Started off the day listening to the RAIN totally peeing down around 5am … then it just kept on raining. I thought after last winter’s non-stop rain it wouldn’t be possible to have two such winters in a row, but it seems to be happening again.

Then after coffee and making a mess of my WordPress.org updates I decided to take a quick trip to the gym before going to see two apartments (I’d set up the appointments yesterday), so after getting home from the gym I got changed and headed out… even though it’s really not a good idea to look at possible new homes on grey rainy days. Anyhow, after getting a bit lost we got to the first place and I really tried to like it. In fact, if it had been on the top floor rather than on the first then it would have stood more of a chance. But I have to remember that I’m not desperate YET and that there are still two months left to find a place.

The second apartment was much nicer, though not without some drawbacks. The main one being that it’s just too expensive. I’ve set a limit of 700 euros as being reasonable (am now paying 650). But this rather lovely place is 760. Another drawback is that it’s a bit small, though it’s on two levels with a terrace (also air-conditioning, also a lift, and even a storage room in the garage where I can keep my bike, and it’s freshly painted and very clean).

Meanwhile, I had stopped by a neighbourhood bar on Tuesday to ask the owners if they knew of any apartments in the barrio. And well! It turned out that the two women who run this bar (Gloria used to be in my yoga class) also know my landlords and don’t think too highly of them. When I told them what was happening they both said to me that I had nothing to worry about and that another better apartment was going to turn up soon. At which point Gloria took my phone number and repeated that I shouldn’t worry. Weird. Like they had something or somewhere in mind? Well, we shall see.

Back to today… four hours after leaving home I got back soaken wet after getting caught in torrential downpours no less than three times – the final one is shown in the photo. Now my one pair of wearable shoes are no longer wearable and I’m a bit worn out myself.  Which reminds me that the main reason I don’t have a second pair of shoes is because I haven’t come across a pair I like and that fit well. Kind of like a new apartment. New shoes have always just happened to me and I suspect new homes – the best ones – are the same.