La versión en español está después de la versión en inglés.
Thursday was rainy at first and dreary for the rest of the day. Today we’re supposed to have heavy rain this afternoon and thunder and lighting a bit later. Still we’ve had plenty of beautiful weather with more to come tomorrow. So, I won’t complain.
Today begins the Sierra Morena Rally, a qualifying event for the European Championship and the Spanish Super Championship. I’m not a fan of auto racing. The noise, the pollution, the accidents. I know, however, that the noise and the accidents are exactly what attract many people. San Geraldo and I learned about this and other events when we were in a taxi this morning. The taxi driver was obsessed with the race and showed us video of an accident, of course, that occurred during the trials yesterday in the mountains above us. (No one was hurt.) This round runs along a major boulevard in the center of the city, which might be interesting to see. It runs from 8 to 11 pm, so I’ll see what the weather and my mood are like, and maybe I’ll walk over. Do you enjoy auto racing (to watch or drive)?
I took long walks this week. There are flowers in bud or in bloom all over town. Most are only just starting. The mile (1.5 km) of roses on the Paseo of Córdoba just behind us are beginning to bloom. Different colors in different sections. It should make a stunning display. Wisteria are already doing their thing. They’re all over town. Yes, I inhale. Even the plants in the new water garden are starting to grow and flower. The orange trees all over the city are already in bud and bloom, and the fragrance is exquisite. I walk under clusters of trees and stop and breathe deeply. I get some smiles from others. Either they understand what I’m experiencing or they’re humoring the crazy person.
El jueves empezó lluvioso y el resto del día estuvo gris. Hoy se espera lluvia intensa por la tarde y truenos y relámpagos un poco más tarde. Aun así, hemos tenido un tiempo precioso y aún más por venir mañana. Así que no me quejaré.
Hoy empieza el Rally Sierra Morena, prueba clasificatoria para el Campeonato de Europa y el Supercampeonato de España. No soy muy aficionado a las carreras de coches. El ruido, la contaminación, los accidentes. Sin embargo, sé que el ruido y los accidentes son precisamente lo que atrae a mucha gente. San Geraldo y yo nos enteramos de este y otros eventos esta mañana en taxi. El taxista estaba obsesionado con la carrera y nos enseñó el vídeo de un accidente, por supuesto, ocurrido durante las pruebas de ayer en las montañas. (Nadie salió herido). Esta prueba discurre por un importante bulevar del centro de la ciudad, que podría ser interesante de ver. Es de 20:00 a 23:00, así que veré qué tal está el tiempo y mi estado de ánimo, y quizá me acerque. ¿Te gustan las carreras de autos (verlas o conducirlas)?
Di largos paseos esta semana. Hay flores en capullo o en flor por toda la ciudad. La mayoría apenas están empezando. El kilómetro y medio de rosas del Paseo de Córdoba, justo detrás de nosotros, está empezando a florecer. Diferentes colores en diferentes secciones. Debería ser un espectáculo impresionante. Las glicinas ya están floreciendo. Están por toda la ciudad. Sí, aspiro. Incluso las plantas del nuevo jardín acuático están empezando a crecer y a florecer. Los naranjos de toda la ciudad ya están en capullo y en flor, y el aroma es exquisito. Camino bajo grupos de árboles y me detengo a respirar profundamente. Recibo sonrisas de los demás. O entienden lo que estoy experimentando o le están siguiendo la corriente.
Click the thumbnails to enlarge, and then scratch and sniff.
Haz clic en las miniaturas para agrandarlas y luego raspe y huela.
My mother tried to convert me into a NASCAR fan… It didn’t work.
-Adam
NEKORANDOM.COM
Adam:
I doubt my mother ever watched a second of NASCAR. Glad you didn’t succumb.
I haven’t smelled citrus in bloom in many years, I would join you standing under the tree inhaling deeply. I like open wheel car racing, F-1 and Indy car style. We were driving in Germany ten years ago, down near the border with France and a dozen small cars went wizzing by, there was a rally car race in the city we were staying in.
David:
The fragrance is intoxicating. We had citrus trees in San Diego and Palm Springs. Heaven. I remember you liking car racing. It doesn’t draw me in.
Oooooo! Pretty flowers!
wickedhamster:
I’ve been told spring here is magical.
No, no me gustan las carreras de autos, to answer your question –ha!
Pero, tus fotos de floras en capullo (nueva palabra para mí–¡gracias!) o en flor, sí, me gustan… ¡me encantan!
I might snag a few to use for my desktop background this month 🙂
Judy C:
I love the idea of you using my photos for backgrounds! Thank you. I’m flattered.
We have so many of the same flowers! You even have the bridal wreath spirea.
When I lived in central Florida, it was still heavily planted in citrus and oh, how I remember the smell of all those blooms in spring! It was heaven. We all inhaled.
Maria Luna
Ms. Moon:
We do have a lot the same. My first time in Southern Spain, I told SG it looked like Southern California.
We would join you as well under those orange trees! I can imagine how lovely that is.
Not a fan of Nascar.
Jim:
The aroma of orange blossoms or Nascar? Hmmm…
I smelled orange blossom in a house where I did plant care, just lovely to one who’s never lived where orange trees grew outside.
I don’t like auto racing, or any racing, come to that. My sister and her husband raced and rallied with Porsches in Canada, but not my jam. Boud.
Boud:
I imagine if you get a thrill from speed (I don’t), you would enjoy racing. Watching them go around in circles completely bores me. When we moved to San Diego in ’93, we went for a drive in the mountains. The citrus trees were in full bloom. We opened the windows and took in the fragrance as we drove. It was magical.
Not a fan of race car driving but if I got free tickets I’d probably go.
Kirk:
I’d give my tickets to you.
Boy what a lovely treat on that Walkabout. I am a big lover of Wisteria, and also irises are among one of my favorite flowers. Your season’s much further along than our own.
We too have been getting some much-needed rain this week which is doing amazing things in the garden. I won’t complain though we start out with rain and then it gets nice and sunny
Mistress Borghese:
We have a very short winter here. And, yes, spring rain is a joy when you see what comes with the sunshine.
Spring is such a joy – all those beautiful blooms emerging, one after the other! Our cherry-blossom season is still in full swing, and I, to, may often be found standing under a tree, sniffing the air… So many scents abounding at the moment, apart from the trees – wallflowers, daffodils, hyacinths among them – and so much more just bursting at the seams to take its turn! Lovely. Jx
PS Boy racers? Pah!
Jon:
Boy racers, girl racers, meh. The flowering trees are always beautiful.
The flora looks fabulous and I love the smell of citrus filling the air.
Maybe I need an orange tree?
Bob:
If you can grow an orange tree, I recommend it. The fragrance is amazing.
Your post today is a feast for the eyes! I wish it were scratch and sniff so I could inhale, too.
I never understood the appeal of watching cars go round and round a track.
Kelly:
I so wish I could do scratch and sniff posts! There must be an app.
We had a couple of NASCAR events held in Edmonton a few years ago. The races sounded like a constant hum of bees in the distance. Love your floral photos! And yes, breathe in all those beautiful natural fragrances while they last. That is one of the true pleasures of life.
Debra:
I didn’t walk over last night but we could hear that buzz.
I love the blooming cabbages in the second-to-last photo. I rarely see ornamental cabbage flowering like that. Our orange blossoms (on our stolen tree) were much smaller than those — which makes sense, I suppose, since the fruit is also smaller than a normal orange.
I have never been able to tolerate car racing. It seems so stupid and pointless.
Steve:
That bed of cabbages is right across the street. I don’t think I’ve ever seen them bloom like that. Right now, they’re all flowering.
Cars do nothing for me except get me from one place to another. Racing and noise I would completely avoid. I live with a car person but thankfully he has no use for racing either. Flowers, however, I find interesting and lovely. Your spring is slightly ahead of ours although many fruit and ornamental trees here are blossoming as are the daffodils and a few others (Central New Mexico). I do miss the New England dogwoods (Cornus florida) which I’ve never seen here.
Frank D:
I’m with you when it comes to cars. I could never tire of dogwoods. Magnificent.
The flowers are gorgeous! I’m not an auto racing fan.
Walt the Fourth:
The sun is shining today. I’ll have to check out the flower progress around town.
Oh,I love to inhale the different scents, but have to be careful because of allergies. This is such a pretty time of year in so many places. I like cars, but racing, not so much. Olivia
Olivia:
I like cool, comfortable cars. That’s as far as my interest goes. I have allergies, but have no idea the specifics (except for leaf molds, which are a nightmare for me). I just sniff and sniff the flowers and take my chances… which is probably why I now have been prescribed an antihistamine.
Hi Mitchell, your flower photos are wonderful! To have so much flowering right now.😌You can imagine I am sure what it looks like here in Eastern Ontario at the beginning of April. I can’t say I enjoy car racing but I do like speeding along in my Miata! Have a wonderful weekend.
Robin:
My blood has thinned way too much to tolerate an Ontario winter, especially into April. I must admit I do like zipping around in a sporty car.
All the mesquite and desert plants are in bloom and I am trying hard NOT to inhale. Awful allergies from these things, every year.
Urspo:
And to think people used to move to Phoenix for their allergies.