. . . approaching Albox by bus allows me to position myself in the landscape . . . a long way to walk too . . . in Olula the bus stop places the bus almost on a roundabout and across a pedestrian crossing . . . a little late too, should be there by now . . . see a sign: Albox 11, think 2 hours . . . walking . . . 10 minutes perhaps . . . and a powder blue Nissan Micra . . . a slight pang of nostalgia for Rosy, who served me well and is now serving Rachel . . .
. . . Svein meets me at the hotel, as arranged; he is Norwegian, an artist, 80 years old, looking ten years younger . . . drive up to the village to meet Maureen, also looking younger than her 74 years . . . they live half the year here, half in Denmark where they have a gallery and a house, plus a little time en route either way in Maesteg, South Wales, Maureen's roots, where they have another house . . . Svein and I go for water (about which, more later), call into Angelita's Bar, where the Brit expats are gathered, for a glass of wine . . . back for a meal and wifi borrowed from next door . . .
I have a room and bathroom, sun terrace and the rest to share, food, in exchange for 5 hours work a day, weekends free . . . terms of engagement to be clarified, but the welcome is warm and a wealth of material to be processed, from the camino and from here, in the hills behind Almeria . . .
...well it seems to me Steve that if you stay there long enough then both the locals and the ex-pats will be saying, "see that guy.... claims to be in his sixties but looks thirty years younger.... must be something in the waters... more about that later....!" love&hugs... Alan x :-)
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