to spain for lunch

when we got home this evening we got some sad news. my grandfather died this morning of a massive heart attack. he was 89, he died quickly and at home. i'm sad and still in a bit of denial, and also know that he lived a good long life and that although it's sad, it's not a tragic thing that he has died. but, having said that, as you can imagine, i'm in a bit of a strange space. so, i'm posting the pics from today, but with minimal commentary (unless i get going, 'cause, well, we all know once i get going there's no stoppin' me!)

today my mum and i went to spain for lunch. well, for lunch, some groceries, gas, and of course, cigarettes and booze. i couldn't tell you the name of the town, but it's a border town and gas, cigs and booze are cheap like dirt. we had a delicious lunch, really and truely a great lunch, at, wait for it, a gas station... it was a restaurant in a gas station where i had a delicious grilled steak (with fries, a grilled tomato and a grilled green pepper), and mum had calimari (with the same sides as me). mum had two draft beers and i had a bottle of water. the whole bill, including tax (and tip because it's included in most of europe) was something like 21 euros, so, maybe $30. and bloody hell was it a good steak!

so, here are the spain pictures:

seriously, we spent most of our time at the gas station

but here is mum sending kisses out to the world...

and that about covers it for spain pictures. although there is one on our way out of spain, i can't remember if this is in spain or france. mum took the picture though, she calls it "industrial wasteland"

could be anywhere, oui?

then we made our way to collioure, a lovely former fishing port turned tourist beachy place. it's really quite beautiful. i can't imagine it in the summer, i suspect it would be crawling with people, but today, today it was pretty much perfect.

look, a sign!

look, a view!

for the record, it really wasn't warm enough to have your feet in the mediterranean (i was wearing jeans and a sweater), but you know, kids will be kids.

apparently they're prepared for bigger crowds...

very cute little streets with cute little houses

the picture is too small when it's reduced for the web, but there is an old-school windmill on that hill.

another cute street, complete with cute woman (yep, my mum!)

instead of one of those pay a quarter and get to look through the wierd thingy, here there was just a frame on a stick.

this shot took some creative balancing on my part, it would have been better if i were taller than 5 foot nothing.


cute curvy corner

this was the entrance to an old church. "LIBERTE - EGALITE - FRATERNITE"

it was nice walking down peace road...

down a little alley

the lines in the fields in the background are terraced grape vines growing

it was a very pretty town. i would certainly go back. i think tomorrow we're going to 'la cite' in carcassone, which is an old cathar fortified town, john commented that it looks like canada's wonderland. i'll try and take some pictures so you can judge for yourself...