Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A week filled with long swims, coffees, meals out, friends visiting, late nights, festivals, computer repairs, new furniture, and a few aches and mishaps along the way. Cindy settled into her holiday, and I enjoyed plenty of time in the Mar Menor.
Monday, 19th June
I woke around 08:30, had cereal, coffee and orange juice, and checked my messages. I went down to the Mar Menor for my morning swim, taking the last of an old loaf to feed the fish. The wind made the water choppy, so it was hard to see the fish, but I scattered the bread and swam out to the rocks.
As I sat on the rocks, I thought I saw Cindy at the chiringuito, so I swam back. We sat chatting over coffee until she went for a swim. Two English people nearby were discussing a hotel they couldn’t find. I thought I recognised the name, checked online at home, and confirmed it was Atrio del Mar (formerly under another name). I returned to the chiringuito to tell them.
At 11:50, Cindy and I caught the bus to the office to meet Martin. I stuck to water, but Martin and Cindy had beers. At 14:00, June picked us up and took us to Mercadona for groceries. Back home, I had soup and half a pizza while resting my twisted knee. Cindy went to the beach for a drink.
In the evening, Gail messaged me about meeting before the Rod Stewart concert in July. I watched England beat North Macedonia 7‑0, with Saka scoring a hat trick, then showered and went to bed.
Tuesday, 20th June
I woke around 06:00, had coffee and went for my swim at 07:30. I swam 2 km today and was exhausted but pleased. After breakfast, I filed my tax return and sent it to my accountant.
Cindy was still asleep, so I left her a note and went to see Vince, but he wasn’t home. On the way back, I saw Cindy at the chiringuito but continued to Dia for cereal. Later, I met Mandy for coffee at Buena Vista, then we walked to Como y Punto for a Fanta and on to Rocco’s for wine. Cindy joined us, and then Colin arrived, great to see him looking well.
At 17:00, we all went our separate ways. Cindy and I had beers at Buena Vista and the chiringuito before returning home for food. I took a cold shower before bed and slept quickly.
Wednesday, 21st June
I woke around 07:30, had coffee and went for my swim. I fed the fish a French stick roll and swam to the rocks, getting stung by jellyfish both ways. Luckily, the stings were mild.
I dropped money off for a bed I’m buying, then went to help Alan and Jacquie with their computer. After a couple of hours, it was clear it needed more work, so I took the laptop home. Cindy had gone out without replying to my message, so I stayed in and worked on the laptop.
The laptop had viruses, unwanted apps and films filling the hard drive. I removed everything Jacquie didn’t want and started updates. The keyboard’s “p” key didn’t work, so I had to use a character map. I hoped the updates would fix it.
While updates ran, I ordered new swimming goggles because my full‑face mask no longer seals properly with my beard. I worked on the laptop until 00:30 when a huge update finally finished.
Thursday, 22nd June
I woke around 06:00 but didn’t get up until 07:30. I worked on the laptop and was pleased to see the update had fixed the keyboard issue.
At 10:00, I walked Cindy to the bank. Her card didn’t work, causing a lot of stress, but after calling her bank she sorted it. At 11:30, Amazon delivered my new swimming goggles.
In the afternoon, I finished as much as I could on Jacquie’s laptop. Cindy went to the beach while I waited for my new bed to be delivered. The ATime4AChange lads dismantled my old bed and installed the new one, very heavy but very nice.
I felt unwell in the evening, probably from the heat, so I rested. Cindy had chicken curry, and I had fruit muesli with Greek yoghurt. I took a painkiller for my aching leg and went to bed at 23:00.
Friday, 23rd June
I woke around 07:00, had coffee and took my new goggles to the Mar Menor. The waves made it hard to see the fish, so I just threw bread and swam to the rocks. I sat there letting the waves wash away the negative energy before swimming back.
At 19:30, I walked to La Playa bar for the San Juan festival. I saw loads of friends, Lilly, Sandy, Fiona, Graham, Ady, Jordan, Stuart, Andy, Gary, Bernice, Moira and many more. Cindy joined me for a couple of hours before heading home.
Mandy later told me she’d lost her phone, so I posted on Facebook asking people to hand it in if found. I moved inside the bar and chatted with Gary and Andy. I joked that if they form a supergroup, I want credit for introducing them.
Saturday, 24th June
I didn’t get home until 05:00 but still woke at 09:00 for coffee. Mandy messaged to say her phone had been handed in at the police station. We met at Buena Vista for breakfast and coffee, then walked to the chiringuito.
Today my cousin Paul married his long‑time partner Sara. I couldn’t be there, so I raised a glass to them.
Cindy joined me, and we had beers in the sun. A man with clear mental health issues was causing problems at the chiringuito, tidying tables, moving menus, trying to take orders and then abusing staff. The staff handled it well, but it was uncomfortable to watch.
In the evening, Cindy and I went to Buena Vista for dinner. I had prawn puri and Mexican‑style chilli tacos; Cindy had prawn curry. Afterwards, we watched The Shack. one of my favourite films. It always brings a lump to my throat.
Sunday, 25th June
I woke around 08:00, had coffee and went to the Mar Menor with bread. The sea was calm and clear, and I fed the fish before swimming a 0.75 km circuit around the man‑made reef. Lots of fish today, and lots of harmless jellyfish.
At 12:45, June picked us up for Sunday lunch at Campbell’s. I broke my sunglasses saying hello to Chef Martin, then suffered a heavy bout of GERD on my first mouthful. I couldn’t eat and had to take a walk. My meal was boxed up to take home.
After lunch, June showed me the train station in Torre Pacheco, much easier than Balsicas for future trips. Back home, I rested while Cindy sunbathed.
In the evening, I reheated my Sunday dinner and managed to eat it slowly. Cindy went out for a drink. I stayed home and received bad news: my Uncle Paul has had a suspected heart attack and is in hospital. I hope he recovers quickly.
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