This was the last week of July. Here in Spain, August is the traditional vacation month, so July at the office was actually quite busy, with everyone trying to tie up loose ends before disappearing in August. We also had a department drink at a beachside bar to mark the beginning of the big summer break, and the usual last-Friday drink as well. So we worked and played this week.
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One morning Carmen asked me to stop by her desk:
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Rather than to talk about finances and contracts, she wanted to show me her latest painting, re-using cardboard:
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A closer view of the waves and the boats:
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On Tuesday we had a department meeting, followed by a drink (or several 🙂 at a beach bar conveniently located not too far from my house. As always, Stephanie was one of the main instigators:
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A new(ish) colleague, Inmaculada, or Inma. With that name, she is of course from Seville:
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Our trainees also participate in social events:
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Tamara and Yasen:
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Two French ladies, Claire and Bérengère, giving me the evil eye:
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But then they changed their mind:
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Anthony, the ladies’ man:
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The sea provided nice breezes and the occasional visual diversion:
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On Friday we had our last-Friday-of-July drink and said goodbye to our Polish trainee Olga, who is leaving her traineeship about 2 months early to start a job in Poland. As usual, she got some presents:
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And she also said a few words:
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Smiles and munchies:
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A random image from a walk in the city, two girls relaxing in the grass on Plaza Seneca:
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We went for dinner one evening at a local restaurant called Le Sol, a quirky place with interesting art and several cats in residence:
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Later in the evening, the cat in the previous picture helped himself to some leftovers:
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On Sunday morning, I cycled to Villajoyosa, as I do from time to time. As always, I first stopped at the little secluded beach Playa Bol Nou:
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The beach may be secluded, but the locals use it heavily during a Saturday in July, as is evident on Sunday morning:
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Then I moved on to the main beach in the centre of Villajoyosa and its colourful houses:
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A father with his children enjoying a spot of shade:
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Urban garden:
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Window. The fiestas patronales are coming up:
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In the afternoon I went to our beach with my wife. I am not much of a beach person, but she likes it when I accompany her. She goes in the water while I read in my chair, drink a couple of beers from the cooler, and take in the sights:
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A Muslim woman with her family, installed in her chair while her husband and their children go in the water:
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Parallel activity:
