A good long night's sleep waking up to sunshine, though it didn't last. After breakfast, I did my share of the weekly housework and then cooked lunch. Last Thursday, after a disturbed night trying to sleep with a bleeping smoke alarm I forgot to take Communion to Sandra after the Eucharist. I tried contacting her to apologise over the weekend and rearrange, but didn't get through to her until this morning. She was very understanding, and happy for me to visit her mid-afternoon.
When I got back I walked to the coach station renewed my coach card and booked my ticket for travel to Bristol Airport on Saturday. I decided to walk home via Bute Park, but on the other side of the Millennium Bridge I met Clare walking in the opposite direction, so I turned and walked back with her. I wanted to go further, but it started to rain as I stepped out of the house, so I stayed in and focused on preparing to travel instead, gathering travel adaptors and leads for various devices, checking my bags are within the size limits prescribed etc. Churchwarden John had emailed me a letter to prove where I would be stay and what I'll doing, so I printed this along with my flight boarding pass, and travel insurance information.
Altogether, I counted eight documents necessary to have in my possession to arrive in Nerja and stay there for ten weeks: passport, 'Carta de invitacion', driving license and international driving permit, GHIC card and health insurance, coach ticket and boarding pass. Not including means of payment, card and cash. It's such a contrast to how things were fifty five years ago, when we went hitch hiking in Europe as students with British Visitors Passport travel document valid for only a year and a wad of paper money hidden in a rucksack. I don't remember having insurance or a travel plan. We went wherever the lifts we were offered took us - Belgium, France and Switzerland, everything taken on trust.
After supper, it was still raining, though not very heavily, so I ventured out with a brolly and walked in the dark for three quarters of an hour, before settling down to watch the second episode of 'This Town which started last night. It continues to impress with its complex story line and dialogue. The next two episodes of six are shown live next Sunday and Monday, when I'm in Spain, but fortunately, all six are on the BBC iPlayer already, so I'll have an opportunity to watch them before I leave.
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