Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A hot August week of swims, genealogy research, ant warfare, meals with friends, parade watching, Amazon deliveries, and football. I tested my new underwater phone pouch, enjoyed time at the chiringuitos, and continued preparing for my Brazil cruise.
Monday, 14th August
I woke around 06:45, had a coffee and checked my messages before going for a swim at 08:30. The water was beautiful, with only a few jellyfish at first, though more appeared as I swam around the rocks. I saw some large fish and several shoals of Salema Porgy, lovely yellow‑striped fish that, apparently, cause hallucinations if eaten.
After a shower, I went for a wander through parts of Los Alcázares I don’t usually visit. There is new building work near the Garden Bar, and the fun fair was closed and silent. I wouldn’t want to live in those tiny caravans in this heat.
I met Martin and Aria at Pizzeria La Sombra until 14:30, then went to Le Petit Bistro for a beer and later to Harry’s bar to cool off. I picked up a Chinese takeaway and found an Amazon parcel waiting at my door.
I watched Manchester United vs Wolves, intending to eat my meal, but fell asleep and woke up in the second half. I saved the takeaway for tomorrow. United won 1–0, and my Fantasy Football goalkeeper kept a clean sheet, keeping me top of the league.
Tuesday, 15th August
I woke at 07:00, had coffee and listened to Radio 2 while loud bangers went off for the start of the 51st International Garden and Sea Week.
Yesterday’s parcel was talcum powder, apparently excellent for killing ants. I spread it around the utility room, balcony and kitchen. It smells better than ant spray and costs far less.
I spent the day researching my family tree. I found newspaper articles about my great‑great‑grandparents Daniel Morris and Maria Davies, who, along with their sons, were jailed for fraud. I began transcribing the articles.
I sat on my balcony reading until I dozed off. When I woke, I was drenched in sweat and my heart was racing. My balcony thermometer read 55°C. No wonder I felt awful. I went inside, shut everything and put the air conditioning on.
The talc worked, lots of dead ants everywhere. I planned to go out for the celebrations but still felt drained, so I stayed in and had an early night.
Wednesday, 16th August
I woke at 06:45, updated my website and removed old pages from Google Index. At 11:00, I took rubbish out, and shortly after, Reinder and Frouk arrived so Reinder could fit shelves for me.
He installed three shelves in the utility room and a large one in the dining room. While he worked, I cleaned up the talc and dead ants. The heat made me feel unwell, so I postponed mopping the kitchen.
I asked if they minded waiting while I cooled off in the shower. They went to Chiringuito El Lobo for a drink while I showered. Once ready, we drove to Yamami Kitchen in San Javier. The Menu del Día was excellent, Mongolian pork skewers, spicy pork with noodles, and lemon sorbet.
Back home, the air conditioning was bliss. I fell asleep on the sofa. Later, I cooked chicken nuggets in the air fryer and tidied the lounge. With the new bookshelf fitted, I have no excuse not to organise the rest.
Thursday, 17th August
I woke at 08:00, had coffee and cereal, and worked on graphics for my website. As I left for Mercadona, the postman delivered a parcel, a waterproof phone pouch and lanyard.
After shopping, I tested the pouch by filling it with tissue and submerging it in the sink. It passed the test. I updated genealogy graphics on my website, adding country‑of‑birth logos.
In the afternoon, I mopped the kitchen and bathroom floors. My back doesn’t like sweeping or mopping, so I did it in stages. I cleaned rust marks from the shower floor and checked the phone pouch, the tissue was completely dry.
For dinner, I made a salad of beetroot, cucumber and grapes with honey mayonnaise, plus a chicken thigh. It was excellent. Later, I received a letter from the town hall about another embargo for an unpaid bill. All my bills are on direct debit, so something is wrong. I’ll go to the town hall tomorrow.
Friday, 18th August
I woke at 05:45 and couldn’t sleep, so I had coffee and did genealogy research until 08:30, then went for my INR blood test. The nurse struggled to find a vein, three needles later, she succeeded and apologised via Google Translate.
I went to Economy Cash for green tea with aloe vera, chicken and pastries as a reward for being a brave boy. After cereal and coffee at home, I continued my research.
At 12:30, I took a break to look at excursions for my Brazil cruise and booked:
- Panoramic tour of Cádiz
- Cable car to Las Cañadas del Teide, Tenerife
- Recife and Olinda tour, Brazil
- History and traditions of Salvador de Bahia
- Ilhéus and Tijuipe waterfall
I’m getting very excited, this will be the most southerly place I’ve ever travelled.
I spent the afternoon and evening adding more details to my website.
Saturday, 19th August
I woke at 07:30, had coffee and orange juice, and went to the Mar Menor to test my new waterproof phone pouch. I swam around the rocks filming fish and jellyfish. Back at Chiringuito El Lobo, I checked the pouch, it worked perfectly.
Back home, I downloaded the videos. Some were fine, some didn’t record, and some were at double or triple speed, no idea how I managed that. I left a long video uploading and returned to the chiringuito with my Kindle. I stayed too long without sun cream and got sunburnt.
In the evening, I watched the International Festival of the Garden and the Sea Parade. It wasn’t huge, but it was nice to see my cousin Jill and her husband Peter on a float, even if Peter hit me with sweets. I didn’t like seeing adults and bigger kids grabbing everything they could.
After the parade, I went to La Playa bar to watch Manchester City vs Newcastle. I stayed chatting with Bob and Connie until the early hours, then walked home along the beach. I stopped at the chiringuito for a beer, only to realise I was the only person there, they had closed without putting the furniture away. I finished my beer and went home.
Sunday, 20th August
I woke at 10:30, had cereal and coffee and edited yesterday’s videos. At midday, I watched the Women’s World Cup Final, Spain beat England 1–0. A deserved win, though England never stopped trying.
I watched some Premier League games, Aston Villa thrashed Everton 4–0, and I dipped in and out of West Ham vs Chelsea. I spent most of the evening binge‑watching Jonathan Creek before going to bed at 23:00.
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