We had wanted to travel & explore Europe, so in the 9 months September 2017 to June 2018, through choice, through Spain, Portugal & then Spain again, we'd stayed in 7 different homes. Then we settled for 7 months near Alhaurin el Grande, Andalucia, in our rustic rural house, full of character & with a pool, of sorts!
It was our first summer in Southern Europe & I really enjoyed my daily swims, both to cool down & also to get some exercise when it was too hot to do much else.
Then the pool water turned green.
This happened far more quickly than expected.
The pool was a former deep concrete water storage 'tank', seen outside many rustic residences, but with a tiled floor & nicely painted sides so it was quite pleasant. However, without a pump, a floating container of chlorine tablets was required.
I'd understood from Eva, the estate agent, that the water may last up-to a month before needing a change, but was disappointed when it became dirty within three weeks. One day it was a little murky when I swam, with an increased amount of muck on the tiled floor. The following day I hesitated before entering, but then the heat drove me in.
Rob then asked about the chlorine tablets which I hadn't actually checked for a week & they were all gone! The next day the water was positively green & would need changing.
Belen landlady informed me that I could empty the pool at anytime by turning open the new outflow valve as the water would go straight onto their land & water the citrus trees. This I did in the morning, hoping I'd be able to begin refilling later in the day.
Disapointingly, by the evening, the pool wasn't fully empty, but being impatient, I got in to begin cleaning anyway. No-way was I getting my bare feet in the filth, so I popped on my wellies.
That was a first - swimsuit & wellies 
Lack of daylight & biting insects reluctantly forced me to stop sweeping the green water towards the drain - it hadn't speeded-up the emptying process anyway 
I had to work, the next day, but afterwards in the evening, I finished brushing down the tiles & sides of the pool, rinsing out with the hose. It was actually fun playing in the water, but not something I wanted to-do every three weeks!
I attached the hose & delightedly turned on the tap & watched about 50% of the water flow out of the hose into the pool.
The other 50% squirted out of the sides of the connector on the tap & into the sink & down the drain. This had happened when we filled the pool the first time & we'd placed a bucket under the tap to collect the run-off, chucking it into the pool when full.
It only took nine minutes to fill a bucket.
I timed it.
I'd been working from cafes in Alhaurin el Grande during the first pool filling, relying on Rob to collect & tip the water. However, I wanted to continue the fill overnight & certainly didn't want to unecessarily waste any water. Tightening the hose connector didn't work so I looked & thought & fiddled & eventually we came-up with a cobbled-together solution.
The foil windscreen sun shield directed the water into the paddling pool & it didn't take long to fill. By morning, I had lots of water to bucket out of the paddling pool & tip into the swimming pool.
The pool took ages to fill & seemed such an extravagence. I knew I'd have to pay for the water after three months & had no idea of the cost. But then I told myself, I was swimming every day so how much would that have cost in fuel, time, parking & entrance fees to a gym, municipal pool, reservoir or the sea? The green waste had watered my landlady's trees in such a dry season, but it still seemed extravagent & much more than a mere luxury.
The kitchen tap dripped so I caught that in a bowl too. Woody parrot soon added the plop/drip sound to his repertoire, hearing it across the yard from his favourite perch on the front door. In 24 hours, I could easily capture 3-4 buckets full which either watered the pot plants, or was chucked into the pool to counteract the evaporation.
The swimming pool took a full day to empty & two days & a night to fill to just above waist height. I'd have loved it deeper, but really couldn't justify the extra water when it was deep enough to swim.
I vowed not to let the chlorine tablets dissolve completely & was curious to see how long the water would last, remaining clear & clean enough for my swims.
Five weeks later & the water did begin to look slightly cloudy, but as we'd had visitors for a week, there'd been a few extra bodies in there.
I hoped it would manage for a while longer...
