Chilling

We have now been back at Monte Pego for a calendar month, which is now the longest that I have spent here without a break (Su was here for longer while I was in Cameroon last autumn - which seems an age ago).  It is also the most relaxed I think I have ever been. I seem to have, at least temporarily, got over the urge to visit somewhere new every day.

Even the visit of Keith, Sally, Janet and Neville last weekend to stay with us for four nights didn't result in going very far afield, partly because of the beautiful warm weather, which doesn't lend itself to a whole lot of activity. Their stay coincided with Bruce & Jane coming over with four of their friends, so there has been plenty of company for us and we were able to celebrate Neville & Janet's recent marriage and Neville's birthday in suitable fashion.

For the first time in our year away the pace has dropped and we have been able to construct something of a routine.  The key objectives have been to concentrate on getting fitter (after months of travelling and eating out three times a day) and improving our Spanish so we've found a new Spanish teacher, Elena (thanks to Philippa for the recommendation) and have been cross-training and enjoying home-cooked healthy food.

The training has involved quite a bit of running, swimming in the pool, going out on the bikes and some walking on the Segaria mountain opposite the house where a range of new walking routes have been marked by a local walking group.  Fitness training in this heat isn't fun at first but we have stuck at it and got over the worst.  We just need to keep the momentum as the weather gets hotter over the summer.

Preparing food has been a real joy after too many hotel breakfasts and three course lunches and dinners.  We have only eaten out three times in a month and the fridge has been full of local produce.  Highlights have been the freshly squeezed juices (especially from local oranges but also carrot, apple and kiwi fruit), some beautiful barbecued seafood and meat from Denia market, dried tuna and endless amounts of vegetables and salads.  I've been perfecting the production of "espencat", a mix of the fleshy insides of chargrilled red peppers, aubergine and onion mixed with olive oil and salt and Su has produced some very good strawberry frozen yoghurt, soda bread and gazpacho.

Meanwhile summer has officially started and accordingly the weather has got a lot hotter after a cool and unusually (by local standards) damp early June.  It was so unusual that on the main TV channel they gave out a weather forecast dated May 40th as they felt that June had still not arrived nine days in.  The Spanish are very particular about the seasons and we are told that summer began at precisely 19:16 on 21 June, the moment of the solstice when the sun gets furthest north.  Summer will last for 93 days and 15 hours apparently and I'm happy to say that we will be here for most of it

Here comes the sun...seen rising over the sea from home