The Rain in Spain

Yesterday was filled with a wide variety of weather and activities. The morning started out a little cool and overcast. I went early with Phil, Tom and Bill to practice before the men´s matches started at the Tennis Ranch in Palmanova. We had a great hit, but half way through a light mist, then a steady, light rain started falling. Red clay can take quite a bit of moisture, so we continued on and were able to get in well over an hours worth of hitting. We stayed around to scout the Romanian and Turkey teams as they warmed up for their matches. Since we´d gotten our hit in early, we then took a taxi to Santa Ponsa to see the girls play Australia. It was warm and partly sunny when we got there. We situated ourselves on top of the viewing area to watch, and as Fran warmed up, a chill came over us all. We looked behind us and dark, threatening clouds were moving in. A very hard, steady rain started and lasted at least 45 minutes. Once the rain subsided and it was obvious the courts weren´t going to be playable for at least 2-3 hours. We took a walk into Santa Ponsa, had lunch, found a supermercado, bought some fruit and treats, then headed back to the courts. It was announced at 1:30 that it would still be a couple of hours before play would resume, so we shuttled back to the hotel. The lobby of the hotel is a gathering place, so we hung out and talked with other players as they strolled in and out. Through the afternoon we all went our separate ways. Phil and I walked into our little town area and found a British type restaurant and had spaghetti and pizza. The girls didn´t return from their match until after 9:00 pm. They won 3-0.

Today the guys play Romania at 10:30. We´ll be leaving soon for warmups, and I´ll hang out and cheer. The girls play either Sweden or Estonia...not sure which. It´s tough being at two different sites to play. I´ll report at the end of the day all the results.