Lunch in Frigliana

A little warmer again today, a cloudless sky, no wind, the sea like a millpond. Kath had a swim in the pool after breakfast, and I started thinking about next Sunday's sermon. I dived into my archive to find out what I preached about on Easter 4, Good Shepherd Sunday on previous occasions in the triennial reading cycle. I found that on 2015 it was the first Sunday after arriving here in Nerja for my third locum visit. Summer 2016 I was back here again, for a fourth stay cut short by the imminent arrival of Fr Nigel as their new Chaplain. Instead of returning home, I went north by train to Vinaros for a month with the Costa Azahar chaplaincy, vacant due to the unexpected departure of its chaplain. This makes my fifth tour of duty here in Nerja. Somehow, looking back eight years ago through my blog, I didn't get started on a sermon. 

When Kath was ready we drove to Frigiliana, parked on the village by-pass road and walked from there. It was Kath's first experience of this magnificent Pueblo Blanco which celebrates its long history and its associations with Muslim Jewish and Christian communities over the past millennium. There were plenty of visitors, but it wasn't congested.  We took photos, visited the Parish Church of Saint Anthony of Padua and having walked the length of the old town, had lunch on the terrace of la Bodeguilla - swordfish for Kath and morcilla with slim potato chips for me. The restaurant is run by a collective of local women offering regional dishes cooked to perfection. Clare and I ate here on several occasions when she visited me during previous locum duty stays here. So good that it's survived the misfortunes and upheavals of recent years.

We called into Aldi and Lidl on the way back, to get some bread and drinking water. I was feeling tired, and had a load of washing to put through the machine, so I stayed behind while Kath went down to swim at Playa Vilches. After a doze on the bed, I read my Spanish novel until Kath returned. Then we cooked together - Omelette for her, tuna with tomato onion and pepper with left over pasta for me. As we're both left handed we find it easy to work together at the stove. When discussing this we realised most members of our family are left handed, if not ambidextrous.

Clare called as the sun was setting and we chatted for half an hour. Then I walked uphill to the furthest extent of the urbanizacion under the stars and noticed the lights of a cruise ship on the southern horizon. This was enough to complete my step quota to finish the day, ready for bed.