Tired family

Seventy eight today. Oh dear, so old, so much not yet achieved or completed, and time seems to go by faster than ever. We're all looking older, and the only one to benefit from this is Rhiannon, who is leaving adolescence behind for womanhood without anxiety  A cool cloudy start to the day with sea mist blown in-shore by the wind. The sun didn't appear until the afternoon, then the temperature shot up to 23C. A late, sluggish start to the day again as we were all tired. There were presents and flowers awaiting me on a birthday table in the lounge but rather than open them straight away I chose to leave it until tea time when the cake baked by Clare and decorated by Rhiannon would be ready to eat.

Clare and I went to meet Ann over coffee with a small thankyou gift at Granier's pasteleria. The children met us briefly there and went for a pre-lunch paseo while we walked back to the house, as I had forgotten to top up my wallet with cash to pay for lunch, having decided to treat the family to my birthday lunch. 

We booked a table at 'La Esquinita', a restaurant which has a butcher's shop next to it on the corner of the street. It's always busy when I pass by at lunch time, with tables on the street and a comedor that can take fifty indoors. The food was excellent, and the service quite quick considering how full the place was at two, when locals tend to eat their midday meal. And it was more a restaurant for locals than tourists. Three of us had swordfish steaks, a pasta 'n chips with salad option was negotiated for Rhiannon, Anto and I had pork meat balls in different sauces, all washed down with a decent Rioja.

We walked down the Paseo Maritime to Fuengirola afterwards, where Clare and I caught the L3 bus back to the urbanizacion from outside Dunne's Stores, while the others walked on for a while before returning on foot for a swim before a cup of tea, with birthday chocolate cake and present opening. Then a piecemeal snack supper, and lazy evening of banter and restaurant review writing. Rachel called to wish me a happy birthday. Her work  life on several fronts seems to be picking up in a pleasing way. We miss her, but have to settle for video calls whenever these are possible.

It's funny how tired you can get when taking time out from the pressure of everyday life for three days of family celebrating and catch-up. Recovery rather than rest, hopefully enough to make a difference to the daily grind after the trip home, wishing the stay could have been longer.