The rain in Spain

Well, Etty, all I can say is that the harmony between us extends to the weather. Let me add, the rain in Spain does not stay mainly in the plain. 
We arrived on Friday.  The grey sky stayed with us, with occasional flashes of blue, until Wednesday morning. From there on, a cool wind worked hard at removing the clouds so that exactly one week after our arrival (and the day of departure of the rest of the party) the sky was the azure shade one expects in the Costa del Sol and the temperatures had returned to the high teens and into the 20s (just). 
Still, we had a lovely holiday and the weather probably suited, in so far as we had supporter-number-one's sister who suffers from Lupus and a nine-month-old niece (his side of the house), whom I refer to as a 'magic baby'. She  (the baby that is) seems to wake smiling, wanting to coo and chat to the best of her babyish ability, play games of hide and seek or 'flying', be fed, changed (yes, I did that too), talked to and carried around and, by all accounts, she sleeps the night long. She was sunshine enough for all of us.  Her Mom and Dad were with us too, obviously. So, the days were spent chatting, feeding, eating, strolling, reading visits to the pool and in awe at the rain that poured down, especially on Tuesday last when a lightning storm brought the dull weather to a spectacular climax.
Still, I got in some running. I ran approximately 8kms or 5 miles on two occasions along the promenade in Estepona. I took it nice and easy, enjoying the view which extends towards the Rock of Gibraltar and trying to ignore the bemused locals staring at my white, white legs and arms as I togged out in my Summer running gear (shorts and skimpy t-shirt). The locals were still dressed in their Winter boots and coats; I felt somewhat naked, but managed to continue on bravely. Each to their own, I say. I also walked the beach 5 or 6 mornings, with no.1 supporter, for approximately two hours over a distance of, maybe, 9kms each time. There is a lovely beach from the apartment that extends along the Coast. We work our away along - beach walking demands more from the legs -  pausing for a coffee some mornings in the one Café open at this time of the year and return the way we came. It is all very leisurely. 
I tried to eat healthily, but did not always succeed! I was relatively moderate in my drinking, partly because a recent phenomenon in my life is the tendency towards Spring Hay Fever and I was under enough pressure with that. In Spain this Spring (despite the damp weather) and in Pine Top four years ago, I suffered more than I usually do at home, which is often nothing more than a mild tickle of the palate and nose. The worst was my visit to Arizona in 2007 because, apparently, the late and sudden arrival of the Spring sunshine caused a lot of pollen to be released at the one time. Everyone was talking about it. If you didn't suffer from Hay Fever yourself, someone belonging to you did. Etty's husband and I were a duet of sneezing.  One afternoon, that year, I went to SafeWay to pick up some anti-histamines and the shelves were empty! My sneezing and itchiness in Spain this year was nothing compared to the smothering sensation I experienced in Pine Top in 2007.  Still, by Monday of this week, I had cause to go in search of some relief before I wore out from sneezing or tore the roof of my mouth becase of the itch. Anti-histamines, regardless of their non-drowsy promises, have the effect of making me sleepy, which I was anyway. Undoubtedly, the running of the previous few weeks had taken its toll. Everytime I sat down for the first half of the week, I fell asleep. I also slept long and soundly at night. It is hard not to with the sound of the waves lapping on the shore just outside the window.  This is the benefit of holidays, of course, a little catch-up time.
Now, I am in my bed, work clothes packed in my sports bag, running gear all laid out. My mind is still somewhere between Ireland and Spain, hovering nostalgically over a pleasant break but also looking forward and starting to rehearse the next few weeks .. work and running and all. 
Good night friends, sweet dreams wherever you are.