Week 32 was just an ordinary summer week. August is a slow month at the office, although we did have some serious work during the first two days of the month. Otherwise, it was just daily life.
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On Monday and Tuesday we hosted a visit by two economists from the European Patent Office in Munich, with whom we are working a joint study, to be published in October. On Monday evening, we took them for dinner at Moments, the great restaurant on the beach. This is the first time I have eaten dinner there; usually we go there for lunch. The beach was bathed in the light of the setting sun:
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This is how you eat at Moments:
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I love sitting outside, watching the human traffic on the promenade:
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Or watching my fellow restaurant guests:
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As always, I walked Cheeta in the morning. On the way out of our subdivision, the winged rats are on the lookout. They want to see if I leave food for the golf course cats so that they can steal it:
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The rightful owners of the food are there too:
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One of my neighbours’ classic motorcycle, complete with oil leak:
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Relaxing in the park in early morning:
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It is hot in Alicante in August, even in the morning, so all creatures seek shade wherever they can find it:
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On Tuesday, we took our EPO visitors for lunch at Hostal Maruja. Here are our Czech trainee Adéla, my Polish colleague Michał, and the EPO’s French Chief Economist Yann, studying the menu:
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The ubiquitous African clothes-and-sunglasses vendors were out in force at this beachside restaurant:
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And on Friday I invited my colleagues Carolina and Claire for lunch at Bodhigreen, an excellent vegetarian restaurant in the centre of Alicante:
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The food is healthy, delicious, and beautifully presented:
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On Saturday morning I rode my bicycle up to a mountain pass that will feature in the Vuelta a España on September 10th, Puerto de Tudons. It is 51 km from home, a category 2 climb, and quite a hard ride because the last 3-4 km are really steep. This makes it even more pleasing to get there:
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When running errands around the neighbourhood that do not involve big or heavy purchases, I use my bicycle too (although not the same one I use for climbing in the mountains). You can see it in the background here, outside one of the nearby supermarkets, although it is NOT the main subject of this image:
I always enjoy your slide shows.
Your life is So different from mine !! Many more people; and people who don’t mind being photographed.
It’s ages since I visited Barcelona, Valencia and Alicante; they have grown out of all recognition. Alicante was but a tiny village in 1962 when I was there !! I can remember people walking out into the countryside in the early morning to tend their olive etc orchards before it became too hot in the day.
Comment by Brian — 14 August 2016 @ 02:14