And it's goodbye from him...

We had lunch for the last time this visit with our friends Stevie and Janis, in a darkened chiringuito on the beach in the heart of Estepona.  A cool breeze blew through the open sides to make the temperature comfortable, while outside pink bodies sizzled on golden sands.  We laughed and ate and drank and talked about the things we meant to do and never got around to - mainly because I was writing.  But Stevie and I had been working on a song he had written - a tribute to our home city of Glasgow.  It was supposed to be the first of a new album, but we got bogged down in it, and tore lumps out of each other in the process.  Stevie finally locked himself away in a room, having recorded my basic bass and piano tracks, and worked in guitars and keyboards and a million grace notes.  After lunch we went back to the house so I could hear the result - the backing track, still minus the vocal.  And I was blown away.  The song we always knew was good, had finally achieved its potential.  Music files will fly back and forth between Spain and France these next months, to finish this song, and make a start on many more.  I am looking forward to a summer of music.

This was our tearful farewell.  :)

On Saturday J and I will set off on a 3-day trek right through the baking heart of Spain to Basque country, and France, and thence home.