Back to Porridge and Heater Units

We returned home to piles of things to do. Not just the dirty washing in our suitcases, but the many tasks left undone because we departed in such a rush. Our first adjustment was to the cold and damp of Northern Ireland. Not easy after we’d been in the dry warmth of Mallorca. The first week had days of 25 and 27 degrees. The second week was the usual 21 or 22. But that is pretty good compared to the high of 8 degrees in balmy Co Down today. Our second week had one huge rainstorm. Not on the scale of the terrible events in Valencia, but still pretty dramatic. The street outside our apartment was turned into a rushing river almost a foot deep. In the afternoon, the rain stopped and the sun dried everything out. We were staying in Son Baulo, on the north coast. It’s towards the middle of the bay of Alcudia and marks the end of the developed part of the coast. Beyond is the protected coastline, the nature reserves and the mountains of the east. Ah, never mind, we can always return, like the birds, next Spring. In the meantime, we’ve plenty to be getting on with. First of all, my poor car immobilized by the Fire Brigade.

I took photos of the burned parts and sent them to the mechanic. “That’s the heater unit for the plugs, to start the engine in cold weather,” he said and talked me through disconnecting it. I drove my car to him and he checked it over. “Do you want the good news or the bad news?” he said. I chose the good news first. “The heater unit isn’t expensive to replace,” he said. “Trouble is the wiring loom is damaged too.” That would take a day’s work to check thoroughly and could be very expensive to fix. “But some cars start alright without the heater unit,” he said helpfully. “Even in the winter?” I asked, mindful that it had been minus 10 last year. “Why not try it?” he suggested. So I am. The car is starting alright at the moment. Fingers crossed it won’t get as cold this winter.