As promised, we went to the beach. The boy and I played in the surf for a few hours, and pretended that every dark object in the water was a shark, some of them circling, and us: castaways in a faraway land. Then we also played super-secret special-ops sneaking up on the governmental complex of the bad guys. It was fun. This was a beach that allowed dogs off-leash, which greatly added to the pleasure of the day. I took pictures with the waterproof camera but have not imported them yet.
Raquel and I started getting along together better, which was very useful. Traveling together as a family is not like other types of travel, it requires an almost laissez-faire attitude, but that will not prevent you from having to make decisions anyway, and there are only ever glimpses of peace and quiet. I fell asleep in the room for maybe five minutes when they went to get coffee this morning, etc.
Today we will depart from the hotel and head to a cottage where a friend is staying. It will cost less but the opportunities for solitude will likely be lessened further. I will take more pictures and find a way of distracting myself, perhaps with some reading of history, or a walk in the woods.
You will likely find out what happens next. Reporting the mundane details of my life is all that I have. I got word this morning that a friend's four year old son passed away last night - cancer. Nothing seems important or even relevant after news such as that. It is easy to forget how lucky it is to only be expected to endure a relatively normal level of suffering. The usual quotidian misery seems paradisal by comparison.
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