Pathfinding

This morning straight after breakfast, I set off to walk to Mercadona, in need of olive oil and fruit to see me through the weekend. My usual route goes along the main road as far as 'El Rancho del Mar' hotel, then turns inland and goes uphill, and then left along a parallel side street, passing the local Urgencias. It's quieter. Today, on a whim, I took a detour, walking on uphill, beyond the point where there's neither tarmac nor lamp-posts, just an un-metalled track in open scrubland. I was curious to see if this track would give me some different views of the foothills away from the sea, inland. I wasn't disappointed, and also got a pleasing photo of Mojacar Pueblo in bright sunlight.

I climbed, about three quarters of a kilometre to the top of a ridge, and discovered that the track on the other side descends steeply down to the main road from Playa to Pueblo. Walking down from the Pueblo on a previous occasion I'd noticed this track and wondered exactly where it led. Now I know! Next time I walk to the Pueblo, I have a short cut that'll save me a couple of kilometres.

Earlier in the week I bought an 800g pack of fresh chicken breast, enough for at least four meals, given how little meat I eat at any time these days. Rather than freeze any of it, I decided to cook and then store it all in one session, then use cooked portions to add into some other disk I fancy preparing. The first batch for lunch, ended up being stewed in white wine with onion, garlic, herbes provençal, green beans, red pepper, mushroom, and a dash of tomato passata, which I prefer to tomato frito. It turned out to be an enjoyably tasty dish, which is just as well, as I made enough for two. I still find it hard to scale down and cook food for one from fresh ingredients, but this means I take time to cook properly only every other day.

Later, I did a load of washing and left it out on the balcony for a little too long. I had to put on the heating for a while, to finish drying my only pair of pyjamas. It's not yet been needed, apart from this, as the weather is pleasantly mild, day and night, 21-17C. 

I finished and printed off tomorrow's sermon, and dealt with messages from Duncan, in Malta on holiday, about a funeral this Wednesday in the Parish Church at Arboleas, the next on the road down the Almanzora valley towards the coast, from Albox, so it won't be hard to find. Even so, I spent time with Google Street View trying to identify where the church is in Calle Iglesia, as churches aren't always tagged on these maps. I found out that it's dedicated to Santiago. The building is 19th century, replacing a church built after the reconquista, in 1505. That building was located on a promontory above the town and the river, and dedicated to San Roque, the town patron. It became ruinous and eventually was completely demolished. I've driven past the town several times now, so I won't have any trouble finding my way there.

Now the pyjamas are dry enough to wear, bed time.