Yesterday, Saturday, we went to meet the other family members and to have lunch in a mountain village. It is a common outing here. Families gather on weekends and go to out-of-the-way places for lunch.
The food was good, and the company was great. I spent some time talking with my cousins about life during the Spanish Civil War.
After lunch we had a group photo session, then drove en masse to the nearby town of Selaya. In Selaya, we watched a game of Boles and sat in a nice small park. Boles is played with pins and balls and the object is to knock down pins with the ball (sounds like bowling). The pins are about 2 feet tall and about 2 inches in diameter. They are arranged in 3 rows of 4 pins in near the center of the playing field (about 70 ft. by 12 ft.), but slightly closer to one end than the other.
Two teams throw the balls. One team at each end, so that one team has the shorter distance to the pins. The teams alternate positions after each round. Each player throws 4 balls in a round. The balls are 2.5 times then size of a softball and weigh in at about 6 lbs.
On the short end the technique is a straight underhand pitch at the pins. At the long end, the technique is a high, arching throw at the pins. Very interesting, and I hope I get a chance to try it.
Today started very sunny and warm and Lorena and Alex made plans for the beach. I was going to go off on my own for some sightseeing. First we all drove to Alex's brothers house for a face-to-face happy birthday wish to his wife.
Great people, with a lovely family. They have just moved into their new house and I got the grand tour. They used the same architects and Lorena and Alex and have some of the same great features. Lots of light, airy rooms, and high tech state-of-the-art features.
Before we could end the visit, a rain storm hit and drove us back home for lunch. Friends of Lorena and Alex arrived, Juan Carlos and Carmen, Marcos' godmother. We talked and vested, then I came in and started this page and the fellows napped, while the wives walked down to the village for shopping. I hear them returning just now.
Tomorrow I'm off early, rain or shine, for some sightseeing and photo opts.
Signing off now. More later.