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28 March 2024
Alan Morris at Balsicas train station.

The week started with the delivery of a new combined washing machine & dryer & became a lot more exciting as I set off on a cruise around the Mediterranean on Thursday.

Week 20 of 2023.

Monday, 15th May.

I woke up at around 7:30 am & got up because my new washing machine was being delivered & fitted this morning, anytime after 8 am. I didn't have to wait long as they phoned me at around 8:30 am to tell me they were on the way. The men had brought the machine in, installed it & taken away my old tumble dryer by 10:30 am.

At around 11 am I set off on my disability scooter to my friend Junes' house. She had given me a bag of power leads to try on a hard drive I have without a lead. Unfortunately, none fit, so I returned all of them to her on my way to the office this morning. I met up with Martin just before midday & we sat drinking & talking until around 2:30 pm. Just before I left I ordered a pizza to take home with me.

When I got home I started to eat my pizza but just as I started my friend Bob arrived to cut my hair & trim my beard. It didn't take him long & I was soon looking irresistible to women, it could prove very bothersome fighting them all off on my cruise at the end of the week.

This evening my friend Vince came around to watch the Leicester v Liverpool football game on the television. 

Tuesday, 16th May.

As soon as I got up this morning I phoned Costa Cruises because I am having trouble downloading the ticket for my cruise on Friday. The man I spoke to said he would again try to find out what the problem was & call me back.

After my morning coffee at home, I went to see my friend Mike for a coffee. On my way there the man from Costa Cruises called me back saying there was a problem with my details online & that I would need to add my passport details as well as my Spanish NIE number. He said that as I was out he would call me back after 3 pm. I continued on my way to meet Mike & we sat at the cafe he goes to talking for a short while before he went home. I got another coffee & sat reading my Kindle for a while before continuing around to the office to see Martin & Dave. We sat chatting for a while & I headed home at around 2:15 pm to make sure I was in when Costa Cruises called me back.

For my lunch, I had sausage, bacon, fried eggs & fried mushrooms & just after I had finished, Costa Cruises called me back to take my passport details. They then updated the computer system & emailed me my cruise & baggage tickets. I printed them off, downloaded my train ticket & the booking for my hotel in Valencia, before then packing them all in my man bag ready for my trip.

Vince came around this evening to help me look for the drip on the pipework I had replaced under the sink. He thought it was a washer that wasn't sealing properly so I will get another one tomorrow. This evening we walked to La Playa bar to watch the AC Milan & Inter Milan football match. I think we talked with Paul the barman more than we watched football but we had a great night. I got home at around midnight & had just gone to bed when I got a message from an old friend in the UK & I ended up chatting with them till nearly 3 am before finally going off to sleep.

Wednesday 17th May.

I got up at around 9 am today, very late for me, but after last night's late night, I had some sleep to catch up on. After having a coffee I set off to the hardware store on my disability scooter & got the washer that Vince thought I needed. Whilst there I also bought a new toilet seat, I have been meaning to buy a new seat for as long as I can remember but never got around to it.

On my way home I remembered that I was a bit short of the Omeprazole tablets I take so went to the pharmacy to get some more & to buy some paracetamol for my holiday. I do tend to walk too much when Im on holiday & if my legs swell up too much I will need some for the pain. On my way home I consider going to Buena Vista Restaurant for a coffee but decide to drop my shopping at home first. When I got home I saw that I had missed a message from my friend Jim who was at the Buena Vist Restaurant having breakfast. I dropped my shopping at home, messaged him back & went to join him for coffee & a tostado.

After we had finished breakfast we walked back to my apartment & Jim helped me carry some old furniture around to the rubbish bin. We had to make two trips as the things we were dropping off were quite large & heavy. By the time we returned a second time with the cupboards I wanted to get rid of, the nested table set I had already dropped off on the first trip had already been taken by a man hanging around the bins. I have no doubt that he will have taken the cupboards as well as soon as we move off around the corner. I still have one cupboard set to get rid of but it can wait until I get back from my holiday now. 

After walking back to my apartment Jim leaves & tells me he will call me tomorrow before he comes to pick me up to take me to the train station in the morning. I get in, replace the washer in the sink plumbing & put it under pressure with water & leave it to see if it has fixed the leak. It is not long before I realise it hasn't but it will have to wait until I return from my cruise now. It only leaks when the sink is drained & as it won't be used whilst Im away it will be fine to leave it.

Thursday, 18th May.

Today I left to travel to Valencia to begin my cruise around the Mediterranean. It was an early start but I was ready for it.

Friday, 19th May.

Today was the day I boarded the cruise ship, Costa Diadema in Valencia to start my cruise around the Mediterranean.

Saturday, 20th May.

Today the ship I was on, the Costa Diadema, docked in Marseille, France & I went to visit Aix de Provence.

Sunday, 21st May.

Today my cruise ship docked in Savona, Italy & I went on a coach tour to visit the two towns of Noli & Finalborgo.