La versión español está después de la versión inglés.
HERE IN MÁLAGA THIS WEEK, we’re moving to Phase 2 of the state of alarm. The easing of restrictions began with Phase 0. During Phase 1, many restaurant terraces reopened at 30 percent of capacity. I was elated when Restaurante Primavera opened their terrace last week, but San Geraldo and I haven’t yet relaxed enough to take advantage of that. We’ll see how we feel this week.
As I mentioned a couple of days ago, even our visit to the garden center, Viveros Guzman, wasn’t without anxiety. We’ve got some adjusting to do. However, you can see in today’s photos that despite the anxiety it was a beautiful expedition.
At the end is an aerial view, thanks to Google Maps, of the entire complex of greenhouses. It’s enormous and includes a two-story home furnishings shop, a large restaurant/cafe, a florist, and more. Plus, about 10 minutes away are their growing fields as well as trees too large to haul into a green house.
I didn’t see any green alligators, long-necked geese, humpty backed camels, or chimpanzees — this time, at least. I did see cows, other animals, and a lot of naked and semi-naked people. “But, the loveliest of them all was the unicorn.”
Click the images to make the plants grow.
.
AQUÍ EN MÁLAGA ESTA SEMANA, nos estamos moviendo a la Fase 2 del estado de alarma. La reducción de las restricciones comenzó con la Fase 0. Durante la Fase 1, muchas terrazas de restaurantes reabrieron al 30 por ciento de su capacidad. Estaba eufórico cuando Restaurante Primavera abrió su terraza la semana pasada, pero San Geraldo y yo todavía no nos hemos relajado lo suficiente como para aprovechar eso. Veremos cómo nos sentimos esta semana.
Como mencioné hace unos días, incluso nuestra visita al centro de jardinería, Viveros Guzmán, no fue sin ansiedad. Tenemos algunos ajustes que hacer. Sin embargo, puedes ver en las fotos de hoy que, a pesar de la ansiedad, fue una hermosa expedición.
Al final hay una vista aérea, gracias a Google Maps, de todo el complejo de invernaderos. Es enorme e incluye una tienda de muebles para el hogar, un gran restaurante/cafetería, una floristería, y más. Además, a unos 10 minutos de distancia se encuentran sus campos de cultivo y árboles demasiado grandes para transportarlos a un invernadero.
No vi caimanes verdes, gansos de cuello largo, camellos con espalda jorobada, ni chimpancés — al menos esta vez. Vi vacas, otros animales, y muchas personas desnudas y semidesnudas. “Pero, el más encantador de todos era el unicornio.”
Haz clic en las imágenes para hacer crecer las plantas.
Vivimos en la costa más allá de la montaña a la derecha.
.
Lo siento. No pude encontrar una versión de La Canción del Unicornio (The Unicorn Song) de “The Irish Rovers” con subtítulos español.
The real unicorn had No wings, this one must be a mix of a unicorn and the flying horse Pegasus 😊😊 But it was nice.
Elin:
LOL. There are actually stories of winged unicorns (although I don’t think they were any more “real” than other unicorns). They have also been called “pegacorns” (for the reason you mention) and even “alicorns.”
I WAS going to post the song, but I see you already have. I was singing along with your text. gorgeous blooms! does this mean meson salador can be open again?
anne marie:
You never have to worry about posting the songs for me. Say a word and several songs immediatley start playing in my head! Mesón Salvador is opening tomorrow (Monday)!
Two points:
1 – I do hope you bought the unicornish thingy. It would make a great conversation piece for the living room.
2 – What are those feathery-flowered plants at the top of the post, I forget.
wickedhamster:
I wanted to take home the unicornish thing but it wouldn’t fit in the car (or even ON the car). Those flowers are celosia (I’ve heard them called woolflower). I had never seen them until we moved to San Diego. Immediately bought some. The plant itself, when not flowering, was not very attractive. But it’s apparently an exceptional food source.
Surely you have space for a few sculptures?
David:
Fortunately, we don’t. Some of their sculptures have been so bizarre, I’d really be tempted to buy them. None would fit in our elevators and most would be too tall for our terrace. (Good thing!)
OMG! We would have a field day there!
So many terracotta pots!
I must say that ‘unicorn’ would be a perfect ‘garden feature’.
Don’t blame you guys for being cautious……very understandable considering that some/most places that loosen up too soon always have a 2nd wave hit them.
We will continue to be wary as well………being ‘at risk’ we do not want to chance anything.
Jim:
Should I have the unicorn shipped to you?!? I’m sure Ron would love it. There’s another green house entire filled with all different types of ceramic pots. The place is amazing.
Sure beats Lowes and Home Depot.
Frank:
We had fallen in love with a garden center about 10 minutes away. Then a contractor told us about this one. It’s incredible. We went back to the first place a couple of times and it felt so small… and limited.
We did the garden center yesterday for plants and flowers and herbs for summer.
It was a nice way to spend a pandemic day.
Bob:
It was on one level very uplifting. We’ve just got to get used to this way of living until, hopefully, there’s a vaccine!
Envious of the enormous selection of plants. Was hardly able to get any variety of flowers or veg at our garden center. Neither did they carry quite the array of statuary. The prudish around here would have been compelled to mask something other than the face. And I’m not talking about the unicorn’s protuberance. 🙂
Mary:
It is satisfying to live in a country where most people don’t find body parts embarrassing. I could spend an entire day at this garden center. The restaurant was still closed (as were the toilets) but maybe that will change this week.
That is an amazing place! All those gorgeous plants. I have pot envy, now. You two must have had a fine time in spite of the anxiety of being out and about.
Wilma:
It WAS energizing despite the anxiety. And the terrace is looking beautiful.
I absolutely ADORED the Irish Rovers’ “Unicorn Song” when I was a wee tot. And I love your photo of the winged unicorn at the garden centre? Do you mind if I use it in my next unicorn post, with attribution to you as photographer and a link to your blog?
Debra:
I was younger than I realized when that song came out. (What a relief!) And, yes, of course I’d be honored if you used the photo… and thanks for asking!
What a setting! Great place. Too bad that you can’t visit it without anxiety, yet, but the day will come!
We went out to eat AT a restaurant, for the first time (since early March), Friday. Sat outside, tables distanced 6-feet or more from each other, all of the workers wore masks, menus and salt and pepper were all disposable, tables and all chairs were all washed down after each person, and we were asked to consider wearing a mask as we walked through the restaurant to outside (I also wore my mask while I talked to the server). Whew. But… there was a table with a couple, that had another couple come and join them. So, they sat there for an hour, talking and laughing, their faces 2 feet from each other. At the bar, there were people drinking, talking, laughing… right up next to each other (not couples, but separate people who came and congregated there). Shaking my head.
Judy:
I really, really want to go out for a meal. I’m a bit less stressed about it than SG, but still not completely relaxed. I’m glad you got to go out and sorry to learn about the behavior of others. Mesón Salvador opens tomorrow and restaurants will even have inside dining (which solves the cigarette smoke problem). But I don’t know if we’re ready. I think it’s going to be difficult for restaurant staff to police their establishments. Even though people locally have been very good, there are still those who just don’t get it. Added to that, travel opens up within the province tomorrow. So things are going to get busier with people coming in from out of town. But I am SO tired of washing dishes!
What a lovely post to see today, I was wondering where my unicorn Skittles ran off to.
We are still locked down here. But a good friend of mine was out dinning at a outdoor terrace when their restrictions lightened. She wore a mask and thought she’d be safe on the terrace. She has since got the virus. It’s the only place she has been since the start, so they are not sure where in the restaurant she got. Her partner said some didn’t have masks on, and no one walking pass the place, very little wore masks. Another reason when we relax, I most likely will not be going out to establishments, except for take out. In the last two weeks I now have three people I know contract it. Wait till this fall when it comes backs two fold, in addition with the regular flu.
I sure hope your brother is good and safe. NYC was a war zone this weekend.
Mistress Maddie:
That is such awful news about your friends! I hope everyone recovers quickly with hardly a symptom. I do worry about my brother being where he is. I know he’s following the rules, and Rite-Aid is acting very responsibly. But there’s still so much risk. So far, so good. No word from his apartment office each week (except for updates on how they’re managing), and that’s a good sign. I’ll talk to him Tuesday and hope things continue the way they’ve been. We have had very few cases here In Fuengirola, but opening up tomorrow to anyone living in the province is a bit concerning. Until now, travel has been severely restricted. Take good care of yourself!
Neat garden centre. Love the celosia in the top photo, one of my favorite flowers (I just put some in my flower bed). And the Unicorn – unexpected and cheeky – love it.
Cheapchick:
I, too, love the celosia. Too bad the plant itself is not very attractive. I’m sure you know how to arrange things in your beautiful gardens! That unicorn! Can you imagine putting that in your backyard?!? Then again, maybe it’s not even for sale. They have some very nice statuary, some very kitschy statuary (that people love), and then some huge hilarious items. They’ve had giant hippos, giraffes, a larger than life pirate that looks like Jack Sparrow (he’s been there for 4 years now).
All the plants ! is fabulous !
Parsnip:
I would mind going back today. I would spend a lot more time than SG! He shops, pays, and gets out. I would just wander.
What a nice place and lots of choice, looks wonderful. I wish we had this type of garden centre here.
larrymuffin:
Some very nice garden centers here, but this one goes above and beyond. We had one outside San Diego, California, that was so large, you had to drive to parts of it. THAT was a blast. But we moved to San Francisco and they retired. I don’t think it was related… although we DID probably cover the costs of their electricity and water.
If you haven’t read it please find/read the (very) short story “The Unicorn in the garden” by James Thurber. I would get this statue just for knowing this fable.
Urspo:
I remember seeing an animated version of the story when i was a kid. I just found it on YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8YQyBYYYpY and watched it again. When I read it later (I think I was in junior high) I found it upsetting. I just read it again and still feel that way. Just the way I’ve always been. The original story didn’t make the wife out to be awful, so I thought the story was really cruel. Sometimes I overthink!
They do like their statuary, don’t they? I’m afraid I have nothing good to say about that unicorn! 😀
Steve:
Some of their statuary is what you’d expect at a garden center (whether it’s my taste or not). But they also have some really strange stuff. I hope they’re being intentionally playful. Otherwise, it’s a little creepy. Check this out from a couple of years ago: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8YQyBYYYpY