Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A week of website work, cold weather, new travel plans, meals with friends, rugby, football and plenty of errands. The highlight was booking your dream cruise to Hawaii and Alaska.
Monday, 29th January
I woke around 08:00, had coffee and worked on my website for a few hours. At 10:00, I took a break and made porridge with banana, blueberries, honey and yoghurt. It was lush and I could eat it every day.
At 13:00, I received a message saying my parcel had arrived at Tecnyshop. I collected it on my disability scooter and was home within ten minutes. The T‑shirt I ordered fitted perfectly and will be ideal for the Six Nations.
The temperature dropped again in the afternoon, so I put the heating on. Feeling well again after weeks of cold symptoms, I started looking for a new adventure. A cruise around Japan was too complicated and expensive, and an escorted tour of India required too many vaccinations.
I then found a cruise with NCL that goes from Honolulu around the Hawaiian Islands, then on to Alaska before finishing in Vancouver. Flights, food, drinks and entertainment were included. I applied for my ESTA, which was approved within fifteen minutes, and booked the cruise. I am officially excited.
In the evening, I heated one of my homemade stews, watched TV under a blanket and went to bed at 23:00.
Tuesday, 30th January
I woke at 05:30 and could not get back to sleep. After coffee and porridge, I worked on my website until 12:15. June arrived at 11:30 and waited until I finished. She took me to Buena Vista for a belated birthday breakfast. We chatted until 14:30, and she insisted on dropping me home because my knee was aching.
In the afternoon, I fell asleep watching a film. When I woke, I worked on my website until Nottingham Forest vs Arsenal came on. Arsenal won 1–2, although Forest made the last ten minutes nerve‑racking.
I tried several times to pay the deposit for my cruise, but the website would not accept it, so I emailed NCL for help. I went to bed at 23:30.
Wednesday, 31st January
I woke at 05:00, went back to sleep and got up at 08:00. After coffee and porridge, I checked my emails. NCL had replied with bank details so I could pay by transfer. I sent the payment and emailed them the confirmation.
At 11:00, I met friends for coffee in Los Narejos, then went to Mercadona for groceries. In the afternoon, I added more photo albums to my website, including The Needles in Custer State Park and Devils Tower in Wyoming.
I saw that Ali was selling terracotta pots, so I arranged for June to take me to collect them tomorrow. In the evening, I received confirmation of my cruise and flights. I booked hotels in Madrid for the night before and after the trip, then booked my train journeys. I finished working on my website and went to bed at 23:00.
Thursday, 1st February
I woke around 06:00, had coffee and applied for my Canadian visa. It was straightforward. After that, I worked on my website until June picked me up at 11:30 to collect the terracotta pots from Ali.
I bought twelve pots to repot some of my Dracaena trifasciata. Getting them into my apartment was exhausting. I had to move them from the street to the door, up the stairs to the lift, out of the lift and into my hallway. By the time I finished, I was puffing like a steam train.
Bob arrived and checked my broken foot massager. He got it working, but it was much weaker than before. I will try it for a few days before deciding whether to throw it away.
In the evening, I worked on my website, adding lots of photos to albums. I stopped at 23:30 because my eyes were sore and went to bed.
Friday, 2nd February
I woke at 06:00, had coffee and cooked a full English breakfast. After checking my messages, I was pleased to see my Canadian visa had been approved.
I messaged George and Yvonne, and we arranged to meet at 13:00 at Buena Vista. After coffee, we decided to have lunch. I had a meat samosa and chilli garlic chicken with pilau rice. It was beautiful. We chatted until 15:30.
Back home, I had a siesta, then worked on my website. At 17:00, Amazon messaged to say my Welsh flag had arrived at Tecnyshop, so I walked to collect it. I worked on my website until 23:00 and then went to bed.
Saturday, 3rd February
I woke at 07:00, had coffee and porridge and uploaded more photos to my website. At 10:30, I went to Economy Cash for groceries, then to the Chino shop for cable ties and the Indian grocery shop for potatoes and garlic.
After a bacon and egg roll, I hung my new Welsh flag on the balcony. It was harder than expected because of the heavy table and cacti. I then hung a Save the Mar Menor flag on the Juliet balcony in my spare room.
In the evening, I watched Wales vs Scotland in the Six Nations. Wales were dreadful in the first half and trailed 0–27. Pat messaged asking if I wanted dinner, so I got ready. When I returned to the TV, Wales had come back to 26–27, but I had to leave before the end.
Pat took me to The Rustic Grill in Roldán. I had Amazon ribs in spicy honey sauce. Pat insisted on paying as a late birthday present. Back home, I fell asleep before MOTD and went to bed after waking myself up snoring.
Sunday, 4th February
I woke just before 07:00, had coffee and did the Wordle puzzle. After checking messages, I worked on my website until MOTD came on. I fell asleep during the second game and woke at 10:30.
After tea, I worked until June picked me up for Sunday lunch at Campbell’s Bar. Lauren served us, and we laughed all the way through. My acid reflux flared up at the start, but it settled, and I enjoyed my dinner and a Bailey’s cheesecake. As I am not drinking alcohol at the moment, I had coffee instead.
Back home, I worked on my website until the Arsenal vs Liverpool match. Arsenal won 3–1 after a bizarre own goal and a Liverpool mistake. The win closes the gap to Liverpool, but Manchester City will be happiest as they can go above both teams if they win their games in hand.
I worked on my website until MOTD came on, then went to bed around midnight, setting my alarm for my blood test in the morning.
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