GETTING WARMER

THURSDAY 21st JULY

  Robert phoned me in the morning and told me it was tipping down with rain in Sydney.  His flu has been downgraded to a cold, but he is not happy with the weather.  Saturday's football has been cancelled.  He reminded me that the Test Match at Lords had started today, so I turned on the ball by ball blog and followed the match until they came off for bad light or was it rain? 

  Today the temperature reached 31 degrees as I walked past a digital display.  Anyway I worked on Charly stuff in the morning, and made sure I wasn't accosted by the housekeeping staff by leaving just after midday.  I need not have worried, nobody did my room today!  Anyway they changed the toilet roll yesterday so I'm alright for a day or two.

  I decided to take a slightly different route to the beach today and came across various clusters of shops that included fashion, prams, manicure, photocopy and computer supplies.  I by-passed them all.  I then came across a strange cantilever building over a pool.  Doubtless the engineer that designed it knew what he was

doing, but I must admit I had no desire to venture into the pool underneath.  Anyway this building seemed to be a part of the Palacio da Abolicao.  What this was other than it had the military guarding it and a moat

surrounding it, I had not a clue.  I googled it on getting back but all the references to it were in Portugese.

Anyway from what I can make out it dates back to 1970 and is the residence of the Governor of the Province od Ceara.  It also looks like there are administrative offices there.

  I eventually made my way down to the beach down where the seating extends onto the beach and paddled in the sea to the very far end. (I was liberally coated with sun block today, and just as well as it was pretty hot out thee - not that I'm complaining.

 There are two separate areas of bars and cafes.  The one below is the furthest one away, and at the far end I found a Post Office on the beach!  I'll have to write some more cards to the kids now that I know where to get stamps.

  I must admit I was quite exhausted by the time I got back to my room, and lay down for a late siesta!