As the days have got hotter, we have got increasingly into continental (well at least Spanish interior) life. We took Basil and Tinks out for a walk VERY late at night – 11.30ish? Well late by our standards – however the streets were full of dog walkers, and sitters. Outside most houses were groups of chairs populated by people of all ages. We saw the baker talking with her friends, older and younger people sat on the pavements, children were playing etc etc – the end result meaning we had to walk in the road to avoid basil getting tangled up with anyone.
We got as far as Bar Tuna and we were all welcomed inside – drooling animals too – and of course Basil. Basil had his picture taken with a few people, Tinkerbelle was congratulated on being called ‘Campinilla’ – ‘small bell’ which they found endearing. We left the bar at about 12.30 – and had to dodge about the same number of chairs on the pavements all occupied by people watchig the world go by. I guess you are probably either a watcher or a watchee. The watchees being the people who walk up and down being watched, whilst the watchers mumble ‘they are english you know…’.
I like to think I can embrace the two, and whilst being a watchee – I can also cop a quick look into the houses of the watchers as we pass. All the houses we see are of a similar layout with the long hallways going through to the back doors. the halls seem to double as sitting areas – although this is only based on a few quick glances when we have been out walking.
We asked Adelardo about this – and he said that he has to sleep with earplugs because of the street noise during the summer. He also said that sitting outside and watching the village go by was recognised as more exciting entertainment than watching the television. Apparently this is very typical in villages and not in towns. I probably agree – I cannot imagine the streets of Madrid full of deckchairs with people watching the world go by.
Ian spent today trying to convince himself that the sausage appeared in our yard by act of god. Well either that or a stork that might have taken it, had a nibble and dropped it on Dookes head. Another idea was that a hungry spaniard might have taken a munch out of the middle of a rather large sausage, decided he didn’t like it and put in it the bin which Dookems managed to scale and retrieve. Personally I think that Ian is plucking at straws and is in denial. Saying that we have kept a close eye on Dookems today and have kept feeding him food – hoping that this will stop him hunting food off of our neighbours table!