Getting laid

So there was I, thinking that all the work had been done and that we would now be able to lie back, enjoy the Spanish summer that's already begun with a vengeance (at least in this part of Spain) and perhaps snooze away a few siestas.

Some hope.

She Who Must Be Obeyed had clearly been hatching other plans and, after the work to put up the trellising had been completed, revealed these to me: a major tiling job, extending our already quite reasonable collection of outside floor tiles to unheard of dimensions. Yesterday her favourite tile-laying-arranger was called. Alex is a very personable young man of Russian origin. He spent three years in India, studying, and has now been working in Spain with his own odd-jobs company for several years. We have made use of his services before and have been very pleased with his correctness and quality of work.

Alex arrived at about eight o'clock that same evening and everything was explained to him: here a corner, this extended, that a quarter circle, this a right-angle, and so on. He took all the measurements, made his calculations and came up with a price that, though staggering in its enormity, was, all things considered, quite reasonable. The deal was sealed and this morning Alex and his team number eight arrived at close to nine o'clock to start the work: from preliminary measurements to start of work in just 12 hours! Alex is off to arrange for new jobs: he seems to be doing well and deserves it, too. Team number eight, Watsis and Igor are hard at it already.

We, of course, had to be up at the crack of dawn (well, that's what it seemed like me) in order to move the cacti, succulents, and other plants and objects away from the areas that are to be tiled.

Today is initial preparation (removing the layer of gravel now in place, levelling the playing field, and so on) and perhaps some initial laying of reinforced concrete, a job that will be completed tomorrow. Then a couple of days rest to allow the bases to set well, before the actual laying of the tiles. Hopefully, the work will be completed by the end of next week.

Perhaps then the lying back can begin.