Madrid Afternoons

Very busy. Back in Madrid full of impressions and half-formed ideas for logging on here, about my recent trip to the UK, but as I am working on our summer school, and this involves a totally different timetable to the rest of the year, my system is completely out of kilter. For just this one month, I have to start teaching at 8.45 a.m., which means leaving here to walk there in the morning heat, at 8.05. Work finishes at around 2 in the afternoon, depending on whether there are any meetings, and the rest of the day is my own, but I get nothing constructive done, as I wander around the house like a zombie trying not to fall asleep, doing bits of light housework and keeping the washing-up levels down, as my beloved Gina, the once-a-week cleaning lady, is away till September.

One starts the month full of plans. The morning will fly by and then in the afternoon I'll paint the spare bedroom, or finish cataloguing the videos, or the books. Or I'll watch those DVDs I bought last month while filing those unopened bank statements. A light supper of salad and gazpacho will be followed by an early night and deep sleep right through from 10.30 to 7.

But it doesn't work out like that. The mornings do go quickly, and the classes are fine, but on getting home, all I am fit for (and this is day three) is to lie on the bed in the purview of the two (!) electric fans, desultorily reading some of the stuff I bought in Hay, and making tea. And planning all kinds of things that I basically haven't the energy to carry out. I force myself to get off the bed, as the all-important thing is to sleep enough hours at night, however hot it might get.

I have just emerged from my second shower after my second getting up. This morning I awoke at 5.30, lay there till 6 and then decided that I might as well start the day. This meant that on returning home at two, I decided to treat myself to a nap, after a bite to eat, and so for the second time today I have woken at 5.30, lain there till 6, and then got up and had a shower. Now for a second shave, and then I'm going out to meet friends, having warned myself to be back home and in bed by 11.30, not having drunk too much. We'll see. At least it isn't murderously hot, as it was on Monday.

I will attempt to write of more significant matters before long...