Prowling my world, camera in hand

The pictures this week fall into two groups. The first 15 images were all taken while cycling. Even though the primary purpose of my rides is training, if I see something interesting while taking a break, I use the camera that I always have in my handlebar bag.

The remaining pictures are from Alicante and from my office. Christmas is approaching, and both the city and the office are showing the usual signs.

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This is one of my usual break stops, a small grocery store near Elche with tables outside. This is where people from the surrounding farms come to shop and to have breakfast (I am usually there late Sunday morning). This cat is waiting/hoping for scraps:

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He heard me taking the first picture and turned his head and gave me a look that said, “piss off, can’t you see I am busy here?”:

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The village of Busot, a place I have photographed many times, but this particular morning the light was really nice:

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Entrance to a plot of land near Jijona:

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One of the things Jijona is known for is its nativity scene, set in a natural rock formation on the outskirts of the town. They had just put it up the preceding weekend:

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People come from all over to look at it:

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On the way home from Jijona, I spotted this not very wintry view:

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The next day, I did a long ride to the south, on relatively flat terrain. I wanted to have a look at the Playa del Pinet, where one of my favourite eateries, Hostal Maruja, is located. Now it is closed for the winter and the place is extremely peaceful and almost empty:

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Looking north:

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Looking south–at least there is some human activity here:

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Detail, monochrome:

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Detail, colour:

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When I return home from the bike rides, Cheeta is usually sleeping outside the front door. Her hearing is not what it used to be, so if I enter quietly, I can get images like this:

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On weekdays, I cycle in the morning, if I do not have any early meetings at the office, because in the winter, the sun sets already at 6 p.m., and so it is already dark when I drive home from work. Cycling in the morning has its rewards, such this sunrise on Playa Muchavista:

The next several images are from a couple of walks around Alicante during the week.

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A modified logo:

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There is a general election next Sunday, and so there are lots of campaign posters around. This is one from Podemos (“we can”), a populist left-wing party with some similarity to Greece’s Syriza, although they will not be burdened with responsibility of power after the election:

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Looking at election posters. In contrast to other countries, the posters are only put in designated places (mostly), such as this large board, shared by all parties. Compared to the US, Spanish election campaigns are very short (just a couple of weeks) and low-key:

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A statue on the central seafront esplanade has become a small memorial to the victims of the Paris attacks in November:

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Outside a burger restaurant next to El Corte Inglés department store. A beggar has temporarily left his post:

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Alicante´s official nativity scene on Plaza Montañeta:

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One of the other branches of El Corte Inglés with an eye-catching decoration on its wall:

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Tree with lights, Avenida Federico Soto:

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Lights, Avenida Maisonnave:

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El Corte Inglés:

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Multi-story car park:

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Men’s clothing shop, Avenida Federico Soto:

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Calle San Francisco, one of the small pedestrian streets in the centre, known by everyone as Calle de las Setas (“Mushroom Street”):

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The final four pictures are from the office.

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Tamara has been on maternity leave, and as is customary, on Friday she stopped by to show off her baby:

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The little critter was placed on a table, and maternal instincts were soon in full flow:

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During the entire week the main lobby of building was devoted to a “solidarity market”, something that is done ever December. Numerous charities get to set up booths to do fundraising, mainly by selling various products:

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Three volunteers. Left to right, they are Iris, Jacqueline and Christelle. Christelle’s parents have a vineyard in the Champagne region, and so Christelle and friends were selling their product to fund a charity in Calcutta with which she is involved. It is not the greatest champagne in the world, but it is decent and the money goes to a good cause, so I bought a bottle–and took a picture: