Conversation yesterday at the Post Office in Orense...

Me: Imogen, I can't find the post box?

Imogen: We're are in the post office...there must be one- I remember it being around the side...

(Walked round the building but didn't spot one- they are normally bright yellow in Spain and easy to spot)

Me: Well lets just go inside again, there might be holes to put things in in that table in the middle...Ah no nothing there.

Imogen: Maybe it's at the back?

(Back and forth we went...)

Security Guard: Hello Ladies and welcome to the Spanish Post Office, can I help you? You just want to post this (a postcard)?

Me: Yes

SG: Well if you follow me, now you see the 2 metal lions with their mouthes open on the front of the building...just put it in there!

Me: Ah the lions........Thankyou.

THE END

I was so confused! How are you to know to post your letter through the mouth of a metal lion which bears no resemblance to the normal bright yellow post boxes and has no sign to advertise its purpose apart from a little metal one above its head with times on! And there I was thinking I'd mastered the Spanish language as well as their culture and that I knew everything there was to know about Orense- apparently not! Thumbs up to the artist/architect though- the lions are a nice touch!!

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This last weekend was a 'puente' (bridge) of 4 days so as soon as Eyen finished Syncronised Swimming training on Saturday morning we headed to the grandparents apartment at the beach. The weather was perfect and the days went something like this...

We'd get up and head straight to the beach for a few hours filled with fishing in rock pools and bodyboarding in non existent waves followed by lunch and more hours on the beach. We must have spent at least 8 hours each day on the beach- the second day I acted like a total Brit by assuming I didn't need suncream and completely burning my back, neck and shoulders (The next day I wore factor 50 everywhere so I could recover before the last day!). We had such great fun...The kids took me to 'La Isla del Tesore' a bunch of rocks that you can only get to at low tide and I got over my fear of crabs* by holding one and posing for a photo and when the waves were rubbish we had a hilarious time balancing on the boards as though they were surfboards accumulating a lot of bruises when they flew from under our feet! In between all of this I ate a lot of food- the beach gives you a huuuge appetite and I scoffed delicious seafood and other sea related dishes including an amazing Paella!

The third night we decided to play Bingo- all of us in the living room. It started well but we were so tired that by the time of the third round all the numbers had been read out EVERYONE had gaps. Nobody could concentrate in our delirious state after so many hours in the sun. We were all giggly and it got to the stage where we were putting each others numbers that they missed in their dazed states. You had to be there- but we all ended up in a giggly tired heap!

Now I'm back in Orense, halfway through the week already and looking out of my window deciding whether to go for a powerwalk by the river or not :).