Cloudy again today but a bit warmer. Clare took a taxi to UHW for a check on her eye after yesterday's operation. I couldn't face getting up at seven to drive in the rush hour traffic before eight in the morning. After breakfast I watched the YouTube live stream from Malaga of the ceremonial disembarcation of the Spanish legion from the frigate which brought them over from Ceuta to perform their Semana Santa duties escorting the tronas of the cofradia de Mena on their route to the Cathedral and back, later in the day. The batallion is headed by a platoon which performs a choreographic routine as they march, juggling with the weapons in an extraordinarily disciplined way. Hand held cameras on the ground and flying overhead on drones give amazing views not only of the parade, but of the area around Muelle Uno (Quay #1), and the Malagueta Barrio beyond. Places I know well and walked around most days when I was on locum there.
Having had an early notification about flight boarding passes a few days ago, I thought I should get on and go through the check-in routine. For no reason I could think of, I was very nervous about doing this and made a mistake which had to be corrected in any case before moving on. The EasyJet check-in web pages have changed for the better, integrating passport details into the flight information display. I seem to get more fearful of making mistakes I can't rectify as I get older. It makes me less bold and more cautious.
I prepared the veggies for lunch, and when Clare returned she cooked some veggie burgers she bought on her way back from the hospital. When we'd eaten I went down to Cowbridge Road to meet Ashley, whom I haven't seen in the flesh for well over a year. We had a drink in a cafe, then walked to St John's Church and sat on a bench in the south side garden and chatted for an hour before parting company. It was gone tea time when I got home. We had an early supper so we could walk to St Luke's for the Maundy Thursday Eucharist. As we were going down the lane at the end of the street, Clare' arthritic hip started giving her a lot of pain so she decided to turn back, and I went on alone sadly.
There were sixteen of us, four of them singers. Fr Rhys celebrated in reflective mood which was just right. Sadly there was nobody to assist him at the altar with serving or handling the incense, only a lady to assist with the chalice at Communion. I didn't think to offer him my service at the last minute on arrival, as I imagined he'd planned how to make it a solo act, aware of how poorly attended services are at St Luke's these days. It was getting dark on the way home. I took the route back which brought me past Thompson's Park. The gates were open, so I went in and walked around for a while, enjoying peace and quiet among the trees, except when a couple of mallards started chasing each other around the ornamental pond.
When I got home, I watched the Malaga processions live stream for a while, and finished off the last episode of 'Cold Summer', which managed to have a justifiable romantic ending despite terrible goings on in Sicily with mafia assassinations rocking Italy at the time. Bed late.
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