The first week of June was a continuation of the daily beach walks, but also a nice event at the office, a dinner in a waterfront restaurant for the governing body of our agency.
23_1
I am not the only person walking the dog on the beach. It is actually forbidden and theoretically the police can fine us but at 7:30 a.m. there is not much enforcement of this stupid rule:
23_2
Enjoying a windy morning:
23_3
NOT enjoying a windy morning:
23_4
Most of the time we have a clear blue sky at this time of the year. Nice, but photographically boring. But one morning the sky was much more interesting, with heavy, dark clouds and shafts of sunlight fighting their way through:
23_5
23_6
Reflections:
23_7
On Tuesday and Wednesday we had the twice-yearly meeting of our Management Board, with a dinner on Tuesday evening at a restaurant on the waterfront. Before dinner we had a small ceremony to hand out the first 5 certificates of the new Craft and Industrial Geographical Indications (CIGIs) to representatives of the 5 countries involved. This is a new IP right, similar to the existing GIs (such as feta cheese or champagne) but for non-food products. I was enlisted as the photographer of the event, so I did my best to document the occasion, starting with the certificates themselves. The one on top is for Limoges porcelain from France:
23_8
Karin, the chairwoman of the Management Board, hands a certificate to Ana from Portugal while João, our Executive Director (and my boss) applauds:
23_9
The 5 recipients pose with their certificates:
23_10
I also took this posed photo of the colleagues from our Cooperation department whose job it is to organise the meetings of the Management Board and all surrounding activities. They work very hard in the runup to these meetings:
23_11
Once the obligatory photos had been taken, I prowled the reception looking for unposed pictures. Here, my German colleague Inge:
23_12
Maria, our Head of Cabinet:
23_13
My daughter went back to Barcelona for a few days, leaving Mochi with us. On Friday I had to take him for his haircut appointment:
23_14
Later on Friday, I showed off the pretty doggie at The Place:
23_15
More Mochi. While I sit at my computer, he usually sleeps on the floor next to my feet. A close-up of his face:
23_16
Paws:
23_17
Some wildlife, such as it is around here:
23_18
In last week’s blog there are no cat pictures, so I compensate here:
23_19
Mochi is obsessed with the cats. They just look at him with a mix of disdain and indifference, secure in the knowledge that he can never catch them:
23_20
I finish with two photos from Plaza Luceros in the centre of Alicante. I sometimes stop there on my way home for a beer at this bar. I sit at a table outside and watch the human traffic on the busy spot. Here, a pair of tourists stop to study the menu:
23_21
These two guys are often there. They are friends of the bartender:
