We had to be up early today for a ‘water inspection’ so we were down at The Archive by 10 AM. We met Abílio, Nuno the landlord’s dad, a pleasant fellow with a good vibe. He was helping coordinate the water people and they arrived on time around 10.15 AM and were there for at least two minutes and then they were gone, back into the sea. The good news is that tomorrow the water will be switched on, although I don’t believe it till it actually happens. We also have a plumber coming because we have no taps, it’s all exciting stuff around here, if it carries on like this we’ll soon be talking skirting boards and pelmets.

As it was morning my mopping gene was awake and I mopped two rooms borrowing water from across the road. My body told me that yesterday’s mopping muscle was active and I was happy to be done and wait for it, get on my way to the pool. It’s the first time in five months, three months in the US, then the move, then the UK tour. When I got there my body wasn’t sure if it should be scared or relieved so I took it easy and just swam half a mile, swapping strokes and easing my body into the idea of simultaneous limb movement.

Now we’ve moved it’s only walking distance if I’m super fit and have lots of time which was neither, so it was two trains and a walk to get there. I always forget something and I did today but I also forgot the combination for my padlock. I stared at it for a while and messed with some numbers before eventually remembering. There was a very noisy aerobics class going on but slipping into that strange liquid was a wonderful feeling.

I got the train back, Olivia had continued with the cleaning but I had to help her move some furniture so she could mop on. I had to eat and left her to it. The café around the corner does a great cheap filling pesto, it takes forever but it’s nice sitting in the square there watching Portugal drift by. Olivia dropped in and left again to go and meet her friend and go on a mega walk to the sea. Back at The Archive, I set about sorting out the records and putting them in shelves, two lonely shelves waiting to be united with the records in storage in England.

It’s starting to look cosy in there despite the lack of water and electricity. I sat in one of the armchairs and spoke to Andreas about mixing the projects I’ve been working on, Arktik Lake and Valley Of Salt. I spoke to AAE Andy but then the light started to fade and there wasn’t much more I could do. Olivia arrived back from her walk, worn out and ready to rest. We went via the veggie restaurant but everything had tomatoes in it so I passed. An early night ensued, another early morning for the water people.

Music today has been ZZ Top – Tres Hombres (1973) because it’s just so warm.

Music Of The Daze