The year of the current crop of trainees at our office ended in mid-September, with many of them leaving early to take up other opportunities. So this week I was invited by my previous department (who continue to include me in their social events) for an after-work drink at a local wine bar to say goodbye to two of their remaining trainees, Laura and Nina.
35_1
But first a couple of morning pictures from my pre-work bike rides. With sunrise around 7:45 am at this time of year, I see sunrise almost every morning. Here the low sun behind the old guard tower (built to warn against pirates in the 17th century) in El Campello:
35_2
Another morning, the sun was hiding behind the clouds:
35_3
We also had the occasional (very occasional!) rainy day. This was the view from my office:
35_4
Then it was time for our sendoff for Laura and Nina:
35_5
Ziga and Laura:
35_6
Proof that I don’t just focus on the women, a portrait of Antoine:
35_7
Livia, a colleague from Romania:
35_8
Claire, sharing a laugh with Laura. Two lovely French ladies:
35_9
Then it was time to give the parting gifts to Laura and Nina:
35_10
Nina:
35_11
And one of the ladies in the administration of the department, Ludmila, came buy with her adorable little girl:
35_12
On Saturday, I stopped by the fishing harbour in El Campello. It was late morning, so all the boats were in the harbour, and the work had been done:
35_13
I always enjoy looking at the details of the boats:
35_14
Next to the fishing harbour is the much bigger leisure boat harbour. But in contrast to Alicante, the boats here are much more modest. No oligarch yachts here:
35_15
On Sunday morning, I cycled to Verdegás, stopping for a brief rest outside the small church. The Sunday Mass was in progress. Out of respect for the service, I did not go inside the church to look, I just took a picture from the bench outside on which I was resting:
35_16
The cats living next to the church show no respect whatsoever:
35_17
I finished the week with a beer at 100 Montaditos on the beach, taking in the other users of the promenade, two and four-legged:
