La versión en español está después de la versión en inglés.
A row of trees on a side street. All with pink flowers. The first I saw was oleander. Therefore I jumped to the conclusion that all the pink-flowering trees lined up in a row were oleander. I photographed two of the oleanders and was surprised to find that the second one I looked at was not abundant with flowers, and the flowers that were dying off had turned blue. How odd, I thought.
When I downloaded my photos, I noticed something odder still. The flowers didn’t have the same petal shape or form. And then I noticed the leaves were entirely different. Not to mention the trunks. (Why do we say “not to mention” when we are about to mention?) But, hey, if it weren’t for those differences, the trees would have been identical. The tree with the flowers turning blue turned out to be a rose of Sharon. I’m slow but I get there eventually.
San Geraldo and I took another stab at shopping together at El Corte Inglés. I found a pair of pants and then quickly found the bathroom again. SG got a pair of pants, a belt, and socks. He figured out after all these years that, although his waist is not small, he does have relatively slim hips. So, this time, he bought slim fit and they look wonderful. He knows what shirt he’s wearing. I haven’t decided yet. Then all that’s left is to select ties from our downsized collection. I think we only have 36 to choose from. We went early. By the time we got home, the temperature was in the low 30sC, high 80sF. It’s aiming for high 30s/90s again today.
We were going to stop for ice cream but the ice cream shops were just setting up. So we stopped at a fruit market and picked up some melon, nectarines, and cherries (SG loves cherries). And now we’re both sitting in air-conditioned comfort with our shirts off.
Una hilera de árboles en una calle lateral. Todos con flores rosas. El primero que vi era una adelfa. Por lo tanto, llegué a la conclusión de que todos los árboles de flores rosas alineados eran adelfas. Fotografié dos de las adelfas y me sorprendió descubrir que la segunda que miré no tenía muchas flores, y las que se estaban marchitando se habían vuelto azules. Qué raro, pensé.
Al descargar las fotos, me di cuenta de algo aún más extraño. Las flores no tenían la misma forma ni el mismo pétalo. Y luego noté que las hojas eran completamente diferentes. Por no hablar de los troncos. (¿Por qué decimos «por no hablar» cuando estamos a punto de hablar de algo?). Pero bueno, si no fuera por esas diferencias, los árboles habrían sido idénticos. El árbol cuyas flores se estaban volviendo azules resultó ser una rosa de Sharon. Soy lenta, pero al final lo consigo.
San Geraldo y yo volvimos a intentar ir de compras juntos a El Corte Inglés. Encontré un par de pantalones y luego rápidamente encontré el baño. SG compró un par de pantalones, un cinturón y calcetines. Después de tantos años, se dio cuenta de que, aunque su cintura no es pequeña, sí tiene las caderas relativamente delgadas. Así que, esta vez, compró unos ajustados y le quedan de maravilla. Él ya sabe qué camisa se va a poner. Yo aún no me he decidido. Luego solo queda elegir corbatas de nuestra colección reducida. Creo que solo tenemos 36 para elegir. Salimos temprano. Cuando llegamos a casa, la temperatura rondaba los 30°C (86°F). Se esperan temperaturas de 38C (100+F).
Íbamos a parar a tomar un helado, pero las heladerías apenas estaban abriendo. Así que paramos en un mercado de frutas y compramos melón, nectarinas y cerezas (a SG le encantan las cerezas). Y ahora estamos los dos sentados cómodamente en un lugar con aire acondicionado y sin camisas.
• Adelfa.
• Adelfa.
• Rosa de Siria.
• Rosa de Siria.
• Ninguna flor. Si no hubiera sido por la camisa atada a la cintura, no lo habría visto en absoluto. Un camuflaje fenomenal. Pronto cruzó a una plaza con pavimento rosa y gris y lo perdí de vista hasta que vi la banda naranja en sus zapatillas. ¡Uf!
• El segundo desayuno de San Geraldo: una tostada entera con mantequilla y mermelada de melocotón.
• Mi segundo desayuno: media tostada con jamón, aceite de oliva y puré de tomate.
• Nuestro nuevo lugar para desayunar, La Bandera (La Bandera, porque está justo enfrente de la gran bandera española que vemos desde nuestras ventanas).
Click the thumbnails to enlarge.
Haz clic en las miniaturas para ampliar.
The flowers look interesting, alive or dead, pink or blue!
I do like the look of Mr. Camouflage, from what I can see of it.
Bop:
I loved the pink and blue next to each other. Mr. Camouflage wasn’t bad, except for a seriously unflattering hairdo.
When we were in St Peter’s we caught an unusual sight. SP has a rather strict dress code and men cannot wear shorts in the basilica. Apparently the ushers have gotten soft, or creative, or both; we saw a youngish man with an over-shirt tied around his legs half-way down the thigh. He was wearing shorts, but the ushers apparently had him tie the shirt around his legs to cover them. Weird but creative, and he was allowed in.
wickedhamster:
That’s surprising. Generous, lenient ushers. My sister had outfits when she traveled that were one-piece tops and shorts. She carried matching wrap-around skirts in her bag for when she entered the Vatican and other holy places. She was very chic, and respectful.
The endless show of flowering trees and shrubs. Does the city water them?
You and sg are going to a lot of trouble for the wedding. I hope your efforts are admired. And that you manage to choose a tie without further shopping. I’m in the hate to shop camp. Online, and make your own were made for me. Boud
Boud:
Oh, yes, the City takes good credit of things and it’s also a great environment for growing. We really haven’t gone to lots of trouble for the wedding. I was tempted to buy all brand new, but it would probably never be warn again. No problem with the ties. I parted with so many when we moved but kept our favorites, and then some.
Those flowers turn blue when they die? They always turn brown on me.
Kirk:
I think it depends on the weather and environment. Very cool.
As a child I was taught that inhaling the smoke of burning oleander limbs was deadly. Having just googled this, it turns out that just about everything oleander is deadly toxic. I mean, BAD. Danger, Will Robinson! Stay away!
Rose of Sharon is probably not. We have those here, as well as oleander. Rose of Sharon belongs to the same family as hibiscus. You probably knew that. Also okra. You probably knew that too.
Follow me for more useless information.
Ms. Moon
Ms. Moon:
Yes, oleander is deadly toxic. Amazing how common it is. It was known as freeway flower in southern California. And, no, I didn’t know the OKRA/Rose of Sharon connection. I’ll follow you anywhere.
Heh-heh.
Seriously though, I too have often wondered why in the world there are so many oleanders planted and grown. I mean…that’s really pushing it, isn’t it? The National Library of Medicine has an online publication entitled “Human Deaths Related to Oleander Poisoning: A Review of the Literature.” Wouldn’t that be a clue that another landscaping plant might be a better choice?
Has Jerry ever made David Lebovitz’s clafoutis? When cherries are in season it is wonderful.
jacquie
Jacquie:
Clafoutis sounds like a disease. But, no SG has never made anyone’s clafoutis.
It is sort of a sweet custard tart. Eggs, milk or cream, fruit, baked in a crust.
David:
I knew what it was. I just think the name sounds like a disease.
I forgot that Rose-of-Sharon changes color before it drops, though I have noticed this before. Who was Sharon, anyway? (I just looked it up — apparently the name comes from a Bible verse.)
Glad that SG got his pants sorted!
Steve:
What a relief that SG got a new pair of pants. Next he has to buy slim-fit jeans. His area all too big in the first place, plus they’re loose fit. Enough denim for a second person.
PS — And why do you apparently have gastrointestinal reactions to El Corte Ingles?
Steve:
Only because if I think I might have a problem (and I was concerned again that day), El Corte Inglés is a safe place to be.
We have lots of Rose of Sharon plants (white, purple, doubles, and singles) only we call them Altheas.
Kelly:
I’m always impressed by people who call plants by their proper names.
I am catching up on my blog reading. Your last post of you and KB is absolutely adorable.
Your tostadas look amazing, and like SG, I do love cherries. But alas, they are so expensive here.
Michael:
I have no idea how cherry prices here compare to there, but that never stopped SG! The photos of that day at IHOP always make me smile.
What beautiful pictures of the trees, both beauties, and two of which that are not very common here. The rose of Sharon are actually very pretty.
I’ll be shopping soon as I’m going to be going to a wedding. I asked them if I could just come in drag it, would be easier. And my friend’s future partner I can’t stand. They’re lucky I’m not going in drag …..heavily veiled!
Mistress Borghese:
You SHOULD go in drag. Such a shame you can’t stand the partner. We adore both Cristina and Alfonso, and their daughter Maria. I wouldn’t be surprised if we see Alfonso make his pecs dance at some point. I’m looking forward especially to meeting Cristina’s family in Segovia. They sound wonderful. Of course Alfonso’s mother and sister & family, too. They all live about a half hour from us.
Camo and plaid……..what can I say?!
Hope the new breakfast stop looks perfect….and close by.
Jim:
The cafe replaced a cocktail bar. I hope it’s a success. It was very pleasant. The staff were charming (and nice to look at, too).
That’s strange. I’ve never heard Hibiscus referred to by that name. I always associate “Rose of Sharon” with Hypericum! Regardless, they’re fab plants (although I do prefer the single-flowered varieties to doubles like that one) – we had a blue-flowered Hibiscus in the garden-before-last, and it was the centrepiece for which everything else was merely a foil. Jx
Jon:
I hadn’t heard hypericum called Rose of Sharon. Those common names do get around… and confuse things. Rose of Sharon is the common name for several different plants.
We have numerous Rose of Sharon bushes around our yard, and I keep an oleander in a large container that we bring in for the winter. I really with our Rose of Sharon’s were… viewed from someplace else. They are essentially… weeds. Can’t pull them fast enough before they sprout up elsewhere.
I would love to live someplace where I could just have a morning stroll for a light breakfast. That all looks marvelous!
Rade:
I’ve read that Hibiscus syriacus can be very invasive. There are so many varieties of Rose of Sharon.
Good to hear the shopping was more successful.
David:
Yes! I don’t think SG could have coped with another shopping day.
Except for all the difference they were exactly the same. That made me laugh. I’ve never seen an oleander pruned into a tree. They are enormous shrubs here.
ellen abbott:
I’d rarely seen oleanders pruned as trees either, until I moved here. In San Diego, they were a stunning, full, bushy barrier on freeways.