Blog 3. Castalla, Castlenel 2026

 Sunday February 8th 

As it happened I did not go to Alicante this afternoon; the wind became wild about an hour before the bus; and I noticed that on Sundays  there would be a four hour gap till the next bus back to Castalla; I did not want to risk going to Alicante and the weather being just as bad as it was here. It looks like there are a few dates in the next 10 days before I leave that the weather will be much warmer in Alicante .

I listened to This Cultural Life with John Wilson and Jonathan Pryce which I enjoyed. I caught up with The Archers and Just a minute and realised I have not listened to Radio 4 since I got here.

Very unlike me; I have been absorbed in my audible books and my music.

Andrew let me know he could not see my last blog :(  I have got out of the way of blogging since Taiwan, and it is still a hit and a miss if I post it correctly.)   I have resent it but not yet heard if I got it right.The Persiana in the LA had come off its rail.  I am not in touch with Frank at the moment as I am aware they are going through so much since Sophia's dad died.

Matthew the new painter is coming tomorrow for a meet up an hello and I am hoping he could fix it for me in fact last week one of the lines on the persians broke .I tried to fix it but it keeps coming undone. I am not strong enough to hold it up to repair it. Possibly if the weather was was calm  I would stand a chance , but the windy weather ,fierce or mild makes it much more difficult. Today it is fierce again.

I kept the LA cosy made a huge pot of tea and binged watched a Shetland....and hid from the wild wind and rain

Monday 9th February.

I had all my morning rituals  done by 9.00 AM when Matthew was due. The doorbell rang at exactly 9.00 I was impressed.

I showed him around Castlenel when we got to the new bathroom, he said "wow I have only seen a bath in the middle of  a room in films" me too ,that was what gave me the dream of the big bathroom in Castlenel.

We had a cuppa and shared our reasons for being in Castalla.. He has lived here since he was a child , went to school here and speaks very good Spanish.  He is young and very business like.,yet warm and friendly too. I like that about him. 

He will give me a quote for Room of Requirement ( Phil's bedroom) I can compare it with Roberto's quote. I hope I/we can afford it as it is the worst room in the house. He said as the colour is very strong it could take about three coats. I have chosen a few options of light grey and shades of white and told him to get the cheapest one. His quote will include paint,

Mathew fixed the persian for me , but the rope that rolls it up has snapped off in the wind; Matthew says it is very old and we will need a new one.

As I was about to leave for morning coffee I had a message from Philip to see if I was free for a quick chat.  Philip wanted the Comparsa card details to pay the insurance; he did it while I was there;  I checked the payment went through. It did. Lucky I was there and had the Caixiabank app on my phone.

After all that  left I went to L'hostel for coffee, It was a favourite cafe for John and I . Always busy, clean and  friendly.

It had changed, perhaps as there are many more cafes here now.. It was full of very noisy workman playing the one arm bandit and talking very loud. They were perfectly harmless ,but I could not read my book and just had my coffee tostada and left.I like the owner he is friendly enough.

I then went for a long walk round town but came back sooner than planned as I was scared I would get blown away. I had some work emails to deal with which I did,.

I had lunch then a nice long zoom catch up with Sandra.

It was still very noisy with the wind .I thought the wild weather was on its way out; but alas it seems to be back worse than ever. 

I watched The Client ...an old film,I like a John Gresham now and again.

February 10th.  

Market day, still wild and windy but sunny and warmer too. All the market stalls were there I bought two more jumpers to leave here in Castalla. 

 

After lunch and  cooking up all the  veggies .I had a lovely ,if sad catch up with Patsy.

Their Nephew Steve's funeral is on Friday .Patsy told me more of what happened to Steve.....it made me even more worried when Andrew and Lucy go snowboarding....he  was killed an avalanche off piste ,with two instructors who were OK.

We both cried, but we laughed too. It is even harder for Kev. Kev's beloved brother was killed in a car crash many years ago; Steve was his son.

I was completely shattered by evening, as I did not sleep too well last night.... early night with my book.

11th February.

I was on the 9.05 bus to Onil this morning to go to the bank. I had a very successful visit, all my questions were answered. I am getting to know Sylvia  better, she is Spanish and speaks very good English.

I then went to my favourite cafe in Onil and had two  cafe con leches tostada con tomate and a Vishy Catalan.All for 5.euro 75 cent

From the cafe I emailed A&P ,then did my morning writing routine. The 9.05 bus from Castalla gets to Onil at 9.15; the next bus back to Castalla is 11.45. I was happy to do my writing and emails from the cafe.

When I arrived in Castalla I met Matthew ( painter I met on Monday morning) , he said he had just been to the paint shop to price that paint I could have ; and asked if I wanted the whole of the room's crakes etc filled in inch by inch; I said no just where the pictures have been. He will send a quote this afternoon.

I have been out of touch with what is happening in the world, thankfully. I listened to The Rest is Politics and I hear,Stammer is in trouble. I really can't stand the idea of another prime minister or indeed so much of what is happening in the political world. I think it is affecting my mental health.

12th February.

I had a very disturbed sleep last night. I have had so much on my mind dealing with Castlenel, P&K nephew and the death of Sofia's dad. I had a few quite scary dreams.

At 9.00 AM I had a fantastic zoom with Susan, we were on for 15 minutes short of three hours.

She looks fantastic. She  is still adjusting to her new home with all the challenges that has brought her, it will of course take time she was in Wellman Road for 47 years, she has only been in her new place for 8 weeks.

I love the idea of going to Sydney one more time, but the cost and the long journey make it prohibitive.

Wilma, Susans sister travelled business class. It sounded amazing, they arranged for her to be collected and taken to the airport. She is safely home in Livingston now.

The Air BnB that was booked for April in 83 has been cancelled and the three people that Steve offered counselling to from me have all said they don't want to take up his offer. This is a shame as three people each availing themselves for six sessions would have been 18 sessions for me.  I am sad about that it would have been a nice amount coming in and make up for the late submission fee I had to pay the tax folk at the end of last year.

Don't count your chickens before they are hatched.....how true

"Malesh " as they say in Arabic ... never mind these things....

Who knows what tomorrow brings?

As for me, tonight brings dinner with Pilar and Alberto . I am looking forward to it.

13th February , Galentines's Day  according to Parks and Recreation. 

I had a really wonderful evening with Pilar and Alberto last night. I got to know Alberto a bit more and Pilar and Alberto as a couple. It is lovely to see them together , I am happy they found each other.He is or has been the Mayor  of somewhere in Madrid area ,he very involved in politics, he has studied Reiki  and was a rugby player.To me and unlikely group of interests. which works well on him

He likes his food and wine and has a great love of his two dogs. One of them died last year and he has a lovely tattoo of that dog on his arm. Pilar is getting a tattoo of a lighthouse on her arm today, the light house she can see from her parents home.

They are coming over on Sunday for tea and cakes and for Alberto to see Castlenel.

I had a really good sleep last night and wakened to a calmer day which makes me so happy. The wind was beginning to get me down the sound was relentless; from the balcony I can seethe house opposite being painted, it has taken so long because the work could not continue in the wild weather. 

I think it might just be finishes now. The Machine that takes the painter up to the top to paint makes a real racket. I will be glad to have some quiet now, hopefully now machines and no wind and gales.

Frank called in this morning  to borrow our ladder, he has started work on his new home. it was so nice to se him. I have missed them all while they have been in Valencia. I showed him the persiana in the LA and he agrees with Matthew, we need to replace it.  he will come back tomorrow to measure the blind then we can order one online.I am not sure if I  or La Comparsa can afford it , we shall see what it will cost. I might get a new one in April. I would like one in Room of Requirement too. 

I would love to have the RoR as my office again. If Philip takes the bed in there to El Garrett; We could either put the bed in his room to Seoidin and sell the twin beds or find them a new home.

We could have my desk in RoR and a sofa bed in case we need the room as a bedroom at some point.

After s wee trip to Consum I  finished cooking the veggies.I think this batch will see me to the and of my trip

Sad to say  he wind has started up again.it really is quite alarming.

I am delighted to see ER is on Netfix; I used to love ER . I must have missed lots episodes as it was on TV weekly back then .

We only have Spanish TV here now ; I depend on  a limited version of Netflix on my laptop and my DVDs.

February 14 

Happy Valentine's day to the world ; I wish love really did conquer all. 

It has been quite a frightening night. The wild weather is more fierce that ever. The balcony door flew opened in the night  then the wee window in the top staircase blew opened too. It really was quite scary.

before I went to bed  the shuttersin LA flew opened . It took me ages to get the persiana out side and to get the door closed.

As much as I love the blue wooden shutters; I think we need think about  replacing  them with new  modern doors; we have managed to keep them alive for over 20 years ;alas I don't think we can do it for much longer. They are very draft-y too. These things I have not noticed in summer and autumn naturally enough.

I have tried a few times to book a massage at the new place I found here; each time I go it is closed; I finally took the phone number from their poster and send a message in english ; and someone got back to me quickly; they are away from Castalla and wont be back till Wednesday; the day I leave.

I will use them in future. I have not had my regular massages and facials for a long time; i got out the loop  when I went to Taiwan and since then the days Beth works I have worked too; I must get back in the loop; I realise it is not a luxury for me it is a necessity. 

As I sit here typing the wind is howling and whistling through Castlenel. It is actually starting  to get me down. At least it is not raining and we have a pale blue sky; I have to be grateful for small mercies.

I am waiting for Frank to come and measure up for a new persiana. He may have forgotten he is going to Valencia today to collect Sofia; they will all be back in Castalla tomorrow and I hope to see Sofia before I leave. 

I have put the heating on the the bathroom and I will have a lovely bath later today. 

It might be a good as a massage:)

I will be surprised if there are any market stalls today. I remember when I was a child my dad telling  me one very windy day in Glasgow; that a chimney pot came loose and fell on a man walking down Otago Lane and killed him.  He was telling me  not to walk close to the house and walls in windy weather..What is happening  here in Castalla has reminded me of that. His warning has stayed  with me all those years. As I  look out over the rooftops I can see so many things that could come loose.

I thought I would be full of energy after my time here but I feel quite tired; I have used a lot of energy dealing with the many challenges; including Sofia  Patsy and Kev's sad news. Ia m surprised  how much those losses affected me; I feel a lot of sadness for my friends; and of course this touches on my own losses and bring things back. 

In spite off all the challenges I have faced this visit I have loved being in Castlenel , my walks round Castalla, seeing my friends and neighbours here.

Castlenel Castalla February 14th 2020

I am going to publish this latest blog now and will send an epilogue when I get back to Liverpool where I am hoping for calmer weather.