The last working week of the year–our office is closed between Christmas and New Year, and like all other sane people I have taken Monday the 23rd as a vacation day. The highlight of the week was another official function on behalf of the office, which turned out quite pleasant. The University of Alicante has a special Master degree in intellectual property law called “Magister Lucentinus” (Lucentum was the Roman name of Alicante). Our office supports this programme, and so I was invited to give a lecture at a ceremony marking the end of a semester-long course on IP and technology. But I start with three dog-walk pictures from the neighbourhood.
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One of “my” golf course kitties:
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A rainy/sunny morning:
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There used to be a rather nice bar here. It went out of business last year, and so far no other business has replaced it. Instead, the windows are plastered with offers like this one, for pawning your car. The crisis is abating, but it is certainly not over:
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Monday night I gave my lecture at the university, and afterwards some of the graduates posed with Manuel Desantes, a former vice president of the European Patent Office, and one of the grand old men of European intellectual property:
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Afterwards, there were some finger foods and wine, and some señoritas to photograph:
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Admiring a newly arrived baby:
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A señorita from China’s State Intellectual Property Office:
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Later in the week, my 8mm Samyang fisheye lens arrived in the mail. I immediately put it to use around the office. We are in the midst of a major construction project to add a new wing to the main building:
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The library of the office:
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On Wednesday afternoon, my daughter flew in from Cardiff for the holidays. I was not the only one waiting at the airport:
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To continue the doggie theme, this is how Cheeta spends much of her day while I am posting pictures or checking e-mail:
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Our local Carrefour supermarket:
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At the weekend, the weather was sunny, cold and crisp by Alicante standards. I cycled to Benidorm, about 40 km away. This is the road I use, the old Valencia highway. The shoulder is wide and works fine as a bike path:
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Another cycling picture; sunset in El Campello, with the ubiquitous Osborne bull:
