Was a lovely although breezy walk along the paseo until I turned towards town on my way in, the sea crashing onto the beach, must be a storm at sea! It's cloudy and I drove through rain as I came around the mountains down to the coast.

It's a bit eerie driving down here so early, few cars, fewer people, kind of spooky, like everyone is just about to get going, of just getting home from an evening out! Probably the latter being a Saturday!

Fuengirola is changing, always changing, intrinsically, visually today road directions different, building works going on and the worse thing Bar Central has closed... The bar at the entrance to Las Rampas... So many memories under its awnings...

I parked at the Sohail end and walked to the market at the feria ground, I stopped for breakfast in a nice bar, Cafeteria Valentino, which used to be my dentist 15 years ago, which is strange, ironic! As my dentist in town used to be a bar I frequented!!

I noticed here today a few of the older long-standing shops have also gone... Change will come (down the barrel of a gun! Alabama 3) quote!

At the market I was only tempted by a few things... a beautiful art deco mirror, and a pair of steam punk boots and a neon New York sign! Tempted, but not enough to purchase! The market full of everything I have managed to get rid of over the years! Quite refreshing to just see them and pass them on by!

I came back up to Alhaurín and immediately had to drive a different route!! Just past the crematorium the road to the car park is the one we have to use! Then follow down, the wrong way if feels the new road, then its an option of left or right once through the park! Left to take down Calvario or right to take you back out of town!! Then the new route leads people up Candilajas and back onto the old road to continue ones journey!!

It looks a permanent route too, the signs are firmly fixed, and for me, its better! Sorry! But it is!!

So! After parking I walked down into town, had a hot chocolate with friends, no more coffee!! And then back home!  The weather has not improved here, still cloudy and cool...

The detour road

I forgot yesterday, when I left IKEA yesterday, I came through Churriana with every intention of keeping on the main road and just going for a long drive, enjoy the countryside, enjoy the drive... I love driving, and I miss driving when I'm at work and usually unable to do so!

As I was approaching the nursery for Guzman's the traffic was parked up! Literally! And the only traffic that appeared to be coming towards us were the cars that were turning around in the line ahead!

So after a while I did too! Along with the cars directly in front and behind! So was like sycranised swimming with cars! Only a few feet drop on the edge of the carriageway either side!

I turned at a roundabout further down the road back towards Churriana, and got up to the high road from there... We, everyone from the detour, were making good progress and then in Alhaurín De La Torre, the main drive through road had a policeman stationed there, his car stopping access to everyone! And off we all went again, turning right and left right again... And down to the ring road I would have originally been on! But that took ages to actually get onto, the amount of traffic coming from the direction we couldn't get to? I am guessing they too were turning around!! And everyman and his brothers uncle from every other direction!

And eventually I was on the road to Alhaurín again!

So I got my mystery tour! Just not what I was expecting!

Today I have to go to the local social security office to get my healthcare papers in order, I may never be seen or heard of again!

Aqui en españa ahora!  Lol okay, in English! Here in Spain now! Above a pitufo with manchego cheese and a small beer! After my drive out this morning to IKEA!

And in IKEA I had coffee and Dime pie! Of course! Too early for meatballs... Maybe next time, and actually I could just eat those now!

I went with a specific purchase in mind and I stuck to it, not wanting to buy things I purely liked, but didn't need!

I was doing really well, I did pick up a few things I liked the look of, feel of or color of!

I was on the approach to the check out, when the bargain area came into view!! So, throwing caution to the wind I entered the zone! And picked up and bought a set of lights! A string of lights, heavy duty they turned out to be, so maybe for the outside! No external sockets out tgere but will be okay inside, I just need to find somewhere to hang them! I'll take a photograph when I do! And they were only five euros!

The small unusual blue dinosaur I came across yesterday when walking the Pipster!

He was already extinct by today! Or just walked off!

Plaza Alta, near our house, Monday they were cutting down the beautiful trees! It looks worse now than then, above! I'll try and remember to take the finished destruction next time I pass!

Airport Road!

Well here I am, near to Bristol airport! All cosied in at a guest house! Zero facilities but absolutely lovely none the less, I was concerned about it prior to my arrival forsure! Not able to get in until 4pm, no food or anything else at all! But the room I am in couldn't be better, and the en-suite shower room looks like it was finished yesterday!

There were builders in the room next door when I arrived, so probably not far from the truth!

The bed has a beautiful soft blanket over the duvet, so I'm showered and under the covers already watching tv, drinking frothy coffee and eating jammy dodgers! Because no food, and because I wanted to sample the food at a pub in the village I was working in... I had the superb meal below in my break, the little lemon squeezer is so cute! I want one!!

Westbury Inn
Fish & Chips

I couldn't finish the plateful, but now thinking of the chips I had no room for and wondering what the desserts were!

Banana Life!

My banana!! Still there today! And now totally abandoned by me!! Who will check on its now daily decomposition!

And something else, I know over the past weeks, months, I have had constant mind changes about where to go from here... and going back to Spain has held sadness for me, but today I realized I have felt quite happy here on this placement, made easier by the man I was supporting, and everyone who supports him, family and healthcare team...

And maybe because I feel happy right now, right here, I actually feel happy I am going home to Spain!

My Banana

I wonder if when I was a child I was afraid of being lost? Or in another lifetime even? I cannot be lost now, my Blogs, Tweets, Facebook, what I add on Google Maps, Google in general I suppose! Am I afraid a big nothingness will swallow me up! Lost forever and forgotten...

Every move I make, every step I take, chronicled!

My life open and raw for the world to see, but how many people really know me, the child I really am inside... The one with the lost banana, still laying sadly on the wall... Abandoned.

And finally today, day 25 of my banana Saga! Shall I take it tomorrow?? 

"Enjoy today because there might not be a tomorrow. Sometimes, there are no next times and no second chances..."

I don't want everyone to think I am where I was in my head six months ago; sometimes it's a much worse place, but most of the time a better place, although still very mixed emotions about where my future lies, which I suppose this is normal for many of us.

I have less than a week in placement, and a week today heading back to spain...

Be glad to get back? (Yes you asked me yesterday :-) I don't really know, I feel I am wasting time there now, okay okay I hear many shouts of confusion and anger even! Wasting time in my own home, not having to get up for work each day, (wasting time), wandering down town to meet with friends for coffee, or getting in my car and driving wherever or whenever I want... All the amazing places here, yes, the white villages of Andalucia indeed!

Yes, that's correct even writing it down, all of the above only saddens my heart, what use of this if with an empty heart, no that's not fair, my heart isn't empty I know infact it's incredibly full... my cup runneth over, but I don't know if my heart is here anymore...

I sent it on ahead of me back in August 1988... I returned from Spain and realised that's where it would reside until I could join it! I did, fourteen years later... Now?

Huntington Beach, Cali