee capsules for my Nespresso machine, but apart from that I did absolutely nothing. I coughed and spluttered my way through the day, trying to keep warm, taking tablets when needed and eating hot soup when I was hungry.
Tuesday, 31st January
I woke feeling a bit better but still stayed indoors keeping warm all morning. At 16:30 I went on my disability scooter to the doctor’s clinic to see a specialist about my tinnitus. He removed a large amount of wax from my ears and then gave me a hearing test. The results showed I had trouble hearing two octaves in one ear and one octave in the other. He told me I needed further tests and gave me a form to take to my insurance agent for authorisation.
When I got home, I watched the final hours of the transfer window. Arsenal signed Jorginho from Chelsea and sent two players out on loan. Hopefully the new signings will add depth to the squad and help Arsenal win the Premier League.
Wednesday, 1st February
I woke at around 07:00, got a coffee and worked on my website. I had to see my health insurance agent this morning to get the tests authorised and to make sure they were not arranged while I am away on holiday. As I was near the café Mike goes to, I popped in to say hello and had a coffee with the group he meets. After Mike left, I went to see my insurance agent, Sofia. She copied the paperwork and said she would try to get the appointment authorised before my holiday. She also managed to get me an updated COVID certificate, something I had failed to do myself.
After leaving the office, I popped in to see Martin and Kate, but it was very cold and I did not want to stay out long. I soon headed home, wrapped up warm and put the heating on. Today was supposed to be the coldest day of the year so far.
Thursday, 2nd February
I woke at around 07:00, had coffee and porridge, and worked on my website before going out for groceries. I went to Consum at around 11:30 to get some crumpets. They are expensive in Spain but ideal when I do not want to cook much.
After shopping, I went to see Martin for a chat and we had a beer or two while discussing a round‑the‑world cruise I want to do before I die. It would let me cross many things off my bucket list, but the cost and single supplements make it difficult. I will keep dreaming and investigating.
After leaving Martin, I stopped at Rocco’s bar for a couple of beers. I chatted with Rashid, but there were few people around, so I headed home. After putting my groceries away, I messaged Shellie to see if her pub was open and went out again. At La Playa bar I saw Carrie from the San Juan bar, who told me she had just sold her bar. I wished her luck. Many bars in Los Alcázares are for sale at the moment due to floods, COVID and fewer visitors.
I also saw Bob and Connie and had a quick chat. Bob agreed to come round with garden shears to trim my hair before my holiday. Shellie was very happy behind the bar and told me she had asked Jim to marry her, and he said yes. Congratulations to them both. When the bar closed at around 21:00, Shellie and Jim dropped me home and I watched television before bed.
Friday, 3rd February
I woke around 08:00, got a coffee and worked on my computer. My leg ached and was slightly swollen, so I decided to order new compression stockings for my holiday. The extra walking will likely make my leg swell, so they will help. I logged onto Amazon and ordered the stockings and some Oohlong ginger tea leaves. They will be delivered tomorrow, so I will stay home to wait for them, which is fine as I usually do my washing on Saturdays.
The rest of the day was spent watching films and keeping my leg raised.
Saturday, 4th February
I slept well and woke at around 08:00. I got a coffee, checked my messages and updated my website. I stripped my bed linen and put it in the washing machine before settling down to watch sport. Arsenal played Everton in the early match and Wales played Ireland in the Six Nations later. With my tea leaves and compression stockings arriving today, it was a busy day in front of the television.
The Arsenal vs Everton match was good if you were not an Arsenal fan. Everton outperformed Arsenal and won 0‑1. I did not watch the Wales vs Ireland game as it was already out of reach for Wales, so I watched a film instead. My compression socks and tea leaves arrived in the afternoon, and I stayed indoors watching films all evening.
Sunday, 5th February
I slept well and woke at around 08:00. I got a coffee and checked my email. I had lots of junk mail, which I deleted, before reading an email from MSC telling me I could check in for my cruise and providing my tickets and paperwork.
I worked on my website for a while, adjusting internal links due to the new navigation. I worked until around 13:00 before stopping for food. I had a jacket potato cooked for eight minutes in the microwave and ten minutes in the air fryer, filled with blue cream cheese and grated cheddar. It was lovely. Air fryers really do make great jacket potatoes.
This evening I switched between police car chase programmes and the Tottenham vs Manchester City match. Tottenham won 1‑0, helping Arsenal maintain a five‑point lead in the Premier League with a game in hand. Thank you, Spurs.
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