Spain 2016 - preparations for Semana Santa

Easter week is a big deal here, almost like Victoria Day at home, it seems to the the beginning of the season. Most of the landscaping has been completed and it looks as if every restaurant will be open, all cleaned this week, as will the souvenir shops, convenience stores etc etc.

Bicilandia will be open on Saturday and for the whole week.

The Dutch lady who owns it was in cleaning and let me rent a bike. She spent 8 years in Red Deer, Alberta. She said the people are similar; in Alberta they are laid back because of the cold and in Spain they are laid back because of the heat.

Most of the land on Isla Canela is not fenced so the horses are tethered. We have seen them tethered in Industrial areas, roadway ditches, waste land. The horses look healthy and they are using every available piece of ground for grazing.

Biking around Punta del Moral there is the usual unhurried fishing activities.

Just hanging out.

A mural, beside the harbour in Punta del Moral, depicting what the beach looked like before the wharf was put in, facing our development.

Biking past the marina, waxing and buffing a saiboat. Chores that will be happening in Bridge Yachts boat yard , Port Dover, in a couple of months.

Biking along the beachfront, a trailer full of thatch umbrellas for a beach bar.

Looks like a very large sombrero.

After riding the 7 km down the beach I stopped at Paradise Beach for a glass of wine and to watch the fishing and leisure traffic going into the Guadiana River mouth. About 20 guys cockle fishing but no kite boarders today, not enough wind.

In Southern France last year I was amazed at the masses of beautiful Mimosa growing wild in the hills. Here it is planted along roads and the bike path and is in full bloom.

Tonight was Joan's last night here so we went out to Miguel Angel and Mikaela.

Dad had Sole and the rest of us had Dorado. When Joan expressed some concern about the bones our waiter filleted the grilled fish for her. There is a lot of meat on a Dorado.