Day Thirty Five

Spain: Andalucia, Arboleas, Cuesta Azul, Casa Beaumont.

Friday 8th August

Heatwave

The temperature at my parents was unbelievable 38 degrees +.  I’m not good with mega heat, it makes me ratty and irritable, lethargic and un inspired.  I liked the warmth for sure, but I’m really a temperate flower not a bloody cactus! 

So J and I spent much of the day trying to cope with the heat.  I did some laundry and went out to peg it out without any sun creak on and got burnt!  Such is the intensity of the desert heat to my Viking skin.  Johnathon was also clearly struggling given his pre existing sunburn or Lobster affliction, which ever you prefer.

All that we really managed was to lounge around in between the shade and the pool. I do remember having one of those; I’m not at work and still on holiday moments, as I tried to put the calamity of Priscilla’s situation on one side. 

Deep down you see, I was utterly devastated, the situation that had unfolded was deeply depressing for me.  I know I’m probably sounding pathetic, its only a car right?  And (slap) what the hell, I’m on day 35 of what’s been a beautiful, life enriching adventure.  But, you see, Priscilla’s premature collapse had happened at the time when I was due to start the 4^th and final chapter of my own personal adventure.  Deep down I was totally and utterly miserable. 

What I had also wanted to gain from this adventure, was a chance to experience once again some time on my own, as I had in my twenties. Yes I’ve had lots of time away from the rat race, heaps of thinking time but “I’d never been to me” as those lyrics go.  What I was craving was a chance to re-discover my independence. 

Life gets so full of dependencies, most of them co dependencies, they envelope you.  I know that deep down dependencies, the push and pull of the people in your life are what constitutes life, makes it rewarding and satisfying.  But when I’m on my own, exploring, travelling, there is no one else to negotiate with.  No one else to try and make happy.  No one else to think about.   It’s a totally self indulgent experience and one that I haven't in years and I’m craving it.  Well Priscilla’s managed to put a spectacular spanner in the works for me on that front didn't she!

So back to Casa Beaumont.  My parents pool was a whopping 30 degrees Celsius today, it was like a thermal bath not a swimming pool all heated entirely by the sun on the water.  Its insane but the nicest time to swim now is in the late evening or after a few drinks at night with the pool lights on and the stars above  you it’s a unique experience. But its still puzzles me that the pool is only 10 degrees cooler than the air temperature either way it makes a hell of a difference in terms of cooling down your body temperature. 

I totally understand now why Spain has its Siesta but I shouldn't talk about Siesta as I’ll be off on another Victor Meldrew style rant.  I simply can’t get my head around the fact that everything outside of the major city’s in Spain just stops for 3 hours!  It’s mental and drives me up the wall especially given my own “I want it done now mentality”.  Ok I’m stopping there I promise.