It was a week of expectation: on Friday I was departing on a week-long business trip to Bangkok, something I obviously very much looked forward to. There were a lot of preparations at work–we were going to attend the IMF/World Bank annual meetings, with lots of sessions, and lots of bilateral meetings with various senior officials, all of which had to be carefully prepared.
But the week was still interesting. I had the chance to see the protests here in Alicante, similar to what I witnessed in Madrid a week earlier. There was also the opening of an art exhibition, and the usual beach walks, often in darkness, given that sunrise is well after 8 a.m. now.
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The week started with cloudy weather on Sunday morning. I took Mochi for his walk well before sunrise. A couple was walking along the water’s edge:
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Looking for coins:
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The man seemed to be meditating, but then the two women caught his interest:
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The sunrise:
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On the way home, we encountered this cat, watching us from his hiding place:
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Later on Sunday, taking Mochi on his midday walk (now possible since the heat is not at the July/August level anymore), I passed a popular rotisserie chicken shop. It was lunchtime, and there was a queue:
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On Tuesday afternoon, I had an errand in the centre on my way home from work. I took advantage of the opportunity to visit Plaza Montañeta, where I had heard there was an encampment to protest the high prices of housing, similar to what I had seen in Madrid (see week 40). As I emerged from the underground car park, the first thing I saw was this strange figure, representing some charity:
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The encampment. The building in the background is the local office of the central government. There is another government building on the square, the tax office. Because of the presence of those government buildings, Plaza Montañeta is a popular spot for various protests:
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An elderly couple stops to look at the posters and slogans:
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“Housing is a right”. Indeed, Spain’s constitution lists housing among the basic human rights:
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Protests against “vulture funds”, investment funds that buy apartment buildings to convert them into tourist apartments:
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A somewhat strange slogan, “a gay landlord is still a landlord”. Seems neither here nor there:
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Various other causes, unrelated to the housing crisis, were also on display:
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“I am closer to war than to my own apartment”:
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“We are not leaving, we are staying!”:
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Enjoying themselves and the good weather:
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“Down with the vulture funds, they do not even leave space for the cats”:
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“Towns for living, not for speculation”:
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Conversion of apartments into AirBnBs is part of the explantion for the housing crisis, at least in touristy towns like Alicante:
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An apartment building of sorts:
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A face in a sea of tents:
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Information desk:
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Speeches and discussion:
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On Wednesday morning, the exercise crew on the beach was at it again, in the dark:
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Later that day, we opened a new exhibition at work, in the small exhibition space the office has given us. The artist was a local photographer called Dani Pastor, and theme was…eggs. Here he explains the concept while Kari, the president of our art club, listens:
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People listening to Dani, including my friend Eri:
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Dani introduces Patricia Córcoles, another local artist, who performed a couple of songs for us:
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Wendesday evening walk. The darkness does not stop the volley players:
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It may be October, but the chiringuito is still open:
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On Thursday, the Nobel Prize for literature was going to be announced at lunchtime, so some of us got together in a meeting room to watch the announcement while having some snacks and drinks:
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Our new Korean trainee dealing with Spanish ham:
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Two new trainees posing for me. They are delightful and highly intelligent young people:
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On Friday morning, I photographed the beach exercise crew again, but this time from the front (that is, from the water’s edge):
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Later Friday morning, I drove to the airport and began my long voyage to Thailand. The shortest way is to transit in Doha or Dubai, but these days no sane person would transit in that part of the world, so my route was Alicante-Zurich-Bangkok. While changing planes in Zurich, I enjoyed the modern architecture of Zurich Airport:
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More informtion about Dani Pastor is available on his website.