I have a new thing on my mobile phone called Daily Rumi. Quotes from Rumi are a lovely way to start or end the day. Here is the one I just read:
“It is love that holds everything together, and it is the everything also”
Happy Spring to you all!
Because she had months of anxiety here when Duna was attacking her in fits of jealousy, Bonnie totally lost trust in other dogs and when we met one in the park she would take a wide circle to avoid them. Azlan the black and white collie was the first who managed to play with her and make friends.
But look at her here with her friend Grace in Cornwall! She is a friendly dog at heart.
But I noticed yesterday that she has relaxed a whole lot more because when a large brown dog came bounding over, Bonnie stayed put, only stretching out her nose to say hello.
Their subsequent conversation went something like this:
Brown Dog ‘Hi there, you’re new, can I sniff your bottom?’
Bonnie ‘OK…… I don’t know why you lot always want to do that’
Brown Dog ‘Mmmmmmm‘
Bonnie ‘That’s enough now – I’m going to have a pee’
Brown Dog ‘ Me too!’
Bonnie ‘Hey this patch of grass smells interesting?’
Brown Dog ‘OH YES!! I like that. Just let me pee on it’
Bonnie ‘Me too’
Brown Dog “I’ll have to do another now. Can I sniff you again?
Bonnie ‘No, that’s enough – leave me alone’
Brown Dog ‘Are you sure?’
Bonnie ‘Bugger off I told you!’
Brown Dog ‘Bye then!’
And so we walked on.
We went along narrow streets until we arrived at the green space near the river.
I wondered where the swallows are now – of course it is far too early for them to arrive but when they do, this is the place I watch them flying and feeding.
There is a lot of human rubbish all around this zone and I have to defocus otherwise I would be walking every day in a steaming tizzy.
I have a plan to work one day a month clearing up this path – it doesn’t look too bad here – but it is!
I’ve got the bags and just need to contact the council to ask them where I can leave them when they are full. I am attracted to the idea of being ‘that crazy British woman who picks up rubbish’
We passed the vegetable plots and the wild and chaotic yard where Lola the Border Collie lives. She wasn’t there today so we couldn’t do our normal greeting from afar – HOLA GUAPAAAAA! QUE TAL? WOOF WOOF WOOF WOOF in response.
People do stare at me – I have a secret exhibitionist trying to get out, I think.
We said hello to the little dog who lives on a balcony in one of the flats that look out over the river. Many people here have dogs that spend their days on the balconies, barking at every passing dog. I feel sorry for them but try to cope with it by shouting hello when we pass.
In the park there are always lots of dog walkers and this is one of our favourite places. I don’t usually throw balls and Bonnie just gets on with her newly discovered addiction to sniffing around on the path. She never used to do this in Cornwall – she was too busy running and playing with friends and balls. But now she seems very happy with her head down, checking out who has passed by and whatever other secret messages dogs leave in their pee trails.
This all set me thinking about how we both have adapted to our new environment. We lived in a beautiful paradise in Cornwall, beaches, fields, woods, peace and fresh air. Now we live in a polluted and noisy industrial city, surrounded by rubbish and graffiti, with few green areas to walk in unless we go further afield
But we both seem to have learned to get on with enjoying life. I look at the flowers and the birds and enjoy the view of the distant mountains. She gets very excited by all the new and strange smells and obviously loves the way every day brings more news from the doggy world
This is the funny face she makes when she is sniffing for scents – her mouth hangs open slightly
At least once a week we can go to the beach or the hills and get more into wild nature. We have the Pyranees and the Mediterranean on our doorstep. Granollers is not our perfect dream place to live but in general it is fine. I worried about all this before bringing Bonnie to live here but like all dogs she lives in the present moment and I don’t think she spends any time dreaming of Cornwall and our past life. She also adores Pep and so long as we are all together and there are new things to explore, she is happy. Me too!
As far as I know you can’t take dogs on the metro or the buses so if I travel with Bonnie I need to aim for somewhere on the railway line. Cristina lives in Nou Barris so we were trying out the route to Sant Andreu Arenal which is only 30 minutes walk from her flat
I like the station at Canovelles – it feels like a country station – out in the open air and you even have to cross the railway tracks to get to the right platform which they only announce a few minutes before the train arrives.
(By the way. another person asked me for directions as we walked to the station. It is one of my callings – being a town guide either in Barcelona or Granollers! I don’t feel like a local but obviously something in my manner gives confidence to strangers!)
Bonnie has to wear the muzzle on the train. We don’t mind as it stops stray children from trying to touch her – they actually give her a wide berth ‘Mira mama! Un perro malo!’
She was really good on the train and all the way through Nou Barris to Cristina’s house. I used to think it incredible that she would go to Barcelona. What a grown up dog! But it’s no different from any other collection of shopping streets. She doesn’t seem fazed at all by the thought of Gaudi or the Sagrada Familia!
We went for a walk later up the Turó de la Peira which is a rare public green space in this very built up district. It used to be larger but pre-democracy there was a lot of building in this area which ate into the park. Many of those flats later had to be pulled down due to their poor construction which made them unsafe. The park is a much needed breathing space in the city and all the better for being on a hill.
there are wonderful views from the top over Barcelona to the sea
and in the other direction, the Collserola Natural Park. We sat together on a bench and took photos of ourselves! She is such a great companion.
But this was not just another dog, it was a border collie.
Collies know each other for sure
They played ball for as long as I could stand still without freezing (there is snow on Montseny)
He had a friend with him who was very nice too but Bonnie didn’t give her a glance
She only had eyes for Azlan – her first Granollers friend!
