Another humid day with mist on sea and sierras until the middle of the day. I worked on next Sunday's sermon, and on preparing the texts for next week's audio. I had a phone call from someone promoting a new health care facility launch locally, and understood what it was all about, but when I tried to respond to the caller, I couldn't be heard, and can't figure out whether I inadvertently muted the call or not, as there's no recognisable symbol on the handset. As for instruction manual in any language, you're joking!
I laughed when I received a TV licensing email thanking me for renewing the license. This time my email address wasn't entirely written incorrectly in upper case. It was still incorrect, but with an upper case first and last letter. What on earth is the matter with their system?
To go with a portion of the lentils with aubergine dish cooked yesterday, I stewed two chicken thighs with garlic, and risotto rice, An interesting lunch time combination of mild flavour and texture. Then I worked next week's biblical reflection, dozed for a while, then in a fit of zeal took the stuff for recycling down the hill, before setting out on my walk along the shore to the port and the lighthouse. El Faro de Punta Doncella, to give its full name. I found the history board about the lighthouse and understood the Spanish text well enough not to bother with the English alongside it. This gives me a good feeling.
Apparently the light is twinned with one of equal power in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in Morocco, 62km away as the crow flies, across the other side of the Straights of Gibraltar. It dates from 1863, but was rebuilt in 1922 to raise the height of the light from 18m to 28m above sea level. A century later on, and it's undergoing restoration to re-use ancillary buildings which once accommodated the lighthouse keeper's family as a museum.
As I was walking back, families were making their way back from the beach to their accommodation. One reluctant little boy complained at having to quit the beach early. "Ya m'aburrido" I heard him say to his mother (I'm bored already!). I'm amazed at how late young children stay out and play, on or near the beach, but maybe this compensates for not being able to stay out when the heat of the day is fiercest. It's good that the place feels safe enough for this to happen, anxiety free.
I found a couple of letters in the mailbox when I returned. Bills to pass on to the treasurer. It's the first mail that's been delivered in the three weeks I've been here.
When we talked this evening, Clare reminded me about the return flight tickets, which I haven't looked at since I booked them two and a half months ago. A quick search retried the flight confirmation email to forward to her. It seems that I booked us both hold baggage on this flight, and for Clare outbound. I didn't bother on the way out as I was keen to travel light and not risk a long baggage queues. It's been so hot that I could have brought even less clothing with me, since regular hand washing of everything is vital, and it dries so quickly. At the moment the weather forecast indicates that it will stay between 29-31C by day for the rest of August, and little rain if any, except in the sierras on a cloudy day, but definitely not mainly on the plain in this part of Spain.
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