Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A week dominated by website work, swims in the Mar Menor, back pain, a refund battle with a video hosting company, a lovely lunch with Lisa, and the start of physiotherapy on your knee. You also dealt with noisy nights in Plaza de Espejo, experimented with new software and enjoyed small improvements in your health.
Monday, 29th July
I woke at 07:00, checked my messages and went for a swim in the Mar Menor. I swam to the rocks and back, then filled my small pot with shells for my balcony plant pots. After showering, I sat at my computer with a coffee and tried logging into the new video hosting site I had signed up for. It kept switching to an older version and would not work properly, so I sent several messages to the company.
At 11:45, I went on my disability scooter to meet Martin at La Sombre. I sat with him and Dave, but the place was full of flies, and they were all over my legs, so I left early. On the way home, I stopped at Mercadona for two salad bowls and a pasta bowl. I had the pasta for lunch and chicken with salad in the evening.
When I checked my messages, the video hosting company had replied, but it was obvious they had not read my message. They sent me a link to software I already owned. Before bed, I checked again, still no proper reply, so I emailed them requesting a refund under their 30‑day guarantee. I went to bed at 22:30.
Tuesday, 30th July
I woke at 07:00. My back was still aching, and the sea was choppy, so I skipped swimming. I checked my messages and saw one from Amazon saying my free video hosting was already at 85 percent of its limit. This was linked to the Vidello package, so I cancelled the AWS service to avoid a bill. Vidello then emailed to confirm my refund had been processed.
I went to Economy Cash for milk, but after shopping I realised I had forgotten it. I stopped at Buena Vista for a tostada and coffee, then returned home for avocado dip and fried egg on toast for lunch.
In the afternoon, I downloaded a new video editing package. OpenShot had been good, but not quite what I wanted. The new software has a steep learning curve, but it looks powerful. I watched tutorials, including a five‑hour introduction, and went to bed at midnight.
Wednesday, 31st July
I slept late and woke at 09:40. I had fruit juice, checked messages and got ready to meet Lisa for lunch. I walked along the promenade, then through the housing estate, but became very puffed out and had to rest in the shade. The first bench was covered in ants, so I moved to another one.
I continued to La Ola Bar and met Lisa to pay for our coach trip to the Jumilla Wine Fest. After paying, she drove us to Thai Aroi for lunch. I had booked an inside table, which was a relief because it was very hot. The meal was lovely, and we even got a discount for following their Farcebook page. Afterwards, we sat outside, and I had a Pina Colada before heading home.
I put the air conditioning on and watched TV, doing a bit of website work on my laptop. I went to bed at 22:00.
Thursday, 1st August
I woke at 07:30, checked messages and walked to the Mar Menor for a swim. I collected more shells, showered and had a protein drink before heading out on my disability scooter. I went along the beach to La Encarnación, then to the bank for cash and the pharmacy for Sintrom and Omeprazole.
I received a message from Sofia saying the clinic could start my physiotherapy tomorrow at 15:00. I went to the clinic to confirm the appointment, only to be told it was at the other clinic. I went there, and the receptionist confirmed it. Strangely, the physiotherapy clinic is also my dental clinic.
I worked on my website, added the appointment to my calendar and had a cheeseburger for lunch. The heat was intense, so I stayed inside with the air conditioning on and went to bed at 22:00.
Friday, 2nd August
I woke at 04:45 in a lot of pain from gout in my toe. I got up, had orange juice and coffee and worked on my website while listening to Radio 2. I took a painkiller and reminded myself to drink more coffee and eat more cherries.
At 07:00, I went for a swim and collected more shells. After showering, I went to the town hall for a copy of my Padron. The wheels of my disability scooter made a horrible noise on the marble floors. I paid €3 by card and left.
I bought milk on the way home, had muesli for breakfast and submitted my application for the Spanish Health System. I worked on my website, then had pasta and salad for lunch. Plaza de Espejo was setting up for another loud event, with sound checks all afternoon.
At 14:40, I went to my physiotherapy appointment. The room brought back memories of my long hospital stay in 1990 after my car accident. The young physiotherapist reminded me of the wonderful physio I had back then. She was caring and focused on the correct leg.
I had three treatments: electrotherapy, cold ultraviolet light therapy and electromagnetic therapy. None of it hurt, and I felt comfortable throughout. She told me to return on Monday.
That night, Plaza de Espejo was extremely loud again. I finally fell asleep around 03:00.
Saturday, 3rd August
I woke at 08:00 feeling tired, but my knee felt much better. It was still swollen but far less painful. I worked on my website, watched video editing tutorials and had porridge with cherries, yoghurt and protein powder.
I washed my bed linen using a sample of conditioner that came with the machine. It smelled lovely, and even the old blood stains disappeared. I worked on my website, had cheese, ham and scrambled eggs for lunch and later caught up on sleep. I made my bed with the clean linen and watched TV until midnight.
Sunday, 4th August
I slept well, although the kids in Plaza de Espejo woke me a few times. When I got up at 06:45, the police were outside trying to move them on. The kids shouted and swore at them, and as soon as the police left, they drifted back. I do not know where their parents are.
My knee felt better again. I spent most of the day working on my website, making thousands of small code changes to help with indexing. I stopped for lunch at 13:00 and had chicken cooked with honey and pepper.
I plugged my disability scooter in to charge and attached a new “Beware of Sharks” sign Martin had given me. I worked on my website from my massage chair for comfort and continued until 23:00 before going to bed.
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