Homeward bound

Up at the crack of dawn, loaded washing machine, made breakfast, packed luggage and tidied up in good time before Judith arrived to accompany me to the church shop to celebrate the Eucharist before driving to Malaga airport. While I was waiting to board I had an email from a churchwarden in the chaplaincy of Costa del Sol East asking about my availability for locum duty, just at the same time as I had an email from David, the Cowbridge Benefice administrator about my availability for November and December. 

There are three adjacent Andalusian chaplaincies with a dozen worship centres between them, that will be without a chaplain over the next six months. My friend Fr Geoff is charged, in his capacity as Area Dean, to accompany them all through their various review and appointment processes, so it would be good to offer him support, as well as look after one of the busier places for a spell. It gave me something to think about as I travelled home, wedged again in the corner seat of the back row of the 'plane - steerage class' I call it, for those who refuse to pay extra to choose a seat.

At least, by leaning forward I could see out of the window of the seat in front, and had a good view of Britanny with its ancient landscape of small fields plus the descent into Lulsgate along the Severn Estuary shore from Minehead to Weston super Mare. Worth the discomfort.

The flight was on time. I walked straight on to a bus, but the train was delayed ten minutes while an extra carriage was being added, so I got home just before five as usual with this flight. It's cooler but also less humid here, which is pleasant, even if it means having to wear more than shorts and a tee shirt.

And now the necessary adjustment to a different routine of life again.