We went to the flat this afternoon and were surprised and pleased to see that the plumbing has begun, with sloping drainage pipes running through the walls. We stood in the kitchen to see if yesterday’s decisions were the right ones. They were, I think. Then we came back and I put on the beans, my second attempt. Disaster – I forgot all about them until I smelled them burn, so had to throw them out again and set the pot to simmer with detergent and baking soda to clean out the charcoal.
On our visit to the flat we met one of our neighbours. I think he must be a member of the sole Jewish family remaining in what was once an exclusively Jewish building, by three different synagogues. We tried to find a common language in Spanish but his Ladino (I think) was a little too remote for me to understand and my mind froze in trying to compose a sentence after months without, so it was no use.