This trip is coming to an end now and we are preparing to go home. Flights are checked in, the airport taxi is booked and boarding passes are ready to be printed at the shop across the road. It’s a bit of a flurry getting as much washing done as possible + clothing, bedding, towels – and a fine judgement made regarding whether it will dry in time. The back up plan is always the dryers at the launderette up the road, but it’s not ideal to spend part of your last day watching the sheets tumble round!

I’d hoped to squeeze in a couple more beach mornings, but that plan went out the window when I picked up about four insect bites. One on my ankle has been quite bad and blistered, and I didn’t want to get sand in it. Never mind, there’s always next time!

Activity around the Balcon has Been very different in the last day or two. Yesterday we watched three Guardia Civil boats patrolling the sea in that area, with a couple of divers swimming around all the rocks. They were concentrating on the stretch from the Balcon up the coast towards Burriana. Our understanding is that a dead body was spotted two days ago and this is what they are searching for. It’s thought to be linked with a boat load of refugees who landed at Burriana earlier this week. Seems one of them didn’t make it.

The weather has changed perceptibly in the last two or three days. It’s still warm during the day, but more bearable during peak hours and the evenings are definitely cooler. An extra layer is now needed after about 6pm + there’s a noticeable number of cardigans, wraps and even coats being worn! Evening skies are still beautiful though. This was taken on the Balcon last night – the view is over towards our building. Colours not as good as in reality and I probably took it a couple of minutes after it’s best.

On our last evening we’re meeting up with my friend Marilyn and her partner, Richard. I know Marilyn from my Halifax supper club. She was recently widowed when I first met her and I remember her plucking up the courage to go on holiday alone. Since then she’s travelled extensively and met a a new man who happens to have a house in Maro, the next village up the coast. We met up with them in May and they arrive back here just before we leave. A quick catch up over dinner at Da Vinci will be enjoyable!