Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A week of medical appointments, swollen legs, antibiotics, football, markets, meals with friends, and the San Juan festival. England put you through the wringer, your scooter battery nearly stranded you, and you ended the month with good company, good food and a lot of noise outside your apartment.
Monday, 24th June
I woke around 08:15, had coffee and porridge, and did Wordle before going to the doctor’s surgery to show my Doppler and X‑ray results. They told me to return at 13:00. I went shopping at Economy Cash and worked on my Marrakech photo album at home. When I checked the time, I realised I was half an hour late.
I rushed back to the surgery and apologised. The receptionist initially told me to return tomorrow, but after speaking to the doctor, she said I could be seen immediately. The doctor was new to me — and absolutely stunning — but also extremely helpful. She explained that I had no blood clots, but my veins are weak, causing poor circulation, swelling and slow healing. She prescribed tablets I remembered using before and arranged more appointments.
The nurse cleaned and dressed my leg again, and I booked follow‑up appointments. Back home, I had chicken and salad and watched the football. I was exhausted after a noisy night and went to bed at 22:00.
Tuesday, 25th June
I woke at 08:00, had coffee and Wordle, then showered. At 11:00, I collected my prescription tablets. Mercadona was packed, so I went to Aldi for salad bowls. When I returned to my scooter, two bikes had blocked it in. One owner moved them, but I still wondered what sort of idiot leaves bikes like that.
I met Martin at La Sombra and was pleased to see Rosa working again. Dave joined us, and Aria sat drawing. Kate arrived later with good news from Aria’s school report.
Back home, I had steak and salad and watched Holland vs Austria, dozing off repeatedly. England vs Slovenia finished 0–0. England topped the group but looked poor.
Wednesday, 26th June
I showered, had coffee and went to the bank for my appointment. The lady there was very helpful and showed me how to pay my bill at the ATM. My scooter battery nearly died on the way home.
With my legs improving slightly, I tidied the apartment and set Peggy the robot hoover to remap the rooms. She got lost once but eventually sorted herself out.
In the evening, I watched Georgia beat Portugal 2–0. I was pleased for Georgia — and pleased to see Ronaldo lose. He’s brilliant, but the theatrics drive me mad. Georgia qualified at Ukraine’s expense.
Thursday, 27th June
I woke at 07:30 and made bacon, eggs, mushrooms and fried potatoes. It was the first time using my new stoneware pan, and it worked perfectly.
At 10:30, the nurse dressed my leg with a silver dressing and bandage. I went to Economy Cash for green tea and cleaning items, then home.
At 12:45, I walked to Thai Aroi for their Menu del Día — rice with three dishes chosen by the chef. It was excellent value at €10 and tasted fantastic.
Back home, I rested and researched future trips: Fez, a Lisbon–Miami cruise via Canada, and a cruise around Japan, China, Hong Kong and Singapore. When the doctor gives me the all‑clear, I’ll start planning properly. I went to bed at 22:00.
Friday, 28th June
I woke at 08:30 after being kept awake by kids blowing whistles until 00:30. I had coffee, tablets and Wordle, then worked on my website, finishing my Córdoba patio festival photos.
My England T‑shirt arrived at 14:00 and fit perfectly. I wanted it before England inevitably get knocked out.
In the evening, I bought a new website extension and tested it until 02:30.
Saturday, 29th June
I woke later than usual, showered and waited for Lisa to pick me up for Torre Pacheco market. She was delayed at the bank, but we eventually arrived and had coffee with ham and tomato tostadas.
I bought oranges, tomatoes, pineapple, cherries, honey and a chicken. We returned to Lisa’s house, then went to Roda’s bar, then Campbell’s bar, where we booked lamb roast dinners for Sunday.
We returned to Roda’s bar to eat but ended up chatting instead. Back at Lisa’s house, we ate some of the chicken from the market.
Sunday, 30th June
I woke around 09:15 and had mint tea with Lisa. She showed me her new Marrakech teapot and impressive pouring skills.
She drove me home so I could shower and change into my new England T‑shirt. We walked to Campbell’s bar for dinner — excellent as always — then she dropped me at Rio Nalon to watch the football.
I stopped at Rocco’s to see Colin. It was boiling hot, so I moved to Harry’s bar for the air conditioning. Two couples joined my table, and one lady turned out to be an Arsenal fan.
One of the men had accidentally placed a £55 bet on Slovakia to win 1–0. Slovakia scored, and he cashed out for £110. England equalised in the last seconds, and the pub erupted. England then scored a brilliant winner to make it 2–1. They didn’t deserve it, but I was glad they won.
I walked home instead of waiting 20 minutes for the tourist train. When I got in, I watched Spain beat Georgia 4–1 before falling asleep. Later, I saw a message from Bob saying the tourist train had broken down, explaining the earlier queue.
At 22:00, a drum band started playing outside for another event. It was deafening. I went to bed at 22:30 and drifted off. When I woke at 23:30, the music had stopped, and I fell asleep again.
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