Transport alternative

Cloud covered the sky from dawn to late afternoon, with just occasional gaps through which the sun cast feeble shadows on the balcony, but there was no wind, a little warmer down by the sea than up on high. John sent this weekend's pew sheet for printing. I worked on tomorrow's sermon a little more, and spent a lot of time exchanging WhatsApp messages with family members, but didn't print it off until the evening. Pasta with a veggie sauce for lunch, then a chat with Clare on WhatsApp. 

Walking into Nerja later, I spotted and took photos of a black cap and a goldfinch, both out proclaiming their availability to suitable mates singing loudly as they patrolled their territories. When I reached the Carretera de Frigiliana, I decided to visit Aldi's to see if I could find a jar of tahini, some black pepper and a chorizo, items I've tended to omit from my shopping list. The supermarket is half a kilometre up the hill from the N340a, further than it seems when you drive there, but the effort was rewarded. On the way back to the main road, I saw a passenger wagon being drawn by a team of four mules carrying a few people, whether family members or tourists it's impossible to say. I'll keep a lookout for this ensemble next month when the Romeral de San Isidro takes place, as it does each May in Nerja.

From the edge of town, I made my way down to the Parada Monica Line 3 bus stop, but took a less direct route by mistake, through the urbanizacion that covers the west facing headland above the beach, made up of holiday apartment blocks and hotels. I hadn't realised how extensive it was. Anyway, I eventually reached the bus stop and didn't have to wait long for five forty five to arrive for the eight minute journey to the Ladera del Mar parada where the bus turns for the return trip. It would take five times as long by mule carriage!

The evening just slipped away exchanging even more messages with family members reminiscing about generations long gone. So many stories behind the old photos I started digitizing them twenty years ago, but haven't looked at them much over the years. Actually, it's nice to have the leisure to piece together the fragments of stories about people who died long before I was born, people other than our Dad's uncles who died in the Somme over a hundred years ago, and discussed most of all over the years. For a change, I really will get to bed early tonight.