Prowling my world, camera in hand

Just two weeks ago we had the pleasure of hosting my uncle Joseph from France and Zev from Florida. This week it was the turn of the younger generations of the US and French Wajsmans to visit. My cousin Renata from Florida (Zev’s daughter) stopped by for a few days with her husband Alon and their three sons, and my cousin Nicole from Brussels (Joseph’s daughter) came down with her son Oscar. So I spent a couple of days showing my cousins and the four young men around Alicante. There was also a nice reunion with an ex-colleague who is now in Italy. All in all, a nice week of reunions, good weather, food and wine.

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But I start with the Miracle of the Cactus. I have explained the significance elsewhere. This week the little cactus bloomed again, and for the first time ever, it was a quadruple bloom. I started documenting it Tuesday afternoon:

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Wednesday morning, three flowers and the fourth one on the way:

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Thursday morning, four flowers in all their glory:

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By Thursday afternoon, the flowers already begin to wilt:

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By Friday morning, the end is near, for now:

Four pictures taken during the week’s dog walks follow.

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I continued to explore the tree roots in the park:

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A lemon on the tree in our garden:

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It is spring, and things are just a bit less arid than usual:

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Golf course fauna:

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Antanina is Lithuanian. She was a trainee with us back in 2012, and afterwards she stayed on as a consultant for another year. We were really happy with her work, but in the end her contract ended and she had to leave. She is now doing her PhD in economics at one of Europe’s oldest universities, in Padova. In many ways, Antanina represents what the EU is about: a young woman, born when her country was still occupied by the Soviet Union, now citizen of a free Lithuania, living in Italy. This week she was visiting Alicante and we got together for lunch:

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Despite having visitors, I did manage to go cycling during the week, also helped by the fact that I was able to take Thursday off. Here is a traditional Spanish restaurant along the old Valencia road, having expanded its offering to cater to German visitors:

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The beach in Villajoyosa, already warm and sunny but not yet crowded since the summer holiday season has not started:

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A sad face on the promenade:

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On Wednesday evening, my cousin Nicole arrived on a flight from Brussels and my cousin Renata came by car from Barcelona where they had spent the last few days. Talking and wining and dining immediately ensued:

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The next day we went for a long walk along the beach. Renata has an injured ankle from a recent accident, so she has to wear a somewhat funny-looking boot for longer walks:

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Renata’s husband Alon enjoys the sunshine:

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Jogging with a friend:

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When we have visitors from abroad, we often take them to visit the Francisco Gómez winery near Villena. The vineyards are pretty, and the tour and tasting are well organised:

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The tour starts in a chapel, located in a man-made cave:

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The barrels of Fondillón wine:

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After the tour, we move to the tasting room/shop. The winery employee explains to Renata which wines we will be tasting:

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Renata with her oldest son, Oren:

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Besides wine, Francisco Gómez also makes olive oil and its own chorizo, morcilla and Iberian ham. The meat products are very good but they can only be consumed on site, as the winery does not have the license from the food safety authorities to sell them for take-away:

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In the evening, we put the boys to work on the barbecue:

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A common scene in our international family. It is Saturday morning, and Oren is leaving for Valencia by train to catch a plane from there to Israel, where he currently lives. Renata and Alon are saying goodbye to their son:

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After saying goodbye to Oren, we took a walk through our Mercado Central…:

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…and had a coffee on the square behind the market, a place rich in photo opportunities:

And of course I took my visitors to the beachside restaurant, Hostal Maruja.

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Nicole likes the setting and the beer:

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And so does Renata:

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Sunbathing for two:

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Hat Man: