We’re now on the Costa Blanca. Unfortunately, the glorious sunshine on the Spanish costas last week has come to an abrupt end, replaced by grey skies, torrential rain, thunder and lightning. The accompanying power cuts have necessitated using candles occasionally  -   a bit miserable but dramatic at the same time.

Surfers at wet Arenal beach

I’ve had no opportunity or inclination to continue with my ‘natural thalassotherapy’ on Javea’s Arenal beach, which looked forlorn and deserted  when we went for lunch yesterday. It was so wet and windy, we were almost blown into the restaurant.  Only the surfers were enjoying the windswept conditions – riding over the waves on their boards, protected from the chill by their wetsuits – a surreal scene considering last week’s heatwave.

This week, I´m having a relaxing break with friends on the Costa del Sol. The September weather is glorious – long sunny days and balmy moonlit nights. It’s hard to believe that autumn is just around the corner.

We flew down to Malaga with Monarch Airlines on a wide-bodied airbus (the sort used on long haul flights) – so there was more legroom than usual and ample space for hand luggage. The onboard breakfast cost £6 and included two cups of coffee or tea.  Considering that most airlines now charge over £2 for just a hot drink, it was good value and tasty too!

Here in the pretty resort of Nerja, I’m enjoying daily thalassotherapy – not in some super swanky spa, but in the warm waters of the Med. Using one of those long polystyrene tubes sold in beach shops, I stay blissfully and securely immersed for ages, stretching, floating, riding the waves and carrying out all sorts of aquarobic exercises. This natural thalasso is an exhilarating tonic with a tangible ´feel good’ factor.

For maximum enjoyment, the sun should be blazing down and the sea should have a slight swell so you can bob over the top of the waves like a cork. Yesterday afternoon, a breeze whipped up, making the sea quite rough. I waded in slowly as usual and was suddenly knocked off my feet by a large wave that snatched off my sunglasses. Before I could retrieve them or my balance, another huge wave sent me sprawling and rudely washed through my nasal passages! Not quite the idyllic experience of the previous day, but a reminder of the awesome power of nature and the sea.