Wednesday 5^th April

Considering that we have been here for over two weeks we don’t seem to have done much: it’s been forced relaxation caused by poor weather. Let’s be honest – very bad weather! This region is normally one of the driest and sunniest in Spain, with only 8 inches of rain per year. That amount has already been exceeded in the time we have been here. There are some compensations, but the pot of gold could not be traced:

Unsurprisingly, it’s greener than usual. The small reservoir outflow is much more vigorous this year. It’s about a 30 foot cascade.

Occasionally the hills at the back of the campsite display a strange phenomenon, captured by my phone camera so it’s not really clear:

Guesses? Dashing in to get the better camera, the result is now obvious:

It’s a huge flock of sheep, with the shepherd lower down just visible carrying a red backpack. Some years ago we encountered a similar shepherd while walking in the hills and he indicated that he and his dog were out with the sheep 24/7. He must have a very understanding wife (Barbara?)!

Next shot is us out in the hills, a dry day at last. This carpet of plastic is but a small proportion of the tomato greenhouses all along this coast. Perhaps this is what we will all be eating when meat is banned for eco reasons.

A short walk to the local village on another day -  a lovely little chapel by the sea. Looks like it’s been there for centuries but it was actually completed in the 1960’s.

 Finally, we put some excess couscous in the bird feeder. To our amazement, a minute late, there’s a feeding frenzy! The bird feeder is Jane’s own design using two 5 or 6 litre water bottles. Perch points are cut in the one bottle and gravel put in the bottom for stability. The base only of bottle two is cut off and wedged over the gravel in bottle one. That’s the feeding tray, which also keeps the gravel in place.