Saturday afternoon is always a great time to visit our nearest town, Monforte de Lemos. Unlike most town centres across the UK, the only retail activity comes from national supermarket chains and cheap Chinese bazaars. I can’t think of a better time to take the wife into town. Shop windows and locked doors; a Yorkshireman’s dream.
It took some getting used to after the hustle and bustle of Huddersfield’s high streets. However; like many lifestyle changes associated with migrating to a foreign country, once we’d made the adjustment the benefits far outweighed the drawbacks and I’m not just talking about the savings. Take last Saturday for example.
In terms of the weather, we hadn’t had the best spring week ever but on Saturday afternoon the clouds parted and bright sunshine lit up the countryside.
‘Do you fancy a stroll along the river in Monforte?’ I asked.
I’d wanted to take a few snaps of the town centre Parador and for one reason or another hadn’t got round to it. Besides which, our hound Slawit would be pestering for her afternoon stroll anytime soon. So that was that; and off we went.
Within ten minutes of leaving home we were pulling up next to the river. During the week this stretch of road becomes primetime parking but not at the weekend. We parked opposite the new pedestrian bridge: an attractive piece of modern architecture made entirely from wood.
I lifted open the rear tailgate and Slawit jumped out, more in relief than excitement. After two and a half years of training, she still hates travelling in the car. Once on terra firma, her mood quickly changed: nose to the ground and tail in the air.
We crossed the footbridge over the Rio Cabe and began our walk along the recently renovated embankment footpath. From here we had an excellent view of the 16th century Romanesque bridge. As we ambled down the footpath, two ducks glided past us closely followed by two tiny ducklings struggling to keep up. On the opposite bank Snow geese and Greylag geese were basking in the warm sunshine.
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We continued along the footpath, passed the Romanesque bridge and up onto the main road bridge connecting the two halves of the town. From here we had a good view of El Escolapius, the 16th century Jesuit College and the architectural jewel in Monforte’s crown.
We crossed the bridge and headed back to the car. Slawit seemed oblivious to the water fowl paddling up and down the river. Mind you, when it comes to likes and dislikes, a body of water runs a very close second to a journey in the car: she won’t even wade through a puddle.
Back at the Romanesque bridge we had two options: continue along the footpath where a gaggle of geese lay in wait or climb the steps at the side of the bridge and amble down the pavement. I had my reservations but Melanie insisted on finishing off our walk along the riverbank. Visions of spitting geese, chasing us back down the footpath flashed through my mind. Nothing could have been further from reality: slowly and without drama our feathered friends waddled their way toward the river.
We arrived home just in time to see the footie results, Huddersfield Town 0 - Leicester City 2. Never mind, at least we had a good result, Peace and Quiet 3 – Hustle and Bustle 0.
Vine Watch – week 4
The vines received their first pesticide treatment of the year. From now on they’ll need spraying every ten days or after a downpour: whichever comes first. Keep your fingers crossed it’s the former.
Copyright © 2014 Craig Briggs
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