Best of the beasts!

 Hello!

 As a nature lover I was hoping to see some interesting fauna on my year abroad and I wasn't disappointed. From lizards to caterpillars to rabbits to an eagle, I encountered all kinds of creatures. Here is a selection of my favourites, with a link to the blog entry involving each so you can learn more.

 I'm sticking to wild animals, but if exotic fish and terrapins are your thing be sure to check out my post on the inhabitants of Canet Aquarium and if you like farm animals, see my post about Collioure Christmas Market.

 I hope you enjoy this zoological tour of France and Spain!

 Firstly, there were the lizards that swarmed the pavements during my muggy autumn in Perpignan. They were one of the few good things to come out of the boiling heat that first October - one of the not so good things being, of course, the mosquitoes!

 Then there were the critters of Cabestany, the village near Perpignan where I lived when I first arrived. 

Firebugs - known in French as gendarmes, meaning police officers

A fine specimen of a spider

A nice green fellow

An ant on a mission by the look of things!

 Of course, the kings and queens of the critter scene in Perpignan have to be the pine processionary caterpillars, which emerge from their tree nests in spring. 

 They are hated by many due to their destruction of trees and the allergic reaction their hairs can cause, and I totally understand that. However, you can't watch them march in their perfect lines and not be slightly mesmerised - for me they are the definition of a miracle of nature.

 We also have the ducks of Collioure...

 ... And the pigeons of Perpignan and of, well, everywhere! You can't really escape them wherever you may go across France or Spain.

Ruling the roost

Nathan and Cristina feeding pigeons - part of my perfect day

 One of the highlights of my time in Perpignan was the evenings spent watching the bunnies hop and leap and dance around while the sun set.

 Moving out of Perpignan now, there is the confused seagull of the Camargue...

 ... and the magnificent swarms of Béziers.

 Moving on to Spain, in Salamanca we have the super storks, the sweet sparrow, the ant determined to carry a piece of paper many times his size, a pair of fine pigeons, and a hornet - I think! - chilling by the River Tormes.

Another ant!

 There was also this round little baby that lived outside my window - I hoped he might be a cuckoo but wasn't sure. Either way, he was adorable.

 Then there is the booted eagle I spotted near La Granja Palace - one of my proudest sightings!

 One of the best parts of my year abroad was going to Girona to meet up with my mother. We saw some fine fish...

 ... a handsome cricket...

 ... a regal Red Admiral...

 .... and a rare Catalan giraffe!

 Finally, we can't forget the world's haughtiest pigeon, in Barcelona!

 Of course, no animal can beat my gorgeous Kitt or her long-suffering butterfly.

 I hope you enjoyed this post and seeing the wild side of the places I lived and visited.

 Thanks for reading,

 Liz x

Inside the Casa Lis

 Hello!

 If you are a regular reader of this blog you will know that one of my favourite sights in Salamanca is the Casa Lis illuminated by night. I also mentioned it in my Mole Guide to Salamanca on Third Year Abroad. I haven't yet, however, done a post about the inside of the house. That is about to change! 

 I left visiting the Casa Lis, an Art Nouveau/Deco museum, to pretty late in my nine weeks in Spain. I dropped in one late afternoon after having had a good day wandering around the city. I intended to have a quick look and maybe return to tour the Casa more thoroughly if I liked what I saw.

 After paying my entry fee I walked into the main foyer with its beautiful stained-glass ceiling. I wish I could show you but photos weren't allowed. Trust me, it is very pretty; blue and sky-like.

 The Casa has several levels all looking out via balconies onto that foyer. There was an exhibition about Coco Chanel but as I have little interest in fashion I skipped it and focussed instead on the standard exhibits.

 For me Art Nouevau/Deco is a bit hit and miss - sometimes I like it, sometimes I hate it. Generally I enjoyed the work on show in the Casa. There was such a variety: ornaments, jewellery, portraits, blown glass and more. The whole of a large room was devoted to a huge number of dolls, which ranged from elegant to creepy.

 Then there was my favourite thing: collages of lots and lots of old photos. As a fan of the Chalet School, the early installments of which are set in the twenties and thirties, it was fascinating to see the clothes and hairstyles of the time and to know that was how the charcters might have looked.

 I had a break in the little café, one wall of which is the famous green stained glass you see from outside. For me the glass front of the Casa Lis had become a beacon, an angel - something magical and distant. To be inside it was very, very surreal. 

 I chose hot chocolate, which was lovely, and a raspberry muffin which oozed with cream but tasted a bit artificial. Still, it made a decent snack and the whole experience was very memorable.

 I had a last look around the Casa and watched part of a film on glass-blowing. Then the announcement sounded that the Casa was closing. I had a quick glance around the gift shop but didn't have time to buy anything before we were all thrown out into the rain.

 And it was raining! Extremely heavily. Knowing by now Salamanca's propensity for violent electric storms I was slightly scared. I was about ten minutes from my residence and was torn between making a run for it or waiting out the storm in my shelter - a shop that just consists of vending machines.

 I have to say, scary as it was, it was very atmospheric standing there waiting, surrounded by wind and the smell of rain. It was also strange and new seeing Salamanca with nobody in it. I hadn't realised until that point that it was always bustling, always loud. Now all I could see were the buildings, the streets, and all I could hear was the storm.

 When the rain eased off a little I decided to go for it and half-walked, half-ran back. It was good to be safe and snug indoors but the storm had had a beautiful quality. Scary but beautiful.

 So, that was the Casa Lis. I never did go back as I saw everything (apart from Coco) and, impressive as it was, for me the real beauty of the Casa Lis can be seen for free from the outside any night.

 Thanks for reading,

 Liz x

Zamora

 Hello!

 From León, where we had spent an enriching afternoon, our coach took us back down towards Salamanca. Between the two is the city of Zamora, where we stopped for a very quick tour.

 We crossed through a park where a pack of youths sat looking at us sulkily. We refused to let them intimidate us and arrived in one piece at Zamora Cathedral. We didn't get the chance to enter but from the outside it was very beautiful, especially in the lovely evening sun.

 We had a quick look at the River Duero, one of the most important rivers in Spain. It flows all the way to Porto, Portugal where it meets the sea. It made an elegant scene under a blue sky filled with fluffy clouds.

The Little Train taking tourists across the bridge!

 We strolled on through the town.

Clinging on!

 There seem to be a lot of things painted onto buildings in Zamora: optical illusions, art and some poetry, which you will see later.

Viriato, a Lusitaniun leader who resisted the Romans and was kind of an Asterix figure

 We had a tiny bit of free time during which a number of us shot to the nearby Smöoy for some frozen yogurt. I had my usual peanut butter with granola and it was as delicious as ever.

 We wandered back through the streets of Zamora. The light was still gorgeous.

Owls!

It looks like Great Britain minus the West Country!

 Zamora was a nice destination for the final visit of my Spanish summer. I have a few more posts for you about my base city, Salamanca, so stay tuned!

 Thanks for reading.

 Liz x