Torrox Pueblo

A long, long lie-in! Much deserved, as we've both been working hard, especially Lenore.

The two church bells clank away outside, calling townspeople to worship. Otherwise the morning is absolutely quiet.

Then an afternoon spent sprawled on the balcony, soaking in the sunshine, reading, thinking or just taking in the jumble of rooftops and balconies and washing lines and electricity wires that tumbles away from us.

There's a noisy and very happy celebration somewhere below us early in the afternoon, lots of shouting and laughter. The sounds of children playing, motor scooters buzzing, someone hammering, car horns, cagebirds, sparrows drift up to us. It's hot enough for Ralph to spend a couple of hours barechested and eventually seeking out the shade as it advances across the balcony. Wonderful!

And instead of a miserable English winter gloom gathering at four in the afternoon, seeping into our veins, the sun abruptly disappears at six and the church is floodlit.

Later in the evening we explore more of Torrox's alleys and flights of stairs. We discover the remains of its Arab fortress (more later) and its original village gateway (again more later). Dogs sleep in doorways, fountains trickle.