Things that go bump in the night!

'Going bump' is being nice about it! It has been wild and windy with a vengence these passed couple of days. Usually it calms down around tea-time, but last night it just got stronger. We could hear shutters banging, rubbish blowing around, and all sorts of other noises. Then early this morning we heard an almighty crash followed by what sounded like breaking glass. We leapt out of bed and hung out the window to see what was going on and there was our patio table in pieces on the ground. The wind had blown it off the roof terrace! Fortunately there was no-one around down below or it could have been nasty. I couldn't believe how many pieces it had shattered into. I suppose the constant exposure to the sun makes the plastic brittle. Pieces of it were scattered on all three verandahs of the flats downstairs, and there were even a couple of bits in the pool. Anyway, we cleared it all up and let the flat owners know. The chairs are all folded away tonight, just in case it happens again.

I made the most of the slightly more gentle wind today, to get the beds stripped and the linen washed. I had to put about ten pegs on each sheet but they were soon dry. Mum must be turning in her grave to see me strip the beds, wash the sheets and put them back on the bed, all in one day, but I don't have much spares here, so that's the way it has to be.

Why Spain?

One of the reasons we have chosen to make our home is Spain is the way it continues to surprise us. Here we are in the middle of January, when even here it is expected to be a bit chilly, wet or windy. Today there was no sun when I opened the shutters this morning, but as I stepped out on to the verandah, the air wrapped itself around me like a soft, warm blanket. I have never felt anything quite like it in England. There was a light breeze but it had no chill in it today. Our thermometer registered 24º for most of the day, but although it brightened up, it never became a truly sunny day such as we have had a few of in the last week. It was definitely warmer outside than in the flat, so as usual, I spent the afternoon up on the roof terrace. But first I decided to take a stroll around the bay. The wind was getting stronger but I was soon too warm for my cardigan. It was lovely to see all the colourful flowers, both in the gardens I passed, as well as growing wild on the rocks and gravel of the beach. I was even tempted to paddle, so with my trousers rolled up to my knees, I stood in the sea with little waves lapping over my toes. Yes it was cold, but not bone-achingly cold, and I stayed there for quite a while.

This afternoon I did some sewing up on the roof, but the wind got stronger until I struggled to hold my work, and in the end I gave up and got stuck into a book that I am really enjoying. By 5 o'clock I was forced inside when I felt that my chair was being shaken and I thought I might be blown away, chair, book and all! Now we are inside with the shutters closed and the curtains drawn, but outside, the air is still warm, and the wind is so violent that we feel it could do some serious damage tonight. And the noise is something else altogether. I wonder what tomorrow has in store for us. That's Spain; another surprise every day!