Hi, glad you could make it on this,
the penultimate full day of the San Isidro leg of An English Fool Abroad with
his Sketchbook. Yes, only tomorrow to go now.
When I got up this morning, I had a
think about the day ahead, and decided that opportunities for on the spot
sketching were probably going to be like jockey’s legs – few and far between.
Bearing this in mind, I cheated somewhat on today’s sketch. I took a few photos
as well as making the sketches in Murcia last week, and so today’s sketch is
just based on a photo I took. This is not the nicest looking bridge over the
Segura in Murcia – the nicest bridge I already sketched last year. But hey,
I’ve got make a sketch of at least one bridge whenever I’m away, I’m sure
somebody passed a law about it a while ago.
Sunday lunch in the Las Palmeras
restaurant in Crevillent was the big event of the day. John really wasn’t
feeling very well at all before we left the Casa Me Duck. He’s developed a bit
of a bad chest. Jen did check his blood oxygen level, and he’s fine on that
score, so working on that principle we proceeded towards the restaurant, and he
did improve somewhat while we were eating. A nice meal it was too, although
interestingly, as it was last week, the starter was better, and more of a main
course than the actual main course was. Speaking of the main course, I did
think twice about sole in orange sauce, bearing in mind experiences with
Chinese lemon chicken before now. The second – and last – time I had this
particular dish it consisted of cubes of chicken served up in what resembled
nothing quite so much as lukewarm Gale’s lemon curd. Thankfully, the orange
sauce was quite subtle, and the sole cooked to perfection today.
Thus replete and satisfied we set off
on the short walk back to the Hancoxmobile. Now, forgive me for using actual
photographs for the next bit, but they can probably better convey what happened
next than mere words. We came out of the restaurant, and looked at the
Hancoxmobile. This is what we saw:-
Then we got a bit closer and this is
what we saw:-
As they say in Spain – bloody el.
I did offer to get the spare out and
whip it on, but John and Jenn were adamant that this is what they pay their
insurance for, and called out breakdown assistance. More about that in a while.
After Jen had rung up the breakdown people, we had a good half hour’s wait, and
John wanted to answer a call of nature. His wheelchair won’t fit in through the
door of the Gents inside the restaurant, however the restaurant has its own
swimming pool, and we were certain there was a toilet down by the pool, even if
we weren’t sure exactly where. I wheeled John down the ramp, and two rather
unhelpful steps and we found the toilets, a rather ugly blockhouse with unisex
cubicles. After we’d waited for a good ten minutes, and then did the necessary
and came out, a lady stopped me, laughing, and said something I’m afraid that I
didn’t understand. Then she pointed to the blockhouse next to the one we’d
used. Then she pointed to the sign above the door – I can’t remember the exact
words, but it was pretty clear that it translated as disabled toilets.
Once the breakdown guy arrived – and
to be fair, I thought that being there in 30 minutes on a summer Sunday was
pretty good going – he whipped out the spare, a lever jack, and a wheelbrace,
and he was done in a matter of minutes. Impressed as we were, I passed on a 5
Euro tip, and said “Toma una bebida conmigo”, which I think sort of means –
have a drink with me. Mind you, judging by the look on the guy’s face when I
said it, it might just has easily have meant – have a baby with me. No, I did
google it when I got back, just to be certain.
Well, after all that excitement I’m
afraid to say that I scarcely moved from the sofa in the Casa Me Duck once we
returned home. So this is of necessity a rather shorter episode than we’ve
become accustomed to. As for tomorrow – well, Russ is coming in the morning,
and with the cleaners coming in I shouldn’t wonder that we’ll be going out for
a bit tomorrow morning.
Hopefully see you same time tomorrow.
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