End of Summer days

Early in the day as Summer draws to an end, the Sierra de Mijas is for a while wreathed in cloud, if not the coastal plain. Either way, it's still hot and uncomfortably humid, which slows us down and saps the motivation to do much. I'm thankful the parish car has air conditioning. Sometimes when I get in it, the surface temperature is over forty degrees, but after a short drive the system gets the interior temperature below thirty. 

We're not used to managing air conditioning in the house. Fresh air is more essential, so we cool the bedroom down to get to sleep, shut it off and leave the window open. We have yet to get the lounge air conditioning to work satisfactorily, and believe it's out fault for not understanding the operating manual properly, as it's different from the one upstairs.

Clare decided to auto-clean our high tech oven, and succeeded by guessing the operating manual in Spanish. I was set the task of translation into suitable English for inclusion in the Chaplain's house user guide with the use of a dictionary. It was an interesting experience which taught me a lot about how different languages express themselves when giving advice. 

On Monday, I had a call about officiating a funeral in Benalmadena, which I was unable to accept as it was to take place this coming Thursday, on which day Anglicans in Andalusia and Portugal will be gathering in Gibraltar Cathedral for the Enthronement of Bishop Robert Innes as our new diocesan Bishop of Gibraltar in Europe.

Clare and I went out for a meal at 'La Vieja Scuela' restaurant, where my last birthday banquet was held back at Easter. It's a lovely homely experience, and the food and wine are great, some dishes are cooked before your eyes on health and safety nightmare stoves in a space among tables where clientele can smell progress and watch the amazing art of a laid-back master chef at work in public. We shared the postres which adorned my last meal here, strawberries stewed in a black pepper sauce - just glorious. I started off with something different - black pudding, scrambled egg, raisins and pine nuts, followed by chicken in saffron sauce. Talk about a feast!

On Tuesday, I had a call about another funeral which I was able to accept, as the date proposed is a week Thursday. This will take place at Fuengirola cemetery chapel. It'll be my first visit there. I spent half an hour queuing to cash an expenses cheque in a bank in town at lunchtime. There were ten people on front of me and two cashiers working. At least it was cool inside. Afterwards, Bill and I met for a beer and tapas lunch and a long talk at the Central Cafe near the bus station, one of my favourite places to hang out in the town centre.

Wednesday morning I celebrated the midweek Eucharist for ten people. Next week, I was told, regular coffee mornings recommence, as more regulars return from Summer vacations in cooler climes. I was lazy this morning because of the heat, and took the cooler option of taking the car to church, in the hope of finding a parking place in the gated compound to which the church has access rights. I had a choice of several places. It's the first concrete evidence that transient visitors are no longer taking parking slots they're not entitled to because another family member has key access. Some at least have gone back home and to work elsewhere. Apart from this parking around town remains a residents' nightmare. There's never enough spare capacity around peak holiday seasons.