Feria time again. La gran feria de 2026.

And we hope to walk up there tonight assuming things go right.

It’s a funny old day. Again. Here I am, sitting in front of the computer, waiting for a beer delivery while I drown in my own sweat.

It’s just bizarre at the moment. The humidity says it’s less than 35%. And at anything less than 50% I should be sitting here quite comfortably.

But there’s a Poniente wind blowing despite which the air in the house is almost stationary as every door, window, and shutter is partially or fully closed. No air movement, no wicking effect, and nowhere for the blasted sweat to go.

It’s at times like this I almost wish I was back in the UK. Not. I haven’t felt that desperate yet, certainly.

Anyway I understand it’s a bit warm in places with you ATM.

The ferias start with the pasacalles de gigantes y cabezudos. Photo by author

Although I have to say when we came back from lunch, the hair dryer effect was working up the pasaje very nicely but it didn’t feel too warm at all.

Not like when we went out, when it literally was like standing in a hair dryer. I suppose I could stick my head out the door and find out which it is at the moment but frankly I cannot be bothered.

Seconds out, round two of coffee. Muy bien.

BTW, I just touched the window in the kitchen, which is covered by a screen and is behind a fully closed persiana, and it is very warm so I think we’ll leave it well and truly shut for the moment .

Cleaner Isabel came in a little earlier today, which actually worked out very well. It meant she was here for the whole time we were out at lunch, which will stop the delivery drivers saying we weren’t in again.

Actually it’ll do nothing of the sort because they’ll say it even if we were.

I feel sorry for the beer company that is seeking to make the delivery. It is run by Javier and Charo and they are lovely people.

And the collection end of the delivery system works very well. It is this end that has the problem.

And that problem is so bad that they get referred to frequently on Facebook as being completely and utterly useless.

Not to name names but the firm known as Golf Lima Sierra or an abbreviation like that are renowned locally for being a complete and utter trainwreck.

The first time they said they delivered, they may actually have done so because the door camera had actually been pushed at some time.

However nobody used the emergency phone number so it is unclear whether they did or not.

Lies, untruths and statistics.

They also said they intended to deliver on Monday but this is definitely untrue. Nothing was recorded on the door camera at all.

But via Charo we had a demand for the Spanish phone numbers of the end client, i.e., ourselves.

I did duly render this, even while pointing out that Whatsapp is on our UK phones and therefore would be of no use even if they had the Spanish numbers.

I also provided them with a complete schedule of what we were doing on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Which of course meant nothing happened and they have attempted to deliver today (Thursday).

Supposedly.

Or are in the midst of trying to (not?) do so…

Facebook has some real horror stories. Such as not bothering to deliver and delivering to a parcel store 25 km from the customer instead of the one just round the corner.

This, of course, normally happens when the customer does not have their own vehicle. Conclude not meant is “ill of the job.” Do what? I said you could not make this stuff up.

And I could definitely not make up what the dictation app produced then.

Normally they do not attempt to make a third delivery. But I think Charo managed to convince them that they hadn’t really managed to do two yet.

So they are having another try. I have the delivery tracker open in my browser. And all that seems to happen is the approximate delivery time seems to track later and later.

When I first opened it, it was 12.54-14.56.

It is currently 16.50-19.17.

Feria time again.

I would really like to know how the delivery company has not gone out of business. It’s not as if all of the others are even worse.

I can only assume they have some of the cheapest rates for their customers. But they can only do that so much before even the customers give up and go elsewhere.

It’s our traditional night for going up to the Feria and having our patata asada Roki.

I just hope the sodding beer delivery happens so that we actually have time to do so.

It’s been that sort of week all told. You have a couple of things go right then a couple of things might not go wrong particularly but are sufficiently complicated to keep you on your toes.

Those ones just tire you out…

Talking of tiring out, we had one of Die Tochter’s friends and her parents in town last weekend. And we’d promised to treat them to the guided walk.

And I’m pleased to say they were very impressed. It isn’t a single guided walk but is tailored to every single participant.

And to the weather conditions because we nearly knackered them. It was a bit on the hot and moist side.

What I find is that you tentatively show people a few things and watch for where their enthusiasms lie.

Most towns in Spain have a street or two with potted plants everywhere.

We have 300 or so.

If murals are your interest we have somewhere between sixty and eighty. The Dia de Pesca mural is a must-see.

While nothing is particularly old, the Casco Antiguo both sides of Calle Terraza has fascinating old streets and one of those is where we live.

In terms of modern architecture we have the Ayuntamiento, opened a few years ago, and the Mirador Del Carmen opened a year or two back.

If you like festivals, it’s getting to be almost one a week it seems.

If by any chance you are into building sites, we are the tower crane capital of Andalucia.

Feria time again.

Louisa is on holiday in Paris until Monday so this will be delivered a working day late.

Delivery time currently 13.59-19.32…