YellowFlower Time, Swallows on Swallow Street and other curious animals

As you probably know, I live on Swallow Street. Every year the swallows come and nest under the eaves all the way down this street. The roofs of the houses are built to just the right shape with a series of inverted curves that are just perfect for building a nest under.



So, the nests have been built (lots of rain this spring = plenty of good mud), the eggs laid and sat on, the babies hatched followed by the long, long days of catching enough insects to feed them all. These last few mornings they all gather on the wires crossing the street, getting psyched up for the exhausting day ahead. And here they are.

Here's a curious thing. The cats that live in Ca'n Toni, where I buy animal food and supplies, have come in off the street because they know a good thing when they see one. They live like kings in there, helping themselves from the sacks of cat biscuits lined up so temptingly. And when they've eaten enough, it's time for a little snooze. And here's where they do their R&R.

They know they should at least appear to be earning their keep, so they 'look after the shop' while they rest.

They lie there carefully, making sure they don't squash anyone, and they all seem to get on very well.

They all seem quite happy and unconcerned.

Well, it's YellowFlower time. I love YellowFlower time. I just love those trees. But how odd the (ex) car park looks without any cars. Forlorn? Abandoned? Happier?

Maybe. It's a secret deserted corner now, and people passing on the streets either side would never suspect this wonderful place hides behind the buildings that wall it in. But I used to love having my car completely covered with a confetti-layer of yellow flowers. Not as thick as this, maybe, but a good sprinkling.

(Remember how we used them to decorate the houses you had to make for Plástica?)

So here they stand, these lovely trees, unnoticed and unappreciated, blooming and shedding their flowers in this quiet sunny spot.

I don't even want to contemplate the possibility that the first step towards building the projected park might be to chop down all these nasty messy trees and replace them with something plastic or metal, in line with what they've done in all the other parks.

Ses Fires de Maig

Although I didn't get around to posting anything about them, last month was of course the time for the traditional Fires de Maig. The first Sunday in May in Sineu and the following Sunday in Lloret. Sineu was good, Lloret was a bit pobre this year. Trouble in the Ayuntamiento? Although having said that, Lloret had some fascinating exhibitions, it's just that the whole thing was over by mid-day.

Anyway, here are some pictures.

Sa Fira means it's piggie time again, of course.

Just two weeks old. How incredibly cute is that?! I'm holding him in my hand - he's very tiny.

I never get tired of the piggies, but just for a change here's a rabbit, too.

One of the very interesting sections of the Lloret Fira was the exhibition of old wedding photos. It was very difficult to get good photos of them because I had to use a flash but that reflected off the glass over the photos. But here are a couple to give an idea, at least.

The people were so tiny, and dressed in black. They don't look very cheerful about the whole business.

A mobile blacksmith? Well, why not? Although the anvil's not the sort of thing you'd want to carry very far.

Nice work.

Another part I enjoyed was the exhibition of vintage cars. Wonderful, most of them.

Here's one for Jessie.

There were other animals, too.

These were by far the most difficult to get proper pictures of - up went the neck, down went the neck and the camera following but always just behind. Plenty of pictures of where the head had been a second ago, but finally ...

The food was wonderful (and cheap) as usual

and people sat around in the plaza enjoying la fresca (and the food)

But here for me was the star of the show.

Look at that nose

That eye

That wonderful soft velvety nose. I fell in love with him.

I would have bought him.

But alas! common sense won the day and he and I lost out.

Our love was doomed, nothing but the memory of what might have been.

Luna Llena

Here are some of the pictures I took of the full moon on Sunday night.















I also took some of Sineu and the streets around where I live.


















I like these two a lot.

I love this one of Lloret church and plaza.



I really need a tripod to do these pictures properly. The roof of the car makes an imperfect substitute!