uncat

Mare de Deu del Mont

~ Kate Wilson ~ 1 Comment

The square opposite our house is named after the Catalan poet Jacint Verdaguer (1845-1902)
One of his poems is about the mountain in SW France (Catalunya Nord) called Canigo´. We went there about a year ago and climbed, almost, to the top.
Last weekend we went back to Sant Nicolau and Helen took us up Mare de Deu del Mont to see the sanctuary on the top and the room where Verdaguer wrote this poem. From there on a clear day you can see the Pyrannees in the distance.

Here he sits, strangely with his back to the Pyranees.

Oh Mare de Déu del Mont,
¿Com tan alta en sou pujada,
en un trono de penyals
dalt al cim d’una muntanya?
¿És per sentir els Angelets,
o per rebre el bes de l’alba

El bes de l’alba – the kiss of dawn!

Happy Birthday!

~ Kate Wilson ~ 4 Comments

Today was my birthday. I didn’t take a single photo which is most unusual but sort of OK too.

Flowers in the morning from my lovely friend Tiffany
Songs at midday with dearest Pep
Chocolate brownies in the afternoon with Me Myself I – making them not eating! (well, ok, I tried one)
Walks and walks and walks with Bonnie Blue and Duna at regular intervals
Messages, cards and phone calls from wonderful friends throughout the day
And winks from a stranger in a restaurant at night

All this made it a good day which was a relief to us all as the pre-birthday blues were rather extreme this year.     Does anyone else feel awful the day before their birthday?

It is also the birthday today of 15M the protest movement in Spain.  A whole year has passed since the indignats camped out in Plaça Catalunya in Barcelona and in other Spanish cities. I can hardly believe a whole year has passed by so fast.