After much deliberation, on Wednesday we decided to take a day trip to Caravaca, which is just over an hour-and-a-half away on the coach. By the time we got there it was lunchtime, and by the time we'd walked into the town centre, gone to the Tourist Information Centre and found a restaurant we were starving. When the waiter gave me the menu, which consisted only of a series of Menus del Día, none of us had the energy to go through the rigmarole of translating everything, so I ordered just three menus between the seven of us made up of whatever the waiter could recommend.
It turned out that the three menus were more than sufficient; they comprised five courses each, including: Russian salad; a sort of barbecued chicken; muscles; rabbit (yes, rabbit) and chips; and a trio of desserts - as well as bread and olives. Even being restricted to the non-meat options I was full, so the others must have been full to burst.
After lunch, to make us feel a little more lively, Ste, my dad and I walked to the Fuentes de Marqués, the natural springs in a park half-an-hour's walk outside the town centre, whilst the others took a taxi there. By this time it was really warm even in my shorts and vest top, and it was a relief when we finally reached the shady springs. In all honesty, the springs were a bit of an anti-climax, but the surrounding park was a lovely place to do a bit of reading in the sun.
At 6.30 I called us some taxis (finding, in the meantime, a ten Euro note on the ground, which paid for them) and we made our way back to the bus station. There was just time for a couple of drinks before getting on the coach home. I sat next to my mum again and we shared the headphones to my iPod, as we had on the way there, so I could show her what I'm listening to these days. The bizarre thing is that my mother, who has failed to get to grips with the simple pronunciation of El Corte Inglés all week, somehow managed to pronounce, on first sight and with no prompting from me, the Russian word Кино when it came up on the screen - apparently, "it just looks like that". I know this woman inside out but sometimes she is still a mystery to me.
It was 8.30 when we got back to Murcia so I just had time to go back to my flat, have a quick shower and put some make-up on before meeting my family back at El Bosque Animado, where they are already becoming regulars. We had a round of drinks before moving on to La Cuba, which was still empty but had been recommended by Ali and looked nice inside.
We ordered three paellas for the table - one mixed, one vegetable and one seafood with squid ink. I'd wanted to try a seafood paella since coming to Spain, not having tried seafood before, and now seemed like the perfect time to try it. I'd gone from never having eaten muscles to eating two lots in one day! I was glad I'd taken the risk and everyone came away having thoroughly enjoyed their meals once again.
Thursday was everyone's last day in Spain so we decided to stay in Murcia. In the morning I had a meeting with my Methodology group at 8.30 to translate the clip I'd transcribed, so it was around 11.30 when I got to my family at El Corte Inglés. My mum and Auntie Debbie were shopping for my mum's birthday present, so my dad and I went to look for a hard drive for my Mac and then a new brown jacket (since mine is wrecked) before going for a coffee and meeting back with the others for lunch in the cathedral square.
Before we knew it, it was time Debbie and Marc had to go, so we walked them back to the hotel and gave them some of my things to take back before waving them off in the taxi. Then it was time for the remaining five of us to go for a much-delayed Smöoy, which we sat and ate in the hot sun. As we were sitting there, who should turn up but Ali and Annalisa, and at 4pm we went into university together. It turned out to be quite a pointless Methodology lecture, but I didn't feel I could miss another one.
After my lecture I went straight to teaching, arriving a little early. When no one answered the bell I almost gave up, having forgotten my Spanish SIM card and having no way of contacting Marie Carmen. I decided to wait until the time we were officially meant to start and was glad I did - as at 6.15 I heard my name being called; they were walking down the street towards me and the lesson was on after all.
When I came out an hour later, I popped home to get ready and to grab my old laptop to give to my parents to take home with them. From the hotel the five of us went for our usual pre-dinner drinks before deciding on a local Italian restaurant, since we were all too tired to walk far to find somewhere. The meal turned out to be really nice, with the added bonus of having an Italian menu which I couldn't be asked to translate!
After dinner we went back up to the hotel to exchange a few more things for me to take back with me and for my parents to take back with them, before saying our goodbyes. I couldn't believe it was all over so fast.
My parents walked me back to my flat and I tried to list all the good things my mum had waiting for her when she got home - although I'm not sure she was convinced. I don't think we realise how much we miss each other until we're together again.
When we got back to my flat, we realised the hallway lightbulb had gone and my dad, who always makes sure I'm looked after with things like this, ran straight to the chino shop to get me a new bulb, which he changed straight away. I know I'm officially an adult now but I'm going to miss having them around to look after me and make sure everything's ok. They really will always be there for me no matter what, and this week has just made me realise that even more.
When we finally said goodbye to each other, I waved them down the stairs and waited to hear the outside door bang before coming out onto the balcony to wave them off again, exchanging "goodbyes" and "love you"s as they walked down the street. This has been an amazing week and a birthday I will never forget.
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