The last full week of July was a final push to get a number of things done at work before the summer break really sets in. August is a month when many people are away, there are no meetings, and the office is delightfully quiet and peaceful for those of us (like me) who are not on vacation. Besides all the work, we also had our pre-summer event. Normally we just go for a long lunch at some restaurant (we are about 45 people in the department) but this year our colleague Stephanie invited us to an after-work party at her house, about 10 km from the office.
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I start with a couple of my morning beach images. It is only about 8 a.m. but the lifeguard is already on duty:
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At this early hour he does not have much to do except perhaps look at the passers-by:
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Stephanie’s party was Thursday afternoon, and we were all going to bring something to eat or drink. I decided to contribute some of Lili’s delicious goat cheeses, so before work on Tuesday I drove to Tibi, the village in the mountains where she has her shop, to buy some. It was quite a change to navigate these roads by car–I usually come here on bicycle, after considerable huffing and puffing:
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Lili’s storefront:
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Lili had not yet arrived to open the store; her husband (who looks after the goats) was just about to leave and told me that she would be there in 5 minutes. So I took a brief walk in the meantime. The streets of the village were decorated for the patron saint fiesta:
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Lili arrived, we chatted a bit, and she rang up my purchase of four different cheeses:
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These are the cheeses, presented at Stephanie’s party on Thursday afternoon. From left to right: brie; Schabziger, a traditional cheese from Canton Glarus in Switzerland, (but here made out of goat milk instead of cow milk) and a special kind of herb, blue fenugreek (Trigonella caerulea); cheese ball with pepper; cheese ball with paprika and oregano. All made by Lili, with raw goat milk from the goats tended by her husband:
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Stephanie very much enjoyed hosting us at her beautiful home:
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The overall setting. The house was built about 15 years ago, designed by Stephanie’s husband who is an architect. It is beautiful, but given the weather, the party took place outside:
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I zoomed in on some of my colleagues. Here is Antoine, talking to Stephanie’s husband (on the left):
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Charo, sharing a laugh with Stephanie and Tamara:
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Massimo:
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The newest addition to our department, Anne-Sophie, who is half French and half Danish:
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Stephanie serving up some more elaborate stuff, salmon-filled pastries:
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On Saturday morning, I was on my bicycle again, going along the beach road towards the hills. The light was beautiful:
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Since I now have a longer lens for my cycling camera, I can get closer views of things like the bell tower of the church in Aigües:
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Breakfast in the sunshine, Aigües:
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Looking back from the road to Busot. That’s Alicante down there:
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And a closer view of Busot, with the typical hilltop cemetery:
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These goats, just outside Busot, are similar to the ones Lili has in Tibi. Their ability to move on very steep hillsides is impressive:
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Grazing, such as it is. We could definitely use some rain to turn things greener:
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Big horns:
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Smiling:
I finished the week with a walk in the centre on Saturday afternoon.
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Cultural mix–a Chinese restaurant advertising tapas:
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A tile from the Santa Faz pilgrimage above a doorway:
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Waiting dog outside a tobacco shop:
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Waiting dog outside a sports betting parlour:
