This is my new headboard, that I’ve inherited from Susan (aka Pipocas). It’s very nice and also practical with two glass-topped “end tables” that slide in and out of the headboard, so they can be seen or not seen. I have them about 3/4 of the way out. I also inherited those two lamps and the white lights were a gift from Pip awhile back. You can see an evening version below with the lights on, and also read the harrowing tale of the headboard pick up & delivery…

As the main headboard piece is quite large (180cm wide) I asked my friend Carmen if she could help me move it because her husband has one of those big 4×4 type cars. When we spoke last week Carmen said she could do it on Thursday morning because it was a holiday (Corpus Cristi) and she had the day off. Then she called Thursday morning and said she was concerned about getting into the centre because of the procession and I told her not to worry – I’d meet her down by the bullring and by the time we got to Pip’s and back the procession would be long over and the streets would be all clear. Boy was I ever wrong.

First of all, getting the thing into the car was a lot trickier than anticipated, but with the help of two other people who were picking up stuff at Pip’s that day,  we got it in and there was even room for me to squeeze into the back seat. But then everything went terribly wrong. It turned out that every entrance into the centre was blocked off to traffic, even two hours after the procession was over. Why, I have no idea, but Carmen ended up parking on the other side of Avenida de la Constitución, which is at least a ten-minute walk to my place.  I called Nog and he came to meet us and thus began a hellish journey (two trips) with Nog & Carmen lugging pieces of furniture through crowds of happy tourists and me dragging a suitcasy thing on wheels that carried the lamps and shelves.

The worst part (aside from getting into really deep doo doo with Carmen) was that it was 38ºC (100ºF) that afternoon, and I swear I almost passed out on the second trip – those shelves were heavy! By the time I got up the stairs and into the apartment I felt seriously sick and ended up spending the rest of the day in bed, while the headboard took up space in the livingroom. But the next day I was feeling better and Nog helped me put it all together and move it into my room … and I am so pleased with it. Of course, now I can’t close the bedroom door, so that’s going to have to come off. Which is the first stage of creating my Moroccan bedroom. . .