September, a perfect month The crowds are thinning on the beach in Salobrena, and the mornings and evenings are delightfully cool. The builders are in the Venus apartment and we are up at the cortijo. Building work is well under way. The debris from the planters on the terrace, living room, the old tiling from the terrace, the built-in breakfast bar and seating filled a skip! The new tiling on the terrace is now three-quarters complete. The living room is being replastered where the breakfast bar and built in seats have been taken out. And the kitchen is - coming along. Yesterday we went along with Bob the Builder to choose the granite worktop. Up at the cortijo there is almost a hint of autumn in the air, especially as the walnut and chestnut trees near the house lost most of their leaves in the gales a week or so ago. In the evenings the air is crisp. No longer do we take a 'Bali-style' outside bathe from our solar shower in the evenings. Our neighbour invited us to pick his tomatoes while he away in Galicia for a week on vacation. Sun-warmed cherry, plum and marmande tomatoes straight from the vine with our pot basil are wonderful! Lunch . . . . . . with a view Breakfast. And a little work! Last week we hired a 'man with a van' to bring up the larger boxes form the garage - chest, bookcases and the grandfather clock. Today I unpacked the clock from its crate. It seems at home here and is ticking away merrily. During the move it shed a couple of pieces of wood, we haven't discovered where yet, but it's working nonetheless.