Working in Balaguer...

In the morning of the 4th May I started to have a long busride, from San Sebastian to Balaguer in Catalonia.

Jordis orchard and the lake

Lleida above, down: Balaguer

around the lake

Jordi, a primary school teacher picked me up, gave me something to eat and went to a meeting from slow food organisation. So I had some time to look around in a flat full of surprises. He has 5 guestbeds in two rooms, a big wall with sentences in every language spoken by diferent guests. He has so many books!!! (later I have seen his garage is full of books, too) Also german ones and I read one. The kitchen is full of different spicery, 80% is from his own production. The terrace is full of baby plants and the walls in every room full of posters and paintings from friends. I also drew him one as a guest present.

My work was in the garden and orchard. In the garden I planted something (don't remember what) and destroyed weeds. I also mixed concrete and collected many many branches from the olive trees. After work I normally went in the city, read the book somewhere, drew my present, went for a walk or just to the internet. One free day I drove to a lake, because Jordi said that there is a nice walk around. But because of the rain it was not possible to walk around, so I spent the time walking to the one side and then to the other!
Another free day I have been in Lleida, which was very close to Balaguer.

left: Balaguer, right: Lleida

Festa Mayor

Samba at the Festa Mayor

At the 11th May there was the last day of the 'Festa Mayor' in Lleida and I have seen on posters that 'La Pegatina' played. Another great band was 'Macaco'. I was there pretty early, even though I took the last train. Nobody was there expect me and a guy from Texas (I met at a friends house of Jordi). But at 12pm suddenly so many people came, the field with the two big stages was crowded. The music was mostly Ska, Samba, Mestizo,... all what I like, perfect! La Pegatina is so famous in Catalonia, the singer also told me that after the concert, that was the concert I almost couldn't move during the concert. Next day at 5am I took the first train back to Balaguer, but then sleeping? NO, Jordi and me started driving to Girona to the flower exposition in the whole city.

La Pegatina, Macaco and some flower art

Girona

This flower exposition 'Temps de flors' was so lovely in the old city of Girona. Many museums, private houses and gardens were open for the visitors and artists decorated it with different flowers.

Girona

After 10 days my time with Jordi was over and I drove to Barcelona to spend there my last week in Spain!

Griona