There were too many options.  Too many sources of stimulation.  Despite a very active preceding day cycling from one end of Ibiza to the other and a very late night I was up again early – keen to carpe diem at Can Du.

Waking in a sleeping house, I quietly closed the kitchen door behind me.  The bag of oranges awaited.  This was after all one of the reasons I’d chosen to stay here – a delightful picture of several sliced with a tall glass of their juice on the website had looked so appetising, so appealing.

Through the fly screen I could see a few drops of rain.  I reached inside the cupboard brought out the electric juicer and plugged it in. The oranges were soft and succumbed easily to being sliced open, juice running out of them onto the chopping board. I placed a half on the plastic fountain and pressed down.

The door opened.  T walked in and immediately came over to check on progress.  “There doesn’t seem to be much in this orange” I said.  “That’s because you’re not using the correct method.  I’ve been juicing for three years – let me show you how.”

I let him take over and walked over to the door.  The rain was falling heavily now, splashing off the tiles, drenching the clothing hanging on the line.

I turned to watch the Juicer.  Hand over the top of the orange with one finger from his other hand pressing down lightly on the dome.  “You see, this method gets out every last drop” he said, taking the half off the machine to show me a bare interior.

I tried a couple more and then handed it over to the maestro while I went over to puruse the rain and debated whether I should run out to take the wet washing in.

Ashley arrived.  “Good morning.  What’s going on here, eh? You two juicing?” We both smiled at him.  “Yes, that’s exactly what we’re doing.”

T started to concoct breakfast – some muesli, Greek yogurt, freshly squeezed orange pulp, a few seeds.  “Would you like some fresh pineapple in your juice S?” he asked.  “I would, please” I replied.

Ashley joined me at the fly screen. “Everything gets so wet here” he said.  “Yes, I know, but look, it’s passed now” I replied, feeling the heat suddenly as the sun parted the clouds and made everything clear again.