I saw the full moon descending toward the horizon and went back to sleep for a while, then got up at sunrise to listen to the dawn chorus - well, apart from the local blackbird singing its heart out, what I could mostly hear, now that my ears age getting attuned to it, is the sound of cocks crowing and peacocks crying from the poultry farm down the way.
It's the 75th anniversary of VE day today. News and comment focuses on how it is being observed in such unexpected circumstances, making good mention of the way people of that era, still alive now, are remembering and also reflecting on what's happening at the moment. The survivors run on gratitude, and take nothing for granted. They know they had a good life, even if they lose it any time soon. That's wisdom in old age for you. Not much whingeing around here.
One of the things I enjoy about walking everywhere is joining up different locations and paths in my mental map. So often new roads will take you one place directly, or else by-pass older narrower roads altogether. Walking an area you get to understand something of what shaped its ancient trails and what generations of road engineers have done on top of them since. This was an aspect of time spent on various locum duties along the coast from Malaga as far as Almunecar. Slowly I'm getting know the area within a 5km radius of Casa Capellania.
My morning walk today took me on local side roads through the neighbouring urbanizacion from here towards San Antoni, and then up past the extensive modern educational complex, which has primary, secondary schools and a sports centre all on the same huge site. Normally, I see this from the other side, walking up the un-metalled track. Now I've closed the circle and done the 5km circuit, and see how places fit together.
I found there's a small supermarket on the road, adjacent to the schools. I arrived just before the schools shut down, and saw students leaving at the end of their day from the track on the other side across the fields. I daresay local residents rely on the supermarket, but in the absence of hundreds of kids a day, five days a week, buying snacks, sweets or drinks, there's a huge loss of revenue. And now, installing bio-security measures in store has to be paid for as well. One economic nightmare among many, in a small seaside town on a popular holiday destination island. Scholars will return, but tourists - how long?
I spent some of the afternoon working on the sound file for this Sunday's service, then walked up to Es Cuco to do some grocery shopping before supper. In the hour before sunset lately I have noticed that there are more people out and about. You do notice when the road has been eerily silent for weeks, empty apart from the occasional dog walker. I went out to walk the last couple of kilometres of the day and was pleasantly surprised to see couples out walking, trail bike riders, a family of six and the occasional jogger out on the country lane. I don't think anyone is forgetting just how scary is the situation the country is in, but everyone needs to be outdoors in the fresh spring air, for the sake of sanity and well-being. The trouble is, sustaining strict discipline indefinitely, whatever the sanctions for non-compliance will end up causing other problems we may live to regret.
One of the things I enjoy about walking everywhere is joining up different locations and paths in my mental map. So often new roads will take you one place directly, or else by-pass older narrower roads altogether. Walking an area you get to understand something of what shaped its ancient trails and what generations of road engineers have done on top of them since. This was an aspect of time spent on various locum duties along the coast from Malaga as far as Almunecar. Slowly I'm getting know the area within a 5km radius of Casa Capellania.
My morning walk today took me on local side roads through the neighbouring urbanizacion from here towards San Antoni, and then up past the extensive modern educational complex, which has primary, secondary schools and a sports centre all on the same huge site. Normally, I see this from the other side, walking up the un-metalled track. Now I've closed the circle and done the 5km circuit, and see how places fit together.
I found there's a small supermarket on the road, adjacent to the schools. I arrived just before the schools shut down, and saw students leaving at the end of their day from the track on the other side across the fields. I daresay local residents rely on the supermarket, but in the absence of hundreds of kids a day, five days a week, buying snacks, sweets or drinks, there's a huge loss of revenue. And now, installing bio-security measures in store has to be paid for as well. One economic nightmare among many, in a small seaside town on a popular holiday destination island. Scholars will return, but tourists - how long?
I spent some of the afternoon working on the sound file for this Sunday's service, then walked up to Es Cuco to do some grocery shopping before supper. In the hour before sunset lately I have noticed that there are more people out and about. You do notice when the road has been eerily silent for weeks, empty apart from the occasional dog walker. I went out to walk the last couple of kilometres of the day and was pleasantly surprised to see couples out walking, trail bike riders, a family of six and the occasional jogger out on the country lane. I don't think anyone is forgetting just how scary is the situation the country is in, but everyone needs to be outdoors in the fresh spring air, for the sake of sanity and well-being. The trouble is, sustaining strict discipline indefinitely, whatever the sanctions for non-compliance will end up causing other problems we may live to regret.
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